It's Personal Stories, a Hospitality Podcast
Welcome to "It's Personal Stories, a Hospitality Podcast”, a new focus of DEI Advisors, a non-profit founded in 2022 by hospitality industry veterans David Kong, Dorothy Dowling, Rachel Humphrey, Lan Elliott, and Huilian Duan, who collectively bring over two centuries of experience to the table.
The podcast collects and shares the personal stories of accomplished hospitality leaders to inspire and empower others on their journey to success. Recognized by the International Hospitality Institute as one of the top hospitality podcasts for two consecutive years, "It's Personal Stories" offers rich advice and insights from the journeys of well-known industry icons.
Episodes
213 episodes
Zack Gharib, President, Red Roof Interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Zack discusses his journey from growing up in Lebanon to being the new President of Red Roof with various stops in between. He shares his personal mantra of 'people first' and his advice to his younger self to "trust in your path." Zack also ta...
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30:18
Brian Barker, Executive Director, Alliance for Hospitality Equity and Diversity (AHED), interviewed by Lan Elliott
Brian shares advice on finding mentors, cultivating champions, and what it takes to nurture those relationships. He explains how leading with kindness is a key factor in his success and how it can help young people distinguish themselves....
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29:07
Susan Barry, President & Queen Bee, Hive Marketing, interviewed by Lan Elliott
An entrepreneur by nature, Susan delves into how she approaches risk and why her tolerance for risk is getting higher. She shares the story of how she became an expert networker at a young age, and how she creates real connections. ...
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34:38
Jim Burba, Co-Founder, Burba Hayes LLC, Burba Hotel Network (BHN), interviewed by David Kong
Jim Burba, well known co-founder of Burba Hotel Network (BHN) and former producer of ALIS, HICAP and other industry investment shows shares his career journey and credits mentors such as Tony Marshall, Bob Hazzard and his partner Bob Hayes for ...
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28:50
Zach Demuth, Global Head of Hotels Research, JLL Interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Zach shares his experiences with imposter syndrome and find out whether he's a risk taker or risk averse. He discusses his strategies for public speaking, how his curiosity drives him, and how he tries to combine his career and personal life in...
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30:47
Heather Balsley, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, interviewed by Lan Elliott
Heather shares how her love for solving big, complex problems has led her to spearhead transformative initiatives within IHG, and she describes how she navigates cross-functional, multi-year challenges. She explains why having champions i...
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35:04
Jolyon Bulley, CEO, Americas & Group Transformation Lead, Luxury & Lifestyle, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Jolyon Bulley shares the ways in which working internationally has shaped his career and the role one particular mentor/champion had on his path. He discusses why it's important to not underestimate yourself, have courage, and develop others ar...
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32:59
Sima Patel, CEO, Ridgemont Hospitality interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Sima shares how the hospitality industry chose her, how her board service has propelled her career, and the biggest leadership lessons she's learned along the way. She talks about how she unwinds and how she overcomes self doubt through leaning...
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28:18
Aik Hong Tan, Chief Investment Officer, Hotel Equities & Founding Principal, Greenwood Hospitality Group, interviewed by Lan Elliott
Aik Hong shares the key leadership skill he identified early on and the significant learnings he gleaned navigating downturns. Following a successful career in Asia, he describes how he established himself in the U.S., then launched a new...
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32:16
Delphine Millot, SVP for Advocacy and Sustainability, GBTA interviewed by D Dowling
Delphine Millot, SVP of GBTA, she shares her thoughts on how to effectively power and advance your career. Delphine discusses her commitment to continuous learning and growth, her proactive approach to taking on diverse assignments, and her inv...
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34:07
Jonathon S. Zink, Chief Operating Officer, The BHN Group interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Jonathon shares what he's learned from living all over the world. He talks about how several company mottos have, in ways, evolved into his own personal mantra. Jonathon also discusses how running is an important part of his business travel exp...
