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PODCAST

Top Floor

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

business marketing

All Episodes

38:45

74 | Calm and Nurturing Ghost

Top Floor ·

2023/02/07

Trisha Pérez Kennealy is a study in contrasts: a former investment banker who takes her greatest pleasure in teaching guests of her historic inn cooking techniques that they can take home. Founder and culinary educator of the Inn at Hastings Park, Trisha is also a competitive ballroom dancer and what she and Ron Burgundy call a marathon jogger. Susan and Trisha talk about on the job training, how physical challenges generate confidence, and what it's like to prepare New York strip for Bobby

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45:07

73 | Mafia Champagne Nights

Top Floor ·

2023/01/31

Brian Proctor started his hotel career in Canada but soon hot-footed it down to the States, where he built a career working for the best hotel companies in the business. After taking a turn in corporate serviced apartments, Brian started his own consultancy, Leeds Hospitality Group, and a weekly podcast, Tuesday's Thanks. Susan and Brian talk about working together, how NOT to design hotel rooms for short people, and when to break ties with your local mafia boss.

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18:40

72 | Crystal Balls Ahead

Top Floor ·

2023/01/24

Welcome back past guests Jody Merl, Kevin Rohani, Davonne Reaves, Peter Van Dorn, and Dawn Gallagher for some old-fashioned fortune-telling!

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30:28

71 | Public Restroom Couple

Top Floor ·

2023/01/17

In this solo episode, elevator operator and host Susan Barry talks her early jobs, weird hobbies, and predictions for 2023. If you are curious about AI, solutions for social anxiety, or how to feel rich for a few hours, this is the place. Bonus points and a prize for the first listener to email susan@topfloorpodcast.com with the mistake in this episode or your own prediction for 2023.

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30:11

70 | Beach House Ghost

Top Floor ·

2023/01/10

Emmanuel Guisset had sort of a Goldilocks experience when he moved to Northern California from Belgium. San Jose was boring but allowed him to focus on work, while Santa Cruz had plenty of fun but not quite enought focus. Emmanuel founded Outsite to cater to digital nomads like himself that were looking for beautidul destinations with community that allowed them to focus on their careers. Susan and Emmanuel talk about travel, community, and ghost sightings.

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41:56

69 | Our First AI Guest

Top Floor ·

2023/01/03

Josiah Mackenzie started writing about hospitality marketing before he actually had a marketing job, which led him to a speaking gig in Italy, a new position with a tech company, and 70K monthly readers. As founder of Benchmark Research Partners, Hoteloperations.com, and Hospitality Daily, Josiah is betting that his own curiosity and desire to learn is not unique. Susan and Josiah talk about lighthouse hotels, cheap flights, and how to use artificial intelligence in a non-creepy way.

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29:07

68 | The Shaggin' Wagon

Top Floor ·

2022/12/27

Mandy Farmer has a shaggin' wagon, and she's not afraid to use it. As CEO of Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, Mandy has spent her career trying to think of the weirdest ways to infuse fun into her hotels for guests, sure, but more importantly for employees. She believes that putting her team first is more than just a culture claim; it's her business strategy, and it has paid off in strong results before, during, and after the pandemic. Susan and Mandy talk about arcade games, special showers, and how to

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35:46

67 | Not Here for Massages

Top Floor ·

2022/12/20

Connor Vanderholm has been a diamond dealer, a missionary, and a farmer, but his most comfortable role is as a hotel revenue management entrepreneur. Founder and CEO of Topline Revenue Management, Connor is developing software to automate a task that is simple but nor easy. Susan and Connor talk about traveling with large groups, picking a company over a job, and why they'll never have business partners.

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25:25

66 | Unfancy Cloth Napkins

Top Floor ·

2022/12/13

This is the second part of Susan's conversation with sister and frequent guest Cat Meek, who also uses cloth napkins exclusively. Susan and Cat talk about creating their own entertaining style and holiday traditions as supposed adults.

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37:23

65 | Cash Register Boss Lady

Top Floor ·

2022/12/06

Regular guest Cat Meek (and Susan's sister) stops by to talk about what she wanted to be when she grew up, weird holiday traditions, and fancy things. This episode has everything: cash registers, dessert trees, gift ideas, and more!

