Gary Brown is a former attorney and CPA who ditched billable hours for buildings, turning a brotherly townhouse-flipping side hustle into Furnished Quarters, one of the largest corporate housing providers in the U.S. He leads a service-first operation across major markets like New York, Boston/Cambridge, and the Bay Area, blending tech, design, and a very real "stuff breaks at 3am" mindset. Susan and Gary talk about service, standards, and survival stories.

• Why corporate housing is hospitality first and real estate second
• Service recovery that actually keeps clients calm when everything goes sideways
• Move-in magic that prevents the "week one complaint festival"
• Inspection systems that catch tiny problems before guests do
• Communication rhythms that build trust when lights go out or floods happen
• Setting expectations for big-city living without scaring people off
• Relationship selling that lands major accounts and keeps the pipeline moving
• Conference strategy that works pre-event, not just at the cocktail hour

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Corporate housing succeeds or fails on service, not real estate.
While the apartment itself is the barrier to entry, Gary is clear that it represents only a small fraction of what defines a great stay. The real differentiator is hospitality-level service: constant communication, fast problem resolution, and setting expectations when things inevitably go wrong. Corporate housing, in his view, should be run like a 24/7 hospitality operation, not a passive real estate business.

2. The first day of a stay determines everything that follows.
Move-in is the most critical moment in the guest experience. Furnished Quarters invests heavily in inspections, buffer days between stays, detailed arrival instructions, and proactive outreach after arrival. Many complaints can be avoided entirely by over-preparing for that first impression and by addressing small issues before they turn into frustration.

3. Strong relationships and preparedness outperform tactics in sales and growth.
Whether discussing conferences, entertainment clients, or long-term partnerships, Gary emphasizes that success comes from relationship selling and advance work. Deals are rarely made by chance. They are built through consistent presence, pre-scheduled meetings, local involvement, and long-term commitment to the market. This same mindset applies operationally when things go wrong: recovery and trust-building matter more than perfection.

Gary Brown on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-brown-b324512/

Furnished Quarters
https://www.furnishedquarters.com

Other Episodes You May Like:

76: Liquid Closing Dinner with Derrick Barker
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/76

26: Responsible for the Weather with Robyn Joliat
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/26

70: Beach House Ghost with Emmanuel Guisset
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/70

Stacy Garcia is a designer, entrepreneur, and trend forecaster known for bold patterns and a sharper-than-average crystal ball. She built a multimillion-dollar textile studio serving hospitality and residential design worldwide. Susan and Stacy talk about palette, pattern, and personalization.

• The secret life of hotel lobby books
• Why surface pattern design trains you to think bigger than walls
• Analog printing's quiet comeback and why faster sometimes beats newer
• How digital manufacturing unlocked murals, customization, and creative freedom
• Why "home away from home" might be the wrong goal for hotels
• How QVC teaches you to sell in 30 seconds or less
• The real shift away from millennial gray toward warmth and richness
• Why design fads age badly in hotels, and what to do instead
• The future: opulent heritage, jewel tones, and warmth

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Hospitality design should create fantasy, not mimic home

Hotels succeed when they offer guests something they cannot or would not do at home. From the early days of themed Las Vegas hotels to today's boutique and luxury properties, the goal is escapism, inspiration, and emotional impact rather than comfort-driven familiarity. The "home away from home" mindset limits creativity and dilutes value, especially when guests are paying premium rates for a distinct experience.

2. Design decisions should allow for evolution, not permanence

Hospitality spaces live longer than most design trends. The strongest properties are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing certain elements to evolve over time without requiring a full renovation. By identifying areas that can be refreshed, remerchandised, or reinterpreted as guest expectations shift, hotels can stay current while protecting long-term investment and brand consistency.

3. Color is the most powerful, cost-effective design lever

Color is the first thing people register in a space and has a deep psychological impact. Hospitality is moving away from the long era of gray and blue toward warmer neutrals, earth tones, jewel tones, and heritage-inspired palettes. While the industry moves more slowly than residential, thoughtful use of color can create an immediate emotional impact without requiring a major capital investment.

Stacy Garcia on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacygarcia/

Stacy Garcia Design Studio
https://stacygarciainc.com/

LebaTex
https://www.lebatex.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/27

Kipp Lassetter is a former ER physician turned health-tech founder, hotel owner, and gas-station-barbecue legend who now runs RBN, a luxury real estate referral and rewards platform. He's on the show to unpack how he thinks about building and selling businesses, turning "boring" transactions into unforgettable experiences, and why the right real estate agent matters more than any points haul. Susan and Kipp talk about loyalty and rewards.

• What really connects ER medicine, healthcare IT, hotels, and a gas-station-turned-destination barbecue joint

• Why Kipp bought a "bad" gas station and the mindset he used to turn it into a must-visit moneymaker

• A simple framework for deciding when to hold a business for cash flow versus when to sell and move on

• How RBN quietly taps a standard real estate referral fee and turns it into "guilt-free" reward points for buyers and sellers

• What RBN is learning about keeping rewards meaningful in an era of overcrowded lounges and points inflation

• How AI will supercharge loyalty with hyper-personalized offers and smarter "gamification" of points for both brands and members

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. RBN turns real estate transactions into meaningful, high-value rewards.

Kipp explains that RBN uses the agent referral fee to give buyers and sellers a massive amount of reward points—often enough for a safari, Japan trip, or other bucket-list travel. The model reframes home buying as a chance to earn "guilt-free" experiential rewards rather than just a stressful financial transaction.

2. A great real estate agent matters more than any number of points.

A core philosophy of RBN is that no reward can overcome a bad real estate experience. The company puts significant emphasis on vetting and selecting top-performing agents first; the points are "icing on the cake," not the main event.

3. The future of loyalty is hyper-personalized, AI-driven experiences.

Kipp predicts that AI will rapidly transform loyalty programs by tailoring offers to individual members—think curated experiences based on personal interests, bucket-list items, and dynamic point optimization. He also notes the challenge of welcoming new members without making elite status feel unattainable.

Kipp Lassetter on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipp-lassetter-md-1aa499b/

RBN Rewards
https://www.rbnrewards.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

27: Fast Food Sushi with Lenny Moon
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/27

61: Rainy Day Payoff with Peter Van Dorn
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/61

16: Duke Cookie Face with Nick Shelton
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/16

Steven Rubin is the CEO of Collared Martin Hospitality, the management company behind Faraway Hotels, with a career that's zigzagged from overnight manager at a 600-room Marriott in 1999 New York City to revenue strategy trailblazer and culture-first leader. He's helped open and grow iconic lifestyle hotels at Kimpton, led across operations, asset management, and hospitality tech, and now steers an independent, experience-obsessed brand expanding from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard into Sag Harbor and Jackson Hole. Susan and Steve talk about muses, markets, and management—brand-building.

What You'll Learn About:

• How to think about the "best" path to GM in different segments, from luxury F&B to commercial

• What overnight shifts in late-90s New York teach you about composure, guest recovery, and not losing your mind

• Why Steven moved from front desk chaos to revenue zen, and how that one decision rewired his whole career

• Why Collared Martin is betting on high-barrier leisure markets like Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Sag Harbor, and Jackson Hole

• The madness and method of onboarding 26 tech systems in a brand-new management company

• How Faraway's fictional female muses shape design, rituals, and guest touchpoints in each destination

• Where AI can actually enhance a stay (hello, smarter pre-arrival notes) and where lazy prompts will absolutely backfire

• The one thing Steven would change about hotel management companies: caring more loudly, clearly, and courageously

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Leadership Begins With Self-Awareness and Empathy

Steven's stories from overnight relocations in New York City to his Kimpton-era emotional intelligence training highlight one central theme: great hospitality leadership starts with understanding people. His guiding principle, "seek first to understand, then to be understood," shapes how he handles guests, conflict, and his executive team's two-word check-ins. This human-centered approach influences Collared Martin Hospitality's culture and his belief in caring deeply for employees and guests.

2. Place-Based Storytelling Creates Brand Magic

The Faraway brand's muses, fictional women inspired by each destination, guide design, rituals, service cues, and even pre-arrival moments. This narrative framework ensures that each hotel feels rooted in its location rather than created from a template. Steven's examples, including Susan Bloomfield, the pirate captain in Nantucket, show how authentic local storytelling can inform guest experience without becoming cheesy or generic.

3. Seasonal Markets Require Creative Multi-Sensory Training and Talent Strategies

Operating in high-barrier leisure destinations means rebuilding teams every year. Steven is developing a multi-sensory training model that blends visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and cognitive learning to rapidly onboard seasonal staff from around the world. His openness about still learning, experimenting, and adjusting systems, including onboarding 26 technology platforms in a single month, offers practical ideas for hotels that work with seasonal labor or rapid openings.

Steven Rubin on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenmrubin/

Collared Martin
https://www.collaredmartin.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

193: Room for Trouble with Scott Roby
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/193

183: Bathtub Disaster with Sloan Dean
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/183

150: Wedding Wing Man with Jen Barnwell
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/150

Franck Desplechin is a French-born chef turned luxury hotel food and beverage executive, with roots in Michelin-starred kitchens and brands like St. Regis and Auberge Resorts. After running iconic properties (including a wild Sedona chapter with his wife as co-leaders), he launched a nationwide task force and consulting practice and distilled his "chef mindset" leadership style into a book. Susan and Franck talk about building healthy, high-performing teams in high-pressure environments.

What You'll Learn About:

• Lessons from a 15-year-old apprentice about reliability, humility, and showing up that still matter in the C-suite
• Navigating partnership when you and your spouse run the hotel together without killing each other (or the vibe)
• How COVID, quarantine, and a pregnant partner forced a workaholic to completely rearrange his priorities
• What the "chef mindset" really is and how to use adversity, rejection, and pressure as a leadership training ground
• Spotting when your culture is out of balance between guest experience and employee experience
• Rethinking "we have jobs because we have guests" and flipping it to a culture-first, people-first philosophy
• What task force really looks like behind the scenes and how elite consultants show up differently than the average fill-in
• Serving what the property needs vs pushing what you think they should fix as an external expert
• Meetings that should absolutely die and how to spot the recurring time-wasters with zero impact
• Simple daily rituals that build loyalty, like the 15-minute "hello tour" that makes your team feel seen
• Where luxury F&B is headed next and why fewer, better outlets may beat "infinite options" for modern travelers

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Leadership in luxury F&B is shaped early, and built on discipline, humility, and constant learning.
Franck traces his approach to leadership back to the foundations laid in Michelin-starred kitchens: showing up on time, staying coachable, being reliable, and remaining a lifelong student of hospitality. These habits, formed at age 15, still anchor his leadership today.

2. Task force success hinges on humility, flexibility, and meeting properties where they are.
High-performing task force leaders don't walk in trying to fix everything. They focus on what the hotel truly needs, adapt to existing team culture, assess emotional dynamics, and provide continuity during leadership gaps. Ego and personal agenda have no place in effective interim leadership.

3. Luxury F&B's future is fewer outlets, sharper concepts, and deeper employee focus.
Franck predicts a shift away from sprawling multi-outlet hotels toward tighter, more exceptional concepts, because guests increasingly value quality over variety and seek local experiences. He also argues that employee satisfaction should be measured and prioritized with the same rigor as guest satisfaction, because the guest experience depends on it.

Franck Desplechin on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/franck-desplechin/

Franck's Website
https://www.cheffranck.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

08: King Sheet Parachute with Justin Genzlinger
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/08

174: Apron on a Fence with Mitch Prensky
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/174

185: Squash Milk with Steve Fortunato
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/185

Christin Marvin is a hospitality lifer who's opened 13 restaurants, run high-performing teams from the Broadmoor to booming Denver concepts, and survived both burnout and a failed ownership venture. Today she's an author and host of the Restaurant Leadership Podcast, helping operators master openings, ownership, and operator optimization. Christin and Susan talk about leadership, systems, and sustainable growth.

What You'll Learn About:

Why "tour guide" servers beat order-takers every time and how that shapes guest loyalty

What 13 restaurant openings will teach you about systems, creativity, and controlled chaos

How a failed French concept exposed dangerous blind spots around ego, pricing, and ignoring guest feedback

The difference between promoting loyal people and intentionally building the leadership team your business actually needs

What Christin's "Independent Restaurant Framework" is and how it helps owner-operators scale without burning out

A simple, scrappy way to build a training program even if you feel like you have zero time and zero HR department

The tiny 15-minute weekly habit that improves retention, surfaces problems early, and makes your team feel genuinely seen

What owners get wrong about "not being able to find good people" and how to actually develop the ones you already have

Why in-person dining experiences are about to matter more than ever in a tech-obsessed, convenience-driven world

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Sustainable restaurant growth requires systems—not loyalty alone.

Christin stresses that independent operators often scale based on emotion and loyalty, but true success comes from intentionality: hiring for the right roles, building systems, developing people, and removing ego from decision-making. Loyalty without structure is expensive and risky; systems create stability and scalability.

2. Owners who succeed are the ones willing to ask for help and confront what's not working.

She sees a clear divide in the industry: burned-out long-timers vs. newer operators who admit gaps, seek guidance, and make data-driven decisions. Progress begins when owners get honest about their shortcomings and stop trying to be experts in everything.

3. Training and people development are non-negotiable for retention and guest experience.

Post-pandemic staffing requires intentional training—even simple, imperfect programs created by lead staff. Christin recommends weekly 15-minute one-on-ones as a powerful retention tool and argues that leaders must slow down, listen, and invest in people if they want to keep talent and deliver great hospitality.

Christin Marvin on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christin-marvin/

Solutions by Christin
https://christinmarvin.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

221: Unsubtle Resignation with Brady Lowe
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/221

129: Boo-Boo Sugar with Jason Brooks
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/129

85: Fake Wedding Officiant with Michael Cecchi-Azzolina
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/85

Brady Lowe is a connector, educator, and experience-maker who founded Taste Network and the nonprofit Piggy Bank, spending more than two decades building unforgettable collaborations between chefs, farmers, hotels, and brands. Through his Next 10 coaching and accelerator hub, Brady helps hospitality founders design smarter events, deeper guest relationships, and sustainable revenue with a focus on pairings, playbooks, and pre-visit engagement. Susan and Brady chat during this special in-person episode, recorded at The Pub at EAV.

• How to use Facebook groups, comments, and DMs to attract sports fans and turn them into faithful regulars
• Why "11 to 35 micro-interactions" often have to happen before a guest spends a dollar with you
• Ways to make your social media as personal and welcoming as your host stand or bar top
• The origin story of Taste Network and how a single wine-and-cheese pairing can shape an entire career
• How to think about guest engagement as "relationship currency" that carries your brand through tough times
• What a strong pre-visit engagement sequence looks like for restaurants, hotels, and bars
• Practical examples of surprise-and-delight moments that guests can replicate at home and rave about for months
• How to turn recipes, rituals, and house favorites into high-value digital giveaways that build your email list
• Why most hospitality social media fails (and what to ask your social media person about actual revenue)
• How to download your Instagram data and use AI to audit what's working and who your real audience is
• What to expect from the 2026 World Cup in terms of premium experiences, demand, and guest expectations
• The key non-negotiables Brady uses to design memorable F&B experiences: surprise, emotional sequencing, and human connection

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Engagement before the visit is the new battleground for hospitality success.

Brady argues that guest engagement must begin long before someone walks through the door. Restaurants and hotels should treat Instagram and their websites as extensions of the front door—places where you start building relationship equity. A simple "hello," a thoughtful comment, or an acknowledgment of someone's interaction can fundamentally shift how guests perceive your brand once they arrive. Most brands post but don't connect, and that is the biggest miss today.

2. Hospitality operators need training, tools, and intentionality around social media—and most don't have it.

He's adamant that restaurants and hotels rarely train their teams to engage digitally. Social media isn't just a marketing channel; it's a hospitality channel. He encourages leaders to audit their digital presence, use tools like ChatGPT to evaluate Instagram data, create value-focused lead magnets (recipes, techniques, guides), and measure whether social efforts actually drive revenue. Without this skill set, the business model is incomplete.

3. First-time "transformational moments" are at the heart of memorable hospitality.

From his earliest career epiphany—watching a guest have a life-changing food experience—to building Taste Network and Next 10, Brady centers everything around delivering unforgettable moments. His non-negotiables: surprise, carefully sequenced emotional storytelling, and genuine human connection. These principles apply whether you're designing an event, launching a restaurant, or building community—and they're key to earning loyalty and sustaining brands through peaks and valleys.

Brady Lowe on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tastenetwork/

Taste Network
https://tastenetwork.com/

The Pub at EAV
https://www.eavpub.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

129: Boo-Boo Sugar with Jason Brooks
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/129

86: Fist Bump Welcome with Mary Mattson-Quagliana
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/86

85: Fake Wedding Officiant with Michael Cecchi-Azzolina
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/85

Michael Broadhurst is the Chief Operating Officer at StepStone Hospitality, a lifelong hotelier who sprinted from dish pit to nightclub manager to senior posts with Marriott, Starwood, Crestline, and Crescent. He opened the Westin Reston, later led the Westin Arlington Gateway, and built a reputation for turnarounds driven by culture, coaching, and cross-discipline training. Susan and Michael talk about teams, transitions, and top-line revenue.

What You'll Learn About:

• Why quick, personal, and approachable service beats fancy food every time

• How learning Rooms turbocharges a hotel career

• The Westin Arlington Gateway story—and how to revive a once-beloved flagship

• Culture first: rebuilding teams before chasing scores and stars

• When to walk away from an owner deal and the integrity lines you don't cross

• Why management-company churn is rising, and how to avoid becoming a commodity

• A step-by-step takeover playbook that calms nerves and kills rumors

• Sales x Ops, not Sales vs Ops

• The full-service future: experiential stays, destination F&B, and activated spaces

• Solving owner–brand–operator misalignment

***

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Culture Comes First in Turnarounds

When taking over a newly transitioned or underperforming hotel, Michael's first priority is always stabilizing the team and rebuilding culture. He emphasizes transparency, reassurance, and respect, meeting with associates early to address fears about job security, benefits, and pay. His philosophy mirrors the Marriott fundamental: take care of your associates, and they'll take care of your guests.

2. Integrity and Fit Matter More Than Growth

Michael insists that StepStone walks away from deals that don't align with their values. He's clear that integrity and impact outweigh expansion, rejecting "numbers on paper" deals or partnerships without shared ethics. His approach to ownership relationships is built on honesty, ROI clarity, and long-term collaboration. He'd rather under-promise and over-deliver than chase short-term wins.

3. The Future of Full-Service Hotels Is Experiential

Looking ahead, Michael predicts that full-service hotels will survive by becoming destinations, not just places to stay. Success will depend on differentiated experiences like vibrant F&B concepts, live entertainment, wellness and fitness activation, and localized service that connects emotionally with guests. He believes traditional "three-meal" models are obsolete; the new era of full service is about lifestyle, energy, and creating a sense of place that guests (and locals) seek out.

Michael Broadhurst on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-broadhurst-13626b5/

StepStone Hospitality
https://www.stepstonehospitality.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

202: Casino Money Bag with Liz Dahlager
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/202

193: Room for Trouble with Scott Roby
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/193

112: No 7 AM Breakfasts with Leticia Proctor
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/112