At its fourth-annual Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs, designed to help women in hospitality develop deeper business acumen and stronger leadership skills, Red Roof celebrated its progress with 31% of its hotels owned or partially owned by women.
Further, the company’s statistics mirror the fact that women continue to progress in management ranks, as there has been a 20% increase in women leadership at Red Roof over the past three years. Fueled by the vision and passion of Marina McDonald, chief marketing officer, Red Roof has been an industry leader in bringing together women to collaborate, educate and provide the tools and insights to help drive continued growth and support.
“The past two years have been challenging, especially for women, and the impact the pandemic had on travel and hospitality exacerbated the pressure felt by women in our industry,” said MacDonald. “As women juggle work lives and home lives, there really is no such thing as work/life balance. Rather, there are work/life choices that women are forced to make every day. I designed this hybrid professional/personal event to help our attendees further develop their business and leadership skills, as well as the tools to take better care of themselves, so that we will not only help grow more successful and happy women entrepreneurs, but we will also encourage the development of sustainable habits that will lead to a lifetime of success.”
This year, the forum hosted more than 100 women attendees over two days, including Red Roof franchise owners, industry leaders and corporate team members all looking to collaborate and help one another overcome barriers to success. During the forum, attendees had the opportunity to network, learn from and support each other, and hear from inspirational and industry-leading experts including Dr. Lalia Rach, founder/partner, Rach Enterprises; Mary Beth Cutshall, founder/managing partner, Amara Capital; Regan Walsh, chief renegade officer, Renegade Global; and Laura Lee Blake, president/CEO, AAHOA. The executives shared their journeys and challenges reaching the highest levels of their fields, and shared advice on how to smash glass ceilings. Breakout sessions included topics such as side hustles, which have become increasingly popular since the pandemic; the characteristics of successful women; tips on public speaking and networking; and the power and enrichment of giving back through community involvement. The top advice for women advancement:
- Be heard. Have a voice.
- Be authentic and be YOU.
- Be fearless, bold and brave. Take risks.
- Tout successes with confidence.
- Stay true to your values, vision and passion.
- Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
