The Travel Leader

Emily is a 15-yearveteran of the hospitality industry with extensive experience in operations and marketing with particular skill in branding, marketing, and communications. She has worked with major brands and independent hotels. Much of her focus has been on full-service, lifestyle properties. In the boutique and lifestyle space, Emily has developed branding, written service training programs, and launched marketing programs. She has helped to successfully brand, open, and ramp more than a dozen hotels across the country from Florida to California. Emily is the Founder & CEO of PenDailey Consulting which offers branding, marketing, and sustainability services or business in the hospitality, tourism, and wellness spaces.

She holds her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, is a Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer, and is a participant in the Castell Hospitality Women's Leadership program. She is a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

In addition to her lifestyle of hospitality, Emily is a 500-hour Yoga Alliance certified instructor. She is also and avid gardener, and visual artist with particular interest in conservation and sustainability. She lives in Florida with her husband, golden retriever, cats, and chickens. When she is not working Emily loves to travel, read, garden, raise animals, practice yoga, cook, and paint. She spends much of her spare time outdoors and at the beach.

The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism. Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/empendailey/

Welcome to the travel leader podcast. I'm your host, Rachel Vandenberg. On our show, I interview and connect with leaders in our industry, what has shaped them, successes, failures, and everything in between. On today's show, I'm celebrating our first 10 episodes and reflecting on the leadership lessons from our first interviews. Before we start, I want to let you know about the travel leader community. Every month, I'll be gathering a group of travel leaders to continue the conversation about leadership. This is a group for travel leaders looking to share, reflect and grow their leadership competencies with the support of myself as a trained leadership coach. Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com In this episode, our host Rachel Vandenberg celebrates the first 10 episodes of The Travel Leader Podcast and reflects on the leadership themes that emerged from her interviews with hospitality and travel leaders.

Many of her guests first felt like a leader when they were very young. They noticed that people looked to them for guidance in experiences like sports or school activities. A number of guests also mentioned that they felt like a leader when someone entrusted them with an important task and validated their capabilites.

Rachel wasn't completely surprised that a number of the leaders had faced some form of adversity. Whether it was learning to speak English and being the first to graduate from college like Ana Connolly, being left by a spouse with nothing like Elaine Macy or losing a job like Michael Maxwell, those experiences were overcome and each of the persevered.

While its not often mentioned as a key leadership trait, many of Rachel's guests talked about how they express leadership by caring for the people they work with and demonstrating their care deliberately. Through the conversations, a deeper theme emerged that revealed that caring isn't just about saying what people want to hear, but its also holding people to a high standard, acting with candor and being truthful.

Finally, it was wonderful to hear how many leaders are driven by a deeper purpose and vision to contribute to something beyond themselves.

Sheree is an accomplished and well-respected business owner who has devoted her entire career to hospitality and food management. She received a degree in Business from Merrimack College and her Culinary Arts degree from Newbury College. Sheree worked for the Marriott Corporation from 1978 to 1998, ultimately serving as Vice President of Quality Control in their New York headquarters. In 1981, she became the first woman to serve as a General Manager of a Marriott property worldwide. Sheree represented Marriott in many countries and was a turnaround specialist for properties in need of management consulting.

In 2006, Sheree opened Cruiseport Gloucester, a highly successful conference and function facility. In 2009, she added Seaport Grille Restaurant, adjacent to Cruiseport, which has been thriving since. Sheree is also the Owner of Gloucester Marine Terminal, one of only three private Homeland Security Ports in the United States. Gloucester Marine Terminal is a Mega Dock servicing the Cruise, Ferry, Mega Yacht, and Freight Industry. Berthed at the Terminal is the ship called the Beauport Cruiseline that plays host to many wedding and event functions and features luncheon and dinner cruises in Gloucester harbor.

Sheree worked to restore the area at Pavilion Beach in Gloucester by bringing the 94-room Beauport Hotel to the harbor. Celebrating the ambience of the working waterfront, the boutique hotel embodies the historical significance and charm of the area. It is also home to the largest meeting and conference venue on Cape Ann. Located on the lobby level of Beauport Hotel Gloucester is 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar, which offers an oceanfront deck showcasing New England coastal dining at its best. Rail Stop Restaurant & Bar, opened its doors in 2017 in the new Boston Landing neighborhood in Brighton, MA and is the latest of Sheree’s properties within the Beauport Hospitality Group. Located at the previous site of Brighton Station, Rail Stop Restaurant & Bar offers a mix of modern and classic New England cuisine as well as unique craft cocktails.

Sheree is continually looking for opportunities to help organizations that promote positive change and who better the lives of those who live and work in the region. She is extremely active in a number of civic and charitable groups and is particularly generous – with both her time and resources - to the Cape Ann community.

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The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism. Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/

Dr. Bryan K. Williams is a keynote speaker, consultant, and author, who is a noted authority on service excellence and leadership effectiveness. His passion is to serve others so they may better serve the world. Over the past several years, Bryan has provided training and consulting expertise to hundreds of organizations in over 20 industries ranging from Healthcare to Luxury Hotels. His work with clients has taken him throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Bryan’s keynote speeches and seminars have helped organizations create a memorable service experience for their customers. He is a high-energy, dynamic speaker, who educates and inspires professionals to be consistently exceptional. Bryan is the founder of the BW Leadership Academy, the Strong Leader Institute and the Manager Skills Workshop. He is also a bestselling author of six books, including Work Like You Own It, How to Serve a VIP, Lift Me Higher, and the Inspiration Collection.

Prior to this current venture, Bryan worked with the world-renowned Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for over ten years. In his last role, he was the Global Corporate Director of Training & Organizational Effectiveness. Before his corporate assignment, he held over 17 roles with the Ritz-Carlton, beginning as a busboy at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas. Dr. Williams has earned degrees in Business Administration, Hotel/Restaurant Management, and Adult Education,including a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership.

Bryan was a member of the Board of Examiners for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. The Baldrige program administers the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award which is the highest recognition that a U.S. organization can achieve for performance excellence. It is awarded annually by the President of the United States to businesses from all sectors.

Bryan lives with his wife and two children in the Washington DC Metro Area _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism. Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/

For 15 years, up until 2019, Elaine was Executive VP of Preferred Hotels and Resorts. She built the sales team in 5 years from $32 million to $100 million in group sales. She worked in development and hotel retention as well as major events. During her time at Preferred she managed the events team and the sales team.

In 2020 Elaine and Penny Wing joined forces and opened Reiimagine to provide sales support services to independent luxury boutique hotels, and utilize Penny's exclusive “Brojure” product to provide dynamic, live, digital marketing content as an additional service. Reiimagine’s objective is non-commission based representation that gives clients access to an exclusive collection of unique 5-star independent boutique properties.

Learn more about Elaine Macy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-macy-4a97493/

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The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism. Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/

Elle Rustique is the founder of Tip Brightly, a cashless tipping platform. Learn more about Elle at https://www.linkedin.com/in/erustique/ and her company https://tipbrightly.com/. 

The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism.  Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/

Michael Maxwell joined Blue Orbit as a Partner in 2014 and has worked with Ray Camillo on various projects and in other businesses since 1994. Michael has over 36 years of hospitality operations and senior management level experience at some of America’s most celebrated and successful restaurant companies.

Michael graduated from Southern Polytechnic State University in 1981 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. His passion for restaurants flourished while working with Peasant Restaurants where he helped grow their Mick’s expansion chain as their Training Director.

Michael’s fun and fresh approach to restaurant operations served him well over his career as he worked with companies like Concentrics, The Fifth Group, Rio Bravo/Chevy’s, Cinebistro, Metrotainment, Rare Hospitality, Legal Seafood, and eatZi’s Market & Bakery, holding positions as District Manager, Director of Training, Operating Partner and General Manager. He has opened over 30 restaurants and implemented countless training and continuing educations programs.

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The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism.  Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/

Evan is an award-winning Hospitality Headhunter with Gecko Hospitality and specializes in full-service, permanent placement recruiting for hotels, resorts, private clubs, event management companies, and private estates in the New England, New York, and New Jersey Metro markets.

Evan’s award-winning Northeast Recruiting Team creates a strategic partnership with clients and a personalized relationship with candidates throughout the search process; resulting in the “right” fit for both parties. We apply a grounded and balanced approach to recruiting, paired with an analytical method specific to our client’s needs.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-kaplan-cpc-13253138/

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The Travel Leader Podcast is brought to you by The Travel Leader, a travel content, leadership and coaching initiative for leaders in hospitality, travel and tourism.  Learn more at www.thetravelleadercoach.com. Follow The Travel Leader at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-travel-leader and our host and founder Rachel Vandenberg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/ 

Ana Connolly is a Senior Director of Revenue and Costing for Vantage Deluxe World Travel.  She has over 18 years of hospitality experience, including Panama and multiple U.S. markets. Obtaining her B.A. in Tourism from Universidad de Panama, and a Master’s of Science in Management from Emmanuel College. Currently obtaining a certificate on Google Data Analytics.

She started her career at Gamboa Rainforest Resort in Panama City as a tour guide and hospitality desk attendant for U.S. incentive groups. She continued her career at Sonesta Hotel Boston/Cambridge as a reservation agent, and group coordinator. In 2013 she started her career on revenue management working for multiple franchise Hilton brand hotels and multiple markets, holding position for multiple Doubletree hotels in Boston, Hiltons and Embassy Suite in D.C. She worked her way up to multiple positions as assistant revenue manager, revenue analyst, Director of revenue Strategy, Director of Revenue Management, and today as Complex Director of Revenue management for Hilton manage hotels. Managing through the years close to $85 million dollar in hotel room revenues.

When not at work, Ana enjoys playing soccer, traveling and spending time with her family, her husband Daniel and kids, Diego and Valentina.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-connolly-msm-b5162951/

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The Travel Leader Podcast is a production brought to you by PEAK Leadership Coaching - a leadership coaching firm dedicated to partnering with travel, hospitality and tourism leaders to increase awareness, build confidence, improve leadership competencies and reach their PEAK potential.

https://www.peakinspiringtransformation.com/

Join the Travel Leader Community to continue the discussion and growth on leadership in the travel industry.  

https://www.peakinspiringtransformation.com/the-travel-leader-community.html

Leah recently founded the Jane Hotel Group, a dedicated hospitality investment company based out of  the Midwest focusing on limited-service and extended-stay hotel acquisitions. Prior to forming Jane Hotel Group, Leah held executive and senior leadership roles with Cushman & Wakefield's Hospitality and Gaming Valuation and Advisory Group and HVS. Over a 14-year consulting career she valued various hospitality assets and land in excess of $12 billion. In addition to her valuation and advisory experience, she has nearly 7 years of operational experience in the hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, bars, and theme parks. Leah is an adamant supporter of hospitality education through her involvement with the Washington State Alumni Association and historically as a guest lecturer at the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona, as well as with the Castell@College program through the American Hotel and Lodging Association. She also serves on the Rising Leaders Board of the non-profit PEARLS for Teen Girls. Although born in Seattle, Washington, Leah spent a large time of her childhood living in Frankfurt, Germany. Leah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Business Management and a Master’s in Business Administration from Washington State University.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahdmurphy/

In this first full length episode of the Travel Leader Podcast, I asked fellow coach and consultant Debby Jewesson to interview me to introduce the podcast and talk about why I started it. Debby was the perfect choice as she has a history in the hospitality space as the founder of Branching Out Events a floral design and event production company. 

Today, Debby is a Personal Coach & Business Consultant who specializes in working with ambitious female entrepreneurs. She helps them slow down, step away from the daily grind and figure out what they want most. Above all, she helps Clients find greater clarity and focus, so they can gain the momentum they need to achieve their goals and start living a more fulfilling life!

Debby is a graduate of Coach U, the industry’s leading global provider of coach training programs. Since 2020, Debby has completed over 150 hours of intensive coach training courses and has logged over 440 hours of one-on-one coaching. Her programs and services are available to women worldwide.

http://branchingoutevents.com/

https://www.therootsgroupcoaching.com/

In this short trailer episode we introduce the Travel Leader Podcast. 

I’ve caught the podcast bug! After being a guest on several wonderful travel industry podcasts, I’m starting my own podcast dedicated to leadership in the travel industry. Starting this podcast comes from a genuine place of building relationships and learning from the industry’s top leaders while also providing space for these leaders to reflect on their leadership and connect with our listeners and other guests.

​The Travel Leader Podcast is dedicated to elevating the voices of leaders in travel and hospitality. We connect travel and hospitality leaders to one another through authentic conversations. Listeners will hear about leadership in the industry focusing on what makes our leaders who they are and how they are impacting the future of travel and hospitality.

www.peakinspiringtranformation.com/podcasts

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmvandenberg/