The Hotel Daddy Podcast
Hotel Daddy is a podcast featuring in-depth interviews with hospitality movers and shakers, offering candid conversations that reveal how the best in the business became the leaders they are today. Listen in for inspiration and behind-the-scenes stories from the best in the industry.
Hosted by T. Blake Danner, Executive Producer, Stephanie T. Bryant, Production and Engineering by David Jewell. Associate Producer, Nelson Luis Ortiz, with original theme music composed and produced by Evan Jewell.
The Hotel Daddy Podcast
Building People Culture Balanced with Compliance
Step into the lobby with us and meet Victoria Fabio, a people and culture leader who grew up roaming the Gramercy Park Hotel and went on to transform workplaces across Soho House, Four Seasons, The Sydell Group, SALT Hotels, and CORE. Her story weaves together childhood memories, hard-earned lessons, and a blueprint for safer, smarter, and more human hospitality.
We dig into traditional HR and modern people and culture, and why the companies that win invest first in their teams. Victoria breaks down how empowered staff make better decisions, how honest feedback prevents “surprise” terminations, and why culture—not perks—drives performance and retention. Nightlife gets a special focus: dim lights and packed rooms demand stronger policies, clearer training, and a “buddy system” that pairs new hires with pros so they have backup when the stakes spike.
The conversation pushes past compliance to talk about life on the line: drugs and alcohol in an industry that requires 24/7 operations, second chances that actually work, and compassionate return-to-work paths that protect both people and brand. We also get candid about career fit—how linear promotions can derail top performers, and how to chart roles that honor strengths without losing momentum. Victoria also shares the vision behind the EmpowerHER Hospitality Collective, a growing network offering coaching, community, and a practical playbook for women leaders across hotels, restaurants, and private clubs.
If you care about hospitality culture, employee safety, and building teams that guests can feel from check-in to last call, this conversation delivers field-tested ideas you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs a lift, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—we’ll feature our favorites on a future show.
Thanks for listening! If you liked our episode today, please like, share, and comment!
Welcome to Hotel Daddy. I'm your host, Blake Danner. Today, I'm speaking with Victoria Fabio. In this episode, we'll dive right in and get to know Victoria, exploring her unique journey and the stories that have helped shape her career and hospitality. With Vic, I know you can expect some candid conversations, some honest reflections. Whether you're an industry insider or you just love a good story, you're in the right place. So hey, sit back and listen to two old friends dish a bit. Grab your favorite drink, settle in, and enjoy the ride as we open the doors to Oto Back. Victoria Fabio is a visionary leader dedicated to enhancing workplace culture and championing female empowerment within the hospitality sector. As the founder of the Empower Her Hospitality Collective, a pioneering brand that supports women in hospitality, Victoria is passionate about developing a community that nurtures the next generation of female leaders through mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities. In her exclusive consultancy with CORE, as the Chief People and Culture Officer, Victoria focuses on delivering bespoke consulting exclusively for the core brand, utilizing her extensive expertise to foster inclusive workplace environments and drive talent development strategies. Previously, Victoria served as Chief People Officer and Director of Talent Development at SALT Hotels, where she implemented significant initiatives aimed at enhancing employee experience and progression. Having held several senior positions at industry-leading companies like the Sadell Group. Hey, I know that one. Soho House and Four Seasons, Victoria boasts a wealth of knowledge regarding the intricacies of hospitality management and culture development. Vic, I'm so happy to have you here.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I know. I was thinking as you were reading that, I was like, this is what it's like when I listen to like celebrity podcasts and like actors introducing like another actor and all their Oscars and Academy Awards. I'm like, well, this is as close as I'm ever gonna get. I love it.
