Connection, Community and the Future of Hospitality with Katie Tobin & Karen Willey
Why the best business development doesn't feel like selling
If the idea of "business development" makes you uncomfortable, maybe this episode is for you.
Ashleigh and Michael are joined by Katie Tobin and Karen Willey, co-founders of Always Thinking and Festival of Hospitality, two people who've spent their careers proving that the best business development doesn't feel like business development at all.
It feels like keeping in touch. Making introductions. Being genuinely helpful. Connecting people who should know each other. Showing up consistently over time.
With more than 50 years of combined experience across hospitality and the built environment, Katie and Karen have built careers on relationships. They've also seen first-hand what happens when the right people aren't involved in the right conversations early enough.
That insight sits at the heart of Festival of Hospitality, the hospitality community and event series they created.
Hotels can take years to move from concept to opening. Yet decisions made in investment meetings can shape the guest experience long after the doors open. Owners, investors, operators, brands, architects, designers, project managers and hospitality leaders all bring different perspectives, but too often they're working in parallel rather than together.
Festival of Hospitality was created to change that.
By bringing decision-makers from across the entire hotel lifecycle into the same room, the conversation becomes richer, collaboration improves and, ultimately, better hotels are created. Because the best hospitality experiences don't happen by accident. They're built through shared understanding, diverse perspectives and strong relationships.
Katie and Karen also share lots of practical advice. Visit the hotel you've been curious about. Experience the service. Observe the design. Build your reference points. Pick up the phone instead of sending the fourth follow-up email. In a world where so much interaction has moved online, the willingness to connect in person remains one of the most underused advantages in business.
And then there's Pay It Forward, their schools outreach programme introducing young people to the breadth of opportunities within hospitality. From design and technology to finance, operations and leadership, they're helping the next generation discover an industry that can take them anywhere in the world.
This episode is a powerful reminder that hospitality has always been, and always will be, a people business.
The connections we nurture, the communities we create and the willingness to bring others into the conversation will shape the future of our industry.
Whether you work in hospitality or another sector, this conversation is a masterclass in building relationships, backing yourself and playing the long game.
Connect with Us:
* Ashleigh Donald on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleighdonald/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleighdonald/]
* Michael Donald on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgdonald/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgdonald/]
* Katie Tobin on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/katie-tobin-b5133324 [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/katie-tobin-b5133324]
* Karen Willey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-willey-0a21a418 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-willey-0a21a418]
Find out more:
* Halo Business Consulting: https://www.gohalo.co.uk/ [http://www.gohalo.co.uk/]
* Festival of Hospitality: www.festivalofhospitality.live/about [https://www.festivalofhospitality.live/about]
* Always Thinking: www.alwaysthinking.org/ [https://www.alwaysthinking.org/]
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, or follow “The Halo Effect: Hospitality Stories with Ashleigh and Michael Donald” on your preferred podcast platform. Please get in touch if you would like to see us discuss a particular subject on a future episode.
We would love to invite fellow hospitality professionals and entrepreneurs to join us on future episodes, so please DM us via socials or email podcast@gohalo.co.uk [podcast@gohalo.co.uk] if you are interested.
