Every week, DEI Advisors brings you practical advice and insightful perspectives from hospitality industry leaders and other accomplished professionals with the goal to inspire future leaders and improve their career trajectories. Each interview highlights an advisor who shares inflection points of his/her career journey and lessons learned from overcoming challenges and taking risks. The interviews are full of useful tips on finding mentors and advocates, networking, continuous learning, overcoming "head trash" or ”imposter syndrome,” achieving work life harmony, and more.

Dr. Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, shares his career journey and how he transformed the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We discuss innovation, networking and dumping "head trash". Dr. Chon shares his thoughts on the most important qualities of a leader, and the habits that can help us become more effective. He also offers advice on mentorship and self-empowerment. Read Bio

Chip has an incredibly broad network, but more than that, he’s been described as a Social Alchemist, someone who can engage his network in a way that’s transformative for them.  He shares how he developed this talent and talks about the importance of curiosity and a growth mindset.  He offers specific advice for taking risks and his tips for tackling self-doubt.  Chip describes Process Knowledge, and how companies have a great opportunity to tap into this valuable resource. Read Bio

Anu discusses how she found her path into hospitality through management consulting and how she was inspired by leadership dedication and corporate culture in making that career decision. She shares how important her support system is for her and the strategies she's implemented for overcoming negative thoughts. Anu also talks about the important step we should all take before advocating for our next position and how she manages to take care of herself while also taking care of her career and her family. Read Bio

DEI Advisors and Marriott International host this special edition in celebration of International Women's Day. Rachel Humphrey and Marriott's Chief Franchise Officer, Karen Finberg, discuss their paths to leadership and how the lessons they've learned along the way have influenced their leadership styles and personal growth over time, They talk about common themes among leaders interviewed by DEI Advisors and share their own strategies for overcoming challenges, wellness, relationship building, support systems, their personal mantras, and more. Read Bio

Greg shares why technical skills only get you so far, and the actions needed to think at a different level to make yourself more valuable. He explains the right and wrong way to approach a potential mentor and the two key reasons people choose to follow leaders. He shares the difference between being a Rock Star and an All Star, plus why you don’t want to work at a place where you’re the smartest person there. Read Bio

Clayton speaks about the importance of being intentional in career choices and being committed to the long-term success of goals. He speaks to the importance of sacrifice and acknowledges the challenges that puts on work-life balance. He shares his personal and his company’s willingness to challenge conventional thinking and the importance of trusting your instincts and not letting perfection get in the way of progress. He encourages individuals to own their position and express their point of view with confidence. Read Bio

Chip shares his career path from dishwasher to chief development officer, showcasing an entire career in the service industry.  He discusses the importance of knowing your values and how he chooses making decisions which are right versus ones which are easy. Chip also talks about the importance of relationships, how he's managed a demanding career on the road while also prioritizing time with his family, and why he believes it can be more effective to make your strengths stronger than to focus too much on your weaknesses. Read Bio

Tom shares his path to becoming COO and EVP of RLJ and Chair of the AHLA Foundation Board of Trustees and how his passion for and involvement with the Foundation has helped develop him as a leader. He discusses the lessons he's learned from his mentors and how he relies on peer to peer learning in continuing to grow as an executive. Tom also offers his strategy for tackling risks and overcoming challenges and how it impacts his development of future leaders. Read Bio

Anna shares how her career in trade associations and non-profits has shaped her leadership style and how relationship building became her superpower along the way. She discusses skill development, public speaking, and advocating for yourself. Anna also talks about her view of each individual as a whole person, rethinking the idea of work-life balance or self-care as separate from career. Lastly, Anna discusses what needs to happen to see more diversity in hospitality industry leadership, Read Bio

Paul discusses his journey from newspaper boy to general counsel of Wyndham with stops in Germany and a large New York City firm along the way. He shares the leadership lessons he learned from living abroad, from his wife and two children, and from one of his mentors who told him you cannot lead others if you don't lead yourself. Paul talks about servant leadership and how he continues to grow and develop personally and professionally and what advice he'd give to his 21-year old self. Read Bio

Emily shares her journey from her roles in public relations to the Founder of Hertelier, an online news platform inspiring women working in the hotel industry. She discusses the important lessons she has learned from being an entrepreneur, but also from overcoming challenges and setbacks (there are no such things as failures) and how taking risks has taken her career to heights she never imagined.  Emily talks about self-care and how she continues to learn (it involves reading lots of books). Read Bio

Peter  talks about how he discovered his passion for the hotel industry at an early age and how that passion has powered his success.  He identifies the important factors of success and the lessons he learnt from his father in keeping the focus on driving business outcomes. He took to heart his belief in treating every person with compassion and strives to enrich the communities he touches.  He expands on how his belief in seeking solutions that are out of the box has led to some of the greatest successes in his career. Read Bio

