Inspiring Women in Hospitality to Pursue, Navigate and Nurture Their Careers | with Emily Goldfischer

The Modern Hotelier #58: Shattering the Glass Ceiling in Hospitality | with Emily Goldfischer === Emily Goldfischer [00:00:00]: There's just different expectations placed on women. And if you're a woman that doesn't have children, suddenly you're expected to be this, like, workhorse that doesn't have a life. I don't know why that is. We need to change that. David Millili [00:00:16]: Welcome to the Modern Hotelier. Both hosts were honored as top 100 influential people in hospitality. We're bringing you interviews with industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators who are shaping the future of hospitality. Whether you're a seasoned hotel professional or just stepping into the industry, Steve Carran [00:00:43]: Thank you for tuning in to the episode with Emily Kanders Goldfisher, the founder and editor in chief of Hotelier. David, what was one of your favorite things about this episode? David Millili [00:00:54]: Yeah. Well, I think it was great. Emily really has put so much effort into making sure that women get the opportunities and get the information on how to achieve their goals, and I think she gave great advice throughout the episode on on how women can move towards those goals and achieve them. Steve Carran [00:01:11]: I agree. I agree. It was also really fun to hear the backstory of her Hotelier, how that got started, and her backstory that led to kind of her founding Hertelier. And then, like you said, just all the advice that she has for women on how to get more active in the industry and, you know, move up as well. So enjoy the episode. StayFlexi [00:01:29]: Welcome to today's episode. We're thrilled to introduce you to StayFlexi, an innovative platform revolutionizing the hospitality industry. Backed by Y Combinator, StayFlexy is a modern all in one PMS platform. Leveraging the power of AI, it's transforming how hotels operate, maximizing efficiency, and boosting sales for unsold rooms. Already, over 2,000 properties worldwide have made the switch to StayFlexi, experiencing the difference it makes. And here's the best part. Exclusively for our listeners, StayFlexi is offering an incredible lifetime deal at just $149 per month. That's an astounding 80% discount. StayFlexi [00:02:07]: Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your hotel's performance with Stay Flexi. Steve Carran [00:02:13]: Today, we have on Emily Kanders Goldfisher, the founder and editor in chief of Hertellier. Emily spent 2 decades working in public relations and communications for destinations and luxury hotel brands. In 2021, she founded Hertellier, which is an online media platform that enlightens and inspires women in hospitality. Welcome to the show, Emily. Emily Goldfischer [00:02:39]: Thank you, Steve and David, so much for having me. David Millili [00:02:42]: Great. So, Emily, we're gonna go through 3 sections. We're gonna ask you some rapid fire questions, learn about your career, and then get into some industry thoughts. So sound good? Emily Goldfischer [00:02:52]: I'm ready for it. David Millili [00:02:54]: Okay. So what was your first job? Emily Goldfischer [00:02:56]: Okay. My first job was 2. I was an ice cream scooper at Baskin Robbins for about a week, and then I got a job as a bank teller at the local bank, and I did that for a summer. David Millili [00:03:09]: What's your favorite city? Emily Goldfischer [00:03:11]: Oh my god. London. I love London. David Millili [00:03:13]: Got it. What's the best piece of advice you've received? Emily Goldfischer [00:03:17]: That's a good one. I think don't take yourself too seriously. David Millili [00:03:21]: Yeah. That's good. If you could trade places with somebody for a day, who would you trade places with? Emily Goldfischer [00:03:26]: Oh, goodness. Martha Stewart. I love her. Steve Carran [00:03:32]: I'm a fan. David Millili [00:03:34]: Alright. Good. So So what's something that's on your bucket list? Emily Goldfischer [00:03:37]: On my bucket list? Going to Japan. We're we're looking at going to Japan, and, we haven't planned it yet, but working on David Millili [00:03:46]: it. We have a couple past guests that we'll connect you with. We'll give you some good information on Japan. Do you have a secret talent that nobody knows about? Emily Goldfischer [00:03:53]: A secret talent that nobody knows about? I'm a pretty good knitter. I don't know how many people know that. David Millili [00:04:00]: Alright. Last one. If you had a time machine, which way are you going into the future, into the past, and what year are you going to? Emily Goldfischer [00:04:08]: Oh, dear. I know. I've heard you. I I'm a fan of the show, and I've heard you ask other people this question. And I was thinking to myself, what am I gonna say for that? You know, I actually would kinda like to go back to the seventies. Nice. I don't know if it's the music, the fashion. Yeah. Emily Goldfischer [00:04:27]: I'm gonna say the seventies without really much more to add to that. Steve Carran [00:04:33]: I love that. That was great. So now we're gonna get a little bit more about your background, what makes you tag, things like that. So you were born in New Jersey. Right? Emily Goldfischer [00:04:42]: Yes. Wow. Good job. Steve Carran [00:04:43]: Yeah. Where did you grow up? Emily Goldfischer [00:04:45]: I grew up in Morristown. Have any are you either of you from New Jersey? David Millili [00:04:49]: Pennsylvania. Oh. Outside Philly. So I lived in New Jersey for a long time. Emily Goldfischer [00:04:52]: Okay. Yeah. Different. So I'm Northern Central. So Steve Carran [00:04:57]: Awesome. How did that shape you into who you are today? Emily Goldfischer [00:05:01]: You know what? I'm I'll tell you what shaped me the most is my family. I'm one of 5. I'm the youngest of 5 kids. My parents were very involved in making a very happy and secure home for us. So I think that would've happened whether I was in New Jersey or anywhere else. But fortunate to grow up in New Jersey, which again at the time that I was growing up in the seventies eighties, was fun. It was a fun, you know, suburban lifestyle, Short Hills Mall. Shout out to my Jersey people. Emily Goldfischer [00:05:37]: Jersey Shore, you know, a lot of great memories of growing up in, New Jersey. Steve Carran [00:05:43]: Were you a fan of the show Jersey Shore? Emily Goldfischer [00:05:45]: I was not. Okay. Okay. Though I did you know, that was kind of a little later on. Steve Carran [00:05:51]: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Emily Goldfischer [00:05:53]: But, yeah, fan of Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi. I mean, New Jersey has a lot to offer, and I feel like it does get a little bit of the short shrift. Although, I feel like it's it's kind of come around. I feel like people have really taken to New Jersey now, and and I know that I haven't been back in years, to be honest, but, you know, there's been a big renaissance to the New Jersey shoreline, and I think that's all really positive. A lot of great tourism happening there, so that's super exciting. David Millili [00:06:21]: Yeah. It's a misunderstood state. I think people get caught up in the train ride from Philly to New York or landing in Newark and kinda seeing that area. It's not the best the state has to offer, but, anyway, but I I still Steve Carran [00:06:32]: Yeah. Emily Goldfischer [00:06:32]: I mean, you know, everyone had the the wood exit joke and all that kind of stuff when I was growing up, but, you know, it was a really beautiful place to live. David Millili [00:06:42]: So you graduated from Cornell Hotel Administration. How did you know that's what you wanted to do at at a young age? How did you get inspired to do that? Emily Goldfischer [00:06:50]: It was kind of random. I'll be honest with you. One of my brothers actually had been in the hotel school and I went to Cornell for a different major. I was actually gonna be studying the environment and science. And 1 semester of carrying my biology book If you've either if any of you have been to the the campus in Ithaca, you know, there's a big hill, and at that time, freshmen looked at the bottom of the hill. So didn't really love the biology, freshman biology, and then there were all these, like, super cutthroat premed students. So I was inspired by my brother, Alan, and decided to see if I could transfer to hotel, which I did. And I just loved it. Emily Goldfischer [00:07:31]: I found my calling there and really loved learning the ins and outs of the business and then ended up going into the marketing and PR side of it. That was kind of just good luck interviewed for a PR internship, which I didn't get, and then realized I should that I actually liked the sound of that job and applied to a bunch of PR firms in New York City that, specialized in travel and tourism, and I ended up working, for Karen Weiner Escalera, who, actually, I'm gonna be seeing at my event tonight in Miami Beach. David Millili [00:08:05]: And you were also on the cross country ski team. When did you get into skiing? Emily Goldfischer [00:08:12]: That's wow. You guys have really dug deep. I I I actually love cross country skiing, though. Again, haven't done that in many years. I, while I grew up in New Jersey, I went to high school in Massachusetts, and it was there that I learned how to cross country ski, and I was on the ski team. I was captain of the ski team, actually. And, I really loved it. And then when I went to Cornell, it was a club sport, which actually suited me better because, really, when you get Cornell is a division 1 school and, like, you're competing against the University of Vermont, New Hampshire, and stuff where these kids are really, really good skiers. Emily Goldfischer [00:08:48]: So I was way out class, but it was still really fun. I loved to be outdoors. So it was great. I loved doing the training in Ithaca and seeing, you know, all the skiing around there. I mean, Ithaca is very beautiful. Steve Carran [00:08:59]: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. And and then you went to the London School of Economics and Political Science to get your master's in social psychology. But then after that, you spent time traveling around Europe. Is that where you fell in love with Europe and London specifically? Emily Goldfischer [00:09:18]: It was. To be honest, I actually tried to stay in London and get a job here after I graduated from LSE, and I was not successful in that either because it was really hard to get a work visa, you know, work permit. And and, I mean, I had some skills, but I wasn't, like, particularly skilled in technology or something where, like, you could maybe get a a certain kind of a visa. So I ended up going back to working with Karen and and the and the group that I was working with beforehand, and the agency was quite busy. And I started working on Hyatt Resorts and several other clients, and it was great. And I I basically was there. I helped, with Hyatt to launch their kids program, their golf program, a spa program. So at the time, these were quite novel programs. Emily Goldfischer [00:10:06]: Of course, they're very commonplace in travel today and for hotel companies. So that was kind of the beginning of working on this sort of, you know, branded programs, and I was right at the cusp of that. Steve Carran [00:10:18]: Very cool. Well, great background. Now we're gonna go kinda you touched base on working with Karen already, but we're gonna dive into your career. So the first it was it your first job in lodging when you were 19, and you spent a ski season in my part of American Colorado at the Sheridan Steamboat Springs. Yes. And I heard that you did quite a few different jobs there. You were a PBX operator operator. You did room service waiter, and you also were a parking lot attendant. Steve Carran [00:10:51]: Yeah. What was your favorite job while you were there? Emily Goldfischer [00:10:54]: That's funny. I actually again, well done on the research. I wanna say I listened to quite a few of your podcast episodes. I'm a fan of the show, And I know that you often ask people what was your least favorite job, and it was definitely working as a parking garage attendant. And I have to say, this is when you have the influence of your parents. I remember, because they were like, yeah. It's a rotational internship, so we're gonna stick you in this parking garage because we're gonna see if we can actually, like, charge people to park there because the hotel was right at the base of the mountain. Shit. Emily Goldfischer [00:11:30]: Anyway, I remember calling my mom. Of course, this is before, cellular phones, mobile phones, and, you know, like, my weekly check-in, and she was like, I was she was like, so what'd you do this week? Where were you working? I was like, yeah. They stuck me in a parking garage, and it's, like, really dark there. And I don't like she's like, you go and you tell them that you're not working in a parking garage. And I listened to her in the next day because I was, like, part of the accounting department, and they were like, yeah. Alright. Well and they put me in room service, which actually was a great job. And, for any of the younger listeners, if you ever go work at a ski resort, room service is amazing because you work the breakfast shift. Emily Goldfischer [00:12:11]: You have to wake up early, but you're done by 10 AM, and then you can ski the rest of the day. And you make really good tips too because people are, like, happy. You bringing them breakfast. They're getting out the door. So that was a that was the best job. Steve Carran [00:12:26]: I find that hilarious. You're in a beautiful resort, great mountains around you, and they put you in the parking garage. Emily Goldfischer [00:12:31]: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was, it was actually I mean, it's funny looking back on it, and, I only did it for, like, a couple days. Yeah. It was like it was short lived, and, and they were kind of they were really understanding. It was it was a Sheraton at the time. It was a Sheraton Hotel. Emily Goldfischer [00:12:46]: I don't know what it is now. David Millili [00:12:48]: That's funny. I've worked a lot of jobs, and room service was the most lucrative. It was the best. The tips that had a gratuity was incredible. Emily Goldfischer [00:12:55]: Yeah. Because they have the built in one, the built in gratuity, and then people you know, a few people David Millili [00:13:00]: Always tip on that. Emily Goldfischer [00:13:01]: A little chat with people. Sometimes they slip you something. It's interesting. I'd love to know what that's like today because people hardly carry cash. David Millili [00:13:08]: Yeah. Exactly. So let's get in. We talked about Karen already. You were at Lowe's for a decade as VP of public relations. Tell us a little bit about that. And is was there a favorite moment that you have when you were there? Emily Goldfischer [00:13:21]: So many. I loved working at Lowe's. I worked with Jonathan Tisch who's just become the chairman. His nephew is now the president, I think, and CEO. But, yeah, I mean, when I went there, they had just opened the Loews Miami Beach maybe the year before I I joined the company. And it was when I joined that they then were about to open 3 hotels at Universal Orlando, so I helped open the Portofino, the Hard Rock, and the Royal Pacific. And those I mean, if you have you ever been to those hotels? David Millili [00:13:54]: The Hard Rock. Couple of them. Yeah. Emily Goldfischer [00:13:55]: Yeah. The heart the one that right. I mean, they're so fun. I love theme parks. So, like, being able to go to Universal for work, that was not a hardship at all, at the time. I also helped them open the Lowe's Philadelphia, which is in the the old PSFS building. David, you know that one from Philly? Yes. So that's a beautiful Hotelier. Emily Goldfischer [00:14:16]: And, you know, different markets we were kinda in and out of, and then also I worked on the opening of the Lowe's New Orleans. So it was actually a really exciting time to be with the company. I know they're still doing great things, and I think they just opened a few a week ago at the Lowe's Arlington in Texas, which looks beautiful. So I still keep in touch with with people there, and, I'm just happy to see that, you know, they're still doing so well and growing and continuing to lead the way in lodging in certain markets. So it's exciting, but I loved it. David Millili [00:14:48]: So in 2010, your husband's job brought you to London. You You became the London correspondent at Questech Media Group, and you started to notice a shift in the industry. Can you tell us about that time for you? Emily Goldfischer [00:15:00]: Yeah. I know. I just before we leave the Lowe's bit is also just to say that, and as we get into talking about her tellers, I had amazing bosses at at Lowe's. And at the time, Lowe's actually was one of very few companies in the hotel business that had female leadership. So my boss there was, well, Nancy Mendelson, who still works with me at her Hotelier, Charlotte Saint Martin, Sherry Laberoni. They were amazing, really strong female leaders at Lowe's. So I meant to mention that too. So from yeah. Emily Goldfischer [00:15:33]: My husband's job took us to London. He works for a French bank. At the time, my kids our kids were 46, and we were, like, coming here for 2 years because that's normally what happens with the bank. And, we're like, I mean, I love my job at Lowe's, but we were like, this is a great opportunity to travel and see the world. And so we came here, and it was an exciting time because if you remember 2010, the Olympics were coming to London in 2012. There was a ton going on in the luxury travel space, so there were new hotels opening. And, it was just the city was booming. This was pre Brexit. Emily Goldfischer [00:16:10]: It was a really exciting time to move to London, and we loved it. We actually love the quality of life here. There's a ton of culture and and, things. So we were really happy, and we we stayed. That was kinda not the plan, but we stayed. And, yeah. So now now my kid kids are getting well, my son is about to graduate high school, and my daughter is a sophomore at Cornell. So, yeah, time flies. Steve Carran [00:16:39]: And then while you're there, you what what kind of made you see that shift that was happening as far as, you know, not not seeing women represented in the industry as well? Emily Goldfischer [00:16:50]: Yeah. So I am working for Questex writing for luxury travel advisor. My beat was really covering London and Europe and, you know, the UK in general. And I started to notice in what was a very male dominated industry, particularly in luxury travel, that women were starting to get these top jobs, like being GMs of iconic hotels, getting a C suite roles. I mean, you still, and actually in in the UK and I think even in Europe, you don't really have any women who are yet at the CEO level. I know at Accor in the last 2 years, Hilda Perez Alvarado just got named CEO and a, you know, a big c suite strategy role there. But and Maude Bailey is the CEO of their gallery and emblems and, the Sofitel brand. So other than that, you you know, in the UK and in Europe, you haven't seen a lot of women at the CEO level, but there certainly was a movement happening. Emily Goldfischer [00:17:52]: And I felt that there was a way to cover it that could inspire more women, that this change was happening and that it needed to be documented in a way that was engaging and inspiring for women. When the pandemic happened, you know, I'd been talking about you for years, like, oh, I should start my own website. I should do something different on my own. And this this kind of theme really stuck with me, and I was like, actually, all of my experiences, whether it was Lowe's working for incredible leaders that were female or just in general noticing this shift, I was like, let me try this and see if it resonates, and it really has. So that's been quite gratifying. Steve Carran [00:18:38]: I love that. And started Hertellier in 2021. Was the pandemic kind of that tipping point where you're like, All right, Let's just do this, or did something else happen where you're like, we need this in our industry? Emily Goldfischer [00:18:52]: You know, it was really a combination of the two things. I mean, there was just a lot of extra time going around. You know, you couldn't travel. You know? So it was it was just like the opportunity presented itself because of because of the pandemic. And, you know, like I said, it was something that had been percolating in my mind for a couple years that, you know, this observation that that leadership was changing. But, yeah, it I had the time. I suddenly had the time to to to take on a project of my own. Steve Carran [00:19:21]: I love that. So that was great. Now we're gonna get more into the industry thoughts side of things. So one thing that you really focus on at Hotelier is career guidance. How are you helping women with career guidance? And, also, how can folks in hospitality make sure that that is an area of focus for them as well as they promote women up the ranks? Emily Goldfischer [00:19:47]: Yeah. I mean, thanks for noticing that. We really do try to be a great resource for women as they look, you know, to navigate their careers at any stage. So we're always looking to learn from one another. And yeah, I mean, some of the key themes that have come through is the need for mentorship and that women, you know, historically have had a harder time doing that. But, again, really pleased to see a lot of companies establishing formalized programs specifically targeted at helping women find mentors. So, you know, Hyatt has done this. Actually, we worked with them over the last year. Emily Goldfischer [00:20:29]: They just launched their Women at Hyatt program, and IHG has a very strong program for women in leadership, Marriott, Hilton. So it's great to see this happening in in industry, and that has been one of the things that we've tried to cover is, like, what's the difference between having a mentor and having a sponsor, and then how do you utilize these resources to help you navigate your career? So we're always asking the so we've actually done over 500 interviews now with different women and asking them about their best advice and also what their worst advice is. You know, what's, like, kind of the worst advice you ever took? So there is a lot of great information in the in the interviews about that. Steve Carran [00:21:20]: That's awesome. I gotta ask, what what's the like, is there somebody who had the worst advice that just sticks out to you? Emily Goldfischer [00:21:26]: Oh, that's well, when it comes to advice, actually, Nancy Mendelson writes a a regular column called Unpack It with Nancy, and she has had an amazing career where she's worked from CBS to Loews Hotels where we worked together. She's a professor at NYU at the Tisch School. So she actually has great advice and funny stories about, you know, weird things that have happened to her. I can't say one that sticks out, although this week's, this last week's column was about she actually used to write the script for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And the lessons that she learned about having to juggle so many different personalities, and she equated it to actually the balloon handlers that, you know, do the parade. So, yeah, definitely look out for Nancy's column. She's amazing. Steve Carran [00:22:22]: There you go. Good little plug there. I love it. So one thing I also saw was you talk a lot about work life balance and and how important that is. What advice do you have to avoid burnout? Emily Goldfischer [00:22:37]: Wow. That's a great question, and I wish I had an easy answer. I think it really is different for everyone in terms of priorities. And I also say in this phase of my life that I can look back on and there's like, you know, your priorities shift all along. And it's just a question of, you know, let's say, for example, if as a woman, you're in the middle of your, you know, your kids are young if you've decided to have children. Actually, another really popular story that was written by Lynn Elliott, who's a contributor to the site and who's worked her way up her career in in the real estate and of hospitality, the hotel business, is she wrote about when you have the choice to be child free. So we really try to cover all aspects and all the different options that women might take, but I think at the end of the day, when I think about the stories that we've written about career and work life balance, the hard thing is that there's always a lot of judgment placed on women, whether you have a family, you don't have a family. And it's like, how do you cope with that? How do you cope with the different demands? And I think that everybody has to kind of find their own answer, which is why we like to cover those topics a lot because it just changes all the time. Steve Carran [00:23:54]: I read the article you mentioned, and there was one I guess couple sentences that stuck out to me and it was, If women choose not to have children, that doesn't mean that they have more time to work. And I saw that sentence, and I am like, that's that it's just a great sentence. And I it just stuck with me. I read it a few days ago, and I still think about it. It's it's, well, a couple days ago. But, yeah, it it just stuck out to me. Emily Goldfischer [00:24:18]: Yeah. Veral, again, the inspiration from the article really came from her life experience, and she did a survey of readers of her tellur and, you know, from all different parts of the country and even some in Europe, I think, here. I think, you know, there is this idea, and she speaks about it in the article, and I you know, if you could link to it in the show notes, that for whatever reason, you know, there's just different expectations placed on women. And if you're a woman that doesn't have children, suddenly you're expected to be this, like, workhorse that doesn't have a life. And the same expectation is never placed on men. Like, if you're a single guy, I don't know. People just, they don't seem to assume that you don't have a life. I don't know why that is. Emily Goldfischer [00:25:07]: We need to change that. Steve Carran [00:25:09]: I agree. I agree. Yeah. David Millili [00:25:11]: And I think, yep, I think part of that too is now we're I think as it's slowly but getting better, it's also I think fathers, even men now, are so different than our generations. Like, our our fathers versus the way, you know, like I told my son, I've done more with you before you were 5 than my father did with me my whole my whole life. But, you know, I've as as a CEO, I've tried my best, diversity and women and mentoring and trying to make sure I know what people's career paths are. There's still not enough women in the c level suites across the board in hospitality also. So do you have any ideas or thoughts? Like, when you think about how that can change, what are some ideas that you have? Emily Goldfischer [00:25:51]: I think one of the first steps is what we're doing right now is talking about it. Because when you talk about something, you raise awareness of it, and I think that's really the first step. I also think that HNLA is doing a, you know, great job now with their forward program, which is part of the HNLA Foundation. Similarly, there's movements here in the UK to try and raise awareness about the struggles that women are facing in the workplace, whether it's, again, caregiving, which is universally seems to be an issue that's, you know, governments just can't seem to support people in the right way to help with the the the burden and the cost of childcare. Some companies are doing it. IHG actually just rolled out a program with a nursery here called Busy Bees, which I think is a really tremendous and innovative program. Yeah. So I think talking about it, I mean and then also things like menopause. Emily Goldfischer [00:26:47]: I mean, this might surprise you, this statistic, because it certainly surprised me. But the fastest growing, not the largest, but the fastest growing sector of the workforce in the UK is women over 50. So menopause has become a real hot topic, pun possibly intended in the UK. So this is definitely, you know, I think when you start talking about these issues, you normalize it. Then also, what's great, and we actually have a a column every month called our male ally of the month, but it's just about getting men involved in the conversation because then again, it it really helps with progress. And, yeah. So it's a you know, I think what we're doing, and I appreciate you having me on the show to talk about it. And right now, when it's women's, you know, history month, and we're really trying to make change. David Millili [00:27:43]: Yeah. And so one of the things I've noticed so networking can be difficult, you know, especially on the sales side. Steve knows that. I know that. A lot of my advisory roles have been in helping sales teams, and I find that a lot of the younger generation, they don't appreciate LinkedIn as much as they should because when I started my business in 2000, I was calling up. I had to mail stuff. You couldn't find that information, and now you can find out everything. So do you have any advice that you'd give to maybe the younger generation of women who are up and coming? And is or is there any events that you think are the the key events for women that they should be attending? Emily Goldfischer [00:28:22]: Yeah. I I you know, again, I would encourage women to get involved with. There's a lot of organizations that I I feel like, actually, we've seen a bit of a groundswell since the pandemic where women are really trying to support one another. And I will say about the current leadership and women that are in the c suite or in the, you know, iconic jam jobs and things like that. They're really conscious about making the experience for the women behind them different. So I think there is a lot of opportunity for young women to get involved, to ask for help, you know, that people do wanna help. And I think that's that's an important thing to hear because you can't be afraid to ask for help. Steve Carran [00:29:05]: I agree. And any final advice you would give to maybe young women out there or women in general that are in the hospitality space or, I guess, in general as well? Any advice you have to women out there? Emily Goldfischer [00:29:18]: Well, definitely read Hotelier. We have a Sunday newsletter. Since you offered me that opportunity, we have a Sunday newsletter where I round up, you know, kind of the business and world news of the week and with a feminist slant. So it's sort of like all the hot topics, some of the topics that we've talked about today. And then, like I said, really, I think it's not being afraid to ask for help and then also not being afraid to stick up for yourself. If you feel that, you know, you deserve an opportunity, you have to ask, you know, you have to ask for things. And I think women not you know, I feel that this generation coming up is better at that than maybe people of my generation were educated about. So I think it's really an exciting time. Emily Goldfischer [00:30:06]: I think it's an exciting time for the industry because there is there are more women in the universities doing the hotel programs. You have more diversity in general. And, you know, the thing about diversity is actually it's not just to look good or to kind of for some other reasons, actually, when you look at the studies, and McKinsey does this every year, is that diverse companies are more profitable. You know, when you have different perspectives, whether from people from different races, religions, sexual orientation, this all adds to the decision making process, and you just think about different things. And so it's really important to have all different kinds of people at the table and at the decision making process. So I think, you know, you gotta just go for it. That would be my advice is you gotta try. Steve Carran [00:30:56]: Absolutely. Sometimes you gotta ask to get out of the parking garage, you know? So alright. So this is where we turn the tables a little bit. We've been asking you questions for about 30 minutes now. So now, we give you an opportunity to ask us a question, if you'd like. Emily Goldfischer [00:31:11]: Well, I would like to ask you questions. So you are both obviously great allies to women. I mean, what have you witnessed in your career that you feel that women should be doing to advocate for themselves or could be doing differently? David Millili [00:31:28]: Well, I'll I'll start. Yeah. I mean, as you were talking about the advice, I was thinking about a woman who worked for me, and I'll tell the story quickly, but she was based in Florida. She came to New York and she was having her review and she wanted a a raise. And so she basically printed out and said, here's what my the clients think of me. Here's some emails. Here's what my coworkers think of me. Here's some emails she printed out, and here's what, you know, the ownership thinks of me in emails through correspondence. David Millili [00:31:56]: And, she wanted $5,000 bump. And I said, Iris, I can't give you a $5,000 bump. I said, because I need to give you more because you've just showed me how valuable you are. So I gave her a $10,000 increase, but I think it's that, you know, like like Steve was saying, you were saying sticking up for yourself, asking for things, making people know that you you wanna advance because sometimes, you know, everybody's busy. And I know as a leader, you know, I I've made it habit now whenever I interview somebody. I ask them what's their what's their goal. What are they trying to get out of the job? Where do they wanna be? How can I help them get there? So even if I know they're gonna leave, I'm okay with that as long as, you know, it's it's a a win win for both sides. So that's a little bit on my history. Steve Carran [00:32:40]: Yeah. Absolutely. I agree with David. And I just wanna say, like, my best managers that I've had in my life, I can think of at least 2 to 3, and they have both been women. I think women leaders have a more compassionate side to them, where we understand it is about the numbers, but also it's kind of, alright, a little bit more encouraging than, I think, some of the guys where it's like, you know, you gotta hit your number. That's all you got. But as far as any advice, I you know? And I love going to events, and, you know, they they have women panels and kind of talking, just starting the conversation. But just get out there. Steve Carran [00:33:15]: Like, let's let's network. Utilize LinkedIn like we talked about. Let's go to events. And, you know, I enjoy, like, open and honesty and, like, starting conversations about what is happening in your life in the industry and how ideas on how we can make it better for not only yourself, but for the upcoming generations as well. Emily Goldfischer [00:33:33]: Yeah. I mean, we've seen that our our events, women love coming to the events because it is really that open, honest dialogue. And I think that when you get women together, they really do wanna share and learn from each other. And, like, we did an event in January in London, and it was meant to be an hour conversation, you know, with some including some time for q and a. Well, the the audience was so engaged and so into the whole conversation was about change and adaptability that at an hour, I was like, it's an hour. You know, we It was supposed to be a breakfast. At 12 o'clock, I was still chatting with people. You know? This started at 8:30, and I have to say, like, well, actually, the the kind of the discussion started at 9, but the breakfast was called for 8:30. Emily Goldfischer [00:34:27]: And by 8:50, 90% of the people were already like, everyone was there. They were really eager to engage. And I I agree with you that, you know, events are very important, and it's it's a great way to meet people and to find like minded people to help you. Steve Carran [00:34:44]: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, that was that was a good question. Thank you for asking. Now we're gonna hand it over to John. John's been listening this whole time. He's got one final question for you, Emily, before we wrap up here. Jon Bumhoffer [00:34:56]: You've had a lot of great experience in the industry, and I'm sure you've been in some great cultures workplace wise and maybe some less than great ones. So what are some components or characteristics that you've seen and been involved with that makes a, company culture that makes it a great place for women to work and advance in their careers? Emily Goldfischer [00:35:16]: That's a great question. Thank you. And a great culture, I think, is one that understands people and where they're at. So one of the things I'm seeing that I think is great, particularly for women, is when companies are willing to offer flexibility, whether that's, you know, working from home for a bit or it's just understanding for a day or 2 when you just can't make it in. I think companies that are being very supportive and flexible are the ones that are gonna retain their workers and their teams. And at the end of the day, I think that's a smart move because you then don't have to be constantly on this treadmill where you're looking for people and having to then spend the money to retrain them. So David Millili [00:36:05]: So that does it for another episode of the Modern Hotelier. This is where you get to let people know how they can get in touch with you, how can they find out more about your company, upcoming events so you can plug away. Emily Goldfischer [00:36:16]: Great. Thank you. Please follow us on LinkedIn. It's Hotelier, h e r t e l I e r. Please sign up for our Sunday roundup, which is a free newsletter that covers all business, hospitality, and our own news with a feminist slam. And at the moment, I don't have further events that I can announce, but if you follow us on LinkedIn and you sign up for the newsletter, you'll definitely know everything that we have going on, and you'll be able to find all of the content we do where we're doing interviews with leading women in hospitality, but also we interview people that are in their first job. So I would say, please reach out to me if you think you have an interesting story to hear or to tell. If you have advice to share with other women, I'm always looking to hear from people and and to feature them in her Hotelier. David Millili [00:37:11]: Well, that does it for another episode of the Modern Hotelier. We hope to see everyone soon, and thank you so much for listening or watching. StayFlexi [00:37:18]: We're thrilled to introduce you to StayFlexi, an innovative platform revolutionizing the hospitality industry. Backed by Y Combinator, StayFlexy is a modern all in one PMS platform. Leveraging the power of AI, it's transforming how hotels operate, maximizing efficiency, and boosting sales for unsold rooms. Already, over 2,000 properties worldwide have made the switch to StayFlexy, experiencing the difference it makes. And here's the best part, exclusively for our listeners, StayFlexy is offering an incredible lifetime deal at just $149 per month. That's an astounding 80% discount. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your hotel's performance with StayFlexi. Steve Carran [00:38:01]: You made it to the end of the Modern Hotelier. Thanks for listening. The Modern Hotelier is produced by Make More Media. Make sure to like and subscribe if you're listening on YouTube or subscribe wherever you get your podcast. If you know a guest or sponsor that would be a good fit, feel free to email us at hello at the modern hotelier.com. If you'd like to get some modern hotelier merch, click the merch button on modernhotelier.com or click the link below. Thanks and have a great day.