Category Archives: Episode

The Sustainability Revolution, Guide to Confidence, Commitment & Consistency. TSHS-0096

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The Sustainability Revolution, Guide to Confidence, Commitment & Consistency

Lee Stewart, author of How to Build Sustainability into Your Business Strategy, discusses the importance of aligning business operations with long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability. He emphasizes the need for transparency and honesty in sustainability efforts, and the pitfalls to avoid when setting and achieving sustainability goals.

“Don’t say just by doing that small thing that we’re plastic free. We’re a circular economy. We’re zero waste. There’s no way you’re doing that yet.”

Stewart introduces his CCC framework for sustainability strategy, which focuses on confidence, commitment, and consistency. He also highlights the significance of conducting materiality assessments to determine a business’s most important sustainability issues. Stewart concludes by discussing the opportunities and challenges companies face in advancing sustainability.

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.🔗Podcast Link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-social-hotelier/id1254896833

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Fraud exposed in hotels and restaurants TSHS – 093

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Fraud exposed in hotels and restaurants

This episode explores the topic of fraud in the hospitality industry, covering various forms of fraud and the pressures that contribute to unethical behavior. The conversation also touches on the importance of sustainability and the risks of greenwashing.

My guests are Carin-Isabel Knoop and Dr. David E. Morrison III.  Carin is the author of Compassionate Mental Health in Modern Workplace and Executive Director, of Harvard Business School, Case Research & Writing Group. She’s half French and half German, was born in Mexico, and has lived on four continents. She has co-authored hundreds of case studies and articles that have contributed significantly to organizational behavior and leadership. Her work often delves into the challenges of modern management, and the importance of empathy. Dr. David Morrison III is an organizational psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience in working with senior corporate executives on leadership and executive functioning.

The focus of this work is to deepen the capacity of senior executives to be self-aware. With a refined individual and senior management team consultation process, he has worked successfully for companies in many industries. and with multiple levels of management and management structures.

Daven Morrison is among others the coordinator of bringing Freud to Fraud understanding the state of mind. We discuss the psychological motivations behind fraud and the role of manipulation in fraudulent activities. They emphasize the need for vigilance and a solution-oriented approach to prevent and address fraud. The episode includes anecdotes from the hospitality industry that highlight the challenges of dealing with fraudulent guests. The conversation explores the themes of fraud, sustainability, and the role of customers in holding companies accountable. It discusses the importance of learning from past mistakes and conducting after-action reviews to prevent future fraud. The concept of greenwashing and the need for companies to align their actions with their sustainability claims is also highlighted. The role of frontline staff in promoting sustainability and the importance of customer vigilance in holding hotels accountable are discussed. The conversation concludes with information on where to find more resources on fraud prevention and sustainability.

Linki to book authored by;

Carin-Isabel Knoop

Executive Director, Harvard Business School, Case Research & Writing Group

Author of Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace, Springer 2018

For Harvard Business School Publishing course materials and advice on teaching about mental health, consider this article, course explorer and module.

Connector of people and ideas – check out our pieces on Medium!

 

David (Daven) Morrison III

A.B.C.’s of Behavioral Forensics: Applying Psychology to Financial Fraud Prevention and Detection

Author(s):

Sridhar Ramamoorti, David E. Morrison III, Joseph W. Koletar, Kelly R. Pope

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118740422

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Delivering a Brand on a Day to Day Basis, The Future of Hospitality Branding. TSHS-0092

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Delivering a Brand on a Day-to-Day Basis The Future of Hospitality Branding

Mark Natale, co-founder of Smart Thinking, shares his insights on luxury branding and the strategic strategies that have positioned his agency as a leader in the industry. He discusses his journey from managing fitness centers and spas to co-founding Smart Thinking, emphasizing the importance of delivering a brand daily. Mark also highlights his experience at the Parker Meridian Hotel and how it shaped his approach to brand development in the hospitality industry.

He explains the concept of the symphonic effect in branding and the importance of creating a comprehensive and remarkable guest experience.

Additionally, he provides strategies for independent hotels to compete with larger brands, including defining a unique identity and building a consistent connection with the audience through content marketing. The conversation explores the intersection of hospitality and branding, discussing the importance of creating a cohesive brand experience in hotels. It emphasizes the need for hotels to learn from the retail industry and constantly evolve to meet customer expectations. The conversation also delves into the trend of branded residences and the potential pitfalls associated with them. The role of collaboration between brand agencies and architectural teams is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of starting the brand development process early in a project. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the future of hospitality branding and the balance between automation and human interaction in hotels. Contact details: https://www.smarthinkinginc.com/about Mark Natale Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/mark-natale-9576345

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Attracting Talent: Treat recruitment like modern marketing. TSHS – 084

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Attracting Talent: How Hotels Are Transforming Recruitment into Marketing.

