Women continue to take on leadership roles in hospitality, but there’s still a great deal of work to be done. Sonya Haffey, CEO, V Starr, was lucky enough to have a woman mentor early in her career, who gave her the confidence she needed as a young designer. Now, as the CEO of a major interior design firm, Haffey engages with aspiring professionals, using her experience to lift a new generation of hospitality designers:
Did you always know you wanted to go into hospitality design?
When I was completing my interior design degree, the professor allowed us to select what we wanted to explore for our thesis project. I chose to redevelop a corner hotel in San Francisco. That’s when I fell in love with hospitality design. You can have a ton of fun and get creative with all the little details that bring spaces to life, from custom millwork and lighting to wallcovering and furniture, whereas some other sectors require you to be more strategic in your way of thinking with closer guard rails. You can really dream big with hospitality design.
What has your journey been like being a women leader in hospitality?
At the beginning of my career, I was fortunate enough to work for a woman-owned and -led firm. The owner was incredibly strong-willed, and I was able to witness the way she gracefully and assertively managed clients, owners and developers. She had such a tactful and professional manner; she could show that she was intelligent yet still had a soft, feminine touch to her communication. At that point in my career, most of the higher-level positions were held by men. Since I was in Miami, it also wasn’t uncommon for women in the region to be overlooked for leadership roles or management positions because of cultural norms. Under my female role model, I gained confidence and insight by watching her navigate these challenges as a woman in business. It was empowering. Driven by these experiences, I started working with more developers and earned their respect because I was honest and strong. I’ve found that women are often hired because of our creativity, soft touch and aesthetic insight when it comes to projects, but when working your way up, you must balance that with strength and decisiveness. I lead with the softness of who I am and balance that with the wisdom and confidence to make hard business decisions.
What makes hospitality a great industry for women leaders?
I believe that over the course of the last 10 years, hospitality has provided more opportunities for women in the industry. I’ve noticed that one of the largest shifts is the inclusion of women as many of the decision-makers, it didn’t always look like that. I believe that clients are looking for women to provide a fresh perspective, and they recognize our ability to collaborate and create balance within the project team. The beautiful thing about the hospitality industry today is that it’s a blend of all genders, cultures and personalities coming together to create successful designs and experiences.
What advice do you have for aspiring women professionals?
My advice is that you find your North Star first. Through life experiences, you can break away from outside influences and discover who you are at your core, and then hold onto that identity. I’d also suggest finding mentors to help you through your career, the good and the challenging times, and that’s not to say that your mentor needs to be a woman, be open-minded and find the most capable person within your field who has a similar belief system.
What are you doing to advocate for and accelerate women in hospitality and design?
I believe in the transformative power of mentorship and utilize my leadership position at V Starr to continue a hands-on approach to mentoring not just those within the company, but also those within the industry at large. By providing a supportive environment, mentors help women build the self-assurance needed to challenge the status quo, think creatively and pursue innovative ideas. This empowerment is essential for fostering a culture of disruption, enabling women to make significant contributions and drive change in their industries. I collaborated with the local Department of Children and Families and have mentored 15 high school women within the foster care system and guided them in exploring potential career paths along with understanding their options as they transition into adulthood. I’ve also worked with the REEX sponsorship program where I’ve engaged with students in an immersive, summer program at institutions like Harvard and NYU, offering insight into the commercial real estate industry from a design and development perspective.
I think that we can advocate for each other in other smaller, but impactful ways, too. This could look like just sitting down and taking the time for 10 extra minutes with an employee and having a thoughtful conversation exploring questions like, “What is the next step in your career? What is your ultimate goal?” We all should look for ways to consistently lift each other up.
Women have come so far but there is still so much room for growth. What still needs to change in your opinion?
I think one area of growth for women in the industry is to continue gaining confidence when it comes to negotiation and asserting one’s self-worth—it can be challenging to find a seat at the table and advocate for yourself in an intimidating situation. We must keep advocating for young women to understand their true value and be able to have open, honest and sometimes difficult conversations. There needs to be more training and encouragement from other professionals. If we can get all people on board with this approach, to be supportive of each other, then that’s really what’s going to help break the cycle of hesitation when it comes to our value and contributions. Many women in the industry are my friends and also my competitors. It’s about finding a balance!
What are the main challenges women are currently facing in hospitality and the design industry?
I think it can still be difficult for women to find the right people to work with, people who are going to empower them and build upon their unique strengths. In fact, outside of the U.S., some women aren’t even allowed in meetings or to lead business conversations—we have to keep uplifting each other and pushing for global change and recognition of our worth.
