December 12, 2025 • 33 mins
What if the most valuable amenity isn’t a butler or a points upgrade, but time you can feel? We sit down with AutoCamp’s Chief Commercial Officer, Bryan Terzi, to trace a career that moves from Starwood and W Hotels to SBE’s celebrity-fueled nightlife, through chef-led creativity at Mother Wolf and Sydell Group, into CRM scale at Sage—and finally to the surprising power of outdoor hospitality. The throughline: brand clarity, operational empathy, and marketing that translates real moments into stories guests can’t help but share.
Bryan breaks down how brand frameworks scale without going generic, why local relevance keeps off-peak periods alive, and how working beside chefs reframed his role from “promoter” to “translator of passion.” We also dig into the hard pivot that changed everything: leading with landscapes instead of lobbies. From rivers that outdo white-noise machines to campfire conversations that build community without programming, AutoCamp’s playbook sells an outcome—presence—rather than a checklist of perks. And yes, we talk about the number-one guest question: bathrooms, solved upfront with clear visuals and calm reassurance.
On the tech front, AI earns its place behind the scenes—mining data, tightening copy, and improving efficiency—while the guest-facing promise stays defiantly human. “It’s not AI, it’s AutoCamp” captures the shift many travelers crave: two days of analog awe to reset a screen-sick life. Bryan’s leadership lens rounds it out: hire for passion over pedigree, skip the micromanaging, learn operations so marketing respects reality, and treat “networking” as relationship building that pays back in trust and timing.
If you’re rethinking what luxury means now, this conversation offers a clean blueprint: design for memory, remove friction, and let nature headline. Listen, share it with a colleague who geeks out on brand strategy, and leave a review telling us your favorite national park—or the one you’re finally going to visit this year.
Thanks for listening! If you liked our episode today, please like, share, and comment!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:05):
Welcome to Hotel Daddy.
I'm your host, Blake Danner.
In today's episode, I speak withone of our industry's brightest
marketing minds, the ChiefCommercial Officer of AutoCamp,
Brian Turkey.
We'll dive right in and get toknow Brian, exploring his unique
journey from a social networkingwebsite focused on millennials
and nonprofits through hisamazing trajectory at some of
(00:26):
the industry's best-knownhospitality brands.
You can expect some candidconversations, some honest
reflections, and maybe a coupleof secrets from behind the
scenes.
Whether you're an industryinsider or just love a good
story, you're in the rightplace.
So hey, grab a tent, make acampfire.
Is that too much?
And enjoy the ride as we openthe doors to Hotel Daddy.
(00:47):
Brian Tersey is the chiefcommercial officer at AutoCamp,
a pioneer brand in thehospitality industry known for
revolutionizing outdoor travel.
He originally joined the companyas its chief marketing officer,
bringing with him over twodecades of global marketing
expertise and leadership acrossrenowned luxury lifestyle
hospitality brands.
In his current role, he leadsAutocamp's sales, marketing, and
(01:11):
revenue strategy, helping todrive the brand's continued
expansion and champion itsmission to elevate outdoor
hospitality.
Prior to joining AutoCamp, heserved as Senior Vice President
of Marketing at SageHospitality, where he oversaw
strategic campaigns for aportfolio of over 60 hotels and
40 restaurants.
During his time at Sage, hesuccessfully launched 12 new
(01:32):
hotels, repositioned threeexisting restaurants,
spearheaded the creation of anew CRM program, and established
the Sage Corporate MarketingTeam as an integral part of
their business.
Earlier in his career, he wasthe vice president of marketing
at Relevant Group, where heplayed a key role in introducing
upscale culinary destinations,most notably one I love, Mother
Wolf Italian restaurant, toHollywood's vibrant
(01:54):
entertainment district.
Terzy's professional journeyalso included significant
contributions at Soho House,Saddell Group, as well as
Starwood Hotels and Resorts,MGM, Thompson Hotels, and SBE
Entertainment.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
Brian, that is a bio.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Welcome to Hotel Daddy.
SPEAKER_02 (02:11):
Well, thanks, Blake.
I appreciate it.
Nice to be in the room, or thelobby, I should say.
SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
Well, you know what?
We start every episode aroundhere with something I like to
call Who's in the lobby?
I'm gonna ask you a few rapidfire questions.
And hey, you just tell me thefirst thing that comes to your
mind.
Are you ready?
I am.
SPEAKER_02 (02:30):
Name Brian Joseph Terzi.
Zodiac sign.
I'm a cancer, so I have a hardshell, but I'm a softy inside.
Aw, coffee or tea?
Coffee.
Iced grande coffee everymorning, even when it's cold.
You're that guy at Starbucks,aren't you?
