Josiah Mackenzie

Kevin Masse is the founder and owner of Small State Provisions (IG: @ SmallState ), a Connecticut bakery and café built around one simple idea: create a place where people want to gather. In this conversation, Kevin shares how a career in marketing, advertising, and food media shaped his approach to hospitality, why thoughtful design and local sourcing matter, and how he's navigating the transition from hands-on baker to visionary leader as the business grows. Listen to hear practical insights on building community, creating memorable guest experiences, and scaling without losing what makes a business special. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this sponsor bonus episode, Joseph McGroarty of Actabl shares what he learned working on site with a hotel company in the Forward Deployed Engineering model. He explains how observation and careful listening revealed the language, workflows, and operating knowledge needed to build AI around how hotel teams work and make decisions. You'll also hear how Actabl's Altitude product provides verified answers about hotel and portfolio performance, and why co-creation between hotel companies and technology providers helps move AI from a promising product to technology that defends a company's differentiators and drives real value. You may also enjoy: How Hotel Companies Turn AI Into Competitive Advantage - Steven Moore and Joseph Benjamin explain Actabl’s Forward Deployed Engineering model and how hotel companies move from AI experimentation to business outcomes. Why Our Approach to Hotel Data Earned a Patent and Prepares Hotels for AI - Joseph McGroarty, Clark Brayton, and Pritesh Patel explain Actabl’s normalized hotel data layer and how AI relies on a strong data foundation. AI That Works for Hotel Leaders Is Finally Here - Stephen German shares how Actabl built Altitude to let hotel leaders ask questions about business performance and receive verified answers they can trust. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow

In this episode, Emily Johnson , the Founder and CEO of Elevate Hospitality Collective , brings together Joli Barfield , Corporate Director of Human Resources, and Kristi Ellingsworth , Director of Hospitality, both at Dartcor Enterprises , to explore why great guest experiences begin long before a guest arrives. Drawing on experience across hotels, restaurants, HR and operations, they explain why employee wellbeing is more than a benefits program. It's a leadership and operational practice that shapes everything that matters in hospitality. You'll hear why so many guest-facing wellness initiatives fall short, how Dartcor is building employee wellbeing into daily operations, and practical ideas leaders can apply through manager development, pre-shift meetings, and simple tools for handling pressure on the ground. If you're looking to build stronger teams, reduce burnout, and create better guest -- and employee -- experiences, this conversation offers a practical framework for where to start. Learn more: Why the guest experience breaks before reaching the guest, and how to fix it (Emily Johnson in HOTELS Magazine) Nervous System Regulation in Hospitality: A Commercial Playbook for Hoteliers The Yield of Calm: The ROI of Mental Health in Hospitality Elevate Hospitality Collective on Substack BLS JOLTS quits rates by industry A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for

In this episode, Christina Poon , the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION , shares what watching AI companies can teach hospitality leaders: continuous improvement as a way to win in a business that's "always done it this way," AI as a research tool, and rethinking how you communicate with the next generation joining your team. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Christina Poon , the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION , shares the three layers of impact a hotel can make on its city: a gathering place, an economic engine, and a career catalyst that keeps talent home. You'll hear what she learned advocating for the neighborhood on the board of the Union Square Partnership , including the 14th Street mural painted by a couple hundred volunteers, and the city-first strategy behind the Detroit EDITION. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Christina Poon , the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION , shares how she's building a great hotel guest experience before the property opens. She talks about recruiting leaders in a place where she started with zero network, hiring for attitude plus operational readiness, and designing the guest experience while the building is still under construction. You'll hear why she meets every candidate one-on-one instead of relying on CVs, plus the W Hotels chef collaboration that shows what curated guest moments can deliver. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Christina Poon , the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION , shares how vision guides the moves you make as a hotel leader and throughout your career. You'll hear how Christina builds a property vision with owners and the team, why she compares each hotel chapter to making a movie, and how her yearly personal review helped lead her from New York to a construction site in Detroit. Listen to the first part of our series: The Unexpected Joy of a Career in Hospitality A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Christina Poon , General Manager of the soon-to-open Detroit EDITION, shares the story of how an unexpected career recommendation led her into hospitality and why she's never looked back. She reflects on the power of human connection, creating lasting guest experiences, and building a career aligned with your personal values. Christina also explains why she began documenting the realities of hotel leadership on LinkedIn, offering aspiring hospitality leaders a rare behind-the-scenes look at the work. If you're looking for a reminder of what makes hospitality such a meaningful profession, this conversation delivers both perspective and encouragement. Read Christina's writing on LinkedIn A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Milou Neelen , the Founder of Hôtel Magique , shares why so many beautifully designed hotels leave guests feeling nothing. You'll hear why she chases awe over polish, how imperfection makes a space feel more human, and why she believes an awe-inspired hotel moves guests from memorable to transformational. She also gets into the science of awe through the work of UC Berkeley's Dacher Keltner , author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder . Connect with Milou: LinkedIn Instagram Explore her work: Hôtel Magique: website and Instagram Batik Boy , the Bali radio and store space she designed with Davey Massikki The Pleasure of Leisure , co-founded with photographer Anna Pihan A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Scaling a hospitality brand is about more than adding new properties. The real challenge is preserving the culture, service, and sense of connection that made the brand successful in the first place. In this episode, Lily Wecker , CEO of Aethos , shares how the company approaches growth by investing in people first, choosing locations with intention, and expanding alongside the communities they serve. She explains why culture is the foundation for scaling and why staying true to your identity matters more than growing quickly. This conversation is hosted by our innovation correspondent Matthias Huettebraeuker . A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here . You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube , LinkedIn , and Instagram . If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together . If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands