CARRY ON
By JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gathering in January just before the start of ALIS in Los Angeles ( l . to r .): Kyle Kleinschmit , director , commercial accounts , Wall Street Journal ; John Cohlan , co-founder , Margaritaville ; Jim Tierney , senior vice president , development and owner relations , Hyatt Place and
Hyatt House ; Heather McCrory , CEO , North and Central America ,
Accor ; Lisa Stuart , director , national accounts , Wall Street Journal ;
Jeff Weinstein , editor in chief , HOTELS ; Danica Boyd , at the time head of Wyndham Garden brand ; Julienne Smith , senior vice president , development , IHG Americas ; Mark Laport , president and CEO , Concord Hospitality ; Jeff Voris , senior vice president , global design strategies , Marriott
International ; and Chris Silcock , COO , Hilton .
Before anyone had even heard of the word coronavirus , HOTELS in January conducted a roundtable panel with leading brand executives to talk about how and where they find inspiration to address professional challenges and opportunities . Among other questions , we asked where they go to learn and refresh ; who and what inspires them ; and what non-hotel brands they try to emulate .
A lot has changed since that session , sponsored by the Wall Street Journal , just before the start of BHN ’ s Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles , and due to COVID-19 we decided to postpone publishing their insights until this month . To make this more up-to-date , we went back to the panelists in July to find out how they have managed their professional lives in an unprecedented environment .
HOTELS : During our January discussion , we talked about finding inspiration and motivation . In light of COVID-19 , where have you found new inspiration to carry through ?
Heather McCrory : Roundtables with our key customers and one-onone conversations with our owners have provided invaluable insight , and both have been incredibly cooperative as we work in tandem to find immediate solutions to pressing issues and discuss future probabilities .
Jim Tierney : Throughout COVID-19 , it ’ s become very clear to me that to support and take care of others , you must take care of yourself first . There ’ s a great metaphor — ‘ you can ’ t pour from an empty cup ’ — which means that making time for self-care is a must-do on your priority list , rather than a frivolous indulgence . To show up and be of service to others , you need a full cup of mental , physical and emotional energy , and I ’ ve tried to set this example this for my team members as well .
Chris Silcock : Personally , this has been a unique opportunity for me to dedicate time to the things that can be difficult when I am traveling . I ’ ve been more focused on my exercise regime , cooking and enjoying meals together as a family , working in my garden , and playing piano and drums with my son , Pierre . I absolutely love to travel , but it has also been
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