I hate to admit it, but yes, Iam.
What's one word that describesyour leadership style?
(02:50):
Communicator.
Early riser or night owl?
I wake up really early everymorning.
It's a biological clock thatjust goes off.
Email or in-person conversation?
Depends on what it is.
These days, people are sooverwhelmed with email that I've
found a lot of success in justpicking up the phone and having
a conversation in person.
SPEAKER_01 (03:09):
Love it.
Let's talk some more about thatin a minute.
What's the first thing younotice when you walk into a
hotel?
SPEAKER_02 (03:14):
I notice the lighting, I notice the music,
and I notice if the staff issmiling.
What's your favorite hotelamenity ever?
I'm a sucker for a good tub witha great view, I have to say.
I'm not a tub guy, but anytime Isee one in a hotel, I just make
time.
That's the right time, right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:30):
Favorite time of the day.
SPEAKER_02 (03:32):
I love dusk when I'm in the desert, and I love
sunrise when I'm at the beach.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Final question.
One hospitality trend thatyou're really excited about
right now.
SPEAKER_02 (03:41):
I mean, I'd be remiss if I didn't say people
getting outside and into nature.
SPEAKER_01 (03:45):
So on brand for you.
So, Brian, I am so excited tohave you here at Hotel Addy.
I think you know you are guestnumber six in season number one.
And as we record this today, alot of the others we didn't
actually do in order justbecause of people's
availability, but I'm actuallyrecording you as the last one.
So I have the benefit of havingbeen through five others and had
(04:06):
some really great conversations.
I am so happy to have you as thelast one because I've known you
for a while, right?
And I remember just being sogenuinely proud for you when I
saw that in 2024 you got yourfirst C-suite appointment.
And I've watched your career andI've watched you grow your
career.
And I think the reason you're areally great ending guest for
(04:28):
the season one is my friend, youare that next generation of
leader that I really am excitedabout and I think people are
gonna have fun hearing about.
So do me a favor, walk methrough your resume just at a
really high level and discusswhat each of those opportunities
have added to you.
Because I think your resume isone that a lot of people should
look at and say, this is how youcraft a really smart career.
SPEAKER_02 (04:50):
I really appreciate that.
I'm honored to be among thelikes of Victoria Fabio, who is
also on this.
So I have some big shoes, bighigh heels to fill.
That's when you know her.
I rightly saw her last night andshe was wearing some eels.
I think it's important just tonote that my dad was a big
hospitality guy.
So when I was growing up, wewere living in hotels, we were
traveling quite often, and Ireally understood the importance
(05:13):
of making that connection withthe staff that's really running
the hotel at the time.
I feel like no matter how goodyour marketing campaign is, no
matter how flashy yourphotography is, if your front
desk staff or the valet team,that first point of guest
communication isn't friendly andwell-appointed and looking on
brand, then you know theexperience really falls flat.
(05:33):
I lived in San Diego for quitesome time.
I grew up there and I wasfortunate enough to get my first
hospitality offer with StarwoodHotels in New York City.
I had always wanted to live inNew York, and that was a great
opportunity to do so.
I joined the field marketingdepartment.
So there I really learned how tonavigate the Google landscape
and build websites forindependent hotels within their
luxury collection at the time.
(05:54):
I had a lot of success.
I met a lot of great peoplewithin Starwood.
I think that's really where thefoundation of being incredibly
organized, understanding how tonavigate a corporate structure
and how to make friends with theinfluential people in the room
was really important.
Then I progressed intooverseeing W Hotels of North
America.
And at that point, not onlyworking with a really flashy
(06:16):
lifestyle brand at the time, Iunderstood how important it is
to scale the brand.
So what may work in South Beach,Miami, does not work in Austin.
And what may work in Seattledoes not work in San Diego.
So it's kind of how you havethat brand framework, but then
how you localize it to make surethat the people that live in
those local areas are going tovisit the property during the
(06:36):
slow periods.
It's great to have a profitablesummer and high occupancy and
high rates, but you really needthe locals to embrace your
brands when you don't have thoseopportunities.
After Starwood, I had a reallyincredible time there and I
really enjoyed living in NewYork, but SBE Entertainment
called, and that's when SBE wasreally all over the place when
it came to nightlife andHollywood and the celebrity
(06:58):
culture and opening nightclubslike Hyde and really being the
epicenter of pop culture andusing the media to drive
attention and clicks andattention on social media was
coming out at the same time.
So I oversaw all the Katsuya,the Bizarre by Jose Andres, Clio
restaurants.
I was flying to the Middle Eastto negotiate brand deals with a
(07:22):
Middle Eastern partner overthere to scale the Katsuya
brand.