Summary

The recruitment process in the hospitality industry is changing, and hotels need to treat it like modern marketing. Selling the destination and the dream is important in attracting potential employees. The hotel’s brand story and values play a significant role in attracting job seekers. Recruitment is becoming more like marketing, and differentiation is key in telling a compelling brand story.

 

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Mastering Leadership in Hospitality: Insights on Challenges, Change, and Connection. TSHS-083

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Mastering Leadership in Hospitality: Insights on Challenges, Change, and Connection. In this episode, Sam-Erik Ruttmann interviews Summer Jelinek, a leadership expert with 20 years of hospitality experience. They discuss the challenges of leadership, the importance of personal connections in business, and the changing landscape of the workplace. Summer emphasizes the need for leaders to manage themselves first and adapt their leadership style to meet the needs of their team. They also explore the trends in automation and technology in the hospitality industry, highlighting the importance of balancing technology with human interaction. Summer provides valuable insights and practical advice for leaders in navigating the future of work.

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Why every gravel bike ride in Finland is a tiny holiday! TSHS-0076

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Why Every Gravel  Bike Ride in Finland is a Tiny Holiday!

In this episode, Sam-Erik Ruttmann interviews Sari Puumala, the founder of PK & Company, about the growing trend of travel by biking, specifically gravel biking.

Sari shares her passion for outdoor activities and how she got into endurance sports like triathlon. We discuss the popularity of gravel road biking and the reasons behind it, including the desire for new experiences, quiet roads, and the social aspect of cycling.

We also explore the difference between bikepacking and traditional cycling tours, as well as the opportunities for small hotels and inns to cater to bike packers. Sari emphasizes the extensive infrastructure and endless possibilities for cycling in Finland, and the need for accommodations to be bike-friendly. We continue by discussing the digital tools available for planning routes and exploring unknown trails.

Sari Puumala discusses the fascination of biking and how she plans her routes, especially when exploring unknown trails or destinations. She shares her passion for planning routes and the tools she uses. Sari also talks about the extensive network of gravel cycling routes in Finland and the challenges of creating interesting routes due to the many roads that end in someone’s house.

She shares memorable experiences from her bikepacking adventures and highlights the social aspect of biking. Sari also discusses the efforts made by the city of Lahti to attract international bikers to Finland, including hosting events like the FNLD Gravel https://www.fnldgrvl.com/ and Nordic Gravel Series https://nordicgravel.com/pages/2024-events. She emphasizes the importance of digital tools and platforms for finding routes and planning bikepacking tours.

Sari Puumala can be reached on Instagram @sora.katriin and @sarikatriin,

I hope you enjoy my content, so subscribe to this channel for interesting discussions about travel and tourism.

Now you can buy me a coffee. 😊https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SamErik

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Pioneering Luxury Camps in Remote Wildernesses with Luca Franco. TSHS-060

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In the world of adventure travel, there are individuals who have transformed their passion into a thriving business. One such trailblazer is Luca Franco, a true connoisseur of experiential travel, and the founder of Luxury Frontiers. In this episode, we will delve into Luca’s remarkable journey and the evolution of luxury travel. We will also explore the importance of sustainability in this industry, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and the strategic partnerships that have propelled Luxury Frontiers to success.

The Birth of Luxury Frontiers: From Passion to Business

Luca Franco has been an adventurer at heart since childhood, always seeking unique and immersive experiences. However, it was the global economic crisis of 2008-2010 that triggered a shift in consumer behavior. People began valuing memories over material possessions, giving rise to the experiential travel trend. Luca noticed the success of experiential travel concepts in Africa and decided to bring these unique experiences to North America.

Initially met with skepticism, Luka persevered and embarked on a journey to establish Luxury Frontiers. The concept of luxury tented camps in remote wildernesses, a model already successful in Africa, was met with doubt in North America. However, ten years later, Luxury Frontiers has forged partnerships with some of the biggest players in the industry and stands as a pioneer in the luxury outdoor hospitality sector.

The Evolution of Luxury Travel: From Transformational to Sustainable

Over the last two decades, luxury travel has seen a significant shift in consumer behavior. Two key events, the 2008 economic crisis and the wake-up call of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to transformational changes in the industry. Experiential travel, sustainable practices, regenerative tourism, and a growing focus on impact awareness have become central themes.

