The Hospitality Mentor

Hospitality.FM
  • 5.0 (44)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Join me, Steve Turk, on the Hospitality Mentor podcast as we dive into the personal stories of some of the world's best Hospitality Professionals. We follow the journey of their ups, downs and wild turns and find out what it truly takes to make it in the amazing world of hospitality.

  1. 5d ago

    From Nightlife to Wellness: Milan Mijatovic on Building SILA Miami

    Host Steve Turk interviews Milan Mijatovic, founder of SILA Miami. Milan explains SILA as a social wellness club in Upper Buena Vista featuring longevity services (float tank, hyperbaric oxygen, lymphatic suit, red light therapy, bioscan/bodywork), outdoor classes (yoga, Pilates, functional strength, kettlebells), and contrast therapy (cold plunges and a 14-person sauna). He recounts starting in hospitality as a dishwasher at Atlanta’s Dante’s Down the Hatch, moving to Chicago to become a bartender and competition mixologist, then relocating to Miami where he worked at the Versace Mansion reopening, Regent Cocktail Bar alongside Julio Cabrera, and as a cachaça brand ambassador. After nightlife management at Rockwell and reflecting on industry excesses, a trucking-business detour, and a renewed focus on recovery and nature, he launched SILA without a formal business plan, emphasizing community support, systems, and a goal of a second location and future beach flagship. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Milan 02:48 What Is Sila 04:13 Steve Joins Sila 05:17 First Hospitality Job 09:52 Chicago Hustle 12:13 Cocktail Roots 14:18 Mixology Rise 15:31 Miami Calling 17:31 Cuba Turning Point 20:58 Versace And Regent 22:32 Brand Ambassador Era 23:48 Nightlife Management 26:43 Surviving The Scene 28:59 Wellness Seeds 30:11 COVID Pivot to Trucking 31:34 Owning the Leap 33:17 Back to Nightlife Again 34:31 Wellness Aha Moment 35:35 Cold Plunge Origins 38:11 Third Shot at Business 40:25 CELA Vision and Nature 42:37 Finding the Perfect Space 46:08 Building Sila Community 50:08 Next 12 Months Vision 51:57 Trust the Journey 52:59 Closing and Sponsor

    55 min

  2. May 22

    Larry Korman on Building AKA Hotel Residences, Intentional Hospitality, and Scaling Service Driven Living

    Host Steve Turk welcomes Larry Korman, co-CEO of Korman Communities and president of AKA Hotel Residences, to discuss his lifelong path in hospitality and residential real estate, from childhood work in the family business to leading a five-generation legacy. Korman explains how his father’s pie-shaped Philadelphia apartments sparked the furnished-apartment concept, later branded as Korman Suites, and how Larry and his brother built Korman Communities and evolved the model into luxury hotel residences under AKA, now spanning 16 properties over 22 years. He shares formative training in England, insights from Japanese hospitality, and a leadership philosophy centered on earning respect by doing frontline work, supporting teams and staying on property. Korman details AKA’s partnership with Airbnb that helped shape Airbnb Luxe, a strategy of optimizing cash flow, and plans to repurpose iconic hotels, expand in Florida, and grow globally with a strong health and wellness focus. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Larry Korman 02:03 Early Hospitality Roots 02:57 Five Generation Legacy 04:11 Birth of Furnished Stays 04:51 Branding Korman Suites 07:03 Design Passion Duke Days 08:17 Old School Training 09:28 Japan Hospitality Lessons 12:27 Earning Team Respect 15:21 COVID Leadership Onsite 16:29 Synergy And Marketing 20:31 Why Residences Win 23:14 Airbnb Luxe Partnership 27:07 Scaling AKA And Ave 30:03 Collaboration Culture 30:49 Leading Without Dashboards 31:28 On Site Hospitality 32:29 Home Away From Home 33:36 Brother Partnership Split 35:28 Growth Through Repurposing 38:34 Miami Florida Expansion 40:01 Global Wellness Vision 43:08 Hospitality Role Models 45:30 Keeping Teams Loyal 49:33 Advice To Younger Self 50:54 Wrap Up Sponsor Biscayne Coffee

    53 min

  3. May 1

    Chef David Burke: From Dishwasher to NYC Three-Star Chef, and his Restaurant Empire

    Host Steve Turk revisits an archived Hospitality Mentor Podcast episode featuring award-winning chef and restaurateur David Burke, who shares his path from dishwasher at a Sheraton to culinary school, Europe, and major New York kitchens. Burke recounts being mentored by a country club chef named Jose, attending the CIA, traveling through Europe, and working in top French restaurants and pastry school despite language barriers. He describes returning to the U.S. to work with, Daniel Boulud, and Charlie Palmer, then becoming executive chef at The River Café, earning a three-star New York Times review with a notable photo and winning the 1988 Tokyo culinary Olympics. Burke discusses opening and expanding restaurants, learning business under Alan Stillman, fighting for signature dishes like his pork shank, navigating partnerships, mentoring teams, and advising young cooks to stay focused, learn constantly, document, embrace mistakes, and find balance. Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify for this episode. Make sure to try Lodgify with our promo code THM60. 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:33 Sponsor Lodgify Platform 01:35 Chef David Burke Intro 02:19 First Kitchen Job 03:25 Jose Tough Lesson 06:34 Parents and Early Drive 10:14 Culinary School Path 11:21 CIA Mindset and Growth 12:57 Europe Opportunity 16:13 Chefs and Styles Abroad 18:59 Back to New York Rise 21:33 Leading River Cafe 24:48 Finding Personal Style 26:08 Critics and Pressure 27:37 Fearless Creativity Basics 28:23 NYT Three Star Breakthrough 29:21 Chocolate Butterfly Story 30:25 Park Avenue Cafe Deal 31:34 Miami Beach Opening Chaos 33:22 Pork Shank Menu Fight 35:13 First Restaurant Renegades 37:21 Expansion Partner Fallout 38:21 Choosing Business Partners 40:14 How Chef Culture Changed 43:52 Cookbooks Nightlife Pitfalls 45:56 Building Restaurants Today 47:08 Mentoring Creative Chefs 48:13 Advice To Young Dishwasher 50:45 Closing Thanks Sponsor

    52 min

  4. Apr 17

    Raul Leal on Building a Hospitality Career: From Miami Dishwasher to CEO of Starwood Hotels

    Host Steve Turk introduces an archived 2022 Hospitality Mentor Podcast episode featuring Raul Leal, then CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts (now CEO of Starwood). Leal recounts starting at Miami’s Everglades Hotel working with his Cuban-immigrant father, setting early goals to become a GM, and progressing through front desk and food-and-beverage roles, including managing a Sheraton with a major nightclub, before becoming a GM in La Jolla and later leading larger Sheraton properties in Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, and Miami. He describes launching and scaling Teton Hospitality and its boutique arm, Desires Hotels, driven by frustration with legacy-brand sameness and belief in internet-driven distribution. Leal shares how meeting Richard Branson led him to build Virgin Hotels from scratch, and why he later joined Starwood/SH Hotels to lead brands including 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse, emphasizing sustainability, better back-of-house spaces, mentorship, clear goals, and kindness in leadership. Try Lodgify with a 60 percent discount on all their yearly and bi-yearly plans with our code THM60 , and that's THM60 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:33 Sponsor Lodgify 01:38 Archive Episode Setup 02:10 First Hospitality Job 04:12 Choosing Hospitality Career 05:18 Learning Without College 05:55 Climbing Into Management 08:21 First GM Move West 09:27 Mentors And GM Life 10:24 Big Hotels Career Ladder 11:59 Entrepreneurial Leap 14:10 Building Boutique Portfolio 15:47 Travel Reality Check 17:40 Why Launch Desires 20:26 First Boutique Wins 21:43 Lifestyle Hotel Edge 23:00 Richard Branson Connection 23:43 Meeting Richard Branson 25:12 Consulting Turns Into Leadership 26:41 Inside Virgin Culture 28:45 Building Virgin Hotels From Scratch 31:00 Choosing The First Property 32:24 Chicago Launch And Expansion 34:20 Leaving Virgin For SH Hotels 36:16 SH Brands And Sustainability 40:31 Growth Plans And Openings 41:28 Reimagining Back Of House 44:04 Advice For Young Leaders 45:46 Closing And Sponsor Message

    47 min

  5. Apr 9

    Elizabeth Mullins on Building Luxury at Scale: From Ritz Carlton and Disney to Evermore Hospitality

    Host Steve Turk welcomes Elizabeth Mullins, President of Evermore Hospitality, who shares her start as a server at New Hampshire’s Lobster Shack and her first hotel role as a Ritz-Carlton Boston management trainee after earning hospitality and business degrees. Mullins recounts being inspired by a childhood Ritz-Carlton visit, spending 28 years with Ritz-Carlton as it grew from six to 99 hotels, opening multiple properties across Asia, becoming a GM multiple times, and later an area vice president. Recruited to Disney, she led global hotel development, renovations, premium services, and worked through the pandemic including the NBA bubble. She then helped open New York’s Fifth Avenue Hotel as COO/Managing Director, learning independent distribution and culture measurement, before joining Evermore after being approached for her luxury-and-scale expertise. She describes Evermore’s “togetherness” concept, Conrad Orlando anchor, 300+ villas/homes around an 8-acre Crystal Lagoon, extensive amenities, and plans for growth, and closes with career advice on courage, speaking up, integrity, and hospitality as a lifestyle. This episode was brought to you by Lodgify. Use code THM60. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:33 Sponsor Lodgify 01:38 Meet Elizabeth Mullins 02:00 First Hospitality Jobs 03:17 Ritz Spark at Five 05:44 Ritz Career Growth 09:28 Asia Expat Adventure 17:04 Service Lessons Abroad 18:54 Leaving for Disney 21:07 Disney Hotels Role 23:15 Frictionless Check In 26:14 Independent Hotel Leap 28:36 Independent Hotel Wins 29:17 No SOP Reality Check 30:06 Distribution Lessons 30:54 Agritourism Marketing Advice 32:34 Building Culture Systems 35:25 Evermore Recruitment Story 38:49 Togetherness Travel Concept 42:27 Evermore Scale and Amenities 44:53 Service Model Evolution 46:50 Growth Plans and Year Three 49:23 Advice to Younger Self 53:58 Wrap Up and Sponsor

    56 min

  6. Mar 23

    Oakwell Beer Spa Founders Jessica & Damien Zouaoui on Building a Social Wellness Day Spa

    Host Steve Turk interviews Jessica and Damien Zouaoui, founders of Oakwell Beer Spa in Denver, a social wellness concept combining a craft beer and wine self-pour taproom with four private spa suites featuring infrared saunas, rain showers, and hydrotherapy tubs infused with hops, malt, and herbs, plus optional zero-gravity robotic massage chairs and room-service refills. They share their hospitality backgrounds, leaving corporate jobs in New York City, and traveling to 25 countries to find a scalable U.S. concept after discovering a beer spa in Poland in 2018. They detail market research that led to Denver, funding challenges solved through Denver’s economic development loan program and a nonprofit SBA lender, difficulty securing a lease, and a DIY buildout using auctions during COVID. Oakwell opened February 26, 2021, emphasizing five-star yet non-stuffy service, adding non-alcoholic options, and aiming to franchise within a year. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:33 Sponsor Lodgify 01:38 Meet Oakwell Founders 02:10 Beer Spa Explained 02:36 Suites And Addons 04:22 First Hospitality Jobs 05:44 Quitting Corporate Life 07:20 World Trip For Ideas 10:18 Discovering Beer Spa 12:34 Why It Clicked 14:49 From Idea To Plan 17:09 Funding And Finding Space 20:29 Landing the Space 20:52 SBA Loan Reality 21:35 From Church to Spa 22:39 DIY Build and Auctions 25:18 Opening Day Playbook 26:58 Michelin Casual Service 29:35 Touchless Spa Model 33:09 Wellness and Moderation 36:15 Franchise Plans Ahead 37:28 Leap of Faith Advice 39:09 Wrap Up and Sponsor

    41 min

  7. Mar 19

    Tim Major CEO of Operto on AI Agents, Direct Bookings, and the Future of Hotel Technology