And from there, I really learnedhow to leverage celebrity for a
marketing channel.
You know, how you have the rightpeople in the lobby or the right
people checking in or the rightpeople staying on property that
at the time really drove a lotof attention for the brands that
we were working with.
I moved to South Beach.
(07:42):
I opened ESLS South Beach andall the restaurants and bars
that went with that property andscaled a lot of the SBE brands
down in South Florida and downinto Bajamara and uh NASA and
really loved it.
You know, I was able to workwith some really incredible
individuals, some visionarieswithin the marketing landscape.
Um, Veronica Smarley was thefirst CMO that I reported to,
and she just had such a knackfor understanding brand, brand
(08:06):
evolution, and keeping thingsrelevant.
Had a really great time in SouthBeach.
And then Blake Danner, who weall know well, sat me down one
day and said, Hey, you know, Ithink there's an opportunity
here at Sadell Group.
And the fact that I had workedwith some true hospitality
visionaries from Starwood, youknow, to Barry Sternlake to Sam
Nazarian at SBE.
And then the opportunity to workfor Andrew Zobler and yourself,
(08:27):
Blake, was just really excitingto me.
And the opportunity to move backto New York and, you know, work
on the nomad and really create abrand identity for the line and
help scale the freehand brandfrom one small little location
in South Beach into fourproperties across the country
was incredible.
That's where I really learnedthat brand was incredibly
important to have a frameworkfor a brand that could be
(08:49):
scalable.
What was so special about thenomad in New York, we needed to
make sure that the nomad inLondon was going to have that
same essence and that same wowfactor.
And you know, that's also, Ihave to say, where I learned
from you how to empower andmotivate a team.
That was an incredible skillthrough COVID that I always
remembered listening to youabout how you kind of led a
(09:10):
sales division after 9-11 andreally taking it day by day and
picking your head up andrealizing like you fish where
the fish are and you gotta keeppeople excited and motivated to
come to work every day.
And I thank you for that.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
It's funny you say that.
You know, through tough times welearned so much.
And I still to this day thinkabout the skill sets that we
honed in a post-9-11 environmentthat have been so helpful for me
today.
I think they're probably why wesucceeded through post-COVID uh
proper, like we did.
But yeah, I hear you.
SPEAKER_02 (09:39):
And so after Saddell.
After Sadell uh moved back toLA, I was consulting for a
little bit during COVID.
Then I was able to work withsome pretty incredible chefs uh
like Evan Funky, who openedMother Wolf.
It was really interestingbecause there I've worked with
some from some great chefs fromJose Andreas to Kristen Kish to
Evan Funky.
(10:00):
And you realize that type ofcreative talent is not behind a
computer.
They're not answering emails.
They don't care about yourcritical path at all.
That's where I learned that youreally need to meet that
creative talent where they are.
So I was in the kitchen withchef.
I was taking photos when we weregoing to the farmer's market.
You really need to kind offollow that creative vision to
(10:21):
help create the brand becausethey are in a different world of
creativity.
And in the kitchen, that istheir landscape.
That's their canvas.
And to watch them paint withdifferent ingredients and
recipes and menu merchandising,you know, that's not anything
that's going to be done in aspreadsheet.
I really learned a lot withworking with those chefs,
especially Evan, because they'reso powerful and you just have to
(10:43):
meet them where they are.
I hate using that phrase, butthat's exactly what it is.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
But how important is it as a marketer to really
understand what's driving theproduct, what the passion is?
I think that's something thatyou've done very well and you
just hit on it.
Being in the kitchen with themand understanding how to
manifest that self to thecustomer.
SPEAKER_02 (11:00):
Absolutely.
I mean, Evan is an incrediblechef and just the passion he
shows and enrolling oneindividual piece of pasta.
And I realized this is themagic.
This is what people want to see.
I mean, Evan also has a reallygreat creative marketing mind.
Being able to meet thesecreative people where they are.
I mean, Andrew Zilber is anothergood example.
Kristen Kish, another greatexample, where she had a great
(11:22):
strong vision and she understoodthe flavor palette and the type
of inspiration that she wantedto go after.
And the name of the restauranthad a beautiful story behind it
that we opened in Austin.
But you really needed to kind ofshadow these individuals.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
When you're working with these great creative minds,
how obligated do you feel tomake sure, man, I've got to
communicate this, I've got tomarket it the right way, I've
got to make sure that I capturethis in my messaging.
SPEAKER_02 (11:43):
It's incredibly important.
But you also have to build thattrust with the hoteliers and the
chefs and the nightcluboperators that I work with.
