Happy Friday Hospitality Hero,

Some people, like branding guru Scott Galloway (aka Prof G.), say brands are dead and that he no longer needs to defer to the “shorthand of brand” to find a good hotel. A super insightful and funny clip about how he sees the “conversion of the brand age, to the innovation age, to the social age”. However, this week, I saw that hospitality brands are very much alive, especially after speaking with Kristen Freeland from IHG. I appreciate the tension and coexistence between brands and independent hotels. I believe in competition, and I think we all make each other better.

The Friday Five

1. This Week's Feature: Check out Kristen Freeland’s podcast with me this week. She’s a Director of Design Strategies at IHG whose superpower is “storytelling.” Not only does she have an amazing career journey, but she’s navigated her career to leverage her storytelling abilities to invigorate brands at IHG via “evolution” and sometimes “revolution.”

2. Memory Lane: Similarly, I’d like to highlight a past episode with Loren Brill the CEO and Founder of Sweet Loren’s 🍪. Loren’s story is a powerful example of how personal experiences, vision, and purpose can shape a brand by telling her personal story and leaning into it. She built Sweet Loren’s after her battle with cancer, her fondness for baking, and her desire for healthier desserts, using her story to connect deeply with her audience. You can listen to Loren’s inspiring journey here: Loren Brill - Sweet Loren’s. And she and the team she’s built are OFF TO THE RACES. She continually inspires me.

3. A Dash of Inspiration: Summer is here; I hope you’re getting out to the water. DEDON’s Circl has got it right.

4. Journey Shorteners: I think, ultimately, storytelling is getting down to the “why” we do “what” we do. And boy, nothing got me digging down that rabbit hole deeper on the “why” than Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why.” It was a famous TED talk he did, but also a book and a workbook that took me on a powerful journey of Why.

5. Upcoming Industry Events: Below is a list of exciting industry events where we can connect, learn, and grow together. Let's continue to build our hive and support one another on this incredible journey!

I hope this Friday Five brings you insight and inspiration. Until next time, keep pushing the boundaries of hospitality and storytelling!

Naturally,

Dan Ryan