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Sarah Moss is the Chief of Staff at Hunter Hotel Advisors, where she’s the operational glue behind both the firm and its booming hotel investment conference. A hospitality lifer, she started as a maitre d’ and worked her way through college before joining Hunter full-time, pausing only briefly to crunch numbers at Coca-Cola. Susan and Sarah talk about growth, grit, and good data.
💡 Learn why saying “yes” to the jobs no one wants can be the ultimate power move in hospitality.
🏗️ Hear how Sarah Moss helped double the size of a major hotel investment conference—pandemic and all.
🎤 Get the truth behind conference programming, from booking speakers to dodging $30k “pay to play” traps.
🌟 Find out how she’s leading the charge for diversity and strategic vision in an industry built on tradition.
🧠 Why becoming a “professional Googler” might be the soft skill of the century—and her advice for future leaders.
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Donte Johnson is a hospitality veteran with a 20+ year career of transforming hotel experiences through cultural integration and community connection. Now GM at Thompson Atlanta Buckhead, he’s known for blending operational excellence with authentic local engagement. Jason Bass is a serial entrepreneur turned hotel innovator, bringing his background in fashion, spirits, and tech to a new role as Director of Culture and Impact. Together, they co-authored The Impact Hospitality Handbook, diving into passion-powered hospitality, purposeful partnerships, and people-first playbooks.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🧾 What happens when you toss the traditional org chart and ask, “If we didn’t know how to run a hotel, how would we do it?”
🎽 Why letting hotel staff choose their uniforms might be the most empowering—and stylish—move you can make.
📈 How community-focused strategies drove hard business results, from full staffing to 3 billion impressions.
🍵 What organic tea, local DJs, and free meeting spaces have to do with redefining hospitality.
💼 How not to onboard a consultant.
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Adrian Balcan is the founder of Feed Check, a platform that helps hospitality businesses decode customer feedback and outshine the competition. With a brain wired for both economics and engineering, he started his company straight out of university, pivoting from tech reviews to the tasty world of hospitality insights. Susan and Adrian talk about fake reviews, feedback-fueled fixes, and futuristic formats.
🔍 What the signs are that a hotel review is fake.
📊 How reading competitors can sharpen your strategy.
🤖 Why your AI-generated review responses shouldn’t sound like a robot on repeat.
📱 Where customer reviews will come from next.
🛠️ How to stay on top of online reviews on the cheap. -
Renee Rubens is the founder of Symphony of Leaves, a luxury tea company rooted in ethical sourcing and sensory sophistication. After decades in global media sales, she followed her passion for tea into a new venture that blends her business savvy with botanical elegance. In this episode, she dishes on premium pu-erh, purposeful partnerships, and proper preparation.
What you'll learn about:
✨ Why tea bags are basically dust in a disguise (and what to sip instead)
🍵 How a Brit’s sass and a global pandemic led to a tea empire
🏨 Why hotels and spas are the new hot spot for high-end tea
🌿 What makes real tea real—and why chamomile doesn’t count
💧 The water temperature trick that’ll totally change your cup
📱 A henna mishap + no cell signal = Renee’s wildest travel story -
Michael Blank is a hospitality veteran who’s worked every angle of the hotel biz—from slinging room keys at the Willard in D.C. to steering multimillion-dollar acquisitions. Now the Principal of Woodmont Lodging, he owns and asset-manages properties across the U.S., with a soft spot for extended stay. Susan and Michael talk about counterintuitive takes on the hotel industry.
What You’ll Learn About:
🚮 Pick Up Club! Why picking up hallway trash speaks volumes
🏩 The extended stay segment decoded: housing shortage, high margins, and why the hype is justified
🪄 Why AI is not the magic wand everyone thinks it is
📏 Why RevPAR might be obsolete, and why smart hoteliers should be thinking in square feet, not just room nights
🪙 One big change hotels should make: owning their guest data like it’s gold
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Mike Mumford is the General Manager of Brand g Vacations, a leading luxury travel company serving the LGBTQ+ community. After a long career in corporate finance and tech, Mike traded spreadsheets for sunsets, turning his passion for travel into a full-time gig. Susan and Mike talk about career pivots, curated group experiences, and the power of packing light.
🌏 Why cotton candy, corn on the cob, and a theme park mentor helped spark Mike’s global travel bug
🌏 How a post-pandemic sabbatical turned into a bold leap out of corporate life and into the world of luxury LGBTQ+ travel
🌏 The unexpected freedom of planned tours—and how they actually do leave room for spontaneity
🌏 What it really means to be GM of a travel company (hint: he's already working on 2027)
🌏 A sushi-making snafu in Japan that proves sometimes you just have to improvise—and charm your way through it
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Episode Summary:
Steve Fortunato never planned to make hospitality his life’s work—until he realized it was embedded in his DNA. After starting roomforty, an innovative catering company designed to deliver restaurant-quality experiences anywhere, he went on to open Fig House, a sought-after event venue. Steve's book, The Urgent Recovery of Hospitality [please bold and italicize the title], looks at relationships through the lens of hospitality and explores how generosity can restore civility. Susan and Steve talk about why modern service culture has become transactional, how to break free from the "customer is always wrong" trend, and why a little squash milk can go a long way.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
🍽️ Why catering gets a bad rap – and how Steve set out to change that.
🚀 How Steve transformed his business by embracing venues.
🤝 Why true service is about relationships, not transactions.
🔥 When restaurant culture gets in its own way.
🎭 How trying to impress customers can actually backfire.
🌱 Why giving value first creates better experiences for everyone.If you are seeking a more hospitable world, this episode and Steve's book are for you!
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Lan Elliott’s career spans the highest levels of hotel real estate, from acquisitions at Starwood to asset management at IHG. Now, as the co-founder of Acacia Holdings, a champion for women in hospitality through Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, and a podcast host on It's Personal Stories, she’s on a mission to create more opportunities in leadership and investment. Susan and Lan talk about career pivots, negotiation power moves, and the myth that there aren’t enough women speakers in hospitality.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🚀 How to land a speaking gig at a conference – and why writing articles might be the secret.
🎤 The truth about “not enough women speakers” – Lan shares how a 700-person speaker directory turned into 1,400+ in just months.
💼 Hotel real estate vs. operations – why Lan pivoted from GM dreams to investment deals.
🏨 Traditional luxury vs. lifestyle hotels – what Ferraris and Rolls Royces teach us about branding.
📚 The power of lifelong learning – why the top leaders she’s interviewed all have one thing in common: curiosity.
💰 Negotiation 101: The unspoken signals you should be listening for.
🔮 A bold prediction for the future of hotel investment – and why the numbers aren’t looking good for women in leadership (yet).If you want to break into hotel real estate, negotiate like a pro, or finally get that conference speaking gig, then you need to hear Lan Elliott’s insights and stories!
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Sloan Dean climbed the hospitality ranks from revenue management to the CEO of Remington Hospitality in 2020, steering the company through a global crisis while leading massive expansion. With a background in engineering and finance, he brings a strategic yet people-first approach to hotel management, emphasizing leadership, innovation, and the importance of knowing "a little about a lot." Susan and Sloan talk about prioritization, transformation, and why Gen Z isn't lazy.
Episode Highlights:
🛁 The CEO’s Real Job? It’s not what you think—Sloan reveals the #1 skill that makes or breaks leadership.
🛁 Ditch the Multitasking Myth—Why great leaders don’t juggle everything, they prioritize like pros.
🛁 From Revenue Management to the Corner Office—Sloan’s unexpected career path (and how 46 job interviews shaped his strategy).
🛁 What Gen Z Wants (And Why It Matters to Hotels)—How the next generation’s spending habits will transform travel.
🛁 AI in Hospitality: Hype or Game-Changer? Sloan’s take on what will get automated first (spoiler: it’s not housekeeping).
🛁 The Hardest Leadership Lesson—Why waiting too long to make personnel changes is a mistake every CEO regrets.
🛁 Flooded Hotel Rooms & Bathtub Mishaps—Sloan shares a behind-the-scenes disaster only fit for the Loading Dock.