You really have to gain trustbecause you don't want to be
seen as, oh, just the commercialofficer that's in the room
that's always looking to valueengineer things or cut costs or
choose a cheaper fabric becauseit's just cheaper for that
(12:04):
matter.
Like you really need to buildtrust and let these people know
and these developers andcreative talent know that, hey,
I got you.
Like this is going to beincredible.
And thank you for trusting mewith your vision.
SPEAKER_01 (12:15):
Understood.
So let me go back for a second.
When I started off thequestioning, I said, I think
you've crafted such a smartcareer.
You're talking about Starwood,big corporate entity, right?
And then S B E S L S, huge kindof nightlife of the moment,
Sadell, Uber Creative, MotherWolf.
You went on to Sage, large,well-respected management
company.
(12:35):
Talk to me about how importantyou think it is that you have
such a diverse complexion ofcompanies.
Like I just think one of thethings I like about your career
is you've been very strategicand you've really made sure that
you filled out all of yourexperiences with some additives.
SPEAKER_02 (12:51):
No, I appreciate that.
And I think I've leaned intowhat each individual opportunity
they were good at.
So with Starwood, it was allabout kind of the corporate
structure, understanding theimportance of having structure
and SOPs in place andunderstanding who to go to to
get things done.
At Sadell Group, it was allabout brand, understanding the
importance of brand and who werethe creative people that were
(13:12):
kind of gonna pull through thatmarketing message and that brand
identity.
At SBE, it was all aboutleveraging marketing
opportunities and promotions andgetting out there in street
teams and promoting things in areally guerrilla marketing,
organic sort of way.
And with Sage, I really learnedthat a CRM system is incredibly
important.
And by that, I mean you have toknow who your guests are.
(13:35):
Installing a Salesforce systemacross 50 hotels and 40
restaurants, I took theopportunity that Sage provided
as a management company andunderstood the opportunity of,
okay, as a marketer within Sage,where's the white space?
What isn't working right now?
How can we do things better?
And the CRM program was reallysomething that we identified
that would kind of pull theindependent collection together
(13:56):
and make them more profitable.
SPEAKER_01 (13:58):
I just love the storytelling because I hope what
folks listening to or takingfrom this is you've worked for
several different scale sizeethos companies.
And the message that I hopepeople take from is lean in and
take the best of what thatorganization lends you.
So with Sage, it was this greatscale and CRM.
With Saddell, it was like thisUber creative up and coming with
(14:21):
Starwood, it was systems thatwere critical to what you do.
I just think that's such a greatone lot for people to take away
from this conversation is everyorganization that you work with
probably delivers somethingdifferent.
If you're trying to build areally strong leadership
profile, you want to just takefrom each of those the best that
it has to offer.
So you round out your leadershipskills.
SPEAKER_02 (14:42):
Absolutely.
I had a vision when I startedthe career within hospitality.
I had always looked at the CMO,the chief marketing officer role
as that is my North Star.
That's what I want to worktoward.
That's the title that I wantedas an adult.
And from each individual role, Itried to learn a different
category of the business,whether it was digital
marketing, brand marketing,social media, CRM, PR, so that
(15:05):
it made myself a morewell-rounded marketer.
And in addition to that, it wasreally important for me to
understand the operations of thebusiness, the sales, the revenue
function, because you can't be agreat marketer if you don't
understand how the operationworks.
SPEAKER_00 (15:18):
Amen.
Anybody listening?
I'm doubling down on that one.
Say it again to me, Brian.
SPEAKER_02 (15:23):
You can't expect the GM of a hotel to understand the
promotion at hand because theyhave guests at the front desk
that need servicing right away.
Oh, by the way, housekeepingstaff called off sick.
And oh, by the way, there's aunion labor issue.
Like you have to get inside ofthe operation to understand how
it all works, then drive themarketing off of that.
SPEAKER_01 (15:42):
Well, you know, my North Star has always been
multi-dimensional communication,making sure everyone understands
the dimensions of the business.
Probably sometimes Iovercommunicate, but I think
what you've just articulated sowell is if you don't understand
what's going on in all sectorsof the business, it's hard to
price, it's hard to market, it'shard to sell.
SPEAKER_02 (16:01):
The operation is the most important function of the
business.
You know, you can't have egogoing into any critical path
meeting or any executiveleadership meeting because you
learn so much from the otherpeople around the table.
And that's something that atSage, Walter Eisenberg was
always an incredible leader.
He sat at the table, helistened, he understood what the
(16:21):
guest wanted, and he deliveredon that.
And that's why I think Sage isso successful these days.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Walter Eisenberg, another legend name in the
business.
Absolutely.
So here you are today.
You find yourself at AutoCamp,which, by the way, is just a
vertical of our business that'snew and burgeoning.
And I am just personally soexcited about.
You guys have like ninelocations now.
You're like in the Catskills,you're in Yosemite.
Tell me about it.
SPEAKER_02 (16:43):
Auto Camp is incredible.
And just to take it a step back,the fact that we've been
speaking about my career upuntil this point, I mean, yes,
it has been in luxury, it hasbeen in lifestyle, it has been
in more traditional hotels.
And when the AutoCamp teamcalled me for this role, I
admittedly didn't really knowanything about the category.
And I was a little intimidated.
Really?
(17:03):
That surprises me.
Yeah, I was, I just didn't knowenough about it.
And I was a little bitintimidated with how would I
even market this?
What would I do?
Like, do people even want this?
I did not seem that interestedat the beginning.
And then I said to myself, youknow what?
I've done this traditionalluxury lifestyle hotel thing for
quite a while.
And let's see what else is outthere.
(17:24):
Let's see what's different.
I went to the auto camp inJoshua Tree, and immediately
driving out there, you know, thesun was setting and nothing
better than the desert atsundown.
I checked in in the clubhouse,which is at every single
location.
The clubhouse is where we havethe bar, the restaurant, we have
a pool right outside theclubhouse.
We have all the brandedmerchandise, anything that you
would need for your stay.
(17:45):
I remember looking out over theJoshua Tree National Park as the
sun was setting and thinking,this is so different.
This is so special.
I took a picture, I sent it to afew of my friends, and
immediately I thought I've hadthe opportunity and the benefit
of experiencing a lot of cities,a lot of different hotel brands.
And if this is making me show myfriends taking a picture,
(18:05):
posting it to social media andsaying, hey, we got to come back
here, like if this is impressingme, then it's something that I
want to be a part of.
SPEAKER_01 (18:11):
You know what I find so interesting about that story
is when I read that you hadjoined AutoCamp, I remember the
day I read it in one of thetrades or something.
We hadn't spoken in a while.
So I learned it that way.
And I just shook my head and Isaid, that is perfect for Brian.
You've always been kind of thatnext gen, bleeding edge, doing
the next thing.
It's so funny how you describeit because as an outsider
(18:33):
looking in, I was like, ofcourse that's what Brian's
doing.
Of course it makes so muchsense.
So in the first five episodes,I've heard a lot of people talk
about well-being.
And well-being not just as abuzzword, but well-being as
something they're committed tothat's important, not only in
their lives, in their brands, intheir product.
So talk to me about the benefitsof being outdoors and how that
(18:53):
plays into your brand vision atAutoCamp.
SPEAKER_02 (18:56):
There is a huge shift in our culture these days.
People are saturated withscreens.
There is so much data about howpeople are watching TV and
they're scrolling on their phoneat the same time.
And oh, by the way, the iPad isalso on next to them.
And all the kids that have theirown media devices that are just
scrolling, Doom scrolling,there's a lot going on and a lot
(19:18):
of screen time.
Being in the outdoors forces youto reduce the screen time.
Put your phone down, turn the TVoff, get outside and kind of
understand the beauty that isnature.
And there's so many stats abouthow sleeping under the stars
like really resets yourcircadian rhythm.
Instead of buying these soundmachines, like at Auto Camp
Sequoia, we're along the river,which you open your window and
(19:41):
you hear this rapid rightoutside your window.
You don't even need a soundmachine.
Like you naturally fall asleepto the sounds of nature.
SPEAKER_01 (19:47):
When am I going there?
When?
When?
SPEAKER_02 (19:49):
Don't get me started.
I've invited you many times, butdude, we're coming.
We're coming soon.
I promise.
There are so many benefits tobeing outside.
National parks are really havinga moment right now as well.
I mean, people are noticing thatthere is so much beauty in North
America that's yet to beexplored.
Yosemite is obviously the crownjewel and everyone knows about
Yosemite.
But you know, our property up inSonoma, right by the Russian
(20:11):
River, our property in Sequoiais really incredible.
Up in Catskills, New York,Hudson Valley is a hot spot.
And Cape Cod overlooks the oceanon this 11-mile bike path, which
is so quintessential, Cape Cod.
All of our properties are sounique.
And I'm actually going to Zionnext week for a company off
site, which nothing cooler thanbe able to do a company offsite
in the middle of Zion NationalPark and take the team out for
(20:33):
like a half day adventure day inthe park.
SPEAKER_01 (20:35):
So let me ask this question.
I hear the passion in yourvoice, and I hear your passion
about screen time and well-beingand detaching and the benefits
of being outdoors.
As a marketer, how do youcommunicate that in your
messaging?
How do you get that to resonatewith the customer?
SPEAKER_02 (20:50):
Great question.