SPEAKER_00:I only did half your bio because I wanted to have time to talk to you. By the way, so you know you are guest number one, episode number one. This is the first. So thank you for agreeing to be my first guest. So when I was thinking about, you know, who should be the first guest? Who should I like? I don't know, who should I call on? I was like, okay, wait a minute. It's gotta be someone who is like clearly an industry expert. Acknowledge people, respect them, know them, check you. Then I was like, I really wanted to be a friend because I think I'm gonna be nervous. So check you. And then I thought, yeah, and it's gotta be someone who just gives zero F's.
SPEAKER_01:And I was like, Vic. I love when I check all the boxes. Isn't that the goal in life? To check all the boxes.
SPEAKER_00:Honey, it was check, check, check. All right. So listen, we're gonna start every episode around here with something I like to call who's in the lobby. You ready?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, here we go. Yes.
SPEAKER_00:I'm gonna throw some rapid fire at you, and you're just gonna tell me first things in your mind. Here we go. What's your name?
SPEAKER_01:Victoria.
SPEAKER_00:Zodiac sign. Aries. Favorite fashion designer. Chloe. Cosmo or martini? Martini. Favorite animal.
SPEAKER_01:Dog.
SPEAKER_00:I knew that one. Adorable, adorable. I love the Instagrams. Dream vacation.
SPEAKER_01:Depends on the time of year. Summer. Europe.
SPEAKER_00:Best NYC bar for a proper drink.
SPEAKER_01:Ooh. I'm gonna have to say right now, I'm really loving Cassatua.
SPEAKER_00:All right. Well, I take that one. When are you gonna take me, by the way? Heels are flats.
SPEAKER_01:Flats during the commute, heels once I enter the building.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my god, I love options. All right. Favorite fitness activity.
SPEAKER_01:Right now it's Pilates.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. And I've known you for a while, so that's changed. We're gonna talk about that later. A final question. And this one's a toughie. On a scale of zero to 10, 10 is, oh my gosh, it's great. How do you rate the current political environment?
SPEAKER_01:One.
SPEAKER_00:And we move on. All right. Vic. Hey, listen, I've known you for a long time. I know a lot about you, but I actually don't know what got you into hospitality. And I think we should just kind of table set for the folks and start at the beginning. What drove you to this industry?
SPEAKER_01:This is such an interesting one because I've been telling this story a lot with the collective and just different networking events that I'm speaking at. But what I didn't know as a child, I was surrounded by hospitality because my mother and my stepfather owned a private members' club in the Gramercy Park Hotel. What? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Hold on. I have known you for 15 years. This is the first time I have ever heard that story.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Carry on. I am intrigued.
SPEAKER_01:We're going back to the 80s before the Grammar Sea Park Hotel was super evolved and sexy in a modern way, but this was back when bands like The Clash were staying at the Gramercy Park Hotel. My mother and stepfather owned a private members' club that was a games club. So where members would come and they would play gin and backgammon and Texas Hold'em. And there was a proper restaurant, bar, several different rooms. And so I would go to school every day. And after school, I would go to the hotel and I would have dinner at the club. And then my mother would walk me home. So it was very much a part of my life. Paul Schaefer lived in the Gramacy Park Hotel. I would see him in the lobby. Back back in the days, most people won't be able to relate to this, but when there was an actual newsstand that sold cigarettes and magazines and newspapers and candy and gum. And these people were like my family. And for everyone from the dorman, when I would come in and leave the hotel to people at the front desk, this was sort of something that in the moment I don't think was resonating. For sure, friends that had parents that did different things when they were around thought it was very cool and unique, but it never really resonated with me that it was anything long-lasting. Right. It just was sort of how I loved it.
SPEAKER_00:That's what my parents did.
SPEAKER_01:It was fun, really always planned for a career in fashion. And that was sort of always how I planned what I wanted to do. After going to school for fashion and spending a few years working in fashion in New York City, specifically in production, I came to realize that I love fashion for me. I love having fashion in my life. I love being expressive through fashion, but working in fashion is not for me.
