Top Floor

Hosted by Susan Barry

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Episodes

100

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Top Floor is a weekly podcast with tangible tips and excellent stories from the experts and characters who elevate hospitality. Host and elevator operator Susan Barry explores the idea that everything is marketing in the hotel business. Our interviews with creators, thought leaders and hospitality groundbreakers are designed to provide practical tactics that hoteliers, restaurateurs and travel mavens can use to promote their businesses. Along the way, we answer burning marketing questions submitted on the Emergency Call Button and share the funniest, craziest, just-plain-weirdest stories down at the Loading Dock. Need to press the Emergency Call Button? Or have a story to share at the Loading Dock? Reach us at 850.404.9630 to be featured in a future episode.

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August 11, 2026Episode 25636 min

256 | Saturday Night Fever

Sam-Erik Ruttmann has spent decades in hospitality, working his way from a 24-hour shift hotel receptionist in a small Finnish town to regional leadership roles with Hyatt, Dusit International, and Langham Hospitality Group. These days, he channels that global perspective into hotel design, working with a Helsinki-based architecture studio built around a nature-first philosophy, and hosts "The Social Hotelier," a podcast that has reached listeners in over 100 countries. Susan and Sam talk about crossing continents, conscious design, and what's next for global hospitality. What You'll Learn: - How a 24-hour shift in small-town Finland became the ultimate crash course - What thirteen years in Thailand taught about guest loyalty and staff pride - How an elephant welfare crisis turned into an award-winning foundation - Why one blog post relaunched a stalled career back home in Finland - What "nature-first" design actually means when you refuse to clear the trees - Why most sustainability claims don't hold up to a closer look - How more women in leadership became hospitality's biggest bright spot - Why lighting is the detail most hotel rooms get wrong - What Sam predicts for the next big hotspot in global travel - How climate shifts are quietly redrawing the vacation map Key takeaway: The best hospitality isn't about bigger resorts or flashier design, it's about building a genuine connection to place. Sam-Erik Ruttmann on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-erik/ The Social Hotelier https://www.youtube.com/@thesocialhotelier Studio Puisto Architects http://www.studiopuisto.fi Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

August 4, 2026Episode 25539 min

255 | Napkin Full of Jello

Nina Kleaveland spent years in marketing, loyalty, and strategy roles at major hospitality and travel companies like Starwood, American Express, and Wyndham before striking out on her own. She's now the founder of Lanyard, a company solving one of the industry's quietest headaches: where seasonal and essential workers actually sleep. She's also the founder of Female Founders in Hospitality, building community for women doing exactly what she's done. Susan and Nina talk about pivots, partnerships, and picking the right problem to solve. What You'll Learn: - What turned a hostel concept for budget travelers into a lifeline for HR departments - How biology and French degrees led to a corporate housing empire - Why "do one thing well for one paying customer" became Nina's mantra - What three co-founders with three different skill sets taught Nina about who to bring into a business - How AI runs the back office at Lanyard without touching the human relationships that matter - Where corporate housing is headed next, from unfurnished houses to almost a boat Key takeaway: The hardest part of entrepreneurship is having the discipline to fix the right thing instead of chasing every shiny new idea. Nina Kleaveland on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-kleaveland-19514214/ Lanyard https://lanyardstays.com/ Female Founders in Hospitality https://femalefoundersinhospitality.com/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

July 28, 2026Episode 25433 min

254 | Cat in the Frat

Mike Medsker is the founder of Siv, a hospitality technology company focused on helping hotels respond to group sales inquiries faster without sacrificing the human touch. After building and selling his first company, Focal, Mike returned to entrepreneurship to solve one of the biggest revenue leaks in hotel sales: slow or missing responses to meeting planners. Susan and Mike talk about response speed, sales strategy, and smarter systems. *** What You'll Learn • Why outbound prospecting still matters, even with a full pipeline • How to protect institutional knowledge when top performers leave • Why "build it and they will come" rarely works • What really happens after a planner submits an RFP • Why hotel leaders should secretly shop their own properties • Why planner hours aren't the same as seller hours • How Mike's own wedding venue search inspired Siv • How small outreach tweaks that can double or triple appointments • Why text messaging deserves a place in hotel sales • How technology makes today's cluster model different from yesterday's *** The Takeaway: Nearly a third of hotel group inquiries never receive a response, and fixing that may be the biggest revenue opportunity in hospitality. Mike Medsker on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/medskermike/ Siv https://www.sivconverts.com/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