We have really pivoted ourmarketing to feature the
landscapes.
Instead of traditional hotelsare so focused on, oh, come to
our lobby and meet new people orcome to our happy hour and get a
free glass of wine.
Ours is more about creatingcommunity with the guests that
are on the property.
We don't even have to force it.
I mean, at six o'clock, whenthat communal campfire goes on
(21:12):
and everybody comes back to basecamp from their exploring the
park from the day and they'rejust sharing stories about, oh,
I saw an elk or, oh, did you dothis hike?
Or wasn't that rapid incredible?
The natural conversation thathappens around the campfire.
And then we break out thes'mores and everyone has this
like very nostalgic, veryAmericana moment of like, Oh my
God, I love it.
No matter how old you are,there's always this who can
(21:34):
build the best s'morecompetition that happens, which
is just so special to see.
And from young families withyoung kids that are creating
memories that will last alifetime to older couples that
are just in their golden yearswanting to see the rest of the
country and check off thesenational parks that they have
heard so much about.
It's really incredible.
And it's been reallyinteresting.
Back to the marketing question.
(21:55):
You don't have to work that hardto tell these really organic
stories of people that are onproperty.
They kind of tell it themselves.
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (22:01):
That's a really good point.
SPEAKER_02 (22:02):
Yeah.
It tells itself.
It really tells itself.
And the word of mouth that weget from people that stay on
property is also just the best,you know, promotional tool that
you could ask for.
SPEAKER_01 (22:11):
You're a seasoned hospitality marketer.
You have literally been on thecommercial team for some of the
most famous lifestyle propertiesin the United States and London.
As I think through it, you know,you were involved in the NED,
the Nomad, SLS.
I mean, some really formidablenames.
But I have to believe that yourdemographics for outdoor
hospitality are different.
But I could be totally wrong.
(22:33):
So tell me, who is yourcustomer?
SPEAKER_02 (22:35):
Our customer is anyone that wants a unique
experience.
So whether that's adventuringinto the canyons, doing the
narrows in Utah, or someone thatjust wants to go on a reflective
writing retreat, it is somethingdifferent that you can't get
from a traditional hotel.
This whole idea of creatingmemories, a vacation has to work
(22:57):
a lot harder these days, as youknow.
You know, there's not thisdisposable income as there once
was, where people could takemultiple vacations with their
young kids throughout the year.
So these days, a vacation, youknow, if you're taking time off
work, you need to recharge orreset, you need to spend quality
time with your loved ones, youneed to make memories with the
kids, you need to exploresomething new.
And autocam checks all thoseboxes.
SPEAKER_01 (23:19):
You guys are so unique because you have a luxury
aspect to what you do.
So what do you say to a guy likeme who says, yeah, roughing it
means no room service?
How do you communicate tosomeone like me?
No, you don't understand.
This isn't the old campingexperience that you're used to.
This is a whole new experiencethat you guys are presenting.
SPEAKER_02 (23:39):
Well, Blake, I would actually ask you this as someone
who's on the road, such asyourself, many, many days out of
the year, someone that doesn'teven unpack their suitcase when
they get to the destination thatthey're in.
To us, what auto camp is to you,it's time.
Time spent with your loved one,with your dog, time with
yourself to kind of recharge.
That is the luxury point withinauto camp that it could provide
(24:01):
a traveler like yourself.
SPEAKER_01 (24:03):
Wow, that message resonates so much.
I'm sitting here a little chillyright now because it really
resonates.
And you're right.
Look, I, as you know, I'm a roadwarrior, and I think you just
nailed it.
That was a really great responsebecause it was very emotional
for me.
SPEAKER_02 (24:18):
Yeah.
And and by the way, we have agreat wine selection.
We have full bathrooms withluxury amenities and all the
cabins and the airstreams.
I mean, it's a very elevatedexperience.
SPEAKER_01 (24:29):
But you know what's funny?
When I asked the question, whatI thought you were gonna say is
that, well, Blake, it's notreally rough in it.
We've got wine, we've gotluxury, we've got you know,
amenities.
I actually love the fact thatthat's not what you led with.
You led with no, there's thisemotional connection, Blake.
You're gonna feel time.
How brilliant.
Uh I have to be honest with you.
You didn't just spit back somefeatures to me, which is
(24:50):
probably what I expected.
It's the experience, it's theconnection that people are
looking for.
SPEAKER_02 (24:55):
People are stretched very thin these days.
Whatever you're following in thepolitical environment, families,
trying to raise qualitychildren, trying to stay
connected to your level andtrying to take care of your
parents, whatever it is, theability to disconnect and be in
nature, also in a comfortableway.