Alison is a risk taker who believes you should be part of the solution and seek to uplift people in your daily life.  Alison has lived in many countries and has always sought the opportunity to learn and embrace the culture of the community she lived.  Being optimistic is a big part of being a risk taker and she explains how she put her trust in those who could see her potential.  Alison is a respected leader in our industry and has demonstrated how leading with heart builds remarkable teams and dedicated followers. Read Bio

Teague talks about his entry into the family business, his style of leadership, and how he builds and develops the talented team around him. He shares how taking a risk at the start of the pandemic has ultimately played a role in leading to the company's most successful year yet and how he overcomes challenges. He discusses his public speaking advice, prioritizing the life part of work life, and what advice he'd give to his younger self. Read Bio

Marina shares her story from executive assistant to the GM of her first hotel to chief marketing officer of a global brand. She credits being comfortable getting uncomfortable, taking risks, having incredible mentors, and overcoming her fears with so many of her decisions along the way. She shares her mantra "work life choices" and talks about the large, broad support system she has built. She discusses how she models advocating for yourself and giving others a safe space to advocate for themselves. Read Bio

Chris shares how he evolved from a hard charging, P&L-focused manager into an inspiring leader, whose staff would “follow him into battle.”  He shares his discovery that when he stopped looking at the numbers and started looking at the people, the numbers came – and were actually better than expected.  Chris tells a compelling story that taught him to listen with genuine interest, and why he leads his team from behind – not from out front.  Read Bio

Lina shares her learnings from leading over 1000 people on their journey to Kailash, and her experience being a pioneer in women hotel ownership 20 some years ago. She discusses her passion in serving on the boards of AAHOA and LPS and the launch of HerOwnership program. Lina then offers lessons from the  setbacks in her career and some tips on networking. We also talk about overcoming the imposter syndrome and “head trash.”  You wouldn’t want to miss Lina’s parting advice on self empowerment. Read Bio

Harry shares the pivotal moments of his career journey that led to his success. He talks frankly about the disappointments and setbacks in his career and the lessons learned. We discuss the importance of risk taking, finding mentors/sponsors and networking. Harry reveals his secret in finding inspiration in disruptive thinking and his structured approach in corporate purpose and employee empowerment. He also shares his thoughts on "Finding your true north and navigate boldly." Read bio

Stacy shares her career journey and key factors that contributed to her success. She shares her approach to challenges, and also an example of rebounding from a major setback. We discuss networking, risk-taking and finding inspiration. We also talk about diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry, how we can overcome the "Imposter Syndrome" and "Head Trash". Finally, Stacy offers her advice to her younger self and to our audience. Read Bio

Leslie reflects on the key inflection points of her career journey holding senior positions at Goldman Sachs and GE. She comments on the importance of formal education. We discussed why our industry is lacking in women and minority representation in "C" suite positions and what should be done to improve it. Leslie also shares her experience and advice on taking risks, approaching challenges and prevailing over setbacks. Finally, Leslie offers her perspectives on work life harmony and the "imposter syndrome". Read Bio

Lisa shares how she earned her reputation as a "serial connector of people" in building her relationships and expanding the networks of others.  She discusses how being an advocate for the industry with elected officials and engaging with industry trade associations has developed her leadership skills and also how she intentionally strengthened her public speaking skills. Finally, Lisa talks about her very personal approach to taking risks and her advice to her younger self which is also perhaps her only life's regret. Read Bio

Leslie shares his incredible career journey and his current venture, which started as a hobby that grew into a 35-hotel investment vehicle. He describes how, early in his career, he determined the one skill that would make him sought after, and how he intentionally honed it, to position himself for the best opportunities. As a highly-skilled negotiator, Leslie explains how he overcomes challenges in getting deals done, and the moment he decided to forever threw away all scripts and notes when giving speeches. Read Bio

Determined to become a hotel owner from a young age, Kendra shares her career journey to hotel ownership and how her company, Elise Capital, empowers and educates women and other underrepresented groups to become hotel owners. She discusses taking risks and overcoming obstacles, why celebrating a “positive memento” on a daily basis helps banish negative thoughts, and the benefits of developing her personal board of advisors, who mentor and champion her. Read Bio

Elie shares the 6 attributes he looks for in leaders - one of them is joy! – and how mastering the skill of persuasion is essential to your career. He discusses the importance of successful companies being more intentional in having mentors seek out mentees, rather than leaving it to chance. On overcoming obstacles, Elie believes it’s important for teams to share the mindset that they can make things better, by identifying the issues, breaking them down into their core problems, and coming up with solutions. Read Bio

Dr. Donte Vaughn shares how his company helps clients develop mechanisms to influence how leaders engage, interact, and make decisions, to realize their full potential. He explains the importance of treating DEIB as a fundamental business strategy, rather than an initiative, in order to be impactful and sustainable, and why he doesn’t believe in quotas. Finally, Donte describes 4 actions leaders can take to create a more inclusive workplace and the 3 key pillars women and underrepresented groups can implement to better prepare themselves for career advancement. Read Bio