Leadership Episodes

Aug. 6, 2025

Visibility as a Competitive Advantage: How Raines Wins by Showing Up - David Tart

David Tart, Managing Partner at Raines, shares how the practice of visibility drives the culture at his rapidly growing hospitality company. He dives deep into how Raines maintains its close-knit, relationship-driven culture through intentional leadership practices, especially during growth periods and acquisitions like the integration of HP Hotels. Listen in to discover how visibility, internal events, and cross-training initiatives create career opportunities and cultivate a unified team cultu...
Aug. 2, 2025

How Chris Gilbert is Humanizing Government Through the Power of Hospitality

Chris Gilbert, CEO of Springfield Township in Hamilton County, Ohio, and founder of Municipal Hospitality Advisors, shares how he's pioneering the application of hospitality principles within local government. Chris shares the personal inspiration behind his transformative approach: a memorable dining experience that sparked his commitment to delivering meaningful moments in civic service. Listeners will gain insights into how hospitality can enhance collaboration, build deeper community trust, ...
July 12, 2025

Why Mentorship Matters Now More Than Ever - Ryan Bukstein

In this episode, Ryan Bukstein shares what he's learned about the power of mentorship: both being mentored and mentoring others.
July 5, 2025

Winning as a Team: What Baseball Can Teach Hospitality Leaders About Culture and Performance - Edward Mady

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he's learned from baseball. Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram...
July 4, 2025

Creating a Culture of Welcome: How We Engaged Employees to Delight Guests - Edward Mady

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he has learned about creating a culture of welcome throughout every part of a hotel business. Read Edward's article on Harvard Business Review: How Luxury Brands Can Motivate Service Employees Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionabl...
Guest: Edward Mady
July 3, 2025

Leadership Lessons in Crisis Management - Edward Mady

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he's learned about leading through crisis. Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn...
July 2, 2025

Leading Under Pressure, Building Relationships & the Power of Fellowship in Hospitality - Edward Mady

In this episode, Edward Mady shares some things he's learned about leadership, relationship building, and the joy of friendship and fellowship in the world of hospitality. Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscrib...
Guest: Edward Mady
June 30, 2025

From Fear to Respect: Leadership Lessons from Working with the "Queen of Mean" - Edward Mady

In this episode, Edward Mady shares his experience working for a tough boss - and the power of being unfazed under pressure. Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join...
June 12, 2025

Why Great Hospitality Leaders Always Return to the Front Desk - Andrew Arthurs

In this episode, Andrew Arthurs, President & Chief Operating Officer at Actabl, shares his experience as a Chief Information Officer at some of the world's largest hotel management companies. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily...
May 24, 2025

Strategy Meets Soul: Leading with Both Sides of the Brain - Billy Skelli-Cohen, Beaumier

In this episode, Danica Smith , founder of Morningstar GX and our guest experience correspondent, interviews Billy Skelli-Cohen , CEO of Beaumier , about what he's learned about leading and hospitality through his career so far. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, ...
May 23, 2025

The Navy SEAL Method: Build a Hospitality Team That Thrives Under Pressure - Kevin Kelleher

In this episode, Kevin Kelleher , a former hotel leader who is now an account manager at Actabl , shares what he's learned about the hotel pre-opening and opening process. Recommended next episode with Kevin: The 70% Rule: Why Hospitality Leaders Grow Faster by Stepping Beyond Their Comfort Zone A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and action...
May 21, 2025

When Hard Work Holds You Back as a Leader - Kevin Kelleher

In this episode, Kevin Kelleher , a former hotel leader who is now an account manager at Actabl , shares a surprising insight about leadership that anyone in hospitality can learn from. Recommended next episode with Kevin: The 70% Rule: Why Hospitality Leaders Grow Faster by Stepping Beyond Their Comfort Zone A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summ...
May 20, 2025

Hotel Leadership Today: Balancing People, Profit, and Product - Kevin Kelleher

In this episode, Kevin Kelleher , a former hotel leader who is now an account manager at Actabl , shares what he's learned about leadership in hospitality. Recommended next episode with Kevin: The 70% Rule: Why Hospitality Leaders Grow Faster by Stepping Beyond Their Comfort Zone Also see: From Heart of House to Leadership: Lessons From My Journey to Hospitality Excellence - Kevin Kelleher A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a mess...
April 6, 2025

My Journey to GM: Lessons in Leadership, Culture, and the Power of Resilience - Hazel Hagans Farris, Le Meridien Washington, D.C., The Madison

In this episode, Emily Goldfischer, founder and editor-in-chief of hertelier, interviews Hazel Hagans Farris, Le Meridien Washington, D.C., The Madison. Hazel shares her unconventional journey from studying chemistry to becoming a leader in the hospitality industry, tackling leadership challenges, and championing women in hospitality. In this, we cover: (00:00) Introduction (00:21) Hazel's background and career shift (01:17) First role at W Atlanta Buckhead (02:46) Gradual realization of pa...
March 19, 2025

Learning, Leading, and Letting Go: Sara Masterson’s Approach to Hospitality Leadership

In this episode, Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hospitality, shares her insights on growth and leadership with our host and career correspondent, Nancy Mendelson. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversat...
Feb. 12, 2025

The Unexpected Intersection of Hospitality and Public Health - Marc Schwarz

In this episode, Marc Schwarz, Director of Service at Thrive Hospitality, shares hospitality lessons from an unexpected role that we can all learn from. Also see: Service is a Privilege: The Mindset of Hospitality Success - Marc Schwarz Creating Alchemy with Ian Schrager (And How Hospitality Needs to Change) - Ben Pundole, PUBLIC Hotels A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you w...
Feb. 10, 2025

The Culture Code: What Made Ian Schrager’s Hotels Different - Marc Schwarz

In this episode, Marc Schwarz, Director of Service at Thrive Hospitality, shares his experiences working with the legendary hotelier Ian Schrager and the unique culture at Morgan's Hotel Group. Also see: Service is a Privilege: The Mindset of Hospitality Success - Marc Schwarz Creating Alchemy with Ian Schrager (And How Hospitality Needs to Change) - Ben Pundole, PUBLIC Hotels Working with Ian Schrager: The Iconic Studio 54 Founder's Approach to Hospitality Today - Adam Wallace A few more reso...
Feb. 4, 2025

Why Millennials and Gen Z Thrive at Remington Hospitality - Sloan Dean, Remington Hospitality

In this episode, Sloan Dean, CEO of Remington Hospitality, shares insights on attracting millennials and Gen Z to the hospitality industry, rethinking benefits, and building loyalty through mentorship-driven career paths. Check out our other episodes with Sloan here. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode deliver...
Feb. 2, 2025

Hotels as Change Agents: A GM’s Unfiltered Perspective - Kara Bartelt, The Hoxton, Downtown LA

In this episode, Kara Bartelt, General Manager at The Hoxton, Downtown LA, shares insights on the role of hotels in urban revitalization, the challenges and opportunities in the hospitality industry today, and the importance of community engagement. Learn more about Hotel Caring from the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA). Also, see these other episodes with Kara: Engineering Training & Mentorship How Buildings Shape Hospitality: Lessons from a Yale-Trained Architect-Turned-...
Feb. 1, 2025

Impact Hospitality: How Hotels Can Build Community & Drive Change - Donte Johnson & Jason Bass

In this episode, Donte P. Johnson and Jason Bass share the story and message behind Impact Hospitality and their new book of the same name published by Kendall Hunt. See our other episodes with Donte and Jason: Culture creates a feeling and sends a message We have a boring problem, not a staffing problem Dress codes, grooming standards & creating a welcoming culture DEI needs to be a baseline to build from Impact Hospitality & being more hospitable to our neighbors The business benefits o...
Dec. 9, 2024

Stop Fighting Fires: Building a Culture of Problem Solvers in Your Hotel - Adele Gutman

In this episode, Adele Gutman shares insights on effectively responding to hotel guest feedback to prevent future issues and improve guest satisfaction and team morale. Watch Us Build an AI Bot to Answer Hotel Reviews (YouTube) Take my State of Hotel Industry Survey now to get insights on challenges, priorities, and opportunities in hospitality today. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or ...
Nov. 19, 2024

"Don't SOP the Life Out of a Hotel" - Tim Harmon, Palisades Hospitality Group

In this episode, Tim Harmon, founder and CEO of Palisades Hospitality Group, shares how his experiences in the restaurant and hotel industries have shaped his vision for exceptional guest experiences. Listen now to learn: How lessons from the restaurant world, like the power of storytelling and embracing spontaneity, can revolutionize hotel operations. Tim's unique approach to balancing consistency with creativity in hospitality management. The importance of hands-on leadership and bu...
Nov. 15, 2024

How I Bring New York Energy to California to Convene Community in a Coastal Town - Angel Hernandez, Timber Cove Resort

In this episode, Angel Hernandez, General Manager at Timber Cove Resort, shares his journey from the high-energy hospitality scene of New York to creating a vibrant community hub in a quiet coastal town in California. Listen now to learn about: The unique challenges and rewards of managing a remote resort and creating a home-like atmosphere for guests. The importance of personalized guest experiences and attentiveness in hospitality. Insights into Angel's leadership style and how he motivate...
Nov. 5, 2024

It's Time For Transformational Hospitality Leadership - Craig Poole [Election Day Replay]

Today, we’re revisiting a conversation with a guest who has profoundly impacted me and, I believe, represents the true potential of hospitality. Craig Poole, a three-time Hilton Connie Award winner and the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s General Manager of the Year, has set an incredible example at the DoubleTree in Reading, Pennsylvania. His hotel excels financially and has redefined what it means to be a community cornerstone. Craig’s story offers a powerful reminder of how hospitali...