You don't have to pack up allthe stuff.
(25:15):
You don't have to go to anycamping store REI and spend
thousands of dollars.
It's kind of a set it and forgetit.
You check in, you get your roomkey like you would at any other
hotel, and immediately you justfeel this sense of calm that
kind of comes over you when youcome to the properties.
SPEAKER_01 (25:29):
What's the biggest challenge you face in trying to
attract customers who have justnever stayed at an outdoor
hospitality experience?
They just don't know it.
So they're either afraid of itor they're just not particularly
risky or they're risk averse.
What's your biggest challenge intrying to convert that customer?
SPEAKER_02 (25:47):
The number one question we get asked, whether
it's people that call in or theclicks to the website we can
track, it is always about thebathroom.
People want to know how big isthe bathroom?
Is there a shower?
Do I have to share a sink?
The answer is in all of thecabins and all of the
airstreams, you have your fullstanding bathroom, you have your
full vanity, full toilet, justlike you would with any other
(26:10):
property.
People are so concerned aboutwhere they're gonna get ready in
the morning and how are theygonna brush their teeth.
So, marketing expert that youare, how do you overcome that?
We have great photos of ourbathrooms.
Bingo.
But we also just let people knowthat you don't need to have a
lot of stuff.
You don't need to be this liveoff the land.
You don't need to be asurvivalist that knows how to
build a fire like a survivorepisode.
(26:32):
You literally can just come, andall you need is the zest for
adventure and to be outside andto explore nature.
That's what AutoCamp reallybridges the gap there.
Love it.
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
One of the surprises in this season has been how many
folks have discussed AI.
You know, I was talking to achef and did not have on my
bingo card that when we talkedabout chef and leadership and
kitchen management, we'd talkabout AI.
And yet we did significantly.
I've always thought of you assomeone who's kind of on the
bleeding edge of technology.
You've always been super smart,super quick to find new terms.
(27:04):
You've led some really largeorganizations.
How is AI impacting yourmarketing strategies today?
SPEAKER_02 (27:10):
In terms of just optimization, understanding our
guests, extracting data fromGoogle, all of that stuff, we
are absolutely looking to AI tomake things more efficient.
Even when it comes tocopywriting at times and
proofing documents and thingslike that, AI is incredible.
But on the flip side, and I hateto give this away, but one of
(27:31):
our upcoming campaigns is it'snot AI, it's Autocam.
You don't need to look up apicture of Yosemite.
You should be there andexperience it for yourself.
Oh my God, I love it.
We're really flipping the scriptthere, and we are gonna let
people know that yes, technologyis important.
AI is here to stay, and it's agreat tool.
(27:51):
However, there's something to besaid for going analog and
getting into nature and puttingAI away for two to three days.
I love it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:59):
Let's move away from AutoCamp for a second and just
talk your leadership style.
You have led some verysignificant teams.
Talk to me about hiring andgrowing a strong marketing team.
SPEAKER_02 (28:09):
I'm a strong believer by not micromanaging.
I'm a strong believer in hiringthe right person for the right
job.
I also look for personality.
People that have passion in whatthey do, I think is incredibly
important.
You and I have been throughcountless resumes of people that
on paper, they could definitelydo the job.
They look great.
But in that interview, if youcan't convey passion for what
(28:33):
you do, then I don't reallythink that there's a place for
you here.
Or in any marketingorganization, you need to show
that you're excited.
Hospitality is exciting.
It is an industry that we'refortunate to work in that has so
many different channels withinit, whether you're an operator,
a brand marketer, even if youwant to be in finance, like we
(28:53):
are so fortunate to be inhospitality because it's fun,
it's creative, and it's a way toconnect with everyone out there,
anyone that you meet at a dinnerparty or at a restaurant or any
social gathering, everyone has afavorite place they've stayed,
everyone has a favorite citythey've visited, and that is
hospitality.
And if you can't convey thatpassion behind hospitality, then
(29:14):
you probably shouldn't be on mymarketing team.
SPEAKER_01 (29:16):
I love it.
That's such a great place for usto start to wrap up.
Brian, you are literally one ofthe good guys in our industry.
It has been so fun to watch yourcareer growth.
Can I tell a little story beforewe close out?
Depends on what it is.
Yeah, well, I'll tell it anyway.
So you just said, you know, ifyou're sitting at a dinner party
and you're talking to people,and common theme through season
(29:37):
one has been networking.
And I think you are an amazingnetworker.
And one of the reasons why youdo such good brand affiliations
and promotions, and you'realways kind of like you're in
the know.
You always just kind of knowwhat the next big thing's gonna
be.
And I think it's in large partbecause you are a great
networker.
And so I want to tell a quickstory.
