It's Personal Stories, A Hospitality Podcast

Noreen shares how she intentionally created her path to leadership through continuous learning, taking risks, and developing trusted relationships. She talks about advocating for yourself and overcoming self-doubt. She discusses how her involvement in non-profits further develops her leadership and how marathon training shares many common traits she uses as a business leader.

Tim always wanted to be an entrepreneur and worked his way into the hotel and restaurant business starting as a dishwasher and doing every job in a hotel starting at the age of fourteen. He found his way to Cornell Hotel School and minored in computer science. After graduation, he wanted to focus on the travel tech part of the hotel business and formed a partnership with John Prince, and together...

Influenced at an early age by his experience at the family annual vacation spot in the Poconos, Lou knew he wanted to be part of the travel and hospitality industry. Taking a different path than his peers, he chose to enroll in a hospitality school at the local community college and worked at the local Holiday Inn. His early experience set him up to be on the ground floor of the development and gr...

Robert's early career was influenced by several mergers and acquisitions that had him quickly gain experience in the travel industry. He was fortunate to encounter many champions and mentors who crossed his path and helped him advance. He outlines the value that the M&A environment provided to him in understanding value creation through strategic fit and having a  strong implementation pl...

Steven shares how his curiosity and connection with people help him develop relationships and how many of those relationships then end up serving as mentors and champions to others. He shares how his involvement in associations helps him continuously grow and develop new skills. Steven offers insights on public speaking, a skill he did not develop until more recently in his career, and which he no...

Jyoti shares the skills she's developed and the relationships she's built through her service on industry boards and associations. She discusses the important roles her mentors have played in her career and how she develops relationships that serve both her personal and professional lives. Jyoti discusses work life management and self-care and how to counteract imposter syndrome.

Matt discusses the leadership lessons he learned through youth sports and fraternity involvement as a precursor to his executive roles.  He shares the role mentors and champions have played on his path and his strategy for building genuine relationships. Matt also talks about public speaking as an important element in your leadership toolbox.

Michelle Woodley’s career journey to President of Preferred Travel, has been guided by her passion for hospitality and believing in being true to herself and her beliefs.  Her experience as a trainer who travelled the world in her early career help cement her belief in being inclusive and being aware of the unique requirements of what motivates individuals and the impact each unique culture has on...

Patricia believes it is important that you know yourself, your values, and beliefs so that you can always be your authentic self.  . A career driven by a meaningful mission, purpose and values has a strong foundation.  To advance in any career path you must always be open to honest advice and take an interest in the people around you and be mindful of the impact of cultural differences.

DeShaun shares the story behind a role that inspired her to taken on every challenge that provides an opportunity to grow and hone a new skill.  She also shares how she builds high-performing teams and offers tips for managing diverse teams.  DeShaun delves into two inspiring initiatives that Hilton recently implemented and describes how she and her father published The Book of Daddyisms, which is...

Carla shares the turning point in her career, and how her champions have encouraged her to take calculated risks.  She explains what she learned in the course of two company mergers, how she prepares for speaking roles - and what it takes to truly improve one’s public speaking skills.  Carla discusses how her personal board of directors helped her see the career path she should be taking, and she...

Paula is a strong believer in the value of research, preparation and understanding your partners needs when it comes to entering negotiations. The key to a successful negotiation is finding areas of common interest and agreeing on areas that establish a basis for a long-term partnership.  She believes strongly that business relationships have a lifetime value, and it is important to protect and nu...

Ernest discusses how Asians’ upbringing may teach them values that make it harder to break through the Bamboo Ceiling and attain senior leadership roles, why growth is messy, and the most common trait amongst senior executives.  Ernest also shares how his parents instilled in him a high level of curiosity and inquisitiveness that have helped him develop a mental model for tackling new challenges a...

Dan shares the importance of taking risks, advocating for oneself, and learning to recover from failure.  Plus, he explains why people should send thank you notes.  Dan also discusses how being visual has helped him become a good critical thinker and an accomplished public speaker, his advice to his younger self, and why legacy drives how he thinks about his personal brand.

Alex shares how living internationally shaped her leadership, the importance of advocating for ourselves, and how she developed new skills for success in her latest role. She discusses being humble and authentic and why it is important we commit to our wellness and life balance. Alex discusses strategies for effective public speaking and having a support system with diverse perspectives.

A distinguished advisor to senior lodging leaders for many years, Frank describes how he utilizes his intellectual curiosity to deepen his knowledge on many subjects and leverages that to develop and nurture his extensive network.  He discusses how he prepared himself financially and mentally to take a major risk when starting his own firm, and he explains how to advocate for oneself.  He also sha...

Award winning journalist Raini Hamdi shares her career journey and factors that contributed to her success. We discuss networking, risk taking, and how she found strength and resilience to overcome setbacks. She reflects on her interviews with industry leaders and shares her thoughts on important leadership traits, strategic agility and turning crises into opportunities. Raini also offers thoughts...

Raj shares his path from delivery person to hotel brand president. He discusses the incredible support systems he relies upon and how being his authentic self helps him build relationships, speak in public, and lead his teams. He talks about how important self care is in leadership, his personal brand, and his advice to his younger self.

Ryan shares how he overcomes negative self talk and how the way he evaluates risk has changed. He discusses how he identifies talent, builds a great team, and then relies upon their collaboration in leading. Ryan talks about his approach to public speaking and why he wishes his 21-year old self knew not to sweat the small stuff.

Nimesh talks about taking a risk moving from a law firm to in-house and how learning different aspects of the business led to his current role as GC. He discusses developing new skills to lead a team for the first time and how mentors shaped his development. Nimesh talks about work life balance, owning it, and being your authentic self.

An attorney by training, Noah shares how advocating for himself led him to several important Development roles at Marriott.  He explains how taking on challenges created visibility and opportunity, while also sharpening his skillsets and abilities, which were ultimately transferable to different roles.  Noah also describes how his intellectual curiosity and competitive drive motivate him through t...

A decorated combat pilot and officer, attorney, and consultant, Jay offers a unique leadership perspective.  He shares his career journey, including the importance of a great team, and why it’s critical leaders take responsibility for ensuring team members have a sense of belonging.  He describes his approach to risks and how tackling challenges creates value.  He details how he selects his person...

Alexi discusses why he thinks the hospitality industry has less diversity at the leadership levels and the importance of conference attendance. He shares his strategies for assessing risks and overcoming obstacles. Alexi talks about work life balance, how saying yes often impacts him positively yet also presents challenges for him, and what he would tell his anthropology-major self today.

Tony shares his career journey ascending to his current role leading Marriott and his learnings along the way. We discuss the leadership role Marriott has played in ESG and DEI efforts in the industry and how that helps Marriott. He shares mentoring advice he received from Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson, and also offers lessons in leadership, work life balance and strategic agility. He also share...

Our country's diversity is a strength. Diversity stimulates creativity and ushers in innovation. As we celebrate API Heritage Month, we give thanks to generations of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who have greatly contributed to our country and enriched its culture, society and history.