Jennifer Barnwell is president of Curator Hotel and Resort Collection, a consortium of about 100 independent hotels across the US who have joined forces to create more buying power and give consumers one place to find independent lifestyle hotels. Curator's mission is to help independent hotels stay independent, and Jen has enough industry experience to lead the way. Susan and Jen talk about number crunching and bank fraud.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• What lifestyle hotels are
• How buying power helps independents
• When data helps and hurts the hotel business
• Where to look for experiences that are truly unique
• Who are the best people (hint: starts with H, ends with otel)

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John Bianchi is founder of STR Search, a data analytics company that helps real estate investors determine which properties are best positioned for cash flow. With more than $75 million in deals and a (self-reported) 100% success rate, John is the short-term rental industry's expert on what makes a successful Airbnb business. Susan and John talk about hottubs, dining tables, and rental arbitrage.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Who should clean your rental units
• How to juggle multiple business interests
• Why treehouses will never go out of style
• What to add to your STR to make it succeed
• Where memories are created in a rental house

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"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

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Seema Jain is founder and president of Seva Global, a cultural competency training and consulting company. After using her own cultural competency to move major market share during the 2008 recession, Seema developed programs to enhance cultural competence across Marriott hotels. Susan and Seema talk about pickles and vegetarian food.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How to think the breakfast buffet
• Why you might give up an aisle seat
• When to apologize for a cultural faux pas
• Who has recession-proof business for hotels
• What you're responsible for as an entrepreneur

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

Tap to give us five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.

Ashli Johnson is finally holding a conference for Black and Brown hospitality leaders, and the world will be better for it. An industry mainstay with experience across operations, real estate, consulting and academia, Ashli's latest project, Hued 2024, will connect and inspire hoteliers of color. Susan and Ashli talk about academia, intersectionality, and sugar babies.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Where to start networking
• What conferences do for hotel careers
• How one front desk agent got a new car
• Which experiences make degrees more valuable
• Why Michael Phelps almost ended Ashli's career

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

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Bruce Jordan has been in the hotel business since age 12, and he's picked up so many tricks along the way that he put them into a book. The Hotel Revenue Bible is a hotelier's guide to under-the-radar ideas that will make your property more profitable. Susan and Bruce talk about gas leaks, upsales, and labor costs.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How to save money on electricity and internet
• Where hotels go wrong with labor
• When to start upselling guests
• What the 49 cents rule is
• Why rewards matter

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

Tap to give us five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.

Alex Alioto is co-founder and head of growth at whimStay, a last-minute booking platform for short-term rental stays, and Noel Russel is chief marketing officer at the company. Susan talks with them about how they see the importance of travel and where the industry is headed.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Where to visit for under-the-radar wine country
• How consumers think about last-minute travel
• Why nomadism is more accepted now than ever
• When to listen to the voices in your head
• What Alex and Noel hope for from AI

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

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Cory Mortensen is a travel writer and explorer who has published three books, the most recent called Embracing Bewilderment. Cory spent two years traveling around the world and having adventures, from eating stew in a farmer's backyard to being held at gunpoint by an authoritarian military regime. Susan and Cory talk about how photography is sometimes rude and how traveling can calm your fears.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How ancient aliens maybe did stuff
• When to pitch a tent in a new country
• Where you don't lose your common sense
• Why travel friendships can be like therapy
• What kind of tickets to always book in advance

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

Tap to give us five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.

Ludovic Siouffi is founder and CEO of Fox Fold, a company that makes toilet paper and facial tissue dispensers that lower costs and reduce waste. After many years in finance, Ludo joined forces with three co-founders to reinvent toilet paper. Susan and Ludo talk about creating a supply chain, leaning on a co-founder, and discovering a secret on the loading dock.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• When to contact your investors
• What is hard about folding tissue
• Why Ludo feels sorry for solo-preneurs
• How to keep your ideas safe from imitators
• Where to look for thrown-away toilet paper rolls

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

Tap to give us five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.