General Manager at ōkta and Tributary Hotel

In my role, I lead with Charitable Assumption. This was originally a USHG core value that was continued with the team at EMP under Will Guidara. A more intentional way of stating “give others the benefit of the doubt.” This idea is one of my most often used in leadership. Whether I am communicating with a staff member or a guest, it is best practice to believe in their good intentions, rather than assuming the worst. This places the communication and interaction on a basis of trust and empathy and allows me to be fully in tune with the other’s needs.

Taking a year off from college to work for the Walt Disney Company through their WDW College Program in 2008 meant uprooting myself from cold and wintery New England and venturing to the very humid stomping grounds of nearly 10 million annual guests. Positioned on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, I was truly at the crossroads of countless cultures, languages, and human interactions. This one year, which began with slinging hot dogs and french fries and ended with a position of General Teller (counting more money daily than I had ever seen), allowed me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of hospitality through genuine human-to-human connection. My closest friends during my time there, my co-workers that stood by my side as we were slammed daily before the afternoon parade and nightly before the fireworks show like clockwork, were from every walk of life across the globe. We rarely spoke in words, our actions linked in common understanding of the tools of the trade and how a smile or nod could go a long way. This connection based on genuine hospitality and wanting every guest to have the most magical experience while they dined with us, gave me an incredible sense of pride and was some of the greatest leadership that I have been a part of. Our training was meticulous and intentional and set the standard for how I continue to train all of my staff.

It’s important to care deeply about your work and what you do, but also be able to disconnect from it when you leave the workplace. Having the ability to enjoy the wonders of the Pacific Northwest just outside our door means being able to turn our attention to the beauty of the land and sea and all that it can show us. There is so much to learn from our surroundings that I am constantly in awe and when that happens, my work brain gets to turn off and I let that awe seep into all of me.

Having begun my career at age 14, and been given the opportunity to attend a vocational high school for culinary arts, I have a passion for hiring those who are new to the industry or considering beginning their career in the hospitality industry. Being able to recall the excitement and curiosity of all of the things that I could learn through this industry and seeing that same excitement in hiring new staff brings me so much inspiration. Sharing books, documentaries, history, and experiences with others is such a beautiful way to share human connection.

Allowing all staff to learn, collaborate and engage makes for a greater understanding of our industry and what we can each be doing to enhance our time together and that of our guests.

Focus on and give attention to things that excite you and fill your gas tank, rather than focus on all that you're doing to work towards burning out. There has never been a better time in this industry to stop burning out, to dream big and go for it!

I find inspiration in community and relationships. Having a shared meal, a shared story, a shared experience is something that cannot be replaced. It makes you intimately connected to that moment, truly of the place and time.