SPEAKER_00:If anyone's ever followed you on Instagram, the love of fashion is immediate. It's a good follow, kids.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you. Yeah. And so leaning back on the time that I spent in and around the family business, I had a friend who was a one-person people and culture show at a small boutique hotel in Midtown. All of her stories were wild. Like the stories, it was a union hotel, 136 Keys, the Muse Hotel. Mark Brussel was the jam. I was always sort of taken by that. All of these stories about people not getting along and then this crazy union. Like, what was this all about? And as I look back now, I think about as a child roaming around the Gramercy Park Hotel, like the relationships between guests and employees, the relationships between employees and other employees. Things that in the moment I probably didn't pick up on, but I remember sort of having a front row seat to all of that. Long story short, many conversations. This friend said, like, look, I really think in hospitality, you really belong in back then. I'll say the HR word. Like it was HR. You really belong in this. You're fascinated by the relationships, like you just need to learn. But this is something that you should really, really try to do. So she put in the budget for that next year an additional body because she was a one-person show, 136 keys, union hotel, but one restaurant, not a ton going on. And it was approved. And so she brought me on in a very junior role, working side by side with someone in a small hotel like that, someone who was gracious enough to include you in meetings and expose you to everything that's happening. I really sort of picked up on it. And I very quickly recognized that I had a knack for one, the relationship piece and two, the most important piece, which was conflict resolution and sort of understanding how to get to the belly of what the real issue was. We spent almost two years together, and then she got an amazing role and was moving on. I was lucky enough to have someone like Mark Brisken, who believed in growing people and gave me a shot to be the director.
SPEAKER_00:Took a chance.
SPEAKER_01:He took a chance, and that was really the beginning.
SPEAKER_00:So many things to follow up on. And you said it. You said, I'll say it, HR. Let's go back and talk. Tell me in your mind the difference between HR and people in culture. Because I think you and I would say they're different.
SPEAKER_01:100%. And it's so funny how now it's just to such a point where anytime anyone says HR around me, I just have to correct them. The distinction really lies in focus and approach. HR emphasizes to me administrative tasks and compliance and nods to a time where really people that worked in HR, the word personnel comes to mind. Their main responsibility was paper pushing, making sure that people were signed up for the right things. They didn't really have a seat at the table. While I feel like now, especially in our industry and many others, it's evolved quite a bit. I think people and culture prioritizes really employee engagement and a positive work environment. We act as a strategic partner, aligning people initiatives with business goals rather than being solely transactional. The employee experience, the focus is on enhancing employee well-being and satisfaction, creating inclusivity, fostering a sense of belonging, agility, people and culture embraces adaptability to new workforce trends, promoting innovation and responsiveness. And really cultural impact, right? That's the big culture word, the big C word. I think that people in culture views organizational culture as a key driver of success, essential for attracting talent and improving performance. I mean, overall, people in culture represents a more comprehensive strategic approach towards managing an organization's most valuable asset, which are its people.
SPEAKER_00:So think about the companies in our space today. And by that I mean pretty much lifestyle hospitality. Think about the companies that are truly successful today. What's different about them? It's the culture.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's the culture and its founders, whether it's a founder-led company, however, the company is set up structurally, there are people that believe in the people piece and understand that bottom line results come from being best in class. And being best in class means focusing more on your employees than you're focused on the guest. Love it. And that means paying a team to really be dedicated to taking care of those people.
SPEAKER_00:What you've just articulated really well is there's been this migration from HR to kind of people in culture. Because I think what we realize is that checking off the I-9 box and auditing things is not making us successful. Creating a culture where our employees feel supported and part of the process and have the tools for success and are compensated well, that is what makes a successful organization. And so not surprising that you work for some really entrepreneurial organizations that understand that.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. There are so many people that have shifted from operations or different disciplines into the people space because they recognize when they were in these other roles how important the connection to the people piece is. And that it's important that the people team is made up of a robust group of people with different backgrounds who understand from an operational perspective what teams need, what kind of support they need, what are they missing? What's missing in the team dynamic, right? Because when they need to build teams, who are they engaging with? They're engaging with the people team.
