
This article title feels pretentious. đ I donât love that. But I wanted to get your attention to share some things that I hope help you.
A couple of weeks ago, the International Hospitality Institute named me the world’s #1 influencer in hospitality. To be frank, Iâve always felt a little skeptical about lists like these. I appreciate the recognition, but how do you really rank influence?
But hereâs the truth: Hospitality Daily became the #1 hospitality podcast not because of me, but because of youâand the tens of thousands of people in this community.
Thatâs the real reason Iâm writing this. I want to share what Iâve learned about influence, not in the âsocial media followerâ sense, but in the way that actually drives real change.
So, if you want to be influentialâto make an impact, to drive positive change in your industry, business, or communityâhereâs what Iâve learned so far about this…
đ§ Prefer to hear this from me in audio? Listen here now to the Hospitality Daily Podcast
1. Influence Starts with Solving a Problem That Matters
Hospitality Daily started with a simple observation:
Hospitality is beautiful. But itâs also hard.
If youâve ever worked on the front lines of hospitality, you know this. Itâs rewarding, but itâs also emotionally and physically demanding.
And over time, I realized something: People in hospitality need constant inspiration to keep going.
Thatâs the gap I wanted to fill. Thatâs why I started Hospitality Dailyâto remind people why they do this work and to fuel them with ideas, lessons, and stories.
đ If you want to be influential, donât focus on being influential. Focus on solving a real problem.
Ask yourself:
- Whatâs missing in your industry?
- Whatâs something that frustrates you?
- What pain point, if solved, would make a huge difference?
Thatâs where influence starts.
2. Use Your Unique Strengths
When I started Hospitality Daily, I wasnât a hotel GM. I wasn’t leading a hospitality company.
But I was good at media, marketing, and storytelling.
Thatâs what I leaned into.
A lot of people think they need a fancy title or a huge audience to be influential. Thatâs not true.
You already have strengths. Use them.
- If youâre great at building relationships, use that to connect people.
- If youâre great at solving problems, start sharing your insights.
- If youâre great at writing, start publishing your thoughts.
The key is to work with what you naturally do well.
Because if you try to force yourself into a role that doesnât fit, it wonât last. But if you tap into what you already know and love, your influence will feel naturalâand it will be sustainable.
3. Choose the Right Medium for You
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to build influence?
They think they have to be on video.
Or start a podcast.
Or write long articles.
Thatâs not true.
You have to pick a format that works for you.
For me, video isnât my favorite. I donât love being on camera.
But what I do love is conversations. Thatâs why I started a podcast.
For you, it might be different. Maybe you love writing. Maybe you love video. Maybe itâs something else entirely.
The key to consistency is choosing a format you actually enjoy.
Ask yourself:
- Do I love writing? â Start posting regularly on LinkedIn.
- Do I love speaking? â Start a podcast or get on the events circuit.
- Do I love video? â Start recording short clips to share insights.
Experiment. Try different things. When you find the medium that fits, double down on it.
4. Be Useful
This might be the most important lesson of all.
Real influence comes from being useful.
If you look at the most impactful people in hospitality, they arenât constantly promoting themselves. Theyâre helping others.
Thatâs how you build trust. Thatâs how you build a reputation.
For me, that meant focusing on conversationsâbringing in voices from across hospitality to share their experiences, lessons, and ideas.
For you, it might be different. But whatever it isâmake sure youâre actually helping people.
Donât focus on getting attention. Focus on being useful.
Ask yourself:
- What do I know that could help others?
- Whatâs something Iâve learned that others might benefit from?
Because, at the end of the day, helping people is the fastest way to build real influence.
5. Get Your Message Out There
Hereâs something I had to learn the hard way:
Itâs not enough to create great contentâyou have to make sure people see it.
For me, LinkedIn became a huge opportunity.
I started posting regularly, sharing insights, and engaging with others in the industry. Over time, that built awareness and credibility.
And hereâs the thing: You donât have to be everywhere. But you do need to be somewhere.
- Pick one platformâLinkedIn, a newsletter, whateverâand start sharing.
- Post once or twice a week. Engage with others. Add value.
Over time, youâll build influence.
Final Thoughts: What Influence Is Really About
So letâs recap:
- Influence starts with solving a real problem.
- Use your unique strengthsâwhat you already do well.
- Choose a content format that works for you.
- Be usefulâhelp others.
- Make sure your message reaches the right people.
And if you take nothing else from this, remember this:
Real, meaningful influence isnât about being famousâitâs about being useful.
The most influential people arenât always the loudest. Theyâre the ones solving real problems.
So hereâs my challenge to you: What problem are you going to help solve?
Iâd love to hear your thoughts, questions, and comments on all of this. Message me here on LinkedIn, or comment below….