Top Floor

244 | Pigeon Shoot Out

Zack Gharib is the President of Red Roof, bringing decades of leadership experience across Marriott, Wyndham, Vacasa, and beyond. From a chance encounter with a hotel GM in Athens to leading one of hospitality's biggest tech transformations, Zack shares what it really takes to succeed in today's lodging landscape. Susan and Zack talk about AI automation, franchisee profitability, and vacation-rental versatility. What You'll Learn: • What vacation rentals taught him about operational chaos • How AI is reshaping economy and mid-scale hotels • Why hotel websites suddenly matter way more • How ChatGPT is changing hotel booking behavior • What hotels can learn from Airbnb-style personalization • Why internal communication systems still fail teams • Learning when to say "no" to shiny new tech • Why smiles and room inspections still win • Predictions for the future of non-luxury hotels • The franchisee-brand relationship problem nobody solves • What real alignment between brands and owners should look like *** The Takeaway: Hospitality fundamentals still matter most, but the operators who win will use technology and AI to make those fundamentals faster, cheaper, and more personalized. Zack Gharib on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-gharib/ Red Roof https://www.redroof.com/

243 | Run Through Walls

Lucy Lieberman is a longtime digital innovator who has spent her career jumping into emerging technology before the rest of the market catches up — from early websites and streaming to loyalty platforms and AI-powered travel. She's led digital transformation for brands like IHG, Amex, and FAO Schwartz, and she most recently served as CEO of Michelin Guide Hotels during one of the toughest moments in travel history. In this episode, recorded live at the Female Founders in Hospitality Summit in early March 2026, Susan and Lucy talk about positioning, pivots, and future-proofing. What You'll Learn: • How to spot market shifts before everyone else • How to tell the difference between "too early" and "bad idea" • Why great tech still fails without behavior change • When to build products people don't know to ask for yet • Why features and amenities never create loyalty • How to turn a crowded category into a category of one • Why to focus on problems instead of preferences • What it's like to lead a travel company through a crisis • How to create a North Star teams can actually rally around • Why luxury travel exploded after COVID • Why authenticity keeps getting more valuable & the surprising comeback of analog • Why you have to keep asking "why" • How to become the kind of founder who can run through walls *** The Takeaway: Breakthrough companies win by obsessing over friction, unmet needs, emotional connection, and the "why" behind customer behavior — not by chasing technology, features, or trends for their own sake. Being early only matters if you're solving a real problem people genuinely care about. Lucy Lieberman on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucylieberman/

242 | Dog Treat Explosion

Emily Goldfischer is a hospitality PR veteran turned media entrepreneur and co-founder of hertelier, a platform amplifying women's voices in the hotel industry. After a decade shaping brand narratives at Loews Hotels and a pivot into journalism in London, she uncovered a glaring gap in female representation at the top. Susan and Emily talk about advocacy, research, and storytelling. What You'll Learn: • Why personalized pitches outperform mass outreach • How to align your story with the right audience • Spotting trends like a PR pro (and why it matters) • Leadership lessons from working under iconic industry women • The "where are the women?" moment that sparked hertelier • Building a media brand from scratch during a pandemic • Why audience growth is harder than content creation • What 19% female leadership really reveals about hotels • The myth of motherhood as the main career barrier • How bias shows up—regardless of life choices • Why hospitality's pipeline leaks at the top • Simple ways to advocate for yourself at work • How companies can fix broken promotion pipelines • Why flexibility beats performative policies *** The Takeaway: The lack of women in leadership isn't caused by one issue (like motherhood). It's the result of systemic bias and structural barriers, and fixing it requires intentional, measurable change. Emily Goldfischer on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygoldfischer/ hertelier https://www.hertelier.com/

241 | Little Bit of Fire

Jelani Millard is the founder of the Wapechi Collection, a travel-focused investment platform blending hospitality, real estate, and emerging tech ventures. With roots in finance, he's carved a unique lane exploring how travel really works—from boutique hotels in Ghana to "Pay Me in Plane Tickets." Susan and Jelani talk about unpacking travel's hidden truths through stories, systems, and sacrifices. What You'll Learn: How a Ghana hotel project turned into a community-powered success story What travel influencers aren't telling you about their lifestyles Why building a media brand takes patience before profit What separates forgettable content from truly resonant storytelling Why facts—not fluff—win in modern media How involving your audience sharpens your voice and vision Why travel media is shifting from "pretty pictures" to deeper truths Why hospitality storytelling needs more transparency and less gloss *** Our Top Three Takeaways 1. The "travel influencer dream" is far less glamorous than it looks. Behind the curated images is a reality defined by hustle, financial instability, and trade-offs. Many creators are making conscious sacrifices—like forgoing traditional milestones or relying on inconsistent income streams—to sustain that lifestyle, which is very different from the effortless image presented online. 2. The future of travel media is shifting from "where to go" to "why it exists." Jelani sees a growing appetite for deeper, more analytical storytelling that examines the history, economics, and power dynamics behind travel experiences. Instead of just highlighting beautiful destinations, the next wave of media will unpack questions like who benefits, who is excluded, and how these systems came to be. 3. Building a meaningful media brand requires patience, clarity, and truth. Jelani has intentionally delayed monetization to allow the platform to evolve organically and better understand its audience and identity. His core philosophy is to lead with facts, tell honest stories, involve the audience, and offer perspective or solutions, because that's what creates content that actually resonates and endures. Jelani Millard on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jelani-m-8935a973/ Pay Me in Plane Tickets https://www.paymeinplanetickets.com/ Wapechi Collection https://www.wapechi.com/

240 | Strange Bedfellows 🐒

Tim Leffel is a veteran travel writer and editor who left the music industry to explore the world, building a location-independent career along the way. He's reviewed over 1,500 hotels across dozens of countries and now publishes insights on remote work and global living. Susan and Tim talk about fear, freedom, and finding value in travel. Why travel fears are overblown (and what's actually risky) What it really takes to become a digital nomad Why remote work is easier now—and maybe lonelier What 1,500 hotel reviews teach you about quality How to spot a great hotel before booking Why aggregator sites are just the starting point Where to find hidden hotels not on major platforms Why digital nomads aren't ruining entire cities How governments are incentivizing relocation globally Why hotels fail when they try to "do everything" Why lighting, outlets, and alarms matter more than luxury *** Our Top Three Takeaways 1. Perception often distorts reality in travel, especially around hot topics like safety and overtourism. Fear of international travel is largely driven by media amplification and unfamiliarity, not actual risk, with many destinations objectively safer than the U.S. At the same time, overtourism is real but highly localized to specific neighborhoods, not entire cities or countries, and can often be addressed through policy and distribution. 2. The digital nomad shift is real, but hotels haven't figured out how to serve it well. Technology has made location-independent work mainstream, but hotels struggle to compete with short-term rentals that offer space, kitchens, and livability. The opportunity exists for hotels to stop trying to serve everyone and instead design specifically for a targeted segment, such as solo, long-stay remote workers. 3. Small, practical details define the guest experience more than big concepts. After reviewing 1,500+ hotels, Tim emphasizes that the basics (functional lighting, clear labeling, comfortable workspaces, and eliminating small annoyances) have an outsized impact on satisfaction. Many of these issues persist because hotel teams don't regularly experience their own product as guests. Tim Leffel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timleffel/ Tim's Website https://timleffel.com/ Nomadico Newsletter https://nomadico.substack.com/ Luxury Latin America https://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/