Hospitality Daily Podcast

Josiah Mackenzie
  • 4.8 (42)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED DAILY

Stay informed and inspired to delight people and grow your business with daily conversations with interesting people doing interesting things. Hosted by Josiah Mackenzie.

  1. Your Guests Define Your Brand Now - Valerie Ferguson

    1D AGO

    Your Guests Define Your Brand Now - Valerie Ferguson

    In this episode, Valerie Ferguson shares why the guests experiencing your hotel now define your brand more than your marketing ever could. Drawing on nearly five decades at Hyatt, The Ritz-Carlton, Loews Hotels, and Disney, Valerie explains why online reviews have become the most important business driver 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 suggestionsIf 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

    12 min
  2. "Hotels Aren't That Bad" & More Takeaways from Hunter Hotel Investment Conference 2026 - Josiah Mackenzie

    1D AGO

    "Hotels Aren't That Bad" & More Takeaways from Hunter Hotel Investment Conference 2026 - Josiah Mackenzie

    Josiah Mackenzie shares the top takeaways he had from this year's Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. 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 suggestionsIf 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

    11 min
  3. What Owners Need to Know About the People Running Their Hotels - Valerie Ferguson

    2D AGO

    What Owners Need to Know About the People Running Their Hotels - Valerie Ferguson

    In this episode, Valerie Ferguson, the former Director of Lodging at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and past Chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, shares what she wishes she could have said earlier in her career about the tension between owner expectations and taking care of your people. Drawing on nearly five decades leading at hospitality companies, Valerie talks about the political pressure of owner meetings, why employee housing and fair compensation should be part of the development plan, and what it takes to fight the right battles in ownership conversations without losing your ability to inspire 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

    9 min
  4. How Hyatt's Culture of Trust and Freedom Sparked Innovation - Valerie Ferguson

    3D AGO

    How Hyatt's Culture of Trust and Freedom Sparked Innovation - Valerie Ferguson

    In this episode, Valerie Ferguson, an 18-year veteran of Hyatt Hotels, shares how Hyatt's culture of trust and creative freedom produced innovations, from coordinated amenities to club level.  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

    12 min
  5. How Serving the Community Builds Stronger Hotel Teams - Valerie Ferguson

    4D AGO

    How Serving the Community Builds Stronger Hotel Teams - Valerie Ferguson

    Valerie Ferguson reflects on her leadership as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta. She explains why community engagement played a central role in her leadership of the hotel and in building relationships across the city. Valerie shares how initiatives like volunteering with Project Head Start strengthened team pride, deepened empathy, and reinforced the idea that hospitality leaders serve their teams as much as their guests. Her perspective offers a clear reminder that strong hospitality businesses grow from strong connections with their surrounding communities. Listen to our episodes with Horst Schulze here You may also enjoy:  Hospitality as an Engine for Generosity: How Humanitarian Hotels Operates with Excellence & Gives Away 100% of Profits - Chris GreenImpact Hospitality: How Hotels Can Build Community & Drive Change - Donte Johnson & Jason BassWorking With The LeBron James Family Foundation To Empower People Through Hospitality Skills Training - Stephan Bogardus and Tommy Ostrum, Graduate Hotels 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

    10 min
  6. Insights from an “Unreasonable Hospitality” Practitioner - Nathan Woods

    5D AGO

    Insights from an “Unreasonable Hospitality” Practitioner - Nathan Woods

    Nathan Woods, founder of Beloved Hospitality, returns to share how hospitality principles apply beyond hotels and restaurants. Drawing on ideas from Unreasonable Hospitality, he explains how leaders in industries such as insurance are rethinking customer relationships through a hospitality lens. Nathan breaks down how he teaches teams to see hospitality as a posture, not an industry, and why mapping the real customer journey reveals overlooked opportunities to serve people well. You’ll also hear how he’s building simple systems through his “Hospitality OS” approach to turn everyday interactions into meaningful moments and sustain the people whose work centers on serving others. More: Listen: AI Is Not the Threat to Hospitality. Artificial Hospitality Is. (Nathan Woods)Listen: Cultivating Heartfelt Hospitality - Nathan WoodsListen: From Track and Field to Treehouses: Lessons for Hospitality From Building Businesses In Other Industries - Nathan Woods, Bolt Farm Treehouse 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

    18 min
  7. AI Is Not the Threat to Hospitality. Artificial Hospitality Is. (Nathan Woods)

    6D AGO

    AI Is Not the Threat to Hospitality. Artificial Hospitality Is. (Nathan Woods)

    Nathan Woods, founder of Beloved Hospitality, joins the show to share his perspective that the real threat to hospitality is not artificial intelligence—it's artificial hospitality. Drawing from his own work experimenting with AI, Nathan explains why technology does not weaken human connection on its own. The real risk appears when we let systems replace care and attention for our guests. More: See Nathan's post on this on LinkedInRead Nathan's newsletter on thisListen: Cultivating Heartfelt Hospitality - Nathan WoodsListen: From Track and Field to Treehouses: Lessons for Hospitality From Building Businesses In Other Industries - Nathan Woods, Bolt Farm Treehouse 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

    11 min
  8. Why Hotels Buy Technology But Still Struggle to Get Results - Mark Fancourt

    MAR 12

    Why Hotels Buy Technology But Still Struggle to Get Results - Mark Fancourt

    In this episode, Josiah Mackenzie speaks with Mark Fancourt, cofounder and principal at TRAVHOTECH, and a former senior leader across global hospitality brands and technology companies.  Their conversation explores what hotel leaders often misunderstand about technology strategy. Mark shares why many hotels invest heavily in new systems but still struggle to translate those investments into operational results. The discussion centers on the foundational role of structured data, organizational discipline, and education in unlocking the real value of technology. Josiah and Mark also examine the excitement around artificial intelligence in hospitality but why AI alone will not solve operational challenges without the right data foundations in place. Along the way, Mark offers a candid perspective on the industry's long-standing technology silos and outlines what a more integrated, platform-driven future could look like for hotel operations. For hotel leaders focused on improving performance, the episode offers practical insight into how better data structure, stronger technology partnerships, and better-trained teams can turn existing tools into a meaningful advantage. 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 suggestionsIf 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

    33 min
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4.8
out of 5
42 Ratings

About

Stay informed and inspired to delight people and grow your business with daily conversations with interesting people doing interesting things. Hosted by Josiah Mackenzie.

Information

  • Creator
    Josiah Mackenzie
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.2K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hospitality Daily Podcast
  • Show Website
    Hospitality Daily Podcast

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