The Growth Spot: Recent Episodes
Podcast
Are you tired of "fortune cookie" career advice? Such as "have a positive attitude and good things will happen."Building a successful career takes more than positivity. It takes hard work, dedication, but most importantly, strategy. The Growth Spot is hosted by Calvin Tilokee, a certified career coach by the International Hospitality Institute and one of the Top 50 Hospitality Influencers in the US. Each episode Calvin will share stories with industry leaders to show you what actually goes into making it to the top!Click Subscribe and let's grow together!
On this episode I welcome "The Voice of Hospitality" Glenn Haussman to the spot! Glenn is famous for being the host of the #1 Hospitality Podcast "No Vacancy", but did you know that Glenn never actually worked in the industry?
So how did Glenn go from being on the outside of the industry to one of it's most prominent voices? Consistency! Glenn produces a show DAILY! and has done so since early in the pandemic. Glenn shares with us his tips and motivation on how to remain consistent in the pursuit of your goals.
Enjoy the show!
Keep in touch with Glenn on Linkedin and be sure to tune in to "No Vacancy Live!"
Follow us on Instagram @The.G.Spot for more career content!
On this episode we welcome Mercedes Blanco, VP of Strategic Partnerships at The Hotels Network, to the spot!
This is one of my favorite episodes as we tackle an issue that holds so many of us from reaching our full potential. As someone who moved to a country where she barely spoke the language, Mercedes talks to us about how we can identify when we are acting out of fear. We also discuss how to move past these obstacles and how to overcome the everyday fears that we all encounter.
Enjoy the show!!
Connect with Mercedes on Linkedin!
Follow us on Instagram @The.G.Spot for more career content!
On this episode we welcome Jennifer Barnwell, President of Curator Hotel Collection to the spot!
Jennifer is in the midst of an illustrious career in the hospitality industry starting at Cornell Hotel School, through asset management and becoming the first President of Curator Hotel Collection!
On this episode we discuss:
- What it's like to be the only woman in the board room and the pressure that comes with that
- Feeling pressure to represent for women in the workplace
- Dealing with double standards
- and balancing work & home life
This is episode you don't want to miss!
Connect with Jennifer on Linkedin!
Follow us on Instagram @The.G.Spot for more career content!
Have you considered pivoting your career but were too scared to make the leap?
I can relate! So can my next guest on "The Growth Spot", Rob Paterson. Rob is the former CEO of BWH Hotel Group® who left it all behind to pursue a new career as a keynote speaker and author!
Rob shares with us his journey of climbing the corporate ladder all the way to the top as a CEO! He also shares with us why the role wasn't fulfilling for him and what his passion is for being a keynote speaker.
Pivoting your career is scary at any point, but the risks associated are only increased the higher you move up. However, through Rob's story, we learn that if a CEO can leave it all behind, the rest of us can too!
This is an episode you don't want to miss!
Enjoy the show!
Connect with Rob on Linkedin!
Follow us on Instagram @The.G.Spot for more career content!
On this episode, I am joined by
Jessica K Martini - Financial Planner at Northwestern Mutual
Dr. Suzanne Bagnera - Director of the Hospitality Institute at Indian River State College and Producer of The No Vacancy Podcast
Jen Salerno - Owner at JTS Connect & Host of The Room Block Podcast
Nicole Gallagher - Area Director of Revenue Management at Accor Hotels
These career driven women help us to understand how they continue to grow careers and businesses, while also being mom! We talk about:
- What they had to give up in order to pursue careers
- Handling discriminatory questions in the workplace
- and how much vomit you have to catch to be successful
You can connect with these amazing women on Linkedin!
Jessica K Martini
Dr. Suzanne Bagnera
Jen Salerno
Nicole Gallagher
Thank you to our sponsor Comops! Comops provides revenue management, contact center operations, and digital marketing strategy, as well as customer and employee experience specializing in the hotel and casino industries. Click here to find out more!
On this episode I sit down with Mary Day, Co-Founder of Kohost. Mark is a career entrepreneur who has successfully started 3 different companies!
Beginning as a software engineer and working his way up the ranks, Mark talks about the mentality you need to get a business off the ground. "Focusing in your 20's to live like a 25 year old forever!"
Mark blew me away with the nuggets he shared in this episode, enjoy the show!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Mark on Linkedin here!
This week we welcome Russell Edmond aka "Russell of Hotels" to the spot!
Russell is a Hotel & Tourism Marketing Consultant/Content Creator.
Russell began his career in operations and utilized his talent of networking and relationship building to achieve his dream job of Director of Sales! Russell has mastered the skill of networking and this is a great episode to learn how to improve this skill!
Enjoy the show!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Russell on Linkedin here!
We have a special treat this week and our friend "Jan Janerson" joins us at the spot! Jan is the admin of @nothshrmapproved on Instagram, which is a community of over 37K human resources folks!
As the HR leader of a large organization, "Jan" keeps her identity a secret in order to speak the truth! Since she is incognito, Jan can give us honest answers to controversial questions such as vaccine requirements in the workplace. We also get her professional human resources opinion on the lawsuit Brian Flores has filed against the NFL.
This is an episode you don't want to miss!!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Join the HR community here @notshrmapproved!
This week we have a very special guest, Elizabeth Whittaker! Elizabeth is currently the Owner of The Whittaker Inn, located near Purdue University. However, Elizabeth is my former boss and the woman who helped guide my career in a number of ways!
Elizabeth started her hospitality journey in front office, through revenue management and now is the owner of her very own Bed & Breakfast! We discuss her journey and how each experience prepared her for the next one.
Enjoy the show!!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Elizabeth on Linkedin and be sure to visit The Whittaker Inn online!
On this episode we welcome Craig Sullivan, Founder & President of the California Lodging Investment Conference, to the Spot!
Craig is also the co-host of "Friday Night Audit" and is blessed with an amazing sense of humor! This was such a great conversation as Craig took a more circuitous route into hospitality than most. Beginning his career in finance before solely focusing on hospitality deals.
You'll hear what it is about hospitality that drew Craig in and never let him go. Which is EXACTLY what we strive for in this industry. Enjoy the show!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Craig on Linkedin and meet us both at the CLIC Conference in March 2022!!
On this episode we welcome Sarah Dandashy to the spot! Sarah is an award winning concierge, the brains behind "Ask A Concierge", and now we can add Author to her list of many accomplishments!
Sarah has had an illustrious career in hospitality which lead to her being named "Concierge of the Year" by Les Clefs D'or! Sarah shares with us her journey from concierge to being the face of a global brand and all the ups and down in-between.
Enjoy the show!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Sarah on Linkedin or on her website! And don't forget to grab your copy of "Hospitality from Within" here!
On this episode we welcome Stephanie Leger to the Spot! Stephanie is the Chief Excellence Officer at First Rate Hospitality and has a decorated career as a trainer in the hospitality industry.
Stephanie shares her expertise working as a mystery shopper for luxury brands such as Ritz Carlton and Forbes. She also explains how she lived the dream of all hoteliers by traveling the world for work. The woman didn't even have an apartment for over a year!
Enjoy the show!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Stephanie on Linkedin or at First Rate Hospitality.com!
On this episode we welcome Stephanie Coradin to The Spot! Stephanie is an International Leadership Trainer and the CEO of DEMBO Inc. Stephanie walks us through her passion for training and how she made this a full time job.
Stephanie shares her tips on how to stay calm in the face of difficult guests, both internal and external. Most importantly, we discuss the current "hiring crisis" facing hospitality and why this is false.
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Connect with Stephanie Coradin on Linkedin
On this episode we welcome Sam-Erik Ruttmann to the spot! Sam-Erik is the Director of Global Hospitality Development at Studio Puisto Architects. Sam-Erik shares with us his journey from the early stages of his hospitality career to Director at a forward-thinking architectural firm.
Sam-Erik shares some tough decisions that he has had to make in his career, including one involving the Playboy resort...
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking to one of my favorite colleagues, Jennifer Suski! Jennifer is Senior Director at Go Moment and has worked in both hotels and tech.
Jennifer started out in housekeeping, moved into revenue and sales and she shares with us how those experiences helped shape her career. Jennifer also has some sage advice for young women trying to navigate male dominated industries.
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
On this episode, we welcome renowned author Kim A Page to the Spot!
Kim is a voice whisperer, podcast host and author. What is a "voice whisperer"? Well you'll have to tune in to find out. What I can tell you is, Kim is a master of her craft of helping people to find their voice. She also has a fascinating career arc and is a wealth of knowledge and good vibes. We all need that these days.
You can get a copy of Kim's amazing book, "The Right Kind of Loud" at the link below!
https://amzn.to/2ZwEQCi
Enjoy the show!!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
We get an added dose of excitement this week as I welcome "The Wise Pineapple" Christine Trippi to the Spot!
Christine is a keynote speaker, CEO and author of "Yes in the Answer". Christine takes us through her journey from steak walker to CEO of her own company. We discuss the importance of taking control of your own destiny. In her own words, "you are the CEO of your career".
Enjoy the conversation!
You can follow Christine on Linkedin or at The Wise Pineapple.com!
For more career tips & coaching, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome Paula Carreirao to the spot!
Paula has taken an interesting path into the hospitality world, starting out as a psychology major! With this background, Paula shares some unique mental tips to help you get out of your own way when building your career.
This is one you don't want to miss!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
On this show we welcome Dr. Jeffrey O to the Spot!
Dr. Jeffrey is a former CEO and the current President of the International Hospitality Institute. This is a fascinating conversation as we chat about current trends in the hospitality business including technology, education and diversity.
Dr. Jeffrey is a wealth of knowledge and shares some insightful tips about how to further your career.
Enjoy the show!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
On this episode we welcome Regitse Rosenvinge, CEO of Room22 Agency, Digital Content Creator and a Global Top 50 Hospitality Influencer!
Regitse shares with us her journey from entry level hotelier to being her own boss!
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome hospitality phenom Kyle Allison to the spot!
Kyle is a 23 year old General Manager! As if that wasn't enough, he achieved this without ever setting foot in hospitality school. We discuss the benefits and consequences of that decision, how Kyle went from entry level operations to General Manager, and producing a documentary all by the age many of us were just getting started.
Enjoy the show!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome Adele Gutman Milne to the spot!
Adele is one of the Top 25 extraordinary minds in HSMAI and a Top 50 USA Leader in Hospitality. Adele is renowned for her ability to help hotels achieve unbelievable customer service levels. Adele helped a property achieve the #1 hotel ranked ON THE PLANET!!
Our conversation centers around how she got started in hospitality and discovered her passion for guest service.
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome Calvin Stovall, Global Top 50 Hospitality leader and influential keynote speaker.
Calvin shares his journey through hospitality including a fantastic story of "shooting your shot", even if you're in the men's room.
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome "The MJ of Hotels" Bruce Jordan to the spot!
Bruce shares his story of going from a 20 year old Director of Finance to IHG corporate. Today, Bruce is the host of his own Youtube TV show "Hospitality Do's and Dont's" and has been named one of the Top 50 Hospitality Leaders in 2021!
This episode is brought to you by "We Tip Hotels" which allows you to tip hotel employees even if you don't have cash! Head to www.WeTipHotels.com to sign up for free!!
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome Jennifer Hill to the spot! Jennifer is the VP of Client Solutions at Kalibri Labs who has had a long standing career in hospitality.
We discuss her journey from working at her mom's hotel to becoming a Vice President. Jennifer also talks about the obstacles she faced as a woman in a male dominated industry, and offers advice to young women starting out.
We also debate the importance of setting boundaries in the workplace.
Enjoy the conversation!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week, we welcome Ken Patel to the spot!
Ken is a lifelong hotelier who is now the CEO of his own company, EV Hotel Group.
On this episode we discuss Ken's journey from front desk agent to General Manager, what it took to get there, and how we can better recognize our employees in hospitality.
Enjoy the conversation!
You can keep up with Ken on Linkedin!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
Welcome to the Growth Spot! Where we give you the real story behind building yourself and your career.
This week, we welcome Holly Stiel to the spot! Holly is the CEO of Thank you Very Much Inc and was the first female to join Les Clef's D'or in the US!
We discuss Holly's journey from selling your tickets to building her own company.
Enjoy the conversation!
You can find Holly on her website here!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!
This week we welcome Zana Usher to the spot!
After a long career in hotels and restaurants, Zana started ZD Hospitality to help businesses deliver outstanding customer service through teaching and coaching.
Zana and I discuss her journey from working at Burger King to becoming the CEO of her own company, and we share our vision for what service should look like in hospitality.
Enjoy the convo!
For more career tips, follow Calvin Tilokee on Linkedin or at The G Spot on Instagram!