SPECIAL REPORT
BUT WHAT ’ S DIFFERENT [ ABOUT ZAPPOS ] IS THEY TRAIN THEIR COLLEAGUES WHO ANSWER THE PHONES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS . YOU ’ RE NOT FORWARDED ON TO THE NEXT PERSON , OR ON HOLD FOR 20 MINUTES . I ’ M LOYAL TO THEM BECAUSE IT ’ S SO EASY . I FEEL LIKE MY NEEDS ARE FIRST .
JULIENNE SMITH
energizing to take this time to focus on life at home .
Julienne Smith : As I shared during our session in January , I have long since turned off ‘ the news .’ This is even more important for me today . There is more misinformation out there than ever , it seems , much of it fraught with unnecessary doom and gloom that I have further curated my personal news feed . Axios has been a great resource for that , and WSJ . com continues to deliver the real deal . I ’ ve also read more books than I typically have had time for . “ Dare to Lead ” by Brene Brown and “ Untamed ” by Glennon Doyle were my last two ; “ Primal Leadership ” by Goleman , Boyatzis and McKee is my current read .
H : How have you found new balance , and how do you maintain it ?
McCrory : This has been the most intense time in my career , particularly in terms of time commitment , supporting and communicating with the team and decision-making . So I have been extremely mindful of the need for balance during these very challenging times . I find that in addition to practicing wellness , setting attainable goals for myself , even as simple as closing all three of my Apple Watch Activity Rings within a 30-day time frame , provides me with a sense of balance . John Cohlan : Regardless of the pandemic , my professional goal remains the same — to continue to build a hospitality business that provides unique lifestyle experiences for guests and consumers and is a fulfilling place to work , develop and grow for our Margaritaville team . This goal has been a bit more challenging to achieve given the current situation and new measures in place , but our successes and flexibility to maintain and spread the Margaritaville state of mind make it all the more rewarding .
Tierney : Sheltering in place has kick-started a new routine for me — walks and bike rides with my daughter have been a warm welcome to my usual travel routine . I ’ ve also starting listening to meditation content on Headspace . As part of Hyatt ’ s collaboration with Headspace that launched this earlier this year , Hyatt employees have access to a complimentary subscription , and it ’ s been exciting to learn about meditation and try something new for my own wellbeing .
H : Since the onset of COVID-19 , who have you talked to for direction and assurances in your career ?
Silcock : Our weekly executive committee meeting has been incredibly valuable to stay connected with my boss , Chris Nassetta , and my colleagues . I have known and worked with some members of our executive committee for a long time , and I rely on them to stay grounded , focused and motivated . Since we have been physically apart for so long , I ’ ve found those strong relationships to be more important than ever .
Danica Boyd : I am so fortunate to be part of the Castell Alumni ( castellproject . org ), where we have met monthly to share best practices , connect on industry leading initiatives , share our successes and hardships , all while finding strength in navigating these times with a strong mind and a compassionate heart .
I also have many former leaders that I admire and am inspired by , former bosses that I have connected with along the way , including Keith Pierce , managing principal at Passionality Group , and Annmarie Fairweather , vice president of talent at A . J . O ’ Connor . Their guidance and affirmation were heartfelt and helped drive me to a new career path .
The following questions and answers come from the January roundtable .
H : What inspires you and helps you in your decision-making and ideation ?
Jeff Voris : I spend a lot of time when we ’ re on property watching guests and looking for that look in their eye when they get that moment of ‘ wow ,’ because they walk into a place or have a great interaction with an associate . That is
32 hotelsmag . com September / October 2020