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Born in Korea and adopted by Japanese American parents in Seattle, Shari Leid knows what it means to search for belonging. A former litigator who reinvented herself as a life coach and author, she set out on a life-changing journey to all 50 states, meeting 50 women along the way. Susan and Shari talk about fostering friendships, flipping perspectives, and fueling fearless connection.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✈️ The unexpected way Shari’s solo journey across America reshaped her view of belonging
✈️ Why she believes human connection will thrive despite AI and virtual work
✈️ The three types of organizations you must join if you want to build a strong community
✈️ How her experience growing up as an adoptee shaped her lifelong search for belonging
✈️ The powerful movement she launched, Flip the Box, and how you can join
✈️ Why she wishes hotels would stop announcing room numbers at check-in
✈️ The moment a white supremacy rally tested her commitment to open-hearted travelListen now to be inspired by Shari’s incredible adventure and her mission to bring people together!
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With 20 years in hospitality, Tommy Beyer has done it all—from parking cars to managing multimillion-dollar assets. After 16 years with Newport Hospitality, he co-founded a private REIT and launched B Hospitality Advisors, where he helps hotel owners maximize their investments. From finance to future trends to finding hidden revenue, Tommy knows how to make hotels work smarter, not harder. Susan and Tommy talk about why the brand explosion might be making things worse and how small revenue tweaks can mean big bucks.
What You'll Learn About:
💰 Revenue vs. Cost-Cutting: Tommy settles the age-old debate—what’s more important for a successful hotel?
🚗 Lessons from Valet Parking: How running to retrieve cars shaped Tommy’s view on service, hustle, and career growth.
🎰 Vegas Dreams (and Why He Ditched Them): Tommy shares why he turned down a job at a premier Las Vegas resort—and why it turned out to be the best decision ever.
🏨 REITs 101: The difference between private and public real estate investment trusts—and why one could be a game-changer for investors.
💵 Revenue Hacks That Work: The ridiculously simple way Tommy helped a beachfront hotel generate $800K without lifting a finger.
📈 Expense Creep Crisis: Why hotel costs are outpacing revenue and what owners can do about it.
If you want to learn how a simple tweak could add hundreds of thousands to your hotel's bottom line, hit play!
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Janet Irizarry has spent 30+ years in the restaurant industry, from owning multiple eateries to teaching at the Culinary Institute of America. Now, she’s on a mission to help families reduce food waste through her innovative My Mindful Kitchen method. Susan and Janet talk about sustainability, smart shopping, and stress-free meal planning.
What You'll Learn About:
🥬 Spring mix struggles! Susan confesses to an ongoing battle with Costco-sized salad greens—Janet delivers a reality check on what “value” really means.
🍴 From McDonald's to mindful meals. Janet shares her unexpected path from geology major to restaurant owner to sustainability advocate.
🖩 The restaurant reality check. Hospitality students often dream of glamour, but Janet breaks down the nitty-gritty of restaurant ownership (spoiler: math is involved!).
🧒 A kid-friendly food revolution. Janet's new course, My Mindful Kitchen, turns food waste reduction into a family adventure—stickers, scavenger hunts, and all.
🌶️ Leftovers like a pro. Get creative with your fridge finds—Janet shares easy hacks and a Google search trick that will change your meal planning game.
🎈 Balloon-induced blackout?! A restaurant power outage caused by rogue Mylar balloons—just another day in the unpredictable world of hospitality.
If you loved enjoyed this episode want more like it, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Need your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!
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James Ferguson started his hospitality career at the front desk and worked his way up through operations and leadership roles. Now, as Director of Culture at Wurzak Hotel Group, he focuses on employee experience and engagement with the goal of making workplace culture his company’s strongest asset. He’s also the author of The Confetti Culture Playbook, a guide to building high-performing teams through recognition, reward, and real connection. Susan and James talk about cool titles and crazy weddings.
What you'll learn about:
🎉 Confetti Cleanup 101: James shares the ultimate hack for dealing with post-wedding ballroom disasters. (Hint: Leave the regular vacuums out of this.)
