Top Floor

Just like last week, this special episode of Top Floor comes to you from the Loading Dock at HITEC in San Antonio. A huge thank you to HFTP for hosting us at the hospitality industry's premier technology conference and for creating the opportunity to capture these unforgettable moments.  Aimee George, Aimee Inc. — The guest room mix-up that turned into every hotel manager's nightmare. Ryan Brough,...

This special episode of Top Floor comes to you from the Loading Dock at HITEC in San Antonio. A huge thank you to HFTP for hosting us at the hospitality industry's premier technology conference and for creating the opportunity to capture these unforgettable moments. Instead of our usual in-depth interview, this milestone 250th episode is a collection of Loading Dock stories—funny, surprising, and...

Orlie Benjamin is the founder and CEO of Lasoh, a hospitality technology platform helping vacation rental and boutique lodging operators strengthen guest relationships through marketing automation, guest experience tools, and AI-powered workflows. After building her career with brands like American Airlines, NetJets, Disney, and Victoria's Secret, she traded corporate life for entrepreneurship, la...

Brian Quinn is Chief Development Officer for Rivett Group and My Place Hotels, bringing decades of experience spanning hotel operations, development, franchising, acquisitions, and brand growth. From starting as a bellman to leading nearly 800 hotel development deals, Brian has built a career around scaling businesses and developing people. Susan and Brian talk about playbooks, partnerships, and p...

Guest Bio Michelle Davis is the General Manager of the SpringHill Suites Orange Beach at The Wharf and a recognized leader known for building high-performing teams and delivering standout guest experiences. Jason Kern is the General Manager of Embassy Suites St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort, where he combines servant leadership with a deep passion for hospitality and team development. Togethe...

Susan Barry is a marketer, podcaster, consultant, speaker, bird influencer, and serial starter of delightfully unconventional side projects, all connected by a deep belief in the power of creativity. In this solo episode, she explores why hospitality may be optimizing itself out of its most human advantage and what that means for education, recruitment, and guest experience. *** What You'll Learn:...

Anna Blue is the founder and CEO of Blue Moss Group, where she helps organizations connect growth with purpose. With leadership experience spanning hospitality, nonprofits, advocacy, and media, Anna brings a unique perspective to hospitality through her work at the intersection of business strategy, social impact, and influence. Susan and Anna talk about creator culture, corporate authenticity, an...

Zack Gharib is the President of Red Roof, bringing decades of leadership experience across Marriott, Wyndham, Vacasa, and beyond. From a chance encounter with a hotel GM in Athens to leading one of hospitality's biggest tech transformations, Zack shares what it really takes to succeed in today's lodging landscape. Susan and Zack talk about AI automation, franchisee profitability, and vacation-rent...

Lucy Lieberman is a longtime digital innovator who has spent her career jumping into emerging technology before the rest of the market catches up — from early websites and streaming to loyalty platforms and AI-powered travel. She's led digital transformation for brands like IHG, Amex, and FAO Schwartz, and she most recently served as CEO of Michelin Guide Hotels during one of the toughest moments...

Emily Goldfischer is a hospitality PR veteran turned media entrepreneur and co-founder of hertelier , a platform amplifying women's voices in the hotel industry. After a decade shaping brand narratives at Loews Hotels and a pivot into journalism in London, she uncovered a glaring gap in female representation at the top. Susan and Emily talk about advocacy, research, and storytelling. What You'll L...

Jelani Millard is the founder of the Wapechi Collection, a travel-focused investment platform blending hospitality, real estate, and emerging tech ventures. With roots in finance, he's carved a unique lane exploring how travel really works—from boutique hotels in Ghana to "Pay Me in Plane Tickets." Susan and Jelani talk about unpacking travel's hidden truths through stories, systems, and sacrifice...

Tim Leffel is a veteran travel writer and editor who left the music industry to explore the world, building a location-independent career along the way. He's reviewed over 1,500 hotels across dozens of countries and now publishes insights on remote work and global living. Susan and Tim talk about fear, freedom, and finding value in travel. Why travel fears are overblown (and what's actually risky)...

Scott Webb is a longtime leader at Kolter Hospitality who turned a condo crisis into a thriving hotel portfolio spanning major brands. With over three decades of experience, he blends real estate discipline with hands-on hotel operations to drive smart growth. Susan and Scott talk about leadership lessons and share insights on people, performance, and property strategy. What You'll Learn • Why inv...

Chris Russell is a hospitality executive and CEO of Spire Hospitality, known for building and scaling hotel management companies from the ground up. A Culinary Institute of America graduate who pivoted from the kitchen to operations, he's spent decades shaping teams, launching platforms, and leading growth across the industry. Susan and Chris talk about career choices, company building, and cultur...

This is probably the weirdest episode yet. For seven minutes, Susan talks about not being a team player and why personal development is suspect. Then, she joins Calvin Tilokee for a joke-off of Spring-themed pick-up lines for hoteliers. Are you scratching your head in confusion? Good! *** Susan Barry on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandbarry/ Top Floor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.co...

Mark Wayman is a longtime executive recruiter and former tech-to-gaming industry insider known for building one of the most powerful networks in Las Vegas. He unpacks how careers evolve across industries and why relationships, not resumes, drive success. Susan and Mark talk about networking nuance, hiring honesty, and hospitality hustle. • Why relationships beat talent in hiring decisions • Why ho...

Jascha Kaykas-Wolff is the CEO of Visiting Media and a longtime tech leader who has helped shape digital marketing at companies like Yahoo, Microsoft, BitTorrent, and Mozilla. Raised in a socialist collective outside Eugene, Oregon, by a pioneering rock concert promoter, he grew up thinking deeply about systems, autonomy, and how teams work together. Susan and Jascha talk about AI acceleration, au...

Lori Mukoyama is a Design Principal and Global Hospitality Leader at Gensler, shaping hotel experiences across cities from Chicago to Tokyo. With a background in boutique retail and large-scale hospitality design, she focuses on the tactile and emotional details that shape guests' experience of a space. Susan and Lori talk about design details, destination differences, and the future of guest expe...

Kurt Oleson is the Chief Operating Officer and co-owner of Custom Channels, a Denver-based company delivering fully licensed, human-curated music solutions for hotels and restaurants. A classically trained pianist turned music technologist, he helped build early music-recommendation algorithms before joining his company. Susan and Kurt talk about licensing landmines and algorithmic ethics. What Yo...

Leora Lanz is an associate professor at Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration and a former global marketing leader who helped grow HVS from seven offices to forty worldwide. After decades in destination marketing, hotel operations, and consultancy, she turned her classroom casework into two books on developing a marketing mindset. Susan and Leora talk about critical thinking, co...

Travis Burns is Executive Vice President of Business Development at Remington Hospitality, where he's helping scale the company's third-party management platform. A former aerospace professional turned hotelier, he walked into the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown asking for any job, and built a career spanning sales, operations, and investment strategy. In this episode, he unpacks profit over prestige...

Susan Barry is the founder of Hive Marketing and the host of Top Floor, bringing hotel sales, marketing, and ownership-side perspectives to the mic. In this solo episode, she reintroduces herself to new listeners from Hotel Online and HFTP and zooms out on a timely industry controversy to ask a much bigger question about power, history, and responsibility in hospitality. This episode is short and...

Tracy Stuckrath is the founder of thrive! meetings & events, where she helps planners, venues, and chefs stop accidentally poisoning their guests (a low bar, but here we are). After being diagnosed with a food allergy and realizing she couldn't safely eat at her own events, Tracy built a mission around safer, more inclusive hospitality, and later launched the "Eating at a Meeting" podcast during C...

Christine Malfair is a lifelong hotelier turned independent-hotel marketing fixer, with a career spanning cruise ships, GM roles, and 15 years building Malfair Marketing as an early "remote fractional CMO." She helps independent hotels cut through AI noise and get found by guests and machines without losing their minds. Susan and Christine talk about clarity, consistency, and competitive courage....

Gary Brown is a former attorney and CPA who ditched billable hours for buildings, turning a brotherly townhouse-flipping side hustle into Furnished Quarters, one of the largest corporate housing providers in the U.S. He leads a service-first operation across major markets like New York, Boston/Cambridge, and the Bay Area, blending tech, design, and a very real "stuff breaks at 3am" mindset. Susan...