hotel owner

Vonda Freeman may have gotten her start by inadvertantly breaking a child labor law or two, but her integrity remains firmly intact. As wine director for Indigo Road Hospitlaity Group, Vonda guides the lists of almost 30 restaurants and never stops learning, recently becoming a sake advisor. Susan and Vonda talk about the restaurant business, wild nights, and courage.

Davonne Reaves went from front desk clerk to hotel owner in less than a decade, and she wants to make it easier for everyone else to do the same. Davonne's new venture, Vesterr, is a crowd-funding platform for hotels and other real estate deals. Susan and Davonne talk about grandmas, career paths, and airport lounge miracles.

So much craziness goes down at the front desk, and our Loading Dock stories from HITEC prove it.  Whether they are dodging bowling balls, asking Dora McDonald about the midnight train from Georgia, or welcoming guests to a fake hotel, our storytellers capture the essence and the madness of hotel reception. Stay tuned for more HITEC Loading Dock stories next week.

Tommy Yionoulis loves sandwiches, jokes, and food safety – maybe in that order? After a decade of stand-up comedy and many hospitality jobs, Tommy took a piece of tech he built on the fly and turned it into a company that helps manage the tedious but important details of day-to-day operations. Susan and Tommy talk about how to use technology to create accountability and generate insights at scale.

Heidi Stone always knew she'd spend her career in hospitality, but she probably didn't envision just how intertwined it would become with the movies. As president and CEO of Mountain Lake Lodge, Heidi has led the revitalization of a resort with roots in the 1850s. Susan and Heidi talk about technology, education, and TV stardom.

Joe Stren started what is now the largest architectural salvage resource serving boutique hotels and restaurants by dumpster-diving. Olde Good Things has locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Pennsylvania, and the company's wares have been used to reimagine properties like Soho House, the Bowery, and the Jane. Susan tries to talk Joe into getting sentimental about his finds, but instead Joe's no-nonsense approach gives insight into how to make a dramatic first impression in your physical space.

In this solo episode, Susan Barry explains the three stakeholders in the hotel business, how they are incentivized, and why their financial incentives might be inhibiting creativity and innovation.  Although she explains a bunch of financial concepts her, be advised -- Susan is neither an attorney nor an accountant.  If you have an idea for fixing, changing, or reinventing hospitality, consider this your sign -- get in touch!

Trina Notman experienced something that many people both desire and fear -- going viral -- when her LinkedIn post about sexism from the podium garnered her international news coverage and so many messages she could barely keep up. Although Trina had experienced a similar flash of fame after going undercover to bust up a prostitution ring, she credits her current boss for creating the kind of culture that allowed her to speak up without fear of retribution. Susan and Trina talk about nooners, trolls, and bandits.

Let's face it: Susan is one of the nerdiest people you've ever met, so when she meets her match in Ira Vouk, you know something special is happening. Ira is the author of Hospitality 2.0, about the digital revolution in hospitality. This conversation is long and interesting, so stay tuned for part two next week. And, if these technical conversations leave you scratching your head, go to topfloorpodcast.com/episode/32 for definitions and explanations of some key terms.