Do you know what is very likely your biggest problem area in your hotel?

Do you know how to deal with your biggest point of pain?

Working with a select group of hospitality professionals this past year, we found out the answers to both questions. The Hotelier Mastermind formed in early 2016 to identify and resolve problem areas facing hoteliers today. At it’s core, the Hotelier Mastermind includes John Hogan, Kathleen Hogan, Tim Danyo and Jon Albano.

John and Kathleen are the Co-Founders of HospitalityEducators.com, a hotel consulting resource for hospitality professionals focused on making hotels more profitable. Kathleen is the CEO and John is the Chief Learning Officer. Among other things, Hospitality Educators is the creator and facilitator of the AAHOA Leadership Gold CHO Program. John is a expert witness and industry resource.

Tim is a film maker, an educator, and an entrepreneur, and he’s the Founder and CEO of the video production company ImaginationMedia.tv.

Jon Albano is the Founder and CEO of the LodgingMetrics dashboard for hotels, and host of the the Lodging Leaders podcast. For more than 13 years, Jon defined Membership Services for AAHOA, with more than 15,000 members owning more than 20,000 hotels that total $128 billion in property value. As Vice President of Membership, he oversaw Membership, Education, Public Relations & Communications, and Information Technology departments.

At the beginning of this year, the four of us partnered together to form the Hotelier Mastermind – a carefully selected “think tank” of leading hospitality professionals – to help us identify the biggest challenges hoteliers face today, and utilize the collective intelligence of the group to solve them.

We Talk About …

• The mastermind process, what a mastermind group is, and the criteria we used to carefully select the right participants to help us.
• The problem we uncovered of finding and keeping quality hotel associates, how we went about validating it, and what we learned about the cause.
• How to source top talent
• How to winnow the list of candidates
• How to effectively interview
• How to on-board and orient your new hires
• How to keep the A Players for the long haul

If you’ve listened to previous Lodging Leaders podcasts, then you know they constantly offer practical, actionable advice to listeners, and The Hotelier Mastermind agreed to share a lot of what was learned for FREE.

Over the next couple of weeks, The Hotelier Mastermind will be sharing a FREE 3-VIDEO TRAINING COURSE, including downloads, and details for upcoming webinars.

We’re going to start sending out the content this coming Monday, October 31, and it won’t be available anyplace else, so go ahead and sign up now…..you won’t be disappointed.

General Managers – what are the hot spots causing you and your hotel the greatest challenges today?

Solutions for General Managers – A Short Survey – Please respond by 3/20

We are collecting information and opinions from professionals working as hotel general managers to identify what specific issues, problems and hot spots are causing you and your hotel the greatest challenges today. Your feedback will greatly help us respond to your needs.

Please take the time to answer each question as accurately as you can. We are looking for the areas that you need the most help

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GM-Survey  

Kathleen Hogan and John Hogan  

480-436-0283           Service@HospitalityEducators.com

John Hogan CHA CMHS CHE CHO and Kathleen Hogan MBA CHO are the co-founders of  HospitalityEducators.com, which was created in 2010 to be a resource for hotel owners and professionals as they sought to improve market share, occupancy, operational efficiency and profitability.  The husband and wife team are transitioning the original membership site concept and evolving the business model today to a focused resource offering consulting, training, and individualized support to both hospitality and other service businesses.   Services include keynote addresses workshops, online support, metrics measurement, marketing and customer service from a group of more than a dozen experienced professionals.   While continuing to serve hospitality, the demand for these types of services is growing and can be personalized.

John Hogan is also the principal of HoganHospitality.com, which provides a range of expert professional services for hotel owners, including professional development for organizations, training, consulting and expert witness services.

Contact information:  Kathleen Hogan  480-436-0283, John Hogan 602-799-5375 orservice@hospitalityeducators.com

Hospitality Tip of the Week™: Focus on Direction

    

Hotel Profitability

Which direction are you going?    

This particular tip was inspired by conversations between fictional main characters in Patrick Taylors’ Irish Country Doctors series.
Dr. John Hogan 

Hospitality Tip of the Week™: Focus on Direction

One has to know a sense of direction in order to succeed.
If you feel like quitting and leaving a situation, that would be “going from.“

• If you have the urge to follow your heart or a feeling, then you would be “going to.”
• One needs to give serious thought to this simple change of only one word – are you “going from or going to?“
• If you go from, you will always wonder if you could have made it in that situation you choose to leave.