SPEAKER_00:One of the things you said at the top when you were talking about your experience at the Gramacy Park Hotel was, you know, Paul Schaefer lived there and the doorman knew them and they interacted. And the guests, and I say all the time, we work in a really interesting environment, right? Our guests are staying in the property. Our colleagues interact with them in very sometimes intimate ways, you know, whether it's in the room cleaning or taking their laundry down. It's a very intimate relationship. And I think because of that, it also brings up some very unique and interesting situations along the way. You and I worked together for many years, and I was the COO of a company heading up preparations, you were heading up people in culture, and a lot of stuff came across our desks, right? And crazy stuff. You and I would just shake our head and be like, okay. But one of the things I always respected about you is I'll never forget it was probably a Friday afternoon, and we got a phone call, and something had happened at the property, and you looked at me and you said, you know, Blake, we hire these young colleagues, we put them in, you know, sexy outfits, we put them in darkly lit, sexy designed bars, and there's a bunch of alcohol around them. Then somebody tries to get surprised that stuff happens. You just you shook your head and you said, the environment makes things happen. But you always understood not to freak out at the thing that happened, but to think about okay, what was your responsibility to make it better, to make it safer, to exude the environment, but to continue to be the calm voice that created a safe space for people.
SPEAKER_01:We for sure have had our situations. And I think, look, hospitality is a blend of different things. It's not just rooms, it's restaurants, it's bars, it's events. There's so many different things going on. And I think we have a responsibility to create a safe, supportive environment. 100%. Especially in nightlife, most of the staff is younger in high pressure environments. I mean, it can get really crazy. And it's more than just, you know, I think a lot of companies lean on legal counsel, but this involves much more than legal compliance. It's about really fostering a culture of safety and respect.
SPEAKER_00:I'm gonna argue that if you're leaning on legal counsel to solve, it's too late. One of the great things you and I did, and you interacted, you interjected, you figured out solutions. You were like, I'm gonna get in there and talk through this before it ever gets to legal. I'm gonna help solve the problem. I'd love to talk about that for a second because in our space, the industry leaders are the ones who can engage and solve. Waiting for it to get to legal strikes me as a really, frankly, lazy solution.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Another reason why that happens is because there are people who may not be qualified in the people roles. And there may be brands that don't have people departments where it comes to nightlife. And also people who have not been trained to deal with these types of situations. This is not about a couple of tardies and a couple of no-call no-shows. This is about oftentimes contact between a guest and an employee, uncomfortable contact. This could be about someone drinking on the job or doing drugs on the job, or even worse. And if people aren't trained to understand how to properly investigate, how to have conversations, who to talk to, what does that process look like? When these are topics that are likely uncomfortable conversations, how do you set the tone for that in the room? Imagine being someone in a role responsible for doing that, but you've never had any training. So I could imagine in those situations where it's like, let's just call the lawyer, let's just call the lawyer. But to your point, it's really about the right companies, the companies that are doing it right, have set up strategies for a safe environment, whether it's cultural awareness training, empowered decision making, encouraging younger employees to make decisions regarding their safety, such as refusing service to people who've had too much to drink.
SPEAKER_00:Amen. Feeling empowered that you have that ability. You can make that call. Don't care who the guest is, don't care how important they think they are. If you're the one serving and you want to make the call, empower them to make that call.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. And I'm a huge fan of, and this is something that I've sort of reignited for some clients. I'm a huge fan of. Call it a buddy system, call it a mentorship program. But you've a young person, especially coming into the nightlife world, they need to be paired with someone who's a pro, who's been doing it for a while. It can be really gnarly to navigate. Well-being also in hospitality in general, we spend more time at work than we do at home. 24-7. And I think self-care and well-being is something that we're all talking about more. And I love that. And it's so important to me. In the nightlife space, specifically, those hours, people are on their feet, they're dealing with really crazy situations. Like it really needs to be times a thousand for that group of people.
