Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

My first hotel job manifested itself when I was in middle school, my mother was having a difficult time finding a new place for us to live, so we had to check into a Howard Johnson Hotel for 6 months. The general manager at the Howard Johnson seen I had a little hustle in me and decided to hire me to do some simple chores around the hotel. He would let me take out the trash, clean up the coffee area, and help with other little odds and ends tasks around the hotel. That experience at the Howard Johnson would warm me up for my first real paying job at a Hyatt Hotel in New Jersey. I was hired as a temp for an account’s payables position and within a year I was promoted to the Chief Accountant of the entire accounting department at the age of 20 years old. 

After a couple of years at the Hyatt, I was offered a job at IHG corporate office in Atlanta. Nothing can really prepare you for that type of position. Going from managing one property to 9+ properties at a time at the ages of 23 was my kind of challenge. IHG corporate office had a wealth of knowledge to teach and share, it was the perfect opportunity for me at the time. By managing so many properties at once, it was easier for me to compare one property against the other to see why a lower-performing property was failing. But eventually, I would return to the property level to help restore struggling hotels back to their former glory.

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

Most people will say education, degrees, or certification. Which are all well and good. But I believe the number one thing that will set you apart from everyone else in this industry is “hustle” and “drive”. Without hustle you will find yourself in situations you cannot think your way out of and without drive you will never learn the skills you’ll need to take yourself to the next level. I have always been extremely competitive with a win-or-die attitude when it comes to turning around hotels. Working 80 to 100 hours a week is only normal to me because my hustle and drive levels are off the charts. 

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

1. Is the way we market; we are still being out-marketed by 3rd party companies that may not have our best interest at heart. One of the main reasons we fall short is because we just don’t take digital marketing as seriously as our 3rd party counterparts. I believe some of our employees should be cross-trained with digital marketing training so they can keep pushing our businesses forward over our 3rd party competitors.

2. Technology – we are way too far behind when it comes to technology. We are not leveraging our operational procedures and systems against our technological advancement well enough. From a technological standpoint, we are definitely stuck in the ’90s and we need to “raising the roof” very soon. 

Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry.

1. I would like to see us become a little more customer focus before our customers get to the front door. For hotels, we should be making and sending 30 to 60 second FAQ intro videos that debrief the property to our guests and text it to them before they even walk in the door. This way the guest will have all their questions answered before they get to the property which will speed up the check-in process. It will also keep the guest from asking a million questions at the front desk, which in turn slows down the check-in process. 

2. For restaurants, I would like to see the same 30 to 60-second videos, but instead, their videos should be focused on selling high ticket menu items, menu items that will increase the volume of slow-moving inventory, or menu specials that will help reduce or eliminate deadstock. In our industry, it is the little things that make a big difference. But for some strange reason, we are not leveraging the power of video effectively. 

Editor: What can we expect in the coming year?

We will see rates and prices increase to offset the inevitable increase in labor/payroll cost. In addition, the current employee shortage will force operations to change their workflow and find the right tech to reduce the number of employees needed to run their business.

For restaurants, you will see them transfer over to more of a visual matrix seating platform, which will look something like what movie theatres and airlines use to allow you to choose your seat. But not only will you be able to choose your seat, but you will also be able to select and place your entire order before you get to the restaurant. This will cut the table turnaround time in half and will be a lifesaver for busy establishments.