WHEN LIFE ' S DETOURS
LEAD TO YOUR TRUE CALLING
Remember when you were little, and someone asked what you wanted to be when you grew up? I bet " Hospitality Coach " wasn ' t on your list! It certainly wasn ' t on mine.
In 2017, I left my steady job with stars in my eyes and recipes in my pocket. Every dinner party I hosted ended with friends declaring, " You should do this professionally!" Their faces lighting up with each bite of my carefully crafted dishes convinced me that catering for Atlanta ' s elite was my destiny.
Then my body stepped in with a reality check. Living with fibromyalgia meant some days were easy and others... well, let ' s just say they ' re not ideal for standing in a kitchen for lengthy cooking sessions.
So, I found myself behind the wheel, driving for a rideshare company while figuring out my next move. Those rides turned out to be the Lord’ s way of steering me right where I needed to be.
" My staff seems indifferent about their work," a Bagel Shop Owner would sigh from my backseat.
" While our guests adore the property, they consistently voice concerns about the front desk staff ' s unwelcoming demeanor," a Hotel Operations Manager would confide.
The difference between a forgettable visit and an unforgettable experience often comes down to people— staff who genuinely care and know how to make guests feel valued.
With each conversation, pieces of a puzzle I didn ' t know I was solving fell into place. Suddenly, I recognized why I was that teenager drawn to hotel lobbies and rooftops— absorbing their distinctive atmosphere and studying the elements that made those spaces so alluring. Why I ' d mentally redesign service flows while dining out. Why friends in the industry had always valued my perspective on their customer experience challenges.
The revelation hit me: I wasn ' t meant to create the food— I was meant to help create the entire experience around it.
This epiphany led me to become a Certified Business & Entrepreneurship Coach and dive deep into Hospitality and Tourism Management. I also immersed myself in Neuro-Marketing and Customer Care principles, fascinated by the psychology behind memorable guest experiences.
Today, through Beyond Expectations Hospitality Solutions, I get to combine my lifelong passion with practical strategies that help small hospitality businesses shine in ways they never thought possible.
What I ' ve discovered is both simple and profound: The difference between a forgettable visit and an unforgettable experience often comes down to people— staff who genuinely care and know how to make guests feel valued.
After working with countless hospitality entrepreneurs, I ' ve identified three critical pillars that determine whether a business merely survives or truly thrives:
1.) Proper Training transforms good employees into exceptional ones— giving them clear guidance and resources they can access even during the busiest shifts.
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