SPEAKER_00:Look, I believe in our obligation, and I believe that we need to make sure that we set safe environments. I love, look, if there's a bon map that I'm taking from this, I love the buddy system. Yeah. How simple, but yet how powerful. If I'm a young server, to know that I've got someone I can buddy with to make that decision, get advice, or just bubble up my uncomfortableness. And I'm stealing that one from you.
SPEAKER_01:I love it.
SPEAKER_00:You mentioned drugs and alcohol, a sensitive topic, but one that, you know, I continue to see in our industry. To your point, you nailed it. 24-7 work environment, high stress, a lot of younger staff. Talk to me about drugs and alcohol in our industry and how it should be handled in the work environment. How can we support and you know how do we police for it?
SPEAKER_01:It's no secret that in our industry, it's very common that people struggle, have challenges with drugs and alcohol, long hours, lots of time away from home, around alcohol, especially if you're working on the food and beverage side. I'm a big fan. You're the same way. We are the king and queen of second chances, and in some cases, third chances. But I think in most cases, companies have recognized that they need to understand that when these situations arise, this is like dealing with someone who has a medical condition.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And we need to have accommodations for those people.
SPEAKER_00:Take the stigma away, deal with it up front.
SPEAKER_01:And look, what happens after that? You do the right thing, people do what they need to do, whatever that might be, and they come back to work. This can't go on and on and on, but the industry has done a good job of doing the right thing in that regard. And I do think this shift in self-care and wellness. I know more people now who are sober, sober curious. And most of them not because they ever had a problem, just because they want to feel better. It's healthier. I can say for myself, these days, I would much rather have a gummy than have a drink. I don't like the way I feel the next day. This has only helped the industry.
SPEAKER_00:Agree. I want to double back to second chances because believe it or not, next question on my list. Let's talk about just second chances in corporate America. Because it's something I know you and I are pretty passionate about. At what point do you make the decision to give someone a second chance? And by the way, we haven't been talking about drugs and alcohol, but you know, this could be about performance. This could be they were going through a bad breakup for all of the reasons why, you know, someone may have had a rough period in their career. Do you think that we have an obligation to offer second chances?
SPEAKER_01:Culturally, it's aligned with my personal values.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So that is the thing. And I can look back on my life from being a young child to being where I am today. And I've had second chances extended to me, whatever the situation was. And I just feel like things happen and people make mistakes. Doing this for 30 years now, I think I have a good eye. And in most cases, I'm backing the right horse. But even if not, I never regret supporting a decision.
SPEAKER_00:So I can remember many a time when you and I sat in a meeting, the two of us, contemplating rehiring or hiring someone that we knew had had some issue in the past. And we always said, you know what? They didn't steal and they didn't hurt anybody. In my mind, those are non-negotiables. Everything else in my mind, kind of negotiable, you know? I remember so many times you and I discussing it and saying, you know what? We're gonna give them the shot. We're gonna give them the shot. We're gonna hold them tightly. We're going to follow up closely. And only one time were we let down. Only once. The thing I love about the story is you and I both know multiple second chances that we gave, where by the way, in some cases, the person went on to great success. Imagine if they'd never had that opportunity.
SPEAKER_01:That makes me so happy. One of the things that I find myself saying over and over again is whether you're sitting down and having a conversation with someone because it was something pretty egregious, and like maybe you're going to give them a second chance, but this is a pretty serious conversation, or it's a conversation with someone because they've got a pretty bad attendance record. Every conversation with an employee about behavior or patterns, those conversations are only in hopes to make them better.
SPEAKER_00:100%. I want you to win. I win when you win.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, the feedback loop is real. You must know how you're doing. Because if you don't know, if you're in a company where you think you're doing great, and then you have your one-year review and they shit can you and you're like, wait a minute, I thought I was doing great. That's a real problem. So the company where you're having conversations is the company you want to be in. Exactly.
SPEAKER_00:My father said to me so many years ago, I remember I was making my first termination, young, young manager. And my father, wisdom that he is, said, son, if you ever terminate somebody and it's a surprise, you messed up.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_00:And that's on you. Totally. For all of our listeners, I want to put it out there. Victoria and I are king and queen of the second chances. And we've done it. And we believe in them.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:People, for the record, no third chance. No third chance. You're dead to me at that point. If for some reason you let me down on the second chance, there will be no third chance. So you have worked for some great entrepreneurs. Nick Jones at Soho House, Andrew Zobler at Saddell, a company you and I work together, Jenny Enterprise now at core, all very different, but all very entrepreneurial of nature. Super successful. What are your observations? What are the commonalities between these super successful entrepreneurs that you seem to be attracted to and that you enjoy working with?
SPEAKER_01:It's funny as you say the names and I think about these people, all so brilliant and so different.
SPEAKER_00:Right. For anyone who knows those three, couldn't be more different.
SPEAKER_01:But I'll say many common traits, resilience is one. You know, the ability to recover from some pretty tough situations, and in many cases, failures, visionary thinking, right? Their ability to identify these amazing opportunities and amazing cities and markets, adaptability, and not all, but many entrepreneurs recognize that they have to have flexibility to change course as needed. All of these people, strong work ethic, dedicated beyond. And let's face it, I always say if you're thinking about starting something on your own, or you think you might be an entrepreneur, you're never going to be worried about risk because entrepreneurs don't worry about risk. They just go. They're all very passionate, obviously. Financial literacy, super important. I'd love to say all amazing leadership skills, not so much.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Might even be a semi-common trait along the way, right? Yeah. Some of the best entrepreneurs we know weren't necessarily the best leaders.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. Inspirational. Exactly. But so fascinating, so also interesting and also accomplished, but also very different.
SPEAKER_00:You've spent a lot of your career at these types of companies. Smaller, entrepreneurial, culture leaders. Was that on purpose, or is that just kind of the way it laid out for you?
SPEAKER_01:Interesting. It wasn't on purpose initially, but I learned very early on with the bigger brands, like Interstate and Four Seasons, that I needed to be in a more creative environment. Fun fact I was this the assistant director of HR at the Pierre. And this was an HR team of about seven or eight. I had my own office. The director had her own office. The recruiting manager had her own office, the benefits manager, the con. I mean, there were too many of us. There was nothing for me to do. And I remember sitting in this office with beautiful crown moldings and like nodding out, like bored. Seriously, like absolutely bored. What is going on?
SPEAKER_00:So can I stop you here for a second?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I talked to some people that they're just not into it right now, right? How painful was that? There was nothing good about that. You didn't enjoy it, did you?
SPEAKER_01:It was so painful. I had I had gone there from Kimpton, which was an interstate property that then transitioned to a Kimpt property. And that was a lot of fun. And then to the Pierre, where I had to wear pantyhose, which was a fucking nightmare. I couldn't wait for summer.
SPEAKER_00:People that know you are gonna just fall over on that one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I would always get called out for not wearing pantyhose. And I was like, fuck off, it's not happening. And I loved look the Pierre iconic, right? It was the tail end of four seasons, and they were transitioning to Taj. It was so much past practice with the union. It was big meetings. You couldn't do anything, you couldn't affect any change because everything was past practice. Everything was in the collective bargaining agreement. There was someone on the people team to do every job. So really, the director and myself were sort of overseeing, maybe meeting candidates, maybe mediating some meetings. It was soul sucking. I was so bored. There was nothing for me to do. There was someone who was doing everything. And coming from a role where I was a one-person show doing everything, it killed me.
SPEAKER_00:So here's the question because I know, I don't want to say so many. I know a lot of people who come to me and say, Blake, I need some guidance, I need some mentoring. I'm in a position that is soul sucking. I'm where you are or where you're describing Victoria right now. And they all ask the same thing. How do I get out? So, Vic, how'd you get out?
SPEAKER_01:There's a moment in time where you're like, okay, this is gonna pass. And then you start to realize it's becoming not just a couple of times a week. It's an everyday thing. And then you recognize, I talk about this a lot. You recognize you're trying to do backbends and cartwheels to fit in. And you just realize this isn't my path. It's like trying to put a square and a triangle. Like, this just isn't the path for me. It's not the property for me. It's not the company for me. I need to be somewhere different. I need to be able to affect people's lives every day. I want to help people. I want to get involved in what they're doing.
SPEAKER_00:For everyone listening, I hope it is asterisk, asterisk, asterisk, underline, underline, underline. I'm taking what you just said in those last few moments and making it with a bullet, because that is the key to so much unhappiness. I taught you do too. We talk to so many colleagues. They don't fit. It's not the right role. They are miscast and they're afraid to raise their hand and say, I might be miscast here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And the other thing is, I know we'll talk about this more later, is when someone starts in a role, it is very likely that they are the right person at that time for that role in that property, in that company. Now, fast forward three years, companies changed. There's been a restructure, the world has changed, the market has changed. The needs in that role are different. And that person that was hired two, three years ago doesn't have the skill set that's now required. It happens all the time.
SPEAKER_00:And not only do the companies change, but sometimes the skill set expectation changes. I'll give this great example I use all the time because you know, I spend a lot of my career in sales. So often we take really successful sales managers and we think the only way to progress their career is to make them a director of sales. And they get in the director of sales role with all this admin and all these meetings. And they're miserable. Why? Because they're salespeople. They just want to go sell multiple disciplines. But we do that so often in our industry. We take people, they're successful, and we think the only way to grow their career is linear. It's not always.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. Yeah. And so I reached out to a friend that I was at Kimpton with who had moved, gotten a job at Soho House that had just opened in meat packing, the first one that came to New York, and they were looking for someone.
SPEAKER_00:And so So look, I think the note I want to draw is when you find yourself at that moment, start networking, do something about it, make a phone call. You know, I I had a dear friend of mine not too long ago who was complaining about this dead end job he was into. I said, okay, I'm so sorry that you're unhappy. And quite frankly, I've been hearing this for about a year and I'm kind of tired of hearing it from you because when was the last time you sent out a resume? When was the last time you pick up the phone? Dude, I love you, but I'm tired of listening to you complain. Do something about it. So to all those people who find themselves in that time, the one tough love I'm gonna give you is do something about it. Don't just sit there because you're so crushing. Don't allow it. I want to move on because I don't want to run out of time to talk about a topic that I know is so close to your heart. I know you are super passionate about uplifting and nurturing the next generation of females in our industry. I know you recently founded Empower Her. Tell me about the organization and why it was so important to you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, Empower Her was sort of a passion project. The dream all along these years, all these lessons I've learned throughout my hospitality journey has always been, it's something I've always thought about at every difficult lesson. Like, I don't want someone else to have to learn this way. Like, this is kind of crazy. Like, I haven't worked this hard to get where I am, so that the young lady behind me has to go through the same blood, sweat, and tears. I want to give them the playbook. I want to give people a leg up. And so it was always this idea that I wanted to create this community that was built of amazing talented hospitality leaders, some that are still in the industry, some that may have moved on, some that may be retired, some that are consulting, some that are in full-time permanent jobs, where we could, whether it was through coaching, through networking events, really share our journeys, tricks of the trade, and how to navigate what in many ways, while I'm very proud of the hospitality industry and some brands have evolved more than others, but it's still a heavily male-dominated industry. And navigating through that can be difficult. And why should people be trying to figure it out on their own when there's tons of amazing, smart, talented ladies who have already lived through it? And that's really how this all was birthed.
SPEAKER_00:Tell the folks how they find you and how they found Empower Her.
SPEAKER_01:You can find me at Empower Her on Instagram. We are at Empower Her Hospitality Collective. You can find me at the collective.com. We have virtual networking events. We have a job board where we share all of the opportunities that we're aware of on our website, EmpowerHerHospitality.com. We've thrown the whole kitchen sink at it. And it's been very interesting.
SPEAKER_00:I've followed you since you first launched it. I am personally so amazed at the collective of people you've brought in. When I look at all of the various female leaders that are part of the collective, who you've interviewed, who have shared their thoughts, you are bringing truly industry leaders from all ages. Some of the folks that you have on there have been in the industry for 20 years. Some are first-time GMs. I share that passion with you. What's next for the organization? Where do you take it from here?
SPEAKER_01:The collective is growing. There's a big coaching piece, and we're trying to figure out how to make that work. We have someone working for the collective who's based in the UK to try to really reach some hospitality brands there. We're still figuring it out. We want to pitch some things to different hotel brands to figure out, like, think about all the hospitality brands that have junior female managers, you know, first-time managers. Like, why wouldn't a company invest in having the collective coach these ladies? What an amazing perk. Coaching is expensive. What an amazing perk to add that. You know, you come work for us. We're going to provide coaching for you from women who have been where you are. It's a little bit chaotic and disorganized, but we're loving it.
SPEAKER_00:It's a passion play. You said it a while ago. I think the industry is still very male-dominated. And I think we're kidding ourselves if we don't acknowledge there is still much to accomplish.
SPEAKER_01:I agree. Some progress has been made, but there's a lot of continued efforts that are necessary to make sure that women achieve equality and representation in hospitality. There's definitely an increase in leadership roles, greater representation, a lot of supportive networks, like the collective. I see more and more there's women of hospitality in New York. That's really great. I mean, women are realizing stronger together and let's leverage each other's knowledge. Love it. And I think that's amazing. Lots of great things happening. And what I love the most is that women are making these moves. Like women are getting together and saying, let's create a network, let's create a community. I remember a time when I first started out, like that just was not happening. But it's a very different world today. And I love that.
SPEAKER_00:And you're part of making it happen.
SPEAKER_01:Love that too.
SPEAKER_00:Vic, I want to end on this note because you're so passionate on this topic. And I think it sends such a great message to everyone listening that we can make change.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Vic, it's been a joy. Any final thoughts on your first edition of Hotel Daddy?
SPEAKER_01:First of all, this is amazing. And I love that you're doing this because I really think we need more hospitality podcasts because real talk. How many people are going to listen to this who are in hospitality, maybe just joining the industry, and they want to learn and they want to on their run hear about people who have been in hospitality or leaders that they aspire to work with? Think of all the goodies that they'll pick up. I mean, this is just so amazing. And I'm just so grateful.
SPEAKER_00:My big hope is you and I have worked hard. We've worked for a lot of kind of industry-leading companies, and we've learned a lot. By God, we learned a lot of it the hard way, you know? We're going to talk a lot on this pod to new young entrepreneurs about how to find capital, you know, how to go out and start your own business, how to network with the finance folks, how creatives need to like figure out how to make some conversation with a finance folk if you want to start your own company. I think we're going to give them some real life bon mots of information that I hope is useful for everything that we've learned along the way. I hope we can share and give back. And I hope that there's a couple of things that people will take from our conversations that are helpful and a little fun along the way.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Vic, I miss you. I can't wait to see you soon. Let's catch up.
SPEAKER_01:Miss you too, honey. I'll see you soon.
SPEAKER_00:All right. Today we've been with Victoria Fabio on Hotel Daddy. Thanks for listening to Hotel Daddy with your host, Blake Danner. Be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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