👔 Suit Up for Success: How a front desk job and a sharp suit transformed James' confidence—and his career trajectory.
🏨 From GM to Culture Guru: Why James took a step back from a general manager role to refine his leadership skills before stepping into a bigger game.
📖 Confetti Culture Playbook: The surprising backstory of how a personal leadership playbook turned into a published guide for workplace excellence.
🤝 Director of Culture – Best Job Ever?: James explains what his role entails and why every company needs to rethink how they engage employees.
🚀 Your Culture Is Your Competitive Edge: The dramatic shift in how hotel companies attract, retain, and inspire their teams—and why it’s more crucial than ever.
🔥 Recognition Over Pizza Parties: Why celebrating employees properly is not about cheap perks but about real engagement that moves the needle.
🤯 Wedding Drama in the Lobby: The jaw-dropping loading dock story that could easily be mistaken for a reality TV plot.
📚 Grab James's Book: https://theconfetticultureplaybook.com/
🎧 Listen now and level up your workplace culture! If you loved enjoyed this episode want more like it, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Need your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!
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Mathew Focht is a pioneer in blending data-driven strategies with hospitality innovation. With a career spanning engineering, real estate development, and investments, he co-founded Consolidated Concepts, the largest group purchasing organization in the U.S., before launching Emerging Fund, a platform designed to scale tech-enabled concepts in the hospitality and entertainment sectors.
What You'll Learn About:
What really makes a location perfect for a restaurant?
How Mathew’s love for data and design led him from planning golf course communities to revolutionizing mixed-use developments.
Which unorthodox methods Mathew used to gather insights for restaurant chains before big data became mainstream.
Why tech-enabled concepts like Putt Shack and F1 Arcade are taking center stage in the experience economy.
How undervaluing marketing costs you money.
If you loved enjoyed this episode want more like it, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Need your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!
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Alicia Zur-Szpiro is a trailblazer in creative industries, blending her background in game design with her passion for hospitality. Co-founder of Wonderland London, she helps hotels craft engaging, memorable experiences for families, backed by the insights from the company's pioneering "Kids and Teens Hospitality Report." Alicia’s expertise spans innovation, family dynamics, and hospitality trends, with a focus on playful practicality and untapped potential.
What You'll Learn About:
From board games to boutique hotels: Alicia shares her journey from crafting card games to revolutionizing the family hotel experience.
The Kids and Teens Hospitality Report: Alicia discusses the surprising data on why urban hotels are missing out by not catering to younger guests.
Small touches, big returns: Learn why a dollar yo-yo earned more loyalty than a five-star view—and how hotels can replicate this magic.
Teens: The untapped market: Alicia explains why teens are often overlooked in hospitality and how small innovations, like a “kids minibar,” can transform their stay.
Easy wins for hotels: Creative, cost-effective strategies for engaging kids and teens without turning the lobby into a water park.
Looking ahead: Alicia predicts that kids and teens will soon rival pets as hospitality VIPs and shares her vision for loyalty programs tailored to younger travelers.
If you loved Alicia's story and want more like it, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Want your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!
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Ryan Fitzgerald started his career as a saxophonist, faking his way onto a cruise ship gig and eventually becoming a cruise director. He transitioned to corporate roles with Carnival and Princess Cruises, managing brand partnerships and global entertainment. Now, as Executive VP of Sea Production at RWS Global, Ryan combines innovation, immersion, and improvisation to deliver world-class experiences across 40+ ships. Susan and Ryan talk about music, mentorship, and maritime magic.
What You'll Learn About:
How Ryan talked his way into a cruise gig as a musician—without fully knowing how to play all the instruments—and eventually mastered them!
What it was like behind the scenes creating jaw-dropping cruise entertainment, from oversized Yatzhee to improved opera.
How to adapt to challenges, like pivoting from a murder mystery to a jewelry heist experience due to some real-life, dark cruise drama.
What the Super Bowl and super ships have in common.
How to pack for your sea voyage, including why theme-night outfits can make or break your trip.
If you loved Ryan's story and want more like it, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Want your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode! -
Micajah Sturdivant is the third-generation leader of MMI Hospitality Group, a hospitality company managing hotels, restaurants, golf clubs, and more across the Southeast. With roots in the foundational days of Holiday Inn, Micajah champions innovation in the ever-changing lodging industry. Susan and Micajah talk about embracing soft brands, fostering "psychological income," and blending tradition with modern business acumen.
What You'll Learn:
How Micajah’s grandfather partnered with the Holiday Inn founder to diversify Mississippi’s economy and plant the seeds for MMI’s thriving hospitality empire.
Why fostering emotional well-being and trust among employees leads to unparalleled service in hospitality.
What the lodging spectrum can include: soft brands, branded residences, and multigenerational hotels.
How maintaining close personal connections helps Micajah's family innovate and thrive across generations.
What money laundering feels like in real life: a jaw-dropping story involving a Rolls Royce, a shady hotel owner, and some Ozark-style shenanigans.
Enjoyed Micajah’s stories and insights? Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. Want your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!
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Mitch Prensky is a food and beverage development consultant with a storied career spanning fine dining, catering, and hotel restaurant concepting. After founding and running Supper, a celebrated farm-to-table restaurant in Philadelphia, Mitch shifted gears to consulting, bringing his expertise to projects with Zabar’s, Hyatt, and boutique hotels across the country. As co-founder of COJHO F&B Development, Mitch focuses on creating dining concepts that balance artistic vision with operational execution. Susan and Mitch talk about farms, budgets, and alien abduction.
What You'll Learn:
How time, capital, and talent factor into a successful restaurant launch.
Why building equity for staff and fostering kindness in the industry matters now more than ever.
What Mitch predicts for a hyper-local, luxury-driven approach that emphasizes personalization and connection.How Mitch’s jazz background shaped his approach to hospitality and the parallels between performing and cooking.
Why Mitch pivoted from restaurant ownership to helping boutique hotels and independent operators refine their F&B programs.
Who picked vegetables at 6 AM for Mitch’s acclaimed restaurant, Supper, where he grew his own ingredients just miles from the kitchen.
Loved Mitch’s stories and insights? Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. Want your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!
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Fabio Zaniboni is a visionary engineer with a career spanning automotive robotics, luxury yachting, and high-end hospitality. As a specialist in IoT solutions, Fabio combines innovation with sustainability to create unparalleled guest experiences in hotels worldwide with his company BubblyNet. Susan and Fabio talk about circadian lighting and sensor-driven HVAC for hospitality and guest well-being.
What You'll Learn:
How IoT can personalize guest stays, optimize HVAC, and even help you relax with customized lighting and fragrances.
Why IoT can cut energy waste without compromising guest experiences—and the importance of communicating those green efforts.
How the power of circadian lighting can improve sleep, mood, and overall well-being.
What affordable, impactful things hoteliers can do to enhance guest satisfaction.
Why the human touch still reigns supreme in the hotel business.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.Tap to give us five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.
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Geetika Agrawal is a designer and entrepreneur with a career that spans architecture, digital product creation, and cultural preservation. Formerly of Disney Imagineering and MasterCard, she has reimagined travel through Vacation With An Artist (VAWAA), a platform that connects travelers with master artisans for immersive craft experiences. Susan and Geetika talk about bamboo bicycles, beekeeping, and adventure.
Taking the Leap: Geetika shares how she transitioned from working for global brands like Disney Imagineering and MasterCard to launching her passion project, Vacation With An Artist (VAWAA).
Design Thinking for Life: How Geetika’s background in architecture shaped her ability to design human-centered experiences in both digital products and cultural initiatives.
Crafting Connections: The transformative experiences of learning centuries-old crafts from master artisans worldwide, from Kyoto calligraphy to Napa Valley beekeeping.
Travel with Purpose: Why experiential learning vacations are more than just trips—they're immersive journeys into tradition, innovation, and personal growth.
The Future of Craftsmanship: Geetika predicts a revival of traditional crafts as tools for creativity and cultural preservation in a rapidly digitizing world.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.Tap to give us five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.
- Visa fler
