#4 REFLECTION – What do you hope people never forget about the way you made them feel?

Published 01.09.2025

I hope they remember feeling seen. Whether they were guests, team members, suppliers, or someone just walking into the room for the first time—I hope they felt acknowledged. Not just welcomed. Not just “served.” Seen.

Hospitality has always been about that for me. It's not just about the food, the playlist, or whether the MARTINI was shaken properly (though... let’s be real, that matters too). It’s about making people feel like they matter—because they do. That applies to the person ordering the steak and the person dropping it off.

But reflection isn’t just personal. It’s something the whole business needs to do—constantly. Are we doing what we said we’d do? Are our values showing up in how we hire, train, serve, and show up for one another? The team needs to reflect too—not just in performance reviews or end-of-year wrap-ups, but in the day-to-day. The shift debrief. The awkward service moment. The missed connection with a guest. That’s where growth lives.

And the industry as a whole? It’s long overdue for a look in the mirror. We talk about change, evolution, and resilience—but are we actually willing to rethink the things that no longer serve us? The culture that burned people out. The systems that prioritized efficiency over connection. The myth that excellence can exist without empathy. If we want hospitality to mean something again, we’ve got to reflect—not just react.

Reflection, for me, is the ongoing check-in: Am I still leading in a way that lifts people up? Am I building something that makes others proud to be a part of it? Am I the kind of presence people want in the room—or even one they feel they need to recover from?

I’m proudest when people tell me they grew while working with me. Or that they felt respected. Or that the business just felt better once the culture shifted. That’s what I want them to remember. Not the KPIs or the damn MARTINI I obsessed over (though let’s be honest, I still obsess). But that they were part of something that made them feel like they belonged.

That’s the goal. That’s the bit I want to get right—even when I don’t get everything else right.

Because without REFLECTION—PURPOSE, LEADERSHP & IMPACT are not evolving. And frankly, MARTINI deserves better than that.

Movie Reference: Goldfinger" (1964) is a James Bond film where 007 investigates Auric Goldfinger, a wealthy gold magnate, and uncovers his plan to irradiate the US gold reserves at Fort Knox.