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30:17
Brian Quinn, Chief Development Officer, Sonesta International Hotels Interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Brian discusses why resiliency and learning to work through ambiguity are two critical leadership traits. He shares his strategies for managing business travel, balancing life, and adapting to new roles. He talks about engaging with mentors, ...
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36:47
Evan Frazier, President & CEO, The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), interviewed by Lan Elliott
Evan describes his path to leadership and how seeking broader experiences led him to found his nonprofit, TALI, which is focused on cultivating black executive leadership. He shares why those aspiring to leadership roles need to develop t...
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33:56
Antonia Sisti, President & Executive Producer, GO Productions
Antonia Sisti, the founder, owner, and president of Go Productions, shares her journey of building her company and offers valuable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. In our conversation, she emphasizes the importance of taking risks and details ...
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28:56
Donna Quadri-Felitti, Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University, School of Hospitality Management, interviewed by Dorothy Dowling
Donna shares her journey in education and hospitality, driven by her passion for empowering others and her extensive experience in foodservice, hospitality sales and marketing, tourism consulting, and hotel asset management.
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36:22
Lynn Mohrfeld, President & CEO, California Hotel & Lodging Association interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Lynn shares why knowing his audience is an important part of his public speaking preparation. He discusses his leadership style, how it's evolved, and which leadership skills he's focused on developing over time. Lynn also talks about wellness,...
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30:48
Rachel Vandenberg, Founder, The Travel Leader interviewed by Lan Elliott
Rachel shares how aligning on purpose creates the glue within a group, and why she would advise her younger self to seek out (early on) the support she needed to achieve her goals. She also explains why developing public speaking skills a...
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34:15
Gissell Moronta, Senior VP, Sales & Marketing, Atrium Hospitality interviewed by Dorothy Dowling
Join Dorothy Dowling as Gissell shares her inspiring journey to America, honing her leadership skills to become an amazing executive. Gissell's self-made path, balancing work, part-time school, and parenting, inspires us all. Don't miss her inc...
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37:00
Kimberly Twiggs, Associate VP of Market Development, DIRECTV, interviewed by Dorothy Dowling
Join me on a transformative journey with Kimberly Twiggs, as we delve into her destination career at DIRECTV. Kim's story reveals how her executive journey has been rooted in her unwavering commitment to excellence. Through her narrative, we ...
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39:40
Alicia Evanko-Lewis, EVP Events, Northstar Travel Group Interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Alicia shares how the hard work her parents instilled in her has impacted her including leading to an unexpected career in the events industry. She talks about the new skills she's developed as her career has progress...
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29:48
Caroline Strachan, CEO, Festive Road interviewed by Dorothy Dowling
Caroline shares how her roles as a buyer, travel manager, and supplier have propelled her to become the CEO of Festive Road. Her primary motivation has always been to do her best work and to embrace possibilities and to become a skilled communi...
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36:09
Michele Allen, Chief Financial Officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Interviewed by Rachel Humphrey
Michele shares why it's so important to have a positive voice in your head as you tackle challenges and self-doubt. She discusses how her leadership has evolved over time and the role communication has played in that process. Michele talks abou...
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25:55
John Fareed, Global Chairman, Horwath HTL, Interviewed by David Kong
John offers highlights of his newly released book on personal branding and shares his personal mantra. He reflects on the most profound lessons from his professional journey, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and how to cultivate effecti...
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32:05
Jay Shah, Senior Advisor, Hersha Hotels & Resorts, interviewed by Lan Elliott
Jay describes the important distinction between managing and leading, and he shares his approach to taking risks. He also explains why the easiest approach to networking is thinking of it as developing friendships, and why hospitality is ...
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35:38
Fran Brasseux, CEO, ICHRIE interviewed by Dorothy Dowling
Fran's career journey, emphasizing the importance of patience, perseverance, and personal empowerment. Fran shares her experiences transitioning from the hotel industry to association management and academia, highlighting the complexities and r...
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34:42