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13:07

64 | Roman Bird Murmuration

Top Floor ·

2022/11/29

In this short and sweet solo episode, Susan reports on her recent trip to Rome and discovers the similarities between hoteliers and birds. If you have ever seen a starling murmuration on video or in real life, you'll want to listen to this and check out the video.

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31:17

63 | Best for Last

Top Floor ·

2022/11/22

Rachel Humphrey likes to pretend that she is retired, but a quick glance at LinkedIn makes it clear that she is staying very busy. A former trial attorney and past CEO of AAHOA, Rachel now spends her time giving back to the hospitality industry through DEI Advisors and the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance. Susan and Rachel talk about left turns, broken rungs, and the quest to visit all 50 states in this episode recorded live at the 2022 Cayuga Hospitality Consultants Annual Conference.

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35:46

62 | Late Night Snack

Top Floor ·

2022/11/15

Sean Folkson is neither a chef nor a hotelier, but he is founder of a food business with a distinctly hotel-appropriate spin. As a serial entrepreneur, Sean has built companies in a number of sectors, but his current business, Nightfood, is the one he believes will put a dent in the universe. Susan and Sean talk about pocket protectors for bacon, billion dollar snacks, and category creation.

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38:48

61 | Rainy Day Payoff

Top Floor ·

2022/11/08

Peter Van Dorn's LinkedIn profile reads like a history of travel technology, from his start during the early days of Hotwire to his exit as CEO of a loyalty-focused OTA. As head of business development for Sensible Weather, Pete is helping guests see nothing but blue sky or green cash. Susan and Pete talk about avoiding cardiac arrest, complicated tech stacks, and getting walked at 2 AM.

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14:15

60 | Spooky Season Stories

Top Floor ·

2022/11/01

Welcome back past guests Kaylon Beck, Vonda Freeman, Stephanie Coradin, and Annie Holcombe for some nerve-wracking tales!

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25:53

59 | Cat Hair Pants

Top Floor ·

2022/10/25

In this solo episode, Susan answers questions from the Emergency Call Button, including why she doesn't do social media anymore, whether LinkedIn is worth the time, how to gain insights from your competitors, and what you can do to make people read what you write. There's also a charming tale of workplace embarrassment for those who celebrate.

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35:17

58 | Too Much Tequila

Top Floor ·

2022/10/18

Craig Sullivan preferred pumping gas to washing dishes, and yet he was still ultimately drawn in by the pull of hospitality. As a deal-maker and development guy, Craig helped to underwrite and close nearly $25 billion worth of transactions, but his real passion was ignited when California started to get a bad rap. Susan and Craig talk about industry conferences, LA ballot initiatives, and vacation homes across the ocean.

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39:10

57 | Teddy Ruxpin Witchcraft

Top Floor ·

2022/10/11

Renee Bagshaw's first experience is hospitality left her family stranded under a thatched roof, but that didn't stop her from rising to the C-suite of a major hotel renovation company. As COO at Continental Contractors, Renee has followed the career path that she blazed for herself by saying yes and filling in holes. Susan and Renee talk about why it matters to partner with your contractor, what you can learn about business development from bartending, and how to make magic with children's toys.

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29:20

56 | Slot Machine Sit In

Top Floor ·

2022/10/04

Stephanie Coradin has worked in nearly every hotel department, but her real passion lies in learning and development. As a leadership trainer and executive coach, Stephanie focuses on managing mindset and emotion. Susan and Stephanie talk about putting the sparkle back in hospitality and using deep breaths to calm down.

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48:18

55 | Wine Bottle Extortion

Top Floor ·

2022/09/27

Vonda Freeman may have gotten her start by inadvertantly breaking a child labor law or two, but her integrity remains firmly intact. As wine director for Indigo Road Hospitlaity Group, Vonda guides the lists of almost 30 restaurants and never stops learning, recently becoming a sake advisor. Susan and Vonda talk about the restaurant business, wild nights, and courage.

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145 results

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