By Josh Rossmeisl ~The Legend~ Everyone in commercial real estate knew him. He’s the guy big landlords trust to curate tenants for the most high-profile, sought-after projects in the country. The real estate whisperer. The GOAT. And this was his final year before retirement. For decades, he had been the gold standard—the one who never […]

Service is the technical delivery of a product or service, while hospitality is the way that delivery makes the customer feel. Hospitality can make a business stand out, even if the service is the same. Service fulfills guest needs, deals with issues and guest relations, handles tasks for guests, and sets standards for how things are done. Hospitality, on the other hand, creates meaningful connections with guests, makes them feel welcome and comfortable, creates an experience that makes them want to return, goes beyond guest expectations, and creates an emotional connection. Hospitality is a dialogue. It’s the difference between doing a job and making a connection. The difference between service and care. Between transactions and relationships.

By  Douglas Q. Warner Nineteen years ago, I was a young guy finding my footing in adulthood, newly immersed in the hospitality industry, and trying to figure out what mattered most. One thing was certain: I had an amazing best friend, Jen. We had been inseparable through college, always in sync, always laughing, always that […]

In a small village at the edge of a great forest, there was a blacksmith named Elara, known far and wide for her skill in shaping the strongest, most beautiful tools and weapons. Her forge was a place of great importance, not only to her, but to the entire village, as it supplied the villagers […]

Empowerment is an oft-used buzzword.  Everyone wants to believe they empower their teams, but the proof is in the behaviors of their team members.   The enemy of empowerment is the mentality of “just doing my job”.  Team members walking a tightrope of compliance, just trying to stay out of trouble.  Those team members are memorable […]

Winning and losing.  Success and failure.  We view outcomes as absolutes. Success on a goal does not define future success.  Failure to accomplish a goal does not make you a failure.  There is always another opportunity, and that outcome will have its own set of unintended consequences.  All you can do is control what you […]

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?” “Throwing starfish back in the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them […]

A young boy was playing outdoors and found a fascinating caterpillar. He carefully picked it up and took it home to show his mother. He asked his mother if he could keep it, and she said he could if he took care of it. The boy got a large jar from his mother, and inside […]

by Josh Rossmeisl Who doesn’t love a firefighter?  They are heroes who risk their lives to fight fires and save people.  In the hospitality industry, we have a different definition of “firefighter”. Firefighters put out fires quickly and save the day for all to see.  Their team loves it when they swoop in and extinguish […]

By Josh Rossmeisl “You have 1 year to make 100 mistakes or you’re fired!”  This was an expectation I implemented several years ago and shared at orientation with all new leaders.  I asked them to write them down so we can reflect in a year and see how much they’ve grown.  My only rules were “show […]