1. How has your career path changed up until now?
I love telling the story of my career – pivoting from a corporate role to entrepreneurship – because it shows that many careers do not have a straight line, and you must take an opportunity when it arises, particularly if you have an opportunity to learn, gain new skills or you will achieve a lifelong goal.
2. Did you have a mentor who helped you get to where you are now? If so, what would you say is the most important thing you learned from your mentor?
My career is punctuated with multiple mentors who gave great advice – and I listened. Something that I learned is that when you are about to go to the next level in your career (or in life!), you might experience great challenges or hardship. This is the moment when everything is possible – you can retreat, remain complacent or push forward – and it is up to you. Most people do not want to go through those hard times, so if you do, you are likely to succeed beyond your wildest dreams!
3. What advice would you give to those pursuing their first business venture?
If you are an entrepreneur, remember this mantra: A-B-C or 123. What this means is that you need to always have a great Attorney, Bookkeeper and Cashflow or you will have $1.23 in your pocket. Your contracts and taxes are very important, and you must have cash coming into your business too! I aso recommend that you have a great team – to be a good CEO means that you hire people who are smarter than you in various disciplines so that your company can grow. A lot of people are intimidated by skilled professionals, and want to teach people to be ‘great’…if you are starting out, you don’t have time to teach initially – your business must succeed. Hire the best, even if you cannot pay yourself for a moment – and your business can grow!
4. How do you overcome risk when it comes to making business decisions?
Risk is part of life and business. Each choice can affect the final outcome – and the best thing one can do is write a list of pros/cons before major decisions. Sometimes it might mean a conversation with a mentor or someone who is more experienced who can ‘see around the corner’ – and for the price of lunch, you might be able to gain some insight before making a decision that you perceive as a risk, but a more seasoned person may see as the logical next step.
5. Why did you decide to become a mentor/ investor for the Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator?
Everyone reaches a point in the life and career where they should reach back to pull others along – with advice, guidance and wisdom. I appreciate the NYU graduate experience and think that it is time to mentor those who are part of this program.
6. What book are you reading now?
I am reading LET THEM, by Mel Robbins
7. What is your favorite vacation destination?
Anguilla and Australia
8. What is your favorite movie?
I recently watched The Six Triple Eight on NETFLIX and loved that these women overcame multiple challenges to fix a broken system – even as they were underestimated, barriers were put in their way and a biased system and people tried to undermine them – yet they overcame and changed the way that our mail is delivered to U.S. military service members
9. Any last words you would like to share…
I love two quotes from Maya Angelou: “If someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.” AND “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