Travelers now seek not just to accumulate experiences but also to connect with the natural world, local communities, and host properties in a more empathetic way. Luka aptly describes this transition as “empathetic travel,” where travelers want to engage in more meaningful and sensitive ways during their journeys.

Sustainability as a Guiding Principle

Sustainability is a fundamental aspect of Luxury Frontiers. It is not just a marketing buzzword but a deeply ingrained principle. The company’s approach is based on biophilic design principles and mimicking nature, creating a harmonious relationship with the environment. They respect and collaborate with landowners, ensuring that their projects are not just sustainable but regenerative, giving back to nature and local communities.

Luka emphasizes the need to move beyond superficial “greenwashing” and adopt a holistic approach that addresses every aspect of a project, from sourcing materials to food production. Nature, which has sustained itself for billions of years, holds valuable lessons for how we can ensure our practices are truly sustainable.

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Michael Haddad: From Paralysed to World Record Breaker. TSHS – 048

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Michael Haddad: From Paralysed to World Record Breaker
Discussion with endurance athlete Michael Haddad about his Awake Walk Svalbard
Michael Haddad is a UNDP Arab States Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Action, an endurance athlete holding four record-breaking athletic feats, who overcame his disability and believes nothing is impossible.

In April 2023 he will be mustering all his willpower to perform a 100km Arctic walk to address the climate emergency, and to bring attention to the melting Arctic ice, which provides important evidence of the urgent need for concerted and scaled-up climate action.
*   As far as we know no one has accomplished and Michael is a rare case. He has no control over his lower body.  He is the source of discoveries that will benefit medical, science, engineering, and technology fields in discovering massive potentials and major capabilities in the service of humanity.
* Endurance athlete able to walk and balance himself using his shoulders and hands, and achieve records as an endurance athlete.

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The Good, Bad and Ugly Hospitality Aggregators, now what?TSHS – 010

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We talked about the evolution of the travel aggregators aka. OTA that is a way of hotels t become ever so more visible online.

Travellers find the websites useful as they can compare rates, reviews and availability of many different accommodation options at one glance, and book them quickly and easily in just a few clicks.

The hotel can be usually listed free of charge, and add nice pictures, description, room rates etc. You can choose how many rooms you want to sell online.

Many newly opened hotels like to use this as a way to kick start the business. It is not uncommon that OTA represent 60-80 % of the bookings.

The down side are the commissions which are becoming a major expense for the hotel, restaurant.

Sam-Erik is sharing some practical tips on how to be more creative and entrepreneurial minded.

Jayanth Kolla is sharing some data from India about Oyo Rooms and other restaurant and buss ticket aggregators.

For the episodes of Jayanth Kolla report from Bulgaria Sustainable Turism Conference, Follow this  link

 

 

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Ever Googled your name and what did you find? TSHS_005

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Whether you know it or not, you have a personal brand.  Admit it you have at least once Googled your name, I confess, I  check my google presence regularly. Reason is to see how my different online blog posts, podcasts, videos are found in the all mighty Google. I also check out my prospective business contacts to see how they present themselves and their personal brand on Linkedin and Google. The results are always interesting and tells something about the person.

This podcast episode ¨Why your personal brand is important ¨, shares important tips for students, job seekers, entrepreneurs and people past their corporate career keen to make an impact.  

Someone once said: ̈If you lose your brand and integrity you lose everything. ¨

Chances are someone is going to Google you to learn more about who you are. The question is, do you want to allow your online reputation to take on a life of its own or control the narrative? With the proliferation of social media and the gig economy, it has become essential for everyone to embrace personal branding.

Diane Mulcahy, the author of The Gig Economy, says,

 ¨We’re seeing only one trend here, which is that the gig economy is big and getting bigger. Companies will do just about anything to avoid hiring full-time employees. Add to that the fact that there is no job security anymore, and workers are increasingly aware that they need to work differently if they want to create any sort of stability for themselves.”

As a result, workers need to be able to clearly communicate who they are and what they do to stand out to prospective clients and employers. If you aren’t effectively managing your online reputation, then you run the risk of losing out on business.

  • Gary Vaynerchuk, aka Gary Vee, known for his work in digital marketing and social media,  chairman of New York-based communications company once said  ̈Your personal brand is your reputation. And your reputation in perpetuity is the foundation of your career.¨

Whether you’re looking for a better job or more sales for your company, personal branding is more important than ever. You don’t need to be Richard Branson to have a great personal brand. It’s just a matter of continually crafting and curating your digital presence and most importantly, keep it real! Your honesty, transparency and authenticity are what will differentiate you in the long-run. You never get a second chance to make a first impression—make it one that will set you apart, build trust and reflect who you are.

 

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