Teaching the Art of Hospitality, with Zana Usher

The Room Block
The Room Block
Teaching the Art of Hospitality, with Zana Usher
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Can the art of hospitality be taught? According to Zana Usher, Founder and CEO of Zana DeVine Hospitality, it can, as long as you have the heart for hospitality. Zana is a hospitality expert and coach who was born into the industry and now lives to serve those who serve in it. If you manage a restaurant, hotel, or a team within one, this episode will show you how investing in a hospitality coach can be just what you need to start a positive cycle of service, satisfaction and sales. If you are an employee, let Zana’s passion for people and enthusiasm for opportunity show […]

By |2021-06-23T00:10:06-05:00June 23, 2021|0 Comments
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Selling the Future, with Mark McLaughlin and Sarah Becker

The Room Block
The Room Block
Selling the Future, with Mark McLaughlin and Sarah Becker
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It’s challenging to be on the opening team of a new hotel under normal circumstances; even more so under our “new normal.” Mark McLaughlin, Director of Business Development at the brand new Sable at Navy Pier Chicago, and Sarah Becker, Complex Director of Sales at the also brand-new Hilton Garden Inn and Canopy by Hilton Chicago Central Loop join me in The Room Block to chat about how their hotel sales journeys have led them to their exciting new roles as sales leaders starting from scratch. Listen in to learn about your new favorite hotel hangouts in Chicago, and to catch up with two veteran hotel sales professionals who are using their skills and […]

By |2021-06-16T00:59:49-05:00June 16, 2021|0 Comments
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The Struggle Is Real: Early Entrepreneurship

The Room Block
The Room Block
The Struggle Is Real: Early Entrepreneurship
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It’s been so exciting getting back out into the world and seeing people live in person again, but it’s also prompted insecurities about the next step in my career and why I’m still not where I want to be! For those of you who are giving entrepreneurship a go or have ever thought about doing so, this episode may feel like a cautionary tale, or a guiding light. But no matter where you are on your journey, the most important thing to remember is to just…keep…going.

Referenced in episode:

HospitalityMD

Judi Holler

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

By |2021-06-08T22:54:43-05:00June 9, 2021|0 Comments
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Leading Our Recovery by Learning Together, with Ashley Lawson and Manuel Lara

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The Room Block
Leading Our Recovery by Learning Together, with Ashley Lawson and Manuel Lara
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Do you feel confident about the return to live events? Whether a hotelier, event planner, or event attendee, each of us carries some risk and responsibility as we begin to travel and meet in person once again. Join me for an exclusive first look at the successful conclusion of an actual live program, planned by Ashley Lawson, Vice President of Business Partnerships and co-owner of Achieve Incentives & Meetings, and hosted by Manuel Lara, Sales Manager at UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya. Ashley and Manuel walk us through the ins and outs and the highs and lows of planning and executing a live event at this stage of the pandemic. This episode is jam-packed with valuable tips and teaches […]

By |2021-06-02T06:34:41-05:00June 2, 2021|0 Comments
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Earning Guest Loyalty, with Robert Reitknecht

The Room Block
The Room Block
Earning Guest Loyalty, with Robert Reitknecht
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We all know that a superior experience is what drives customer loyalty. But what does that experience look like, and how is it implemented? Today I am joined in the Courtesy Block by customer loyalty expert Robert Reitknecht, who will walk us through some of the must-haves when designing your guest experience strategy. You may be surprised to learn that before you can start earning the loyalty of your customers, you must first earn the loyalty of somebody else.

About Robert Reitknecht: A veteran customer loyalty professional and guest experience expert for over two decades, Robert has provided service-focused insights to a number of Fortune 100/500 companies. He has worked primarily in the hospitality […]

By |2021-06-23T00:10:36-05:00May 26, 2021|0 Comments
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Storytelling as a Sales Strategy, with Regitse Rosenvinge and Isabella Owen

The Room Block
The Room Block
Storytelling as a Sales Strategy, with Regitse Rosenvinge and Isabella Owen
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So, what’s your story?  In this episode I am joined by Regitse Rosenvinge of Room22.Agency and Isabella Owen of Owen Consulting who share their hospitality stories and marketing solutions with us. Both women specialize in helping hotels find their unique stories, as well as teach them how to infuse their stories into marketing and daily operations in an effort to attract, and retain, customers. Whether a person, a place or an object, there’s a story waiting to be told and an audience waiting to hear it. If you don’t know it, or know how to tell it, this episode is for you!

Regitse Rosenvinge is a passionate hospitality professional with more than 10 years of experience in the […]

By |2021-06-02T15:37:04-05:00May 19, 2021|0 Comments
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Connecting With Your Customers: How Podcasts Can Help

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The Room Block
Connecting With Your Customers: How Podcasts Can Help
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We’re constantly inundated with a wide variety of information, and choices about where to consume it all. Do we really want more options, or to be responsible for creating yet more content? Perhaps the better question is, how important is it to form lasting connections and enhance engagement with guests, customers, attendees, or exhibitors? We already know we have too many choices, so how can we encourage them to choose our hotel, product, or event? In this episode, you’ll hear some reasons why the very medium you are consuming right now can be a key contributor to this crucial choice.

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

By |2021-05-11T23:53:03-05:00May 12, 2021|0 Comments
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Evolving Events & Enacting Change, with Carrie Abernathy and Derrick Johnson

The Room Block
The Room Block
Evolving Events & Enacting Change, with Carrie Abernathy and Derrick Johnson
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We’ve had so many conversations about the opportunities for diversity, equality and inclusion that exist within our industry but how many of those have resulted in actionable takeaways? Carrie Abernathy and Derrick Johnson, events industry leaders and co-hosts of the virtual talk show, Events: From Black to White, are ready to enact change. They join me in The Room Block to discuss the required evolution of the events industry, specific ideas to get us there, and why now is the time. Are you ready to change the world? Whatever your position in this industry may be, every one of has a chance to move the needle and our collective actions will make a difference.

Carrie Abernathy, CMP, […]

By |2021-05-04T23:36:19-05:00May 5, 2021|0 Comments
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Empowering Growth in the Hospitality Industry, with Bob Graham

The Room Block
The Room Block
Empowering Growth in the Hospitality Industry, with Bob Graham
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For a hotel sales and event management software company to not only survive, but thrive over the past year, it has to have a pretty unique value proposition, as well as a visionary leader. Today in The Courtesy Block I am joined by Bob Graham, CEO of Event Temple, where we talk about his journey co-founding and growing Event Temple in a sea of more established hotel management systems, and why they stood out as a success story in 2020. Listen in to find out what attributes have made a difference for Event Temple as a company and Bob as a leader, and how an entrepreneurial mindset driven by curiosity and values help to create success, happiness […]

By |2021-05-11T23:55:25-05:00April 28, 2021|0 Comments
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Having It All By Not Doing It All, with Jessica Schoefernacker and Jen Manthei

The Room Block
The Room Block
Having It All By Not Doing It All, with Jessica Schoefernacker and Jen Manthei
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What does it take to handle two demanding jobs, especially when both jobs can require long hours, nights, weekends, and stress? There’s no way around it, being a working mother in the events and hospitality industry is tough. In this episode, I am joined by Jessica Schoefernacker, Director of Sales and Marketing from the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile, and Jen Manthei, an independent meeting & event consultant – both mothers of young children. They weigh in on the good, the bad, the highs and lows, and what exactly it takes to be able to do it all. Spoiler alert – you can’t, and that’s okay! Whether you are […]

By |2021-04-20T23:05:15-05:00April 21, 2021|0 Comments
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Losing My Path and Finding My Future

The Room Block
The Room Block
Losing My Path and Finding My Future
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Conventional wisdom tells us that forward momentum and continuous movement is a good thing – and it is, as long as you’re on the right path. How can you be sure? A full year after the pandemic forced me to take a hiatus from working a traditional job within the events industry, I share my thoughts about what I’ve learned from this unexpected change of course in this week’s episode of The Courtesy Block. Gain a new perspective on loss, learn what it actually means to live in harmony, and see what’s possible when you try on something new for size – even when you’re convinced it won’t fit.

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

By |2021-04-14T09:43:53-05:00April 14, 2021|0 Comments
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Becoming ICONIC, with Calvin Stovall and John Avola

The Room Block
The Room Block
Becoming ICONIC, with Calvin Stovall and John Avola
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Do you or your company have what it takes to become, ICONIC? Join me for an engaging and fun conversation with Calvin Stovall, Chief Experience Officer and Iconicity Enthusiast for ICONIC Presentations, and John Avola, a digital marketing leader with 15 years of experience and currently Digital Marketing Principle at FedEx. After a 25-year career in hospitality, Calvin took what he learned about some of the stand-out brands he worked for and created a practical and systematic technique called The ICONIC Framework™ to help organizations achieve and maintain iconic status in the eyes of their customers. In addition to presenting The ICONIC Framework to audiences via speaking engagements and workshops, Calvin and John discuss the essential components to creating […]

By |2021-04-07T00:45:16-05:00April 7, 2021|0 Comments
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Enhancing Your Magnetism, with Nancy O’Brien

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The Room Block
Enhancing Your Magnetism, with Nancy O'Brien
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Do you ever notice how some people seem to attract success? Chances are, they’ve been taught the rules of etiquette and business protocol, and have picked up the soft skills that allow them to seamlessly guide and influence others. In this episode, I am joined in the Courtesy Block by Nancy O’Brien, who after an award-winning career in hospitality and destination marketing founded The Magnetic Truth Advisory, where she is dedicated to teaching her clients the confidence-building skills that are necessary to achieve personal and professional goals. Nancy shares how her 25 years of working in sales and leadership roles for some of the biggest names in hospitality taught her the skills that continually propelled her onward and […]

By |2021-11-24T00:21:58-06:00March 31, 2021|0 Comments
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Healing the Heart of Hospitality, with Kyle Allison and Greg Fregoso

The Room Block
The Room Block
Healing the Heart of Hospitality, with Kyle Allison and Greg Fregoso
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It takes a lot of heart to work in the hospitality industry. Yet, this concept is not always embodied across all who work in it and as a result, something is bound to suffer; guest satisfaction, survey scores, even your employees. In this episode I am joined by co-founders and managing partners of HospitalityMD, Kyle Allison and Greg Fregoso. Kyle and Greg believe that whether you are working in the C-suite or the front office, “Hospitality is Everyone’s Business.” We explore their mission, what inspires, drives and rewards them, and how they use the power of storytelling to build empathetic communities and hospitable atmospheres.

About Kyle Allison: As a founding member of HospitalityMD, Kyle develops and leads the […]

By |2021-03-24T00:03:15-05:00March 24, 2021|0 Comments
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Achieve a Win-Win: Negotiate Your Way Through Life

The Room Block
The Room Block
Achieve a Win-Win: Negotiate Your Way Through Life
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No matter what your day job may be, we all negotiate for a living.  In this Courtesy Block episode, I review some basic negotiation skills as well as show you how to apply them to your personal life to ensure the spirit of partnership stays alive in all of your relationships – including the one you have with yourself. Learn why maintaining a win-win mindset is an effective strategy when dealing with those close to us and how negotiation skills can help guide you through difficult conversations. 

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

By |2021-03-16T23:39:35-05:00March 17, 2021|0 Comments
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Sparking Connections Through Shared Experiences, with Liz Lathan and Nicole Osibodu

The Room Block
The Room Block
Sparking Connections Through Shared Experiences, with Liz Lathan and Nicole Osibodu
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There is great power in experiencing significant moments with others. Liz Lathan and Nicole Osibodu of Haute Dokimazo understand this power and have harnessed it, packaged it, and regularly deliver it to companies who want to enhance the way they connect with each other, as well as their customers. By creating magical shared experiences that break down walls and stimulate conversation (even virtually!), Liz and Nicole show you how to build genuine connections that lead to profitable relationships. Their main requirement? It has to be fun. 

Liz Lathan, CMP has devoted her career to engaging people face-to-face (and virtually) for collaboration, ideation and experimentation. She is obsessed with applying modern marketing principles to a segment of the […]

By |2021-03-10T01:04:40-06:00March 10, 2021|0 Comments
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Reviving Customer Service with Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor

The Room Block
The Room Block
Reviving Customer Service with Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor
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Are you making any critical mistakes in your daily interactions with others? Strong customer service and communication skills can earn you and your business loyal guests and clients, as well as respect. On the other hand, weak skills in this area can cost you everything. I am joined by Nancy Friedman, who is founder and chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions for companies of all types and sizes. In addition to offering a multitude of training programs, Nancy is also the author of 9 books covering communications, sales, and customer service. She has worked with the hospitality industry over the years sharing tips, ideas, skills and techniques that stand the test of time, creating […]

By |2021-03-02T23:50:29-06:00March 3, 2021|0 Comments
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Creating Moments as Property Managers, with Wil Slickers and Adam Knight

The Room Block
The Room Block
Creating Moments as Property Managers, with Wil Slickers and Adam Knight
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What do boutique hotels, big box convention hotels, resort properties and vacation rentals ALL have to do in order to thrive? Wil Slickers, host of Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast, and Adam Knight, host of The Proven Principles Podcast and Principal at Knowing Hospitality share their expertise on the world of property management, from a one-room vacation rental to a branded city center hotel. With a focus on strategic operations yet a heart for hospitality, Wil and Adam are creating content and companies dedicated to giving back to an industry that has given so much to them.

Wil Slickers started working for a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in Spokane, Washington and shortly realized his […]

By |2021-02-23T23:47:06-06:00February 24, 2021|0 Comments
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Practicing What I Preach (and Maybe Even What They Preach)

The Room Block
The Room Block
Practicing What I Preach (and Maybe Even What They Preach)
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In today’s world, authenticity seems to be more valued than ever before. However, it’s one thing to speak your truth and another to live it, especially when our private lives are becoming increasingly public. This Courtesy Block episode explores a few ways that I’ve discovered the additional responsibility, but also the reward, that comes with having your own platform, and speaking out.

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

By |2021-02-16T23:05:54-06:00February 17, 2021|0 Comments
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Boss Up and Show Up to Level Up, with Judi Holler and Courtney Stanley

The Room Block
The Room Block
Boss Up and Show Up to Level Up, with Judi Holler and Courtney Stanley
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What is stopping you from turning your dreams into reality? Whether you need tactical advice on how to set and achieve goals, or simply permission to honor your vision of who you are and what you want in the first place, Judi Holler and Courtney Stanley are here to help. As former meeting industry professionals, Judi and Courtney transformed their side-hustle into the main event and are showing others what it takes to do the same. Join me for a true power hour where Judi and Courtney offer ideas on how to inspire courage through action, alternative ways to look at and deal with anxiety, and explain why setting goals and establishing intentional daily habits are the foundation […]

By |2021-02-10T00:35:04-06:00February 10, 2021|0 Comments
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