Technically Speaking
Technically Speaking
Podcast Description
Technically Speaking is the podcast where top executives in hospitality and retail share their journeys, insights, and the strategies that helped them scale teams and achieve success. Each episode dives into the challenges and wins of industry leaders, offering valuable lessons for aspiring professionals and seasoned executives alike. Join us to gain fresh perspectives and practical tips on leadership, innovation, and growth in the ever-evolving world of hospitality and retail.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various themes within hospitality and retail, including leadership, innovation, and career development. Notable episodes cover topics like overcoming imposter syndrome in hospitality, the integration of AI technology in guest experiences, and strategies for effective team building in diverse environments.
🎙️ The Leadership Lounge Podcast
Hosted by Cindy Hook, Founder of Lifestyle Recruiters
The Leadership Lounge is the go-to podcast where top executives in hospitality and retail share their journeys, insights, and proven strategies for scaling teams and driving business success. Each episode uncovers the real challenges and wins of industry leaders, giving listeners practical takeaways on leadership, innovation, recruitment, and growth.
At Lifestyle Recruiters, we specialize in building dream teams for hospitality, retail, and consumer brands. Our signature approach combines AI-powered talent mapping with personalized video outreach, helping companies attract passive A-players, reduce hiring costs, and eliminate the stress of constant vacancies.
By blending these two worlds — candid conversations with industry leaders and cutting-edge recruiting strategies — The Leadership Lounge delivers unique value for executives, hiring leaders, and anyone ready to level up in the competitive world of retail and hospitality.
💡 Why listen?
Get insider lessons from VPs, GMs, and CEOs in hospitality and retail
Learn practical strategies on scaling, culture-building, and market expansion
Discover how Lifestyle Recruiters helps brands fill tough roles with ready-to-hire pipelines
Access recruiting and leadership tips that save time, money, and talent headaches
👉 Tune in weekly to stay ahead in hospitality & retail leadership.
👉 Interested in being featured, sponsoring, or partnering? Contact Lifestyle Recruiters to learn more.
In this Leadership Lounge conversation, Cindy sits down with Todd Felsen, CEO of OTH Hotels & Resorts, to trace a 40-year arc in hospitality from falling in love with the show of Disney’s Polynesian Village as a kid, to starting as a doorman, to leading multi-property operations across the U.S. and Caribbean and ultimately running a hotel platform. Todd unpacks the operational heartbeat of great hotels, why he teaches teams the “circle of trust” (every function affects every guest touchpoint), how to hire better, and what today’s younger talent expects from leadership. He also shares lessons from island postings (Puerto Rico, Aruba), the link between guest delight and financial performance, and a surprising source of inspiration: the entertainment-driven reinvention of the Savannah Bananas a reminder that brand, community, and experience win.
What you’ll learn
- The formative spark: seeing hospitality as theater and why showtime still matters.
- Todd’s path: doorman → front-of-house → GM → multi-unit leader → CEO.
- The Circle of Trust: how housekeeping, F&B, concierge, finance, and maintenance rise or fall together.
- Island leadership: operating as a guest in someone else’s country cultural humility, consistency, and standards.
- Hiring correctly: the selection discipline and interview questions that prevent costly misalignments.
- Developing Gen Z/younger teams: meeting them where they are (social platforms, rapid feedback, growth signals).
- Metrics that matter connecting guest experience to COGS, labor, RevPAR, and owner outcomes.
- Brand & experience: lessons from the Savannah Bananas on turning a business into a movement.
Mentioned
- Disney’s Polynesian Village & Contemporary Resort (the early “showtime” spark)
- The Savannah Bananas story (Jesse Cole’s “fans-first” philosophy) as a branding/experience case study
About our guest
Todd Felsen is the CEO of OTH Hotels & Resorts, leading strategy, operations, and growth across a portfolio of properties. His leadership DNA blends hands-on operations, rigorous selection, and a guest-first, owner-aware mindset.
Connect
If this episode resonated, follow the show, share it with a hospitality leader, and drop us a note with the toughest leadership challenge you’re facing we may feature it in a future episode.
Disclaimer
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