    Host Steve Turk welcomes Tim Major, CEO of Operto, to discuss how AI is reshaping hospitality through “agentic teammates” designed role by role to assist or replace specific hotel tasks. Tim shares his path from early hospitality exposure as a Volkswagen tour guide in Vancouver/Whistler to building computers, creating award-nominated music-industry websites, founding a hospitality-focused development company that was acquired by RoomKey, and rising from VP roles to CEO. He explains RoomKey’s early PMS integrations (including with Expedia), the industry’s fragmented tech landscape, and how RoomKey was acquired by Full Steam to consolidate and standardize PMS capabilities across North America. Tim describes using multiple LLMs across departments, AI-driven productivity and potential burnout, and why Operto focuses on outcomes—especially direct bookings, distribution, fraud detection in brand-search ads, and surfacing real-time operational insights—while avoiding AI that harms guest experience. He emphasizes hotels being discoverable in LLMs and advises professionals to start using AI tools now. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:33 Sponsor Lodgify 01:38 Meet Tim Major 02:26 Aperto AI Agents 03:57 First Hospitality Taste 05:34 Early Tech Roots 06:36 Music Websites Breakthrough 08:09 Founding in Hospitality Tech 09:48 RoomKey Career Rise 11:40 Mentors and Learning 13:42 Hard Lessons Contracts 14:58 Full Steam Consolidation 17:47 Joining Maestro AI Strategy 18:50 Building Aperto AI Native 21:26 AI Shift Reflections 22:33 Everyday AI Workflows 24:39 Adoption Gaps and Burnout 25:47 Hospitality AI Strategy 27:06 Distribution Monitoring Agents 27:53 Stopping Brand Ad Fraud 31:21 Back of House Automation 32:16 Unifying Hotel Data 35:56 Personalized Direct Booking 38:42 Wellness Itinerary Curation 40:16 Next 12 Months Focus 41:58 Career Advice and Wrap

    45 min

  8. Mar 6

    Adam Tuttle on Yipy, Four Seasons, and Building a Hospitality Standards Management System

    Host Steve Turk welcomes listeners to The Hospitality Mentor Podcast, brought to you by sponsors Lodgify and Biscayne Coffee, He interviews Adam Tuttle, co-founder of Yipy, described as the industry’s first hospitality standards management system that centralizes hotel standards by role, adds analytics, and supports inspections and audits. Adam shares his early hospitality work in a Nevada casino, his first professional role as an Eiffel Tower elevator operator in Las Vegas, and studying hospitality at UNLV. He moved from Caesars Entertainment to help open a La Quinta, gaining broad operational and sales exposure. Through mentorship, he joined Four Seasons, worked in multiple markets including opening Four Seasons Orlando at Disney World, and later returned to Las Vegas. After reconsidering his GM path, he launched a consulting business and then created Yipy to solve persistent standards and measurement challenges, building it with co-founder Phil Erickson and client-driven development. Adam discusses Yipy’s pre-seed $1M raise, partnerships including Leading Hotels of the World, Marriott approved vendor status, and excitement about AI, and closes with advice on relationships and networking. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:33 Sponsor Lodgify 01:38 Meet Adam Tuttle 01:54 What Is YPI 02:50 First Hospitality Job 03:56 Choosing Hospitality 05:21 Vegas During Recession 07:46 Opening La Quinta 10:07 TripAdvisor Success 11:53 Mentorship To Four Seasons 14:25 Learning Luxury Service 16:19 Go To Grow Culture 18:27 Four Seasons Disney Magic 22:03 Entrepreneurial Turning Point 23:50 Starting Consulting Business 24:39 Landing First Clients 25:19 Leaving Ops for Consulting 26:14 Landing First Clients 27:31 Finding a Consulting Niche 28:22 Just Do It Mindset 29:16 Why Yippy Was Born 29:47 Proving Training ROI 31:44 Building the First Tool 32:43 From Tool to Platform 34:51 Coding Reality Check 36:02 Customer Led Product Design 37:09 Hoteliers in Tech 38:27 Funding and Big Partnerships 41:38 AI and the Standards Database 44:20 Advice to Younger Self 46:24 Wrap Up and Sponsor

    48 min
See All (176)

5
out of 5
44 Ratings

About

Join me, Steve Turk, on the Hospitality Mentor podcast as we dive into the personal stories of some of the world's best Hospitality Professionals. We follow the journey of their ups, downs and wild turns and find out what it truly takes to make it in the amazing world of hospitality.

Information

More From Hospitality.FM

You Might Also Like