TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT YOTEL AND WHAT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOKS LIKE. 

I’m the Senior Director of Global Sales overseeing the US and I’m in my second year at YOTEL. My tenure in hotels has been in business travel and managing partnerships within that segment. My role is dynamic and ever-changing, which is what I really love about my position. I oversee our travel agency partnerships and drive production for all of our Consortia bookings but my role in actuality is to be a support system for all of the hotels, and that’s constantly changing in terms of what each hotel needs business-wise. It’s never the same day twice! 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WORK IN HOSPITALITY?

My journey kind of began unexpectedly. I think like many of us, I fell into it! After starting my career in financial sales, I quickly realized I lacked passion for the job and needed to re-evaluate my options. I started working as a food and beverage server at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, and quickly fell in love with the dynamics of how the different departments worked together to deliver the overall guest experience. 

I immediately took an interest in the Sales and Marketing side of the business. I couldn’t believe there was a job selling luxury hotels and working with a wide range of clientele. A career where I could travel and meet people across all industries and markets was something that felt destined for me. A couple months into starting as a Pool Server I began mapping out a plan for myself to move from front-of-house to Sales and Marketing. I created unique & memorable experiences for the VIP clients as they were touring the hotel – anything to get noticed! From that point, I was hooked. 

HOW DO YOU CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AS SENIOR SALES DIRECTOR? 

My approach to leadership has always been grounded in the consciousness of being an active listener. I’ve learned the most from previous roles when I had leaders that were ‘listen first, react second’. I also learned from the reverse – leaders who weren’t open to listening to what you need and to what your pain points are. Simply leading based on what they think you need. Listening is always the first step I take to working with my team to better understand their strengths and weaknesses.  From there, I am able to highlight their strengths while offering guidance and support as needed to ensure they learn and grow in the position. 

Staying solutions-orientated is another mentality I’m constantly pushing with my team. Particularly in sales, we all go through certain points of distress, but often times there’s a sunny side to look at and focus on. It’s an ever-changing industry and the ways we can connect with clients are everchanging too. Most of the time it’s more of a conversation than a sale. It’s my job to inspire my team to think creatively and step outside of their comfort zone so we can keep YOTEL at top of mind, always. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH THE LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD FOUNDATION AND HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED.

The opportunity came about years ago through a mentor and good friend of mine, Martel Francois, who founded the foundation in 2017. It aims to inspire urban youth through interactive workshops, allowing them to see a side of the corporate world that you really can’t teach in the classroom. 

I love being an ambassador for the programme, hosting workshops like the one we did at YOTEL New York and leveraging my vast network to connect them with other leaders in the hospitality industry to do the same at other hotels in NYC. It never ceases to amaze me how talented and energetic the students are. Full of curiosity and eager to learn more about a career path they hadn’t considered previously. It’s a humble reminder of how lucky I am to do what I do. At the end of the day, it’s about promoting personal fulfilment and encouraging them to find a career they really love. That should be prioritized first and foremost.   

WHAT WOULD A TYPICAL WORKSHOP DAY LOOK LIKE?

During the workshops, we create a supportive environment that nurtures the development of the student through social and emotional learning. They get to meet executives across various industries, learning about their day-to-day job functions, learning from their story and what it took to get to where they are. The trajectory of a career is not something young people always get the chance to understand, so as a mentor, it’s about sharing the story of how we got to where we are and what set us up for success. I recently organized a workshop for the Newark Vocation High School with students who had a specific interest in hospitality. They got to meet with myself and our YOTEL New York executive team, learning how each department plays an essential role in operating the hotel day-to-day.

You can see so clearly the change in the demeanour from the start of the workshop to when they leave – they’re so keen to talk to you and learn about your career and the challenges you’ve faced. Sometimes success can seem unattainable, but by providing foundational lessons on personal mentality and giving them examples of how it has bolstered the trajectory of your career, they leave feeling motivated and inspired.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO START A CAREER IN HOSPITALITY?

I always recommend starting in an operational role. Food and Beverage or Front Desk specifically. Guest-facing roles are a good test to understand if you REALLY like people or not! If you’re looking to move to the office of the business, you’ll have a much better understanding of how to have a positive impact on the guest experience while also setting the team up for success. I always say the sales team brings the guests in, but the hotel team brings them back. A strong operational team creates loyal clients and that’s a fact. The sales process really is a team effort and it’s our responsibility to not only book the business, but also be conscious of what the team needs to deliver the guest experience the client expects. 

Learn more about the Look Good Feel Good programme here - https://www.lgfgprogram.com/