• But then if you don’t go to, you could end up regretting it for the rest of your life.

Success does not come by accident or chance.

Contact us for assistance.

John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com or 602-799-5375

HospitalityEducators.com was created to help hospitality businesses address problems via a training and information resource site to help you increase your Hotel’s revenue, market share and profitability.  With more than 1,000 pages of tips, guides, best practices, strategies, plans, budgets, videos and resources, HospitalityEducators.com is the #1 independent website for hotel owners and managers.  This site can help you solve your problems now!      Read More  

KEYS TO SUCCESS  is the umbrella title for my 2011-2012 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™, Hotel Common Sense™ , THE P-A-R PRINCIPLE™  and Principles for Success.

Feel free to share an idea for a column at john.hogan@hospitalityeducators.com   anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense,

---

 

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events. He is CEO and Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com , which delivers focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today.
www.HospitalityEducators.com  is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability.

www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.

Questions from HospitalityEducators.com – Where do you stand on the Four E’s (Economy, Environment, Elections & Ethics)

2012 is another year of change, this time with a focus on the Es

1. Economies are still in the doldrums of reality, although not in the words of those looking to be re-elected or and always in the slogans of those looking to unseat the incumbents.  What specific tactics are you taking to improve your business environment?
2. Environmental issues and sustainability  are here to stay – what are we in hospitality doing to demonstrate our conservation, our corporate concern and appreciation for our assets?
3. Elections are held regularly globally; this year, the US will decide on a President, 435 Congresspersons, 33 Senators,  11 state governors and many more local offices.  How many of those candidates will we in hospitality actively take a role in supporting because they offer reasonable approaches to governance, taxes, regulation and accountability?
4. Ethics– it seems unusual to have the term “ethics” follow “elections.  I really should have placed it before the elections E, shouldn’t  I?                                                                  Would it have made a difference?   I am reading an exceptional book on the topic of how elected officials have become so tangled in the wrong issues.  Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress–and a Plan to Stop It by Lawrence Lessig is a book that will both discourage and inspire readers.  My partner and Publisher @ www.HospitalityEducators.com, Kathleen Hogan, reviewed it and I encourage you to read both her  review and the book.

_____________________________________________________________

Success in hotels and hospitality does not come by accident or chance.

We can help

John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com or 602-799-5375

  ™

HospitalityEducators.com was created to help hospitality businesses address problems via a training and information resource site to help you increase your Hotel’s revenue, market share and profitability.  With more than 1,000 pages of tips, guides, best practices, strategies, plans, budgets, videos and resources, HospitalityEducators.com is the #1 independent website for hotel owners and managers.  This site can help you solve your problems now!      Read More  

KEYS TO SUCCESS  is the umbrella title for my 2012 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™, Hotel Common Sense™ , THE P-A-R PRINCIPLE™  and Principles for Success.

Feel free to share an idea for a column at john.hogan@hospitalityeducators.com   anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense,

---

 

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events. He is CEO and Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com , which delivers focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today.
www.HospitalityEducators.com  is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability.

www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.

Questions from HospitalityEducators.com| Do you know and practice the 4 Steps Needed to LEAD THE FIELD?

Focus on fundamentals  

Earle Nightingale, in his award winning Lead the Field, identified four fundamentals that are universal for success in any business.  These included

1.      research and development

2.      sales

3.      operations and

4.      finance

Our industry needs to include successful understanding and focus of these fundamentals as markets and products continue to evolve.

A direct question – Do you know and practice the 4 Steps Needed to LEAD THE FIELD? ?

• How many hotels, spas, clubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses really pay attention to all of these four fundamentals?
•  Do you pay attention to more than one of them?
• More than two regularly?
• When was the last time you actually conducted research on your customers’ preferences?
• When did you last evaluate the financial practices of your hospitality business?

How many academic programs or universities address these?  I fear that not enough do, although I am aware of a handful that work hard to blend them into their curriculum.

Focusing on the fundamentals  may not be as flashy as the latest online or social media promotion, but the fundamentals are hard to argue with.

_____________________________________________________________

Success in hotels and hospitality does not come by accident or chance.

We can help

John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com or 602-799-5375

  ™

HospitalityEducators.com was created to help hospitality businesses address problems via a training and information resource site to help you increase your Hotel’s revenue, market share and profitability.  With more than 1,000 pages of tips, guides, best practices, strategies, plans, budgets, videos and resources, HospitalityEducators.com is the #1 independent website for hotel owners and managers.  This site can help you solve your problems now!      Read More  

KEYS TO SUCCESS  is the umbrella title for my 2012 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™, Hotel Common Sense™ , THE P-A-R PRINCIPLE™  and Principles for Success.

Feel free to share an idea for a column at john.hogan@hospitalityeducators.com   anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense,

---

 

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events. He is CEO and Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com , which delivers focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today.
www.HospitalityEducators.com  is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability.

www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.

Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me| Javier Tomé, Guest Columist@ HospitalityEducators.com & President, People & Organizations for Business

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™” includes interviews such as those found in our HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS,  and and it also allows industry professional the opportunity to share their perspectives, values and opinions on additional areas and subjects that may not have been part of the planned discussion.  This segment includes a wide range of hospitality professionals from all portions of the industry, with participants answering at least five of the listed nine questions.  Their responses will interest, sometimes amuse and definitely inspire you to consider how YOU might answer.

“ |

Javier is President and HR Solutions Director at People & Organizations for Business (POB Consulting). A Systems Engineer from Universidad Metropolitana of Venezuela, Javier started as a software developer, and promoted to Manager Level in a short time because of his drive, proactive thinking style, leadership, and expertise development.  He earned a Master’s degree in Management Consulting from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

Passionate about food, restaurants, and hospitality, he obtained a Culinary Arts’ degree at Le Cordon Bleu Miami, which introduced him to the Hospitality Management Industry. He has worked as a cook, chef and restaurant manager, in both restaurants and hotels.Javier has been involved in Business Consulting for the last 10 years, developing knowledge and experience in several fields and industries.   Dedicated to helping business owners and executives develop their businesses to their fullest potential, he works with them through Organizational Modeling, Strategic Focus, and People/Culture best practices.  His stated goals include helping professionals in the industry to become more productive and successful.

===

1. Name your favorite hotel and why it is special to you

•  My favorite Hotel is actually a Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean. I find the experience of Cruises incredibly satisfactory, because when I take time with my family to rest and enjoy, I really mean it. Cruises make everything for you, the only thing you have to do for yourself is the basic stuff: sleep, eat, walk… I mean, is there anything better.
•  I love their service. People that work in Cruises is like people from Disney, they really believe in what they do, especially on how to make you feel happy. Of course there are always opportunities to grow and do better, and I know not everybody have had the best experiences, but in my case I have.

2. Name your favorite restaurant and why it is special to you

•  I have to say that I don´t have a favorite restaurant, but I have many depending on the type of food. And that is because I love to eat.
•  I am a good cook, so I can make me almost any type of food there is. But I don’t have people at home to serve me and treat me like a king. And there are times where I don´t feel like cooking and need the extra attention.
• When I go out to eat, if the food is in average good, it doesn’t need to be of the charts, if it is comforting and the service is outstanding, I will love it. I go out to eat good food, but also to be treated great.

3. Where do you vacation the most often?

Aruba. We love the resorts there, the people, the nice food, and the beaches even more. Great place to relax.

4. What is your favorite charity or cause?  

There are two types of charities we love to help: Schools and Entrepreneurship, Education and Work. Always putting in front causes that matches our values and believes, where family and society are putted in front, or actually are the ends.

5. 
   
6. Who was the most important mentor in your life and why?

 I have so many. I have mentors for both my personal and professional life. What I look in a mentor is not only a person that can teach me or make me do things better, but a person that I can share my principles, values and vision of the world, and also learn from their personal and professional experiences in the practical way. Most of them have been teachers, bosses, or work peers.

 7. In the last five years, what has been your most memorable meeting or convention experience and why?

•  A meeting. Actually a personal and professional development coaching session. In that particular meeting 4 years ago me and my wife decided to change our life.
•  We decided to stop waiting for the right moment to have kids, and now we have two beautiful little ones.
•  We also decided to leave Venezuela. We moved to the US and since then we are amazingly happy, and a lot less stressed. We recaptured our life and now have more purpose than ever.

8. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?

 Work hard, don’t limit yourself to your obligations, always ask for a little more, learn from books as much as from other peoples experiences. Knowledge, experience, and skills development is a 24/7 work.

9. What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?

 Why do you think you will be a top performer in the position and why? (not to let them sell themselves, but to let them explain their understanding of what it takes to be great for the specific job, meaning that they have researched, they are prepared, and understand what has to be done in terms of approach, knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, development, day to day, and growing)

We have asked dozens of people involved in hospitality businesses around the world to answer up to nine questions in this special section of HospitalityEducators.com.  If you would like to participate, please contact   John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com 

 Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense.

Dr. John Hogan, Crowne Plaza Chicago, MeetingsQuest Oct 2010

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES.

Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS          United States – Phoenix, Az

Phone: 602-799-5375

www.hoganhospitality.com/Email: info@hoganhospitality.com.

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™| Abed Mishtawy, a multi-faceted food service professional

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™” includes interviews such as those found in our HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS,  and and it also allows industry professional the opportunity to share their perspectives, values and opinions on additional areas and subjects that may not have been part of the planned discussion.  This segment includes a wide range of hospitality professionals from all portions of the industry, with participants answering at least five of the listed nine questions.  Their responses will interest, sometimes amuse and definitely inspire you to consider how YOU might answer.

  This response comes from Abed Mishtawy, a multi-faceted food service professional. Currently in the Tampa, St. Petersburg Florida area, Abed has spent the last tweny plus years in a variety of management and senior partnership roles with several companies, most notably as District Manager at Checkers Drive in Restaurants, as Director of Operations at Ponderosa Steak and Buffet Franchise Company and as Franchise Business Consultant at Ponderosa Steakhouses Metromedia

• What is your favorite charity or cause?                                                                           The Red Cross, they are always there…

• Name your pet service peeve, why and any ideas you may have to address it. 

When I ask: “What is good on the menu?” and the server answers “everything”

•  Who was the most important mentor in your life and why? In the last five years, what has been your memorable

David Evans , Senior VP of Human Resource at Mattress Giant. When facing a tough question, he is my moral compass and gets me to answer my own questions

• In the last five years, what has been your most memorable meeting or convention experience and why?  

Our convention in Vegas at the Paris. The Agenda was not jam packed, we had a chance to mingle and meet other participants

• What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?

Regardless to where you are, Check your EGO at the door. Ego has no place in hospitality

• What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?

“What does the word balance mean to you? And how do you achieve it ?” And, What do you value the most in life and why?

____________________________________

We have asked dozens of people involved in hospitality businesses around the world to answer up to nine questions in this special section of HospitalityEducators.com.  If you would like to participate, please contact   John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com 

 Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense.

Dr. John Hogan, Crowne Plaza Chicago, MeetingsQuest Oct 2010

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES.

Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS          United States – Phoenix, Az

Phone: 602-799-5375

www.hoganhospitality.com/ Email: info@hoganhospitality.com.

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™| Philana Cunningham, Community Volunteer and Fund-raising Consultant

Hospitality is arguably the largest industry in the world and many of us have worked in many dimensions of the business. We also realize that people change companies and sometimes industries and that is the scenario today. This response comes from Philana Cunningham, who was involved in the industry with several companies in a number of states. She is now a Community Volunteer and Fund-raising Consultant in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, working in Non-Profit Management .

I have worked with literally thousands of people in my career, and Philana was unique in that I  first met her when I was teaching hospitality courses at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Philana was a hospitality major and her enthusiasm toward the industry was apparent from the beginning. Her interests continued to grow and I was pleased to have her join our team part time at the Sheraton Nashville Hotel while she completed her degree. I recall she graduated with honors and she joined our Sheraton team (where I was the General Manager) as a management trainee and excelled at developing her skills, matching them to her academic learning. I know she continued to grow in the industry when she relocated to another part of the US.

• Contact information:  pscunningham@sbcglobal.net
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/philanacunningham

1. Name your favorite hotel and why it is special to you

I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME, BUT IT WAS IN DORADO, PUERTO RICO; IT WAS VERY OPEN WITH LOTS OF FUN WILDLIFE MILLING AROUND.
2. Name your favorite restaurant and why it is special to you

BENIHANA’S – ENTERTAINING & GOOD FOOD AT A SLOW PACE

3. Where do you vacation the most often?   FRANKLIN, TN

4. What is your favorite charity or cause?    MISSIONS ORIENTED

5. Name your pet service peeve, why and any ideas you may have to address it

SERVICE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT PLEASANT. HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE RIGHT POSITION.

6. Who was the most important mentor in your life and why?

• JOHN HOGAN!
• HE EMPOWERED ME TO SUCCEED AND FAIL ,WHILE MAKING BOTH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES!
• THANK YOU!! (I DIDN’T JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU ASKED THE QUESTION. IT’S REALLY TRUE!)

8. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. IF YOU CAN’T DEAL WITH THAT, FIND ANOTHER CAREER. 🙂
9. What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™” includes interviews such as those found in our HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS,  and and it also allows industry professional the opportunity to share their perspectives, values and opinions on additional areas and subjects that may not have been part of the planned discussion.  This segment includes a wide range of hospitality professionals from all portions of the industry. We ask participants to answer at least five of the listed nine questions.  Their responses will interest, sometimes amuse and definitely inspire you to consider how YOU might answer.

We have asked dozens of people involved in hospitality businesses around the world to answer up to nine questions in this special section of HospitalityEducators.com.  If you would like to participate, please contact   John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com  _________________________________________________________________________

Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense.

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com.

Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES.

Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS          United States – Phoenix,

Phone: 602-799-5375   www.hoganhospitality.com/

Email: info@hoganhospitality.com

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™” – Don Farrell of Memphis, Tennessee, “Chief Cultivator at Fresh Revenues”

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™” , a regular feature at HospitalityEducators.com, includes interviews such as those found in our HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS,  and and it also allows industry professional the opportunity to share their perspectives, values and opinions on additional areas and subjects that may not have been part of the planned discussion.  This segment includes a wide range of hospitality professionals from all portions of the industry. We ask participants to answer at least five of the listed nine questions.  Their responses will interest, sometimes amuse and definitely inspire you to consider how YOU might answer.

These questions were answered by Don Farrell of Memphis, Tennessee who calls himself the “Chief Cultivator at Fresh Revenues”         

Don Farrell

Don began his working career as a pot scrubber for Marriott Hotels and worked his way up through the operational ranks, settling on a career in the sales and marketing arena. He worked in major sales and marketing opportunities for Holiday Inns Inc and several leading hospitality management companies. He started Signature, Inc, in 1986 and was able to help lead that company into the largest and best sales and service training company in the world with 265 employees and licensees training in 45 countries. He sold Signature in 2007 to start Fresh Revenues.  In 2009, his first book Ethical Theft was published.

On a personal note, I have known Don Farrell for more than 15 years and found each of his professional efforts have been well thought out and innovative. He is highly energetic, creative and understands how to establish and maintain quality, which was evidenced by the long standing success of Signature.  John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com

 1. Name your favorite hotel and why it is special to you: 

The Windsor Court in New Orleans because it has beauty, benefits and hospitality you don’t see often enough.  I also like the SoHo Grand in NYC because of its urban cool feeling.    

2. Name your favorite restaurant and why it is special to you: 

Advertised as the oldest restaurant in America, the Union Oyster House in downtown Boston. Come dressed as you are, watch the bar back shuck dozens of raw oysters and then throw the shells into a hole in the floor….as you hear someone below shoveling them up to be hauled away later to be made into driveway material.  Then, sit down and fill your face with fresh seafood parts and pieces from a big trough called a seafood boulliabase (sp?) drinking an ice cold beer. What’s not to love about this?  You can almost feel the presence of the Colonials.    

3. Where do you vacation the most often?

 I don’t…..I work.

4. What is your favorite charity or cause?  

The homeless

5. Name your pet service peeve, why and any ideas you may have to address it: 

I have lot’s….but let’s just start with when the experience usually starts for most guests:  the point when the guest calls up looking to make a reservation. The solution is to train and then reinforce your front line folks to deliver the experience guests are starving for.   

6. Who was the most important mentor in your life and why?: 

• I am one of few who never had the ultimate role model/mentor.
•  I came from the other side of the tracks where even in 4 star hotels I worked at I could see things being done wrong….and know they were wrong and vow to never do what they did in that respect. 
•  Take all of these “errors of our ways” and put them in a big pile and you can learn a lot about what not to do. 
•  I had role models who showed me firsthand how doing something wrong makes you pay.    

7. In the last five years, what has been your most memorable meeting or convention experience and why?: 

I have done many, but Bed and Breakfast meetings I have been to have been most impressive.  They have incredible passion….you are living with them so it comes naturally to them. 

8. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?:

•   I hope you focused on revenue generation, how to develop a service and sales culture and sustainability of our resources. 
• To me, to focus on these items in your studies and in practice will give you a leg up on getting a challenging and rewarding career. 
• The hospitality world is sensational….there are so many different avenues you can pursue that are loads of fun….but be ready to pay your dues in getting there.   

9. What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?: 

I wish there would be more questions relative to developing a business’ greatest asset and it is their desired culture.

 Contact information:

Don Farrell          901-853-4885               http://www.linkedin.com/in/donfarrell

Email: don@freshrevenues.com

_____________________________________________________________________________

 We have asked dozens of people involved in hospitality businesses around the world to answer up to nine questions in this special section of HospitalityEducators.com.  If you would like to participate, please contact   John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com 

 Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense.

Dr. John Hogan CHA CHE Boston Dec 2010

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES.

Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS          United States – Phoenix, Phone: 602-799-5375
www.hoganhospitality.com/ Email: info@hoganhospitality.com.

Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™ |Karl Ruether CHA, CFBE, International Hotelier

“Questions I Wish You Would Ask Me™” includes interviews such as those found in our HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS,  and and it also allows industry professional the opportunity to share their perspectives, values and opinions on additional areas and subjects that may not have been part of the planned discussion.  This segment includes a wide range of hospitality professionals from all portions of the industry. We ask participants to answer at least five of the listed nine questions.  Their responses will interest, sometimes amuse and definitely inspire you to consider how YOU might answer.

In this article, we contacted Karl Ruether CHA, CFBE , General Manager at Icicle Village Resort, located in the charming Bavarian themed village of Leavenworth, Washington State with accommodations at the Best Western Plus Icicle Inn or the Aspen Suites Condominiums and Icicle Village Resort Vacation Rentals. Karl opened the property as a single inn in the early 1990s. He has served as a Best Western Governor for more than 15 years.

Karl is an international hotelier with service in multiple countries. He shares his counsel and professionalism with many and has continued to evolve his hotel team’s and personal skills. He has always been committed to collaborating with others and during our years of interaction, he has consistently aimed at reaching excellence.

Karl Ruether, CHA CFBE

“Karl Ruether” <karl@icicleinn.com> http://www.iciclevillage.com/                                   Icicle Village Resort 800-961-0162

1. Name your favorite hotel and why it is special to you

Sun Mountain Lodge in Washington State, the location is amazing with 360 degree views, relaxing (no TV) and the restaurant has great food and service.

3. Where do you vacation the most often?

I don’t have a regular spot but have been in Ixtapa Mexico now twice and really enjoy that area.
4. What is your favorite charity or cause?

I am a member of Rotary International and I belief in what they do worldwide, as well as their 4 way test which works really well in any situation.

Here it is

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Often times when faced with a difficult situation, I refer to this test and it has helped me make better decisions personally and professionally.

5. Name your pet service peeve, why and any ideas you may have to address it

That is pretty easy – I do not like when employees and their personal affairs are more important than serving the customer right in front of them. The only way this can be addressed is by constant training and close supervision.

6. Who was the most important mentor in your life and why?

This is very difficult to answer because I was lucky enough to have more then one, but the one thing that stood out was “Leading by example”

7. In the last five years, what has been your most memorable meeting or convention experience and why?

For several years I was working with others to affect a change by making training a very important aspect of the companies’ business plan for success and now I can this coming to fruition.

8. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to a graduating student with a hospitality degree?

I actually have two:

1.  Seek out a respected Mentor and learn as much as possible from this person.
2.   Always practice what you preach.

9. What is the one question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview today?

How are you and your family? Show a genuine interest in the prospective employee.

 ______________________________________________________________

We have asked dozens of people involved in hospitality businesses around the world to answer up to nine questions in this special section of HospitalityEducators.com.  If you would like to participate, please contact   John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com 

 Feel free to share an idea for a column at info@hoganhospitality.com anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense.

Dr. John Hogan, MeetingsQuest November 2010 Working with clients - Crowne Plaza O'Hare, Chicago

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events.  He is Co-Founder of a consortium (www.HospitalityEducators.com) of successful corporate and academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today. www.HospitalityEducators.com is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals wishing to contribute materials may send them Kathleen@HospitalityEducators.com. Special pricing is in effect for a limited time that also includes a complimentary copy of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES.

Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS          United States – Phoenix, Phone: 602-799-5375
www.hoganhospitality.com/ Email: info@hoganhospitality.com.