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Josiah Mackenzie

1125 posts
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  • 1 min

Lessons from Leading at Starwood, Google, and the Culinary Institute of America: Michiel Bakker’s Career Journey

🏠 Michiel Bakker, President and CEO of the Culinary Institute of America, shared his hospitality industry journey on Jan. 27, 2025. He discussed pivotal career moments and lessons learned, with support from the technology provider Shiji Group, known for streamlining hotel operations and enhancing guest experiences. The episode featured music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound, specializing in Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands.
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  • 14 min

Proven Strategies to Drive Revenue and Profits in Hospitality Today – Judith Cartwright

📢 Judith Cartwright, founder and managing director of Black Coral Consulting, discussed revenue challenges and profitability strategies for hotels on a podcast recorded at the end of January 2025. Cartwright, previously SVP at Kertzner International, emphasized the importance of optimizing peak seasons, which for some hotels account for 70% of profits within three to four months. The conversation touched on innovation, staying competitive, and the impact of events like Taylor Swift concerts on hotel demand. She highlighted the significance of experience creation, social media's evolving role, and the need for hotels to innovate in areas such as fitness and wellness. Operational profitability was also discussed, stressing cost awareness and strategic planning involving various departments. Cartwright recommended early expert involvement in projects and provided insights into technology and culture that support effective revenue and profit strategies.
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  • 11 min

How 75 Conversations Became Hospitality Unlocked – Steve Turk, The Hospitality Mentor

📖 Steve launched his new book, "Hospitality Unlocked," drawing from years of podcast interviews with industry leaders. Inspired by Tim Ferriss, he compiled advice for younger professionals, distilling insights into a structured guide with quotes and actionable steps. The book categorizes 75 leaders into five sections and is designed for ongoing reference, not a one-sitting read. It’s available in multiple formats on Amazon, including paperback, hardback, and Kindle. Steve's work encapsulates the journey from humble beginnings to C-suite success, emphasizing learning from challenges and staying humble.
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Inside Gensler’s 2025 Design Forecast for Hospitality – Lori Mukoyama

🌏 Lori Mukoyama, Global Hospitality Leader at Gensler, forecasts 2025 hospitality design trends on Jan. 24, 2025. Gensler's "2025 Design Forecast" provides insights for the future of the industry. The episode highlights technology's role in hospitality, with Shiji Group sponsoring, renowned for streamlining hotel operations and guest experience enhancements. Music for the show is by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.
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Why I Share My Ideas – Michael Levie

💬 Michael Levie, on Jan. 24, 2025, shared insights on leadership in a Hospitality Daily Podcast episode, highlighting communication and openness as key to citizenM's success. The episode is supported by Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology company. The podcast also features music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound. Resources and additional episodes with Levie are mentioned for further engagement.
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Creating “Quantum Leaps” In Hospitality Innovation – Michael Levie

```html 📢 ``` In a Jan. 23, 2025 podcast episode, Michael Levie discusses innovation in hospitality, advocating for "importing" ideas and cross-industry skills. Supported by Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology leader, the episode encourages implementing ideas for business enhancement and improving guest experiences. Music provided by Bespoke Sound, specializing in Music Identity Design for hospitality brands.
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  • 27 min

Better Decisions, Faster: Using Data and Technology to Boost Hotel Revenue and Profitability (Tim Wiersma and Dan Skodol)

📌 In a podcast recorded in January 2025, Tim and Dan from Revenue Generation discussed the evolving landscape of the hotel industry, focusing on revenue and profit optimization, and the pivotal role of data science and AI. Tim narrated his career journey, starting as a reservation agent in Omaha, Nebraska, progressing through roles at Starwood Hotels and Host Hotels, and eventually founding Revenue Generation. Dan, with a background in revenue management across casinos and multifamily sectors, emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions and highlighted his work in predictive analytics. Both highlighted the need for a single source of truth for data, the importance of understanding and defining data elements, and the role of technology in accelerating decision-making. They stressed the significance of clean data, business intelligence tools like Power BI, and the potential of AI in enhancing revenue management strategies. Summary: Tim and Dan from Revenue Generation, with extensive careers in hotel revenue management, discuss the industry's challenges and the potential of data science and AI for revenue and profit optimization in a podcast recorded in January 2025. They advocate for clean data, strategic use of business intelligence tools, and adopting AI to drive efficient and faster decision-making. For more details from their comprehensive discussion on the future and current state of revenue management in the hotel industry, including the evolving use of AI, listen to the full podcast.
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What I’ve Learned Building Productive Tech Partnerships – Michael Levie

📡 Michael Levie, co-founder and former COO of citizenM, discussed building productive tech partnerships in hospitality on Jan. 22, 2025. Highlighted the support from Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology leader known for exceptional implementation support and solutions adopted by major brands. Episode included music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.
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