Defining Hospitality

Aliya Khan, VP of design lifestyle brands at Marriott, promotes a positive lifestyle for brands and global design strategy. In 2019, she was an honoree for women in design from Hospitality Design magazine. Aliya joins host Dan Ryan to discuss her view on #hospitality and how important it is to be more open to change and face it with a positive attitude. Takeaways:  Hospitality is about bringing people together from all walks of life. Sometimes you know them, sometimes you don't. It’s about experiencing new things in life with others.The environment, the experience and the memory all add up to play important roles in delivering hospitality.Often it can be the small things that make an experience so much more meaningful. You want to make sure all your guests' needs are met, even the small ones. It shows thoughtfulness and caringYou can learn so much from watching people. You’ll learn what they like and dislike and can use that to make a hospitality experience more relatable and enjoyable.When you embrace change, you always see everything as an opportunity. You need to find a positive outlook and build that culture in your work and life.Surround yourself with people who have the same view on change as you do. That way when you are going through change, they can help you get through it if you struggle.Everything in a restaurant is designed to work together to create a memorable experience.You want to celebrate the core foundational pieces of a hotel or restaurant when taking it over. You can update some things but it’s worth keeping some core things the same.Quote of the Show: 2:54 “One of my grandmothers on one side of my family [I'm one of eight grandchildren] didn't have a big enough dining table for eight children and the parents that came with them. So she had this rug and we would literally, I'm not kidding, sit around that rug. We would go serve ourselves lunch and sit on the floor. Cross-legged on that rug. And I think to myself, when I think about that, I think about how it brought a group of people together, it always brought us back together. So I sort of see it like a metaphor for hospitality. It brings people together. It brings you together from all over. Sometimes you know the people, sometimes you don't. But it literally is this gathering spot.”Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliya-khan-8245461/Website: https://www.marriott.com/default.miShout Outs: 10:28 “American Utopia” by David Byrne14:59 Aaron Ritcher22:05 Marriott22:09 Arne Sorenson28:22 Moxie28:26 Westin30:39 Aloft Hotels31:51 Equinox Hotels33:15 Heavenly Bed36:27 Mitchell Gold36:36 Robert Polin36:41 Christine McGinnis41:16 Kristina O’Neil 44:11 Beverly Hills Hotel44:14 St. Regis Hotel45:24 Westin St. Francis45:26 The Clift45:53 Michael Mina46:04 Larry Traxler47:54 The Royalton48:14 W Hotels Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/8bv5EGJPC2A

Ron Swidler is the Founder of the Hotel Tomorrow and the Chief Innovation Office at the Gettys Group for 33 years. He knows that it takes courage to be innovative and creative. Ron’s passion is to strive for the best for his company and clients. He joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his experience with #hospitality and how he views it. Takeaways:  It takes many hours to become an expert in a certain area, but it also takes a certain amount of luck as well. Surround yourself with people that you trust that can be advisors or mentors. That way when you start a new project you’ll have a supporting cast helping you. It takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and admit when you need help. Asking for help isn’t a terrible thing to be ashamed of, it’s what a good leader does. Hospitality has evolved into noticing how you make people feel. When we are at our best we are caring for others. There is a bit of selflessness in hospitality, as it is about giving back to others and making others feel comfortable and welcomed.You need a signature for your company. You need something that when someone thinks of your company, they have an image in mind that fits your brand (i.e. Disney and Mickey Mouse or Cinderella's Castle). Bringing people’s attention to a better way to do projects (i.e. sustainability, community focus, etc.) is important as you can influence someone to have a better impact on a community.Quote of the Show: 10:02 “Most people are familiar with Maya Angelou's quote about forgetting what I've said or what I do, but remembering how I make you feel. And I think ultimately that's what hospitality has evolved into. And I have an interesting theory about how that's going to progress out into the future because we're only at one step of that evolution. But I think when we're at our best, we're caring for others. There's a bit of selflessness in that.”Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronswidler?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-swidler-521a848/Website: https://www.gettys.comShout Outs: 3:24 “Outliers”by Malcom Gladwell3:59 Roger Hill4:00 Andrew Fay6:17 Marriott7:49 Phil Cordell7:53 Hilton10:04 Maya Angelou11:52 TripAdvisor14:12 Disney Castle18:59 Matt Phillips21:57 USA Today24:54 HD Expo25:05 Howard Wolff25:08 Starwood25:13 Christian Strobel25:38 Parsons School of Design33:37 “Exponential Organizations” by Salim Ismail35:56 “The Inevitable” by Kevin Kelly37:46 Blair Batwani40:33 Kraig Kalashian44:46 “Radical Evolution” by Joel Gero 44:46 Bill Joy 45:06 Ray Kurzweil48:47 Chris MilkWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/K17KGIxhzcA

Siobhan Barry, Principal, Design Director, Hospitality Practice Area Leader North East at Gensler has been creating what she refers to as “Instagram moments” for over 20 years. She shares her outlook on #hospitality and her journey through the industry. Siobhan discusses with host Dan Ryan how hospitality can split into two different segments and how we can bring hospitality to all aspects of life.Takeaways:  As a designer, you have to create moments that are memorable for people. You want it to be captured and remembered, and this is referred to as an “instagram moment”Designers can find a way to make people feel certain emotions when entering a room.There is the “Big H” and “Little H” hospitality. The Big H is hotels, restaurants and the likes while the little h is everything else ranging from hospitals to stadiums.When you think of the best times you’ve had, they weren’t digital and probably had some element of spontaneity to them. After 9/11, Siobhan went into business with a friend to open a nightclub to try and lift people’s spirits and provide for them a place to go.Designing for celebration is a key aspect when thinking about creating a space. You want the room to feel joyous and full of energy.Travel is making a comeback now and it is now seen as a basic human need, along with having new experiences.To create the most innovation, you have to be willing to push the boundaries and try something different and unique.Quote of the Show: 8:14 “I call it big H hospitality and small h hospitality. And what I mean by that is there's sort of the realm of the industry that we know, so that's the big H. I think of that as hotels, restaurants, spas, cruise ships, the things that we kind of know are in this industry category.And then there's this small H which to me is everything else where, or every other arena in which our clients, our customers are, are expecting a different way of engaging than they have in the past been used to.”  Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhan-barry-93072643/Website: https://www.gensler.comInstagram: SiobhanjthomasShout Outs: 0:43 Product Runway1:20 ICRAVE14:23 Sid’s Gold16:11 Blondie16:11 Gwen Stefani16:21 Dusty Springfield16:25 Patsy Cline16:33 Fitz Gold17:07 Calvin Klein19:05 Swan Reserve21:01 Lionel Ohayon22:08 Prada22:11 Madison Avenue24:21 Dorsia25:54 Crowbar30:13 Airbnb  Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/yiwVCXTHD1g

John DiJulius, President of the DiJulius Group, started his enterperinaul career operating a hair salon with his wife in Cleveland. Now, he is an international consultant, working with companies like the Ritz-Carlton. He’s the author of many books, including the must read “Customer Service Revolution.” John joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his views on #hospitality and what it all means to him. Takeaways: There are 10 rules to follow when it comes to customer service and making sure you provide a world class experience.Hospitality is the emotional warmth that you get from someone. It’s not just contained to hotels and restaurants but applies in all aspects of life. The hospitality aptitude is a person's ability to recognize, meet and exceed customers expectations regardless of the circumstances. Hospitality can be defined by the five E’s; enthusiastic greeting, ear to ear smile, eye contact, engaged, and educate.You want to be excited to have new clients or new guests at your hotel or restaurant. Excitement shows that you are and are interested in them.There’s a gift in every conversation if you’re paying attention to it. You listen to what the other person is saying and send them a follow up, just to let them know you heard them.F.O.R.D - Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams. These are great ways to get to know someone and communicate with them.John looks forward to the future where technology becomes better and better and makes all of our lives easier. Quote of the Show: 5:50  “I don't believe hospitality is an industry. I believe it's a piece of the experience every company should deliver. I think PricewaterhouseCoopers, lawyers, whatever industry manufacturing, we should be in the hospitality business, all of us that happens to have really smart lawyers, accountants, widget makers, whatever that means. I really believe it and how I define hospitality is, it's a feeling you give me. Ideally it's an emotional warmth, but it's emotional.”Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/johndijuliusLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dijulius/Website: https://thedijuliusgroup.comBook Links: https://www.amazon.com/Relationship-Economy-Building-Stronger-Connections/dp/1626346437https://www.amazon.com/Best-Customer-Service-Quotes-Ever/dp/1632990873 https://www.amazon.com/Customer-Service-Revolution-Overthrow-Conventional/dp/162634129X https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Secret-Providing-World-Class-Experience/dp/0470196122  Shout Outs: 0:03 Ritz-Carlton1:38 Chick-Fil-A1:40 Starbucks1:52 Spirit Airlines10:00 Danny Meyer10:01 Union Square Cafe14:01 “How to Make Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie15:30 Balthazar, Keith McNally restaurant20:50 New Day USA48:48 Tesla 48:50 Peloton48:51 Lulu Lemon48:54 AppleWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/YouTube: https://youtu.be/cI4awAsf7_s

A former firefighter now turned hotelier, today’s guest talks about how his experiences with his grandma’s hostel has influenced his view on hospitality. Aaron Anderson, a board member of the Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) and the CEO of 26 Co, joins host Dan Ryan to talk about how the lack of diversity in higher up positions of #hospitality can be viewed as a more prominent issue and how important it is to have empathy and listen to others with an open heart. Takeaways:  When coming up with a business plan, you need to have a clear goal or thesis that represents your values and what you want in the future.Hospitality is providing a warm and safe environment for a guest. No matter what the guest is going through, making sure they are feeling safe and welcomed can bring plenty of relief.Getting to know people on a personal level and understanding what their feelings are is a big part of hospitality.It’s important to keep an open heart and listen to others, as it helps you understand not only the guest but also yourself.You can always build empathy. It’s ok to admit you don’t know the right thing to say or do, but as long as you approach the situation with an open heart then you can learn.The hospitality industry is diverse but only at the lower level positions. As you get higher and higher in the rankins to the c-suite level, you see less and less diversity which is an issue.Don’t take any moment for granted. We get caught up in the tough love we put ourselves through, but everything will work out like it’s meant to. Quote of the Show: 6:58 “I think hospitality is really just providing that place of warmth for someone. Due to it being, traveling due to being their friend that needs to come over and to sleep over and spend some time with you because they're that they're going through something. That moment when my grandmother owned the shelter for women and children, we were in hospitality. We're providing meals, we're providing a warm bed to stay, providing clothes. Hospitality is just not hotels or restaurants. It's really providing a cozy place in a safe place.”Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aforchristWebsite: the26co.com Shout Outs: 0:36 Hunter Conference8:19 Jason Caldwell8:24 HD Summit20:53 Black Lives Matter21:38 George Floyd23:01 HDAC23:27 Nina Grondin23:28 Damon Lawrence23:28 Bashar Wali25:30 Entrepreneur’s Organization28:59 Blockbuster29:06 Netflix29:29 Tom Healy31:49 ACE Hotel31:51 Brad Wilson35:12 Malcom X College40:00 Cliff Eric40:04 Ralph Angerberger40:06 Laurie Horvath40:09 Steve Shoat40:13 Scott Hammons40:25 Karen Harrington40:34 Angela Clark41:26 Cliff Derkin43:24 Scott Hammons43:27 Alan Benjamin47:20 Mikey DobinWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/LO7cXUf2AvI

Creating a sustainable environment in hospitality and all aspects of life is incredibly important; it allows us to live healthier lives and give back to the environment and the world. Sharing this view is JoAnna Abrams who is not only the Founder & CEO of Mindclick, Inc but she’s also been named a hospitality industry innovator by Lodging Magazine. She joins host Dan Ryan to talk about how sustainability plays a big role in hospitality, and how guests are becoming more aware of the need for a change in going green, and how guests are now more likely to stay in a hotel that does more for the environment than one that does not. Takeaways:  Sustainability is an important part of hospitality. You want to make sure the products you are using will last for a long time and are good for the environment.While it’s worth noting the profit motive for trying to have more sustainability in hotels, it’s also worth doing for the health of the planet. All big banks have committed that by 2050, 100% of their lending will be carbon neutral.Guests will choose to stay in a hotel that cares about the environment and commits to a healthier lifestyle rather than one that doesn’t.The power of hospitality is made from the people who work in the industry and strive to create fun, enjoyable experiences anywhere in the world. Designers have struggled with being overwhelmed by all the certifications that are out there, so if a top 100 firm hires them it’s a big help and influence. Nature continually adapts and evolves and we need to as well, in regards to sustainability and the environment.Taking an idea, executing it and implementing it in your company is really the basis of what being an entrepreneur is.You don’t always have to take positions that you think are the ones that you think you have to have to advance your career. Life isn’t a straight line and sometimes a new position can provide helpful life changes. Quote of the Show: 16:20: And then a huge, huge component of hospitality is service. It really is that experience that you have is based upon the environment that's created through a service orientation. And it was interesting in the research that we did, a digital marketing campaign for a courtyard that was renovated in Southern California, where we told guests about the positive impacts of products chosen for a quarter. It had been following a renovation, both environmental and social, and health and so on. And we did, we then looked at the research results and saw 150% increase in satisfaction and loyalty and all these key measures. And we interviewed these folks who had seen the marketing campaign and said, okay, Talk to us about this. What would this mean to you? And over and over and over again, we heard that people saying a hotel that has gone out of its way to choose products that are better for me and the planet, is really taking care of us. And that really stands out and I'm going to choose that hotel over others.”Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaabrams/Website: https://mindclick.comShout Outs: 1:57 Heather Gatineau2:23 Toyota4:03 Diana Dobin4:24 Valley Forge Fabrics7:47 Marriott8:14 Hyatt8:15 IHG8:18 Wyndham9:01 Dave Lippert12:12 Larry Fink13:15 Gretta Turnberg14:49 Real Time with Bill Maher21:00 Avinash Rajagopal21:02 Metropolis Magazine30:06 Paul McElroy32:20 Susan Suhar37:58 Prius38:00 Tesla39:57 Dean Witter Reynolds40:09 Arthur Anderson41:27 Warburg Pincus1:03:09 Arnie MahlhamWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/TzMzQ1Ant6I

Today’s guest started her career in hospitality in a very unusual place; McDonald’s! She focused on how architecture and design could connect with the customers at the restaurant. Now, Sarah Klymson is the Vice President of Product Brand Development at Hyatt Hotels. She joins host Dan Ryan to discuss her journey through #hospitality and how she views the industry. Takeaways:  You can use architecture to create a warm and inviting feeling for guests when they come across a hotel or restaurant. The same can be done for design.Hospitality isn’t just about providing a great service, it’s also about inspiring your guests so that they take that inspiration with them when they leave.It’s important to remain authentic and genuine in the hospitality industry. Staying with what makes your brand stand out is always important to keep. Your hotel or restaurant should be more than just a destination. You want to bring something that no one else can bring to the table. Being present in the moment is a beautiful feeling. It’s important to take time to be away from all the technology and just relax. Being intentional is the ultimate form of mindfulness.It’s important to be aware of the things in your life that upset you and try to find a way to overcome those things and better yourself as a person.You can create a beautiful space, but the key point is making sure the experience itself is something that can change someone’s life for the better. Quote of the Show: 9:09 “One of the biggest things that I actually was reminded of this week when I traveled is how important inspiration is in a hospitality experience. Inspiring people and creating experiences for them that they will take into their lives. That's what hospitality is about. It's not just about caring for people and creating a wonderful experience when they're there, but it's also inspiring them, getting them to think about things in a different way. When they go back into their normal lives, they take that sense of inspiration and hopefully it bleeds into other areas of their lives. I think that's really what's at the core. And I think that's why people are so passionate about this industry is because it inspires them. The sense of passion can come out and what we create either through design or the experiences that we create on property.”Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/sklymsonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahklymson/Website: https://www.hyatt.comInstagram: @sarahklymson Shout Outs: 1:44 McDonald’s10:29: Miraval14:46 Mark Hoplamazian39:57 Hoffman Process46:50 Jerry Seinfeld54:05: Rookie Smarts 56:57 Vasu DoraWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/Q6DiFfEeG-4

Improving your life can seem like an incredibly daunting task, but if you just take some simple steps in doing so, you can accomplish anything. Keith Roberts is the Founder and Creative Director at Zenman & US Director at emBlue, as well as the Creator & Author of the “Oak Journal” and an upcoming book “Becoming Zenman”. He has searched the world to find ways that people can use to make incremental changes in their lives for the better, like setting one personal goal, one family goal and one business goal a day to become a balanced individual. He joins host Dan Ryan to share his insights on #hospitality and how mastering your goals can create a better you!Takeaways:  Life is too short to learn from experience. It’s helpful to provide people with roadmaps on how to accomplish goals that they have set for themselves in life. If you want to reach your goals in life, you need to work on it everyday and have a structured system to get it done. To be a balanced individual, everyday you need to make incremental improvements in one business goal, one personal goal and one family goal.Hospitality isn’t just the food or the location, but it’s also the atmosphere and going above and beyond for those staying at your hotel or restaurant.Start your day with gratitude. It gets your day going on a positive note and makes you a happier person overall.Following Warren Rustand’s 10-10-10 rule will change your life for the better. You start your day with 10 minutes of meditation, 10 minutes of reading and 10 minutes of positive journaling. To make sure you reach your goals, the oak journal that Keith wrote created a three step process; state your goals, visualize it and then actually feel the emotion from it.As Henry David Thoreau once said, “Suck all the marrow out of life”. That is advice that Keith would give to his younger self. Quote of the Show: 11:18 We've all heard that story about that, the forgotten Teddy bear. But I think it's in so many books because it's such a perfect example. Kid forgets the Teddy bear and can't sleep.Dad calls the four seasons and says, Hey, I forgot my Teddy bear. I convinced little Billy to go to bed because Teddy bear stayed for an extended vacation. They not only sent the Teddy bear back, but they sent a photo book of the Teddy bear playing golf, the Teddy bear at the spa with cucumbers over his eyes.So they spent an hour, the employees probably had a blast doing it, and it's in dozens of books on culture, business, customer service, leadership, that example. You never know what little above and beyond thing, and for me, for the journal, I get paid to speak. But if there's one person that I meet at an airport, I will give my keynoteIf I've got time to that person and share the knowledge, the tools, and hopefully inspire them to be the best version of themselves.” Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zenman42LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenman/Website: https://www.zenman.com/Shout Outs: 2:16 Bodhisattva3:41 Warren Rustand4:03 Gino Wickman28:49 Machu Picchu32:18 Henry David Thoreau33:08 Walden PondWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/bvDcall04eM

Harsha L’Acqua, Founder of Saira Hospitality, wants others to develop the “hospitality gene” for others. She has created a unique business to help students interested in hospitality find their way to the industry through what she refers to as pop up hospitality schools. Harsha shares with host Dan Ryan how to grow and develop this hospitality gene and her take on defining hospitality.Takeaways:  When we first make hotels, walls are the first thing that are put up. To the community it comes off as that it is a boundary they aren’t allowed to enter, but they should feel welcomed by these additions to their areas. Hospitality is more a gene that people have. It is based on empathy and the ability to understand the needs and feelings of others. Not everyone has the ability to make others feel comfortable. It’s a skill that can’t be taught, some are just born with it. You can hone that skill to better serve your guests.Hospitality now has a need to hire anyone and everyone, and that includes giving chances to those who were formerly incarcerated. Everyone deserves a second chance.It’s important to take a minute and listen to those around you. You don’t always need to have an answer, just knowing that someone is being heard is enough.Harsha’s advice to others is to be more open minded. Listen to those around you and be open to new experiences and journeys. Quote of the Show: 7:36 ​​”It isn't a universal thing to make people feel comfortable. And we talk about what we're calling the hospitality gene, and we teach that in week two. The hospitality gene is more of a mentality that we believe people have that's based on empathy and the ability to understand not only the needs of other people, but the feelings of other people. And so hospitality itself is very much along those lines. To me it's not the hotel. It's not, unfortunately, the design to me, it's the feeling they can be met if you look at the hierarchy of needs. And you're like, okay, great. I've got shelter, I've got food, I've got water. I'm good. Or they could be met hopefully in kind of true hospitality to another level where your needs are being exceeded, needs that you didn't even know that needed to be met, are being met. But the beauty of that in terms of hospitality is that once there's, those needs to whatever level. And I think that really goes along the spectrum of luxury to kind of entry-level hotels. But once they're met, that leaves this space for the guest to then be able to feel, to come back to who they are as people.”Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harsha-l-acqua-9719877/Website: https://www.sairahospitality.com Shout Outs: 1:51 Rosewood1:52 Four Seasons1:52 Virgin4:03 ACE Hotel4:06 Home10:26 Kevin Austerhouse10:47 Soho House, London12:40 Six Senses24:53 Chris Voss31:48 Coss Marte32:20 Saks Fifth Avenue32:44 CONBODY38:13 Andre Balazs38:15 William Beaver House40:27 “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie45:13 ASG49:14 Citibank56:59 Mother Teresa Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

Lionel Ohayon, Founder and CEO of ICRAVE Design, lives by the philosophy of “when one door closes, another door opens.” He has created groundbreaking designs at places like terminal 5 at JFK, as well designing parts of the Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital. Lionel joins host Dan Ryan to share how his life experiences have influenced the way he views and creates #hospitality.Takeaways:  Lionel designed terminal 5 for JetBlue at JFK, and when designing it he focused on trying to make people feel comfortable and relaxed with flying. Hospitality is an ever-growing part of everyday life for people. The interaction between humans can be hospitality and how we perceive it is important.Understanding the essence of hospitality is more important than having the nicest hotel or restaurant.Your paradigm in life shouldn’t be “why me?”, but rather “try me,” facing any issues that come into your life head on and accepting new challenges. You must be the hero of your own journey. Life can throw unexpected twists your way but it’s important to handle them the right way and see the silver lining.There are great opportunities to profoundly impact our world. With the advancement of technology and virtual reality, these can be used for good to bridge the divide between people.Quote of the Show: 13:10 “I tell clients so often, like I can guild your place in gold, but if you don't understand the essence of hospitality, what the triggers are to make people feel comfortable to, or to allow people, those opportunities to step through the looking glass and learn something new about themselves, right?To experience color in a way that they haven't because you are leading, you have an expectation about what the emotional response will be. Or what the inputs are of place, that is more about placemaking than about understanding the way things look and feel. I think that hospitality today is critical. It's an ever-growing important piece of the human interaction that we're all concerned about.”Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lionelohayon?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lionelohayon/Website: https://www.icrave.comShout Outs:0:09 Memorial Sloan Kettering0:59 Stacy Shoemaker2:48 JetBlue8:42 Tesla9:51 Disney Cruise Ships19:23 Tao21:18 Crowbar26:17 St. Jude’s27:33 St. Luke’s30:40 Compass Group31:15 “Why Me?” book by 44:14 Michael J. Fox44:18 Doc Hollywood49:33 The Hotel of Tomorrow49:44 Oculus50:10 Ready Player One50:14 Wall-E52:15 Ken Burns Civil War documentaryWays to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/Youtube : https://youtu.be/Vzic6OgdVpk