Ep. 17: Quick summer catch up - BONUS
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As I look around my house, it’s organized chaos—except it’s more chaos than organized. And as I look at my to-do list in Asana, which is my organization tool of choice for my marketing projects, I realize it’s organized chaos in there too.
I have been focused on putting out a content-rich episode for you every single week.
At the start of the pandemic, I launched this podcast as a resource for hospitality and marketing professionals during uncertain times. Each week since then, I’ve covered a timely topic on adapting to the current direction of marketing and the future of travel.
Another reason I created this podcast was to share more voices. I noticed that voices in hospitality were overwhelmingly male, yet women were the ones booking vacations. I wanted people to literally start to hear my voice, the voices of other women, and the voices of underrepresented, key players in hospitality.
Since April, I’ve had conversations with seven amazing, industry leaders, starting with Frances and Ariela Kiradjian on episode 5. Those two walked us through how to market your hotel at the start of the pandemic, and the trends they’d seen coming. Through BLLA and StayBoutique, these two have created an incredible set of resources for independent hotels at this time, including their webinar series, The Unfamiliar Shift.
Next, I connected with Amy Ogden on episode 8. Amy walked us through storytelling right now. That episode was loaded with how to share stories that resonate and stick with people, and how that’s still very much possible. Since chatting with Amy, she’s launched a new business, The Collective, which connects hotels and agencies in perfect partnerships. I’m thrilled to be a part of the Consultant Collective. I may need to bring Amy back on the show to talk more about her new venture.
On episode 10, I connected with Alyssa Ramos, who thankfully is now out of lockdown in Barcelona and is giving me a ton of wanderlust as she explores Spain by plane, train, and automobile this summer. Alyssa shared some amazing secrets to content creation and travel partnerships. Alyssa’s also putting the finishing touches on her book.
On episode 13, I connected with Damon Lawrence to talk through a new kind of hospitality—a kind where we don’t just say everyone is welcome here, we make it happen. Damon’s launched a newkindofhospitality.com and is in the fundraising process for his next hotel ventures through Homage Hospitality, the first ever hotel group dedicated to Black travelers.
Right after that, we heard from Eve Dreher on episode 14. Eve is a branding expert who’s worked with huge brands in the midst of other crisis, to talk through branding for hotels now.
And just last week on episode 16, I connected with my old friend and revenue superstar, Aditi Verma, who shared some actionable revenue management strategies and the one mistake hotels are making right now when it comes to revenue.
As I sipped a mimosa this weekend while Reuben swung on some monkey bars, I confided in some of my closest friends that frankly, this podcast is exhausting! It’s a labor of love, but it’s also summer. And we’re going through a pandemic. The world is in upheaval. Planning a vacation takes twice as long, and we can only go half as far.
Business is in fits and bursts right now, too. People need help with marketing, but they don’t necessarily have the money, the time, the energy. The podcast is such a great resource because it’s free, but I have also been asking myself how I can continue to serve my clients.
What it comes down to is that I love travel and hospitality. It’s blankety, I know. I want to be a voice and help hotels with their marketing.
I learned a new term: multihyphenate. The idea that all of the things I do—from running a very lean marketing agency for hotels, to my travel blog, and this podcast, to my own creative and personal pursuits—all bleed into one another and strengthen each one.
I’ve figured out that when one bucket spills out into the next a bit, that’s a good thing, and that’s why I’m moving to two episodes per month, instead of weekly episodes, through the end of summer. So I can keep filling all of my buckets.
As a blogger, being prolific is key. Creating content on a consistent basis, which is what I aim to do with this podcast. But as a marketer, taking that content and finding new ways to share and disseminate it, is equally important. So I’m taking a step back, I myself am listening to the 16 episodes that came before this one, and I am learning where to go from here. To not just create a ton of great content, but to give that content a longer shelf life, by sharing it.
I know, it’s a bit ironic. I too am still learning How To Share. It’s a lifelong pursuit.
I love the interview episodes format, you guys can definitely hear it in my voice and I often ask Brittni to take me down a notch in volume.
I’ve also gotten great feedback on the more educational episodes, particular from small hotels who could really use some direction, but don’t have the budget to hire a marketing profession. My goal has always been to be both insightful and actionable in these episodes.
So now I’m taking some inventory. I’m thinking about my agency model and how I can help smaller hotels who need help with marketing. Not a full scale agency, not even a consultant, more of a guided educational resource and a way to understand what’s working and what’s not.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my own travel experiences—the ones that really stick out. A canvas tent. A rainwater shower. Bare feet, warm sand. Ecolodges have incredible stories to tell, but often don’t know where to start online. What would my services look like for a property like this—that has stories to tell, has the staff, and simply needs... a guide?
There’s something in the works that answers this question. That’s what I’ll be working on, in between episodes.
So stick with me, okay?
Now’s a good chance to catch up on some of the older episodes I mentioned, and also reach out to me if there’s a topic you’d like for me to cover, or a person you’d love for me to interview. Drop me a line below.
As always, keep sharing your stories.
