It’s so long, not goodbye

For 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of representing the greatest B2B hospitality media brands HoteBusiness and InspireDesign. On March 4, I will be departing from the company I’ve spent the better part of my career with to start the next chapter on my journey. I’ve been blessed with the deepest friendships, experiences and opportunities one could ever hope for in a career. The good news is my new path will allow me to keep one foot in the hospitality door as the director of licensing & business development for Stacy Garcia Inc.

When I started with Hotel Business, I had never sold advertising before and my deepest exposure to the hospitality industry was staying in a hotel. The number of people who helped and guided me along the way would be far too long to list (and I’d forget someone and get yelled at). Every amazing person I’ve worked with past and present, thank you.

I’ve learned so much from each relationship I’ve had here at this company. While it sounds cliché, we truly are a family and I consider myself blessed to have worked with such talented people throughout the years. To the many companies that put their faith in me and our brands with their advertising dollars, thank you for the support, and I truly hope each and every experience with HB and myself helped advance your business in some way. Hotel Business and InspireDesign will continue the mission of helping businesses grow and thrive in the lodging space, as it always has.

One of the shining lights of my tenure with the company has been my partnership with VP, Content & Creative Christina Trauthwein. Christina is an inspiration both professionally and personally and made every day fun, challenging and rewarding.

Christina, there are no words of gratitude strong enough to express to you. Thank you for being my business partner and the closest of friends. Christina will continue to lead the content of the brands on all platforms and strengthen the deep relationships we have formed throughout the years.

There are so many funny stories and important lessons I could share, but I don’t have the space for that here, so here are a few that seem basic but truly are, what I consider, the pillars of success:

  • Just be yourself
  • Follow through on promises
  • Ask for the order
  • Listen and observe before you talk
  • Own up to your mistakes
  • Pay it forward
  • Be kind

And, yes, I did take off my shirt in the middle of a HITEC party to close an advertising deal. So, I guess you can call that a success, too.

My grandmother always said, “Don’t say goodbye; we say so long.” As usual, my grandmother was right. This is not goodbye. I look forward to seeing all of you in my new role. Thank you for all your support throughout the years and for your belief in me and the brands I’ve represented. I look forward to watching Hotel Business and InspireDesign continue to grow and thrive now, as a loyal reader.

I look forward to seeing you soon. So long