Hiring for Heart, Turning "Opportunity Guests" into Advocates, and Avoiding Counterfeits with Jimmy Peña
What does it take to select and lead people who can deliver authentic hospitality at the highest level? In this episode, we learn from Jimmy Peña, a private estate manager in Beverly Hills and a former member of the Ritz-Carlton quality audit team, who helped shape service excellence across Forbes 5-Star and AAA 5-Diamond properties.
Jimmy shares why hiring for heart and hustle is non-negotiable, how he frames service recovery by training teams to see “opportunity guests” instead of “problem guests,” and why he uses the concept of “counterfeits” to reinforce the language, behavior, and standards that define great hospitality.
You may also enjoy from Jimmy:
- Hospitality as Stewardship: The Delight and Dignity of Caring for People, Places, and Moments
- Heart, Hustle & the Simple, Brutal Beauty of Hospitality
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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands
