What was your very first job, and what did it teach you about people?
My first job was working in my dad’s garage and gas station during high school. My dad had been an aerospace executive before he bought the garage and was the smartest, quickest person I’ve ever known. Because he got dirty and wore coveralls, people would look down on him, pigeonholing him as, I don’t know what. I learned that you can’t judge a person by what they do or how they look and vowed I would never do that. Even running huge hotels, I knew my employees’ names and would help out when they needed it, whether it was carrying bags, clearing tables, or answering phones.
How did you get into hospitality?
I was going to UCLA with the plan to go to law school. One morning at the breakfast table, my dad and I got into an argument about a car. I had parked my pride and joy in the driveway, blocking my dad’s car. While trying to maneuver his Ford station wagon around it, my dad backed into my car. I rushed out to the driveway and saw the bumper of my car laying on the ground. My dad said “see you at work” to which I replied I wouldn’t be in because I had to fix my car. Then he said “you have a job to do,” and I told him that he shouldn’t have hit my car. At that point, he retorted, “I’ll make it easy on you, you’re fired. Now you have time to fix your damn car.” Suddenly finding myself unemployed and needing a job, I applied at the local McDonald’s. And that was the start of my hospitality career.
What is a personal value you refuse to compromise in business?
Integrity. My dad taught me that you have to like the person looking back at you from the mirror. I’ve tried to use that as my barometer in everything I do.
What is one moment with a guest or team member that truly moved you?
I was invited to the 50th anniversary of Robert Redford’s founding of the Sundance Resort in Utah, where I had worked 20 years earlier. The person who invited me was Chad Linebaugh, the current president of the resort, whom I had promoted into his first management position 20+ years prior. He stood on the stage introducing prominent folks in the audience: Robert Redford and his family, the governor of Utah, the mayor of Salt Lake City, the mayor of Provo, etc. Chad then said, “…and now I’d like to introduce the man who is probably most responsible for Sundance as it is today,” and called my name. It filled me with pride and brought me to tears.
Who was an early mentor that shaped your leadership style?
When I left the mainland for my first GM position, I was leaving a beautiful 4-star golf resort to run two 1-star properties in Keauhou-Kona. My GM at Silverado Country Club, Kirk Candland, told me, “If you’re going to run a 1-star property, make it the best 1-star property it can be. There are things we do here that don’t cost any money: a warm greeting for each guest; lead, don’t point; and treat every guest as if they’re a VIP.”
I took that to heart and within about a year, our two properties rose to the top of the market for economy hotels in Kona. That lesson has never left me. Every interaction with a guest is an opportunity to create a lasting relationship, a lasting memory.
