I’m embarrassed.
Not embarrassed of who I am or what I do, but embarrassed that my job even exists in the way it does.
I’m embarrassed that in 2025 I still have to walk into hotels and train managers how to treat employees like human beings. Think about that. In an industry that prides itself on service, I still have to teach executives to listen to their staff, to reward talent, to respect people. This isn’t leadership, it’s babysitting. And the truth is, the reason turnover is destroying this industry is because leaders refuse to do the most basic thing: value their people.
I’m embarrassed that I have to sit across from boards and remind them that social media isn’t a distraction, it isn’t an afterthought, and it sure as heck isn’t something you pawn off to the intern. Social media is the storefront of your brand. It’s the first handshake with your guest. It’s where trust is built or lost. And in 2025, I still hear executives say things like “we don’t need TikTok” or “LinkedIn doesn’t matter.” Meanwhile, their competitors are cashing in because they actually understand attention is the supply chain.
I’m embarrassed that I still have to tell brands to be human when they communicate. You’d think by now that hospitality companies would understand nobody connects with stock photos, empty slogans, or robotic campaigns. People connect with people. They connect with your staff, with your culture, with your values. But instead, most brands are still hiding behind corporate noise, terrified to show the messy, real, human side that actually drives loyalty.
And here’s the real problem: none of this is complicated. None of this is groundbreaking. This is the most basic playbook for running a business that serves people. And yet the industry keeps failing.
Hospitality is supposed to be the most human business in the world. Travel is supposed to be about connection. But we’ve got leaders who treat their employees like disposable parts, leaders who dismiss the single biggest marketing tool in existence, and leaders who think a brand story is something you slap on a brochure.
I do this work because I love this industry. I want to see it thrive. But the fact that I even have a job doing this should be an embarrassment to every executive who has ignored the obvious for this long.
So let me be clear. If you run a travel brand and you’re still waiting for someone like me to tell you the obvious, you’re already behind. The brands that win in the next five years will be the ones that finally stop treating fundamentals like revelations and start acting like leaders.
Treat your employees like superstars. Take social media as seriously as you take your bottom line. Tell stories that actually mean something. And if you can’t do that, then step aside, because your guests, your employees, and your competition won’t wait for you to catch up.
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If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let’s chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com