I don't even remember how wemet.
We met many years ago.
I think it was through socialfriends or something, but I kind
(29:59):
of knew who you were.
But that was it.
We crossed paths every now andthen.
You know, I knew who Brian Terziwas and I knew of you.
And as you said earlier in theconversation, when I had a
senior marketing role availableat Sadell, you reached out, you
networked, you picked up thephone and you said, Hey, let's
talk.
Now, there are a lot of reallytalented people that applied for
(30:19):
that role, and frankly, you wereat the top of the heap.
But that phone call, that simpleoutreach of networking, put your
resume to the top and we startedtalking, and then you went on to
be hugely successful for me.
I'll always appreciate you forthat.
But just talk to me about howyou view networking.
I think it's something you doreally well.
And I use that example all thetime when I'm talking to people
about we knew each other.
(30:40):
It was that phone call.
It was using your network tosay, hey, not for nothing.
Let's talk about this role.
And I've seen you do that in somany different situations.
SPEAKER_02 (30:50):
It is important.
I would take it a step furtherand just maybe reposition it
from networking to justrelationship building.
Ah, good point.
Yes.
I love that.
I'm I'm fortunate to have areally great group of friends,
colleagues, peers within myworld.
And I'm constantly connectingthe good people that I think
(31:10):
could help each other out.
And I don't think that'snetworking.
I think that's bridgingrelationships, building
relationships with like-mindedindividuals that just have, back
to my point earlier, passion andexcitement for what they do.
And I really try hard to buildrelationships with the good ones
out there.
And I think it's really paid meback tenfold with the people
(31:31):
that I can call today of, hey, Ineed a videographer out in
Joshua Tree next week for thisgreat thing that we're doing, or
we're shooting a commercial inCAD skills and I need some food
and beverage support from agreat chef.
I am really fortunate that I'vebuilt incredible relationships
in true, authentic ones, notjust like a, hey, what can you
do for me?
True relationships where I feellike that time spent building
(31:55):
those relationships have reallypaid back in many, many ways.
And that's an example of usbuilding a relationship.
And when that role was open, Iknew that it wasn't just me cold
calling Blake Danner.
We had a relationship.
And I think that's incrediblyimportant.
SPEAKER_01 (32:09):
I think that is such sage advice.
And I hope everybody's listeningtakes that to heart.
Hey, Brian, thank you so muchfor joining me today on Hotel
Daddy.
At the end of every episode, Ilike to just give you an
opportunity to say anything wedidn't cover.
So the campfire is yours.
SPEAKER_02 (32:24):
Oh, wow.
So appropriate.
I've sat at so many campfiresrecently.
It's really exciting to be inthis category as a marketer
that's worked in hospitality forso long.
Seeing this, I hate to use theindustry term white space within
hospitality really flourish overthe past two years and to be
kind of at the forefront of itwith AutoCamp, it's incredibly
(32:44):
exciting.
We get to take chances, we getto take risks.
I have crazy ideas and we trythem.
And if they don't work, we don'tdo them again.
And if they do work, then we dothem twice as much as more,
more, more.
SPEAKER_01 (32:54):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (32:55):
You know, I really am fortunate to learn from
people such as yourself and suchas the other people that I've
listed previously.
That I think that my strategy isjust a product of people that
I've learned from in the pastand just being really smart to
connect and build relationshipswith people that are doing the
thing, you know?
And I think it's great.
It'll be interesting to see howpeople travel this upcoming
(33:17):
year, how corporate events arerestructured and repositioned
over the next few years.
I think that's an interestingthing to look at.
I just really hope that peopletake that chance.
And if they've ever thoughtabout going on a trip to a
national park or just somethingthat's not traditional and get
outside and get out into theoutdoors that they choose
Autocamp to do so.
SPEAKER_01 (33:34):
Kids, this has been the Hotel Daddy Pod.
Thanks to my guest today, BrianTursey, Chief Commercial Officer
of Autocamp.
Thanks for listening to HotelDaddy with your host Blake
Danner.
Be sure to like and subscribewherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to Hotel Daddy.
I'm your host, Blake Danner.
In today's episode, I speak withone of our industry's brightest
marketing minds, the ChiefCommercial Officer of AutoCamp,
Brian Turkey.
We'll dive right in and get toknow Brian, exploring his unique
journey from a social networkingwebsite focused on millennials
and nonprofits through hisamazing trajectory at some of
(00:26):
the industry's best-knownhospitality brands.
You can expect some candidconversations, some honest
reflections, and maybe a coupleof secrets from behind the
scenes.
Whether you're an industryinsider or just love a good
story, you're in the rightplace.
So hey, grab a tent, make acampