All of it started with a household journey to Disney World for Todd Felsen, president and chief govt officer of OTH Lodges Resorts, an unbiased resort administration firm. As he informed LODGING, he by no means did outgrow his youthful attraction to the trade. It was love at first sight upon arriving on the Polynesian Village, which was one of many first Disney resorts. “I bear in mind strolling into that expansive atrium foyer with cascading waterfalls, unique birds, and folks in conventional Hawaiian costumes as if we have been in Maui,” he recalled. “Everybody appeared so sharp and was so pleasant. I assumed even then it was one thing I ought to take into account for my future.”
From Doorman to CEO
Felsen’s climb up the ladder included positions on the “outdoors,” as doorman on the Hyatt Regency in Miami, and “inside” as a company administration trainee working his approach as much as his lofty present place. “I ultimately labored my approach by means of each self-discipline—entrance workplace supervisor, govt housekeeper, meals and beverage, and so on.,” stated Felsen, who moved on to a sequence of govt positions together with common supervisor and resort supervisor with Doral Resort & Spa, Wyndham Lodges & Resorts, The Peabody Memphis, and The Ritz-Carlton Lodge Firm.
Within the years main as much as his becoming a member of OTH, Felsen honed a bunch of recent capabilities that paved the best way to that vacation spot. For a number of years, he ran his personal consulting group, managing resort and resort property, repositionings, renovations, gross sales and advertising and marketing campaigns, and the event of recent resorts, resorts, and resort/resort condos. He then took on the place of senior vice chairman of operations for BENCHMARK, a world hospitality firm, the place he oversaw 14 resort and resort operations all through america and Caribbean.
Cultivating a Nice Workforce
At present, as president and CEO of OTH, Felsen stated he strives to “ship distinctive monetary outcomes, environment friendly operational efficiency, and heat, memorable Southern hospitality,” whereas main with what he termed “a team-first coverage” that acknowledges staff as “OTH’s No. 1 asset.” As such, Felsen goals to foster a constructive work setting. “We all know that having constructive staff helps us attain our objectives—each financially and internally as an employer,” he stated. Additionally instrumental to attaining OTH’s objectives are staff he described as “entrepreneurial leaders, having ardour, being modern and accountable.” Professionals who show these qualities have “the desire” he’s looking for. “We rent the desire and prepare the ability,” he stated.
But the promising newbies to his firm usually comply with a unique path than his personal, he noticed. For instance, whereas Felsen was enriched personally and professionally by his personal profession transfers, together with a number of years within the Caribbean (see sidebar on web page 13), he famous that many potential workforce members right now are much less prepared to simply accept the form of relocations that have been as soon as half and parcel of advancing in hospitality. “After we have been youthful, you needed to transfer round to get promoted. That was at all times the best way it was. However in right now’s market, flexibility [in an employee’s present position] is the secret,” he defined.
The reluctance of candidates to uproot their households and depart their communities, he stated, has impacted staffing for key positions. Nonetheless, he added, his personal perspective towards constructing a greater hospitality firm, too, is altering—even to the extent of his recognizing the benefit of getting family- and community-minded workforce members who wish to keep put. As well as, he has rejected the prescriptive strategy to buyer care inculcated by his early coaching at Ritz-Carlton. “They have been nice believers in being scripted—what to say, the right way to say it in each state of affairs. My very own perception now could be that hospitality is all about being unscripted, and, the truth is, our firm tagline is ‘unscripted hospitality,’” he stated.
Nurture Over Nature
Felsen is clearly “a pure” for the resort enterprise—he’s outgoing and enjoys assembly new folks. “I imagine creating particular person relationships is so essential; everybody’s completely different, and also you don’t know the life circumstances of the individual subsequent to you,” he stated.
But he maintained that his success within the enterprise is a results of hard-won nurture slightly than nature—largely by at all times consciously striving to be the toughest working and most constructive individual within the room. “I at all times deal with enterprise, however I even have a ardour for folks and caring for them, and I imagine in treating folks with compassion, displaying you care,” he confused. That compassion is prolonged to his personal staff—who he personally calls to consolation and have fun—in addition to to the company within the resorts all of them serve.
Classes From the Ladder: Todd Felsen Recounts His Significant Experiences and Takeaways
The trail Todd Felsen took to his management place at OTH Lodges Resorts was not with out its challenges. But there have been classes realized on each rung of the skilled ladder he climbed. “I really feel I grew up within the enterprise by means of the life classes realized whereas doing every part attainable,” he associated.
A couple of examples:
Constructive first impressions. As a doorman, then bell captain, he realized concerning the energy of first impressions—and a smile—whereas assembly and greeting company, for which he was amply rewarded. “At the moment, my pockets have been at all times full of money from the information I acquired,” he recalled.
Adapting to a brand new enterprise tradition. As a hotelier overseas—he spent 4 and a half years within the Caribbean whereas working for Wyndham Lodges & Resorts as resort supervisor/common supervisor—he realized about doing enterprise in different cultures. “I realized quite a bit about being a visitor in another person’s nation, the place there have been challenges reminiscent of from unions and unfamiliar politics, and that the best way they do issues shouldn’t be essentially the way you do issues,” Felsen defined. “I realized to assume strategically about the right way to say issues and function, and to rely on my native workforce to assist make selections of their nation.”
Useful “probability conferences.” Felsen has realized concerning the worth of on a regular basis alternatives to community. Because of this, Felsen stated he urges his gross sales groups to talk up folks having breakfast or sitting on the bar on the resort. “I discuss to everyone I meet, that I sit subsequent to on a airplane, or stand close to in line on the grocery story,” he stated. “There’s plenty of enterprise on the market and there are lots of people on the market making connections and networking.”
Standing out within the crowd. From powering by means of troublesome occasions and at all times transferring ahead by working onerous and staying constructive, he realized the right way to beat the competitors, which, as he informed his daughter, is just about everybody: “I inform her, ‘It’s nice to have pals in class and work, however always remember they’re additionally your competitors. You due to this fact must at all times do your greatest to face out amongst your friends, present you are able to do extra, be higher than everybody else. Be pleasant, however at all times deal with enterprise.’”
Sustaining a constructive perspective. “There are at all times curve balls in life in addition to in enterprise; it doesn’t go in a straight line. Nothing’s ever excellent. It comes right down to the best way you adapt to vary, being sensible however having a constructive outlook on every part,” he suggested.
