162 | Money-Making Machine

10/22/24 • 37 min

Michelle Pascoe is a Sydney-based expert in hospitality and customer service with over 30 years of experience. As the founder of her own consultancy and host of the Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast, she helps businesses improve customer engagement and operational efficiency. Susan and Michelle talk about navigating the complexities of a multigenerational workforce.

Can we still ask employees to smile? Michelle digs into employee morale and the changing expectations of customer-facing roles.

A career-defining bad interview: Michelle recounts a shocking job interview that tested her values and ultimately led her to start her own business.

Navigating generational differences: Learn Michelle’s strategies for managing a workforce that spans Baby Boomers to Gen Z.

Leadership built on values: Michelle shares her no-nonsense leadership philosophy—know your values, live by them, and lead with integrity.

Consistency is king: From setting service standards to handling customer complaints, Michelle emphasizes the importance of consistency.

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Can we still ask employees to smile? Michelle digs into employee morale and the changing expectations of customer-facing roles.

A career-defining bad interview: Michelle recounts a shocking job interview that tested her values and ultimately led her to start her own business.

Navigating generational differences: Learn Michelle’s strategies for managing a workforce that spans Baby Boomers to Gen Z.

Leadership built on values: Michelle shares her no-nonsense leadership philosophy—know your values, live by them, and lead with integrity.

Consistency is king: From setting service standards to handling customer complaints, Michelle emphasizes the importance of consistency.

Previous Episode

161 | Airline Bankruptcy Surprise

Jared Lerner, co-founder and CEO of Nappr, transformed his personal challenges with sleep and travel into a platform offering short-term hotel stays designed for rest. With a background in software engineering and startup culture, he pivoted Nappr from brick-and-mortar spaces to a tech-driven marketplace. Susan and Jared talk about sleep health, travel convenience, and company culture.

What you'll hear about:

Pivoting in Business: Jared discusses his experience pivoting Nappr from a brick-and-mortar concept to a marketplace model, focusing on what makes a pivot successful.
Startup Culture: Jared shares insights from his time in New York startups and the importance of company culture, especially in smaller, more agile teams.
Founding Nappr: Inspired by personal sleep issues and a gap in the travel market, Jared launched Nappr to offer short-term hotel stays focused on improving sleep.
Overcoming Challenges: From co-founders leaving to airline bankruptcy chaos, Jared explains the hurdles he faced while growing Nappr.
Tips for Travelers: Advice for getting better rest while traveling, including using an eye mask, meditating, and embracing short naps during long travel days.

Next Episode

163 | Ice Bucket Investigation

Aurora Dawn Benton is a sustainability consultant and author of Exponential Impact: Harnessing Human Potential to Drive Sustainability in Organizations. With a diverse career spanning tech, finance, education, and hospitality, Aurora is known for food waste reduction, data-driven sustainability, and workforce engagement strategies. Susan and Aurora talk about rolls, melons, and expensive trash.

Episode Highlights:

Changing the Hospitality Mindset: Aurora explains how sustainability in food and beverage goes beyond cost-cutting. By reimagining food services, event planners can transform dining from "calories between sessions" into meaningful experiences.

Overcoming the BEO Nightmare: Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) need a redesign! Aurora shares her vision for streamlining these documents to cut down on waste, reduce costs, and enhance guest experiences.

Empowering Line-Level Staff: Aurora emphasizes that line-level employees are critical for sustainability success. From dishwashers to banquet captains, these staff members hold the keys to impactful change—and Aurora dives into strategies for engaging them.

The 80/20 of Waste Reduction: Instead of tackling every waste item, Aurora advocates a focus on the 20% of items—like bread and pastries—which make up 80% event food waste, sharing some eye-opening case studies on how small changes led to big savings.

Future of Sustainability in Hospitality: Predicting increased regulations and data requirements, Aurora says the future will demand both tech-driven efficiencies and genuine human engagement, particularly in the people-centric field of hospitality.