Once, a wise king grew troubled, seeing his people grow too comfortable, too reliant on life’s conveniences. To challenge their resilience, he placed a massive boulder in the center of the main road leading into the city. Then, hidden nearby, he waited to see how his people would respond. At dawn, travelers arrived, busy with […]

By Amanda Murray   | Vice President of Strategic Branding & Partner, AMP Up1 Hospitality & Your 3rd Spot In 2017, my husband, Dan, and I left the Boston suburbs for the city, looking to shorten his commute and delay the commitment to suburban life. We moved into a small condo complex on Louis Terrace in […]

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 […]

One day a mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package when they got home from the store. It was an ordinary day like any other for the mouse. She was wondering what food did the farmer and his wife bring home? But instead of […]

By: Jasmine Scott, Doug Warner & Amanda Murray Do you struggle with procrastination? Is it hard for you to set and achieve your goals? Have a hard time defining your personal process?  Charles Duhigg’s Smarter Better Faster is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their process within their personal, and/or professional life.     Through a […]