July 21, 2026Episode 25337 min

253 | Twisting the Night Away

Josh Ellis is the co-founder of Abra, a hospitality technology platform that helps hotels create more personalized guest experiences by connecting fragmented guest data across operational systems. After an unconventional journey through philosophy, meditation, consulting, and hyper-growth tech, Josh teamed up with his wife and hotelier, Dana, to solve one of hospitality's biggest operational challenges. Susan and Josh talk about data, differentiation, and delight—and why the future of hospitality depends on getting all three right. *** • How to turn fragmented guest data into unforgettable guest experiences • Why personalization is really a data problem • How to build hotel software integrations without insider connections • Why hotels need to create institutional memory that survives staff turnover • How to connect existing hotel systems instead of ripping and replacing them • When new technology solves problems—and when it creates them • How to motivating frontline teams through gamification, not mandates • What are the lessons from scaling one of the fastest-growing tech companies during COVID • How to overcome the hospitality industry's lingering technology trauma • Why hoteliers should view operational technology as a revenue driver instead of a cost center *** The Takeaway: Personalization becomes possible when every team member has the right guest information at exactly the right moment. Josh Ellis on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-ellis1126/ Abra Hospitality https://abrahospitality.com/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

July 14, 2026Episode 25241 min

252 | Parking Lot Brawl

Nick Falcone is an entrepreneur, developer, and hospitality innovator who has built businesses across restaurants, real estate, technology, and branded hospitality. As co-founder of Rentyl Resorts, he is helping redefine vacation lodging by creating purpose-built branded residential resorts that combine the space of a vacation home with the service and consistency of a luxury hotel. Susan and Nick talk about branding and building. *** * How one unforgettable vacation rental disaster sparked an entirely new business * What branded residential resorts actually are—and why they're booming * Why travelers increasingly want togetherness without sacrificing hotel service * How hospitality brands create value beyond just distribution * What developers look for before investing in a new market * Why today's economics are accelerating the growth of residential resorts * How to diversify your business without chasing every shiny opportunity * Why operational clustering beats rapid geographic expansion * What AI will change, and why genuine human service will become even more valuable * Where hospitality development is still painfully inefficient *** The Takeaway: Creativity in hospitality comes from seeing gaps others accept as normal and turning them into unforgettable guest experiences. Nick Falcone on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-falcone-7b4713107/ Rentyl Resorts https://rentylresorts.com/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

July 7, 2026Episode 25140 min

251 | HITEC San Antonio Part 2

Just like last week, this special episode of Top Floor comes to you from the Loading Dock at HITEC in San Antonio. A huge thank you to HFTP for hosting us at the hospitality industry's premier technology conference and for creating the opportunity to capture these unforgettable moments. Aimee George, Aimee Inc. — The guest room mix-up that turned into every hotel manager's nightmare. Ryan Brough, Hapi — The celebrity rider that sent a hotelier sprinting to Macy's. Tracee Nalewak, URVenue — Why enforcing a Vegas day club dress code is nobody's favorite job. Sara Murray, Mermaid International — The hotel snake story everyone thought was an urban legend... until it wasn't. Dylan Mingard, HM Alpha — The eight-foot python that became an unforgettable houseguest. Tanya Pratt, Oracle Hospitality — The data migration that accidentally double-booked 50 hotels at 2 a.m. Martin Chevalley, Enspire — The flooded hotel that kept guests informed—and the surprise VIP spotted behind the scenes. *** Next year's HITEC [link to https://www.hitec.org/about-hitec/future-locations] will be held in Orlando June 28 - July 1. Hope to see you there!!! Connect with our storytellers: Aimee George, Aimee Inc. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimeegeorge/ Ryan Brough, Hapi https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmbrough/ Tracee Nalewak, UrVenue https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceenalewak/ Sara Murray, Murmaid International https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/ Dylan Mingard, HM Alpha https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-mingard-9217492a/ Tanya Pratt, Oracle Hospitality https://www.linkedin.com/in/pratttanya/ Martin Chevalley, Innspire https://www.linkedin.com/company/innspire-ai/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

June 30, 2026Episode 25052 min

250 | HITEC San Antonio Part 1

This special episode of Top Floor comes to you from the Loading Dock at HITEC in San Antonio. A huge thank you to HFTP for hosting us at the hospitality industry's premier technology conference and for creating the opportunity to capture these unforgettable moments. Instead of our usual in-depth interview, this milestone 250th episode is a collection of Loading Dock stories—funny, surprising, and unforgettable tales shared by some of hospitality's brightest minds. Leigh Silkunas, 1AX Consulting — What happens when your hotel hosts 600 furries... and the next guests are a conservative church group. Dominic Locascio, Positron Access Solutions — The honeymoon B&B that looked like a roadside motel... until they opened the room door. Doron Dreyer, GratifID — The terrifying in-flight "bomb scare" that turned out to be an old BlackBerry. Lexi Bermingham, Bermo Co. — The Zoom interview that took a very unexpected turn when the camera angle changed. Lindsay Wenger, Directful — The frantic race to replace a bride's wedding dress after housekeeping made one catastrophic mistake. Kate Adamson, Folio — The high-stakes meeting with a celebrity entrepreneur... and the outfit that almost didn't survive it. Richard Bradbury, Quore — A motorcycle, a bathtub, and a soda machine that somehow ended up in the wrong place. Jacki Brown, Product Marketing Consultant — The Olive Garden shift that ended with shattered wine glasses and maximum panic. Adam Bermingham, Ramsi — How squeezing into a child's Batman costume accidentally launched a hospitality career. *** Next year's HITEC [link to https://www.hitec.org/about-hitec/future-locations] will be held in Orlando June 28 - July 1. Hope to see you there!!! Connect with our storytellers: Leigh Silkunas, 1AX Consulting https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighsilkunas/ Dominic Locascio, Positron Access Solutions https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominiclocascio/ Doron Dreyer, GratifID https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddreyer/ Lexi Bermingham, Bermo Co. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-bermingham/ Lindsay Wenger, Directful https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-wenger/ Kate Adamson, Folio https://www.linkedin.com/in/hikateadamson/ Richard Bradbury, Quore https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradburyr/ Jacki Brown, Product Marketing Consultant https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackischroderbrown/ Adam Bermingham, Ramsi https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bermingham-aa4b7a65/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

June 23, 2026Episode 24935 min

249 | Frozen Food Fiesta

Orlie Benjamin is the founder and CEO of Lasoh, a hospitality technology platform helping vacation rental and boutique lodging operators strengthen guest relationships through marketing automation, guest experience tools, and AI-powered workflows. After building her career with brands like American Airlines, NetJets, Disney, and Victoria's Secret, she traded corporate life for entrepreneurship, launching both a vacation rental business and a hospitality tech startup. Susan and Orlie talk about guests, growth, and the great hospitality convergence. *** What You'll Learn • Why one or two vacation rentals can still be profitable in today's market • How to turn a side project into a startup opportunity • Why Orlie's research strategy included outreach to 800+ operators • How hospitality companies obsess over properties and overlook guests • What surprising NetJets lesson reshaped Orlie's view of hospitality • How to unlock the overlooked value of the booking-to-arrival window • When to use guest context to create memorable moments at scale • What underused guest data is hiding in plain sight • How drive-to and fly-to guests should be marketed differently • What hospitality can learn from retail's customer data playbook • Where AI will genuinely transform hospitality operations • How to reduce dependence on Airbnb, Vrbo, and other OTAs • Why experiential lodging is positioned to win the next decade • Why guests should be treated like assets, not transactions *** The Takeaway: The future belongs to hospitality brands that treat guests as valuable assets, not just bookings, by combining memorable experiences, smart marketing, and personalized relationships that drive loyalty beyond the stay. Orlie Benjamin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/orliebenjamin/ Lasoh https://lasoh.io/ Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

June 16, 2026Episode 24843 min

248 | Fountain of Bubbles

Brian Quinn is Chief Development Officer for Rivett Group and My Place Hotels, bringing decades of experience spanning hotel operations, development, franchising, acquisitions, and brand growth. From starting as a bellman to leading nearly 800 hotel development deals, Brian has built a career around scaling businesses and developing people. Susan and Brian talk about playbooks, partnerships, and property performance. *** What You'll Learn: *** • Why learning beyond your job description to accelerates growth • How to build relationships that pay dividends years later • When to create a "living playbook" for navigating major business changes • Why transparency matters during mergers, acquisitions, and transformations • What cultural shifts are driving long-term demand for extended stay accommodations • How to pressure-test hotel deals before committing capital • Why diverse demand generators create stronger hotel investments • How operational experience builds instant credibility with owners and investors • When to make deposits before withdrawals in professional relationships • How to find opportunity by talking to the quietest person in the room • Why upper-upscale extended stay may be the industry's next frontier • Why hospitality still delivers on the promise of career growth *** The Takeaway: Long-term success in hospitality comes from continuously expanding your knowledge, investing in relationships before you need them, and staying adaptable when opportunities (or disruptions) inevitably arise. Brian Quinn on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-quinn-778b9018/ My Place Hotels https://www.myplacehotels.com Join the Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club

June 9, 2026Episode 24341 min

247 | GMs of the Year

Guest Bio Michelle Davis is the General Manager of the SpringHill Suites Orange Beach at The Wharf and a recognized leader known for building high-performing teams and delivering standout guest experiences. Jason Kern is the General Manager of Embassy Suites St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort, where he combines servant leadership with a deep passion for hospitality and team development. Together, these award-winning leaders share lessons on culture, coaching, and customer care. *** What You'll Learn: *** • Why great GMs are leaders first and operators second • How delegation creates stronger managers and better hotels • How to stop taking guest complaints personally • The power of "unreasonable hospitality" • How empathy can defuse even the toughest guest situations • Small leadership habits that create big guest impressions • Why communication norms matter more than communication tools • The surprising value of daily team huddles • Why recognition from guests means more than you think • Why successful leaders love seeing others surpass them • Practical ways to spend less time behind a desk • Why the best GMs constantly change their routines • How building the right management team changes everything • The balance between profitability and genuine hospitality • Hilarious "only in hotels" stories you'll never forget *** The Takeaway: The best GMs don't create great hotels. They create great teams that create great guest experiences. Michelle Davis on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-davis-4037b86/ Jason Kern on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-kern-70b6496/ Sign up to record at HITEC https://forms.gle/hZCJfZXbz2vSnetD6 Top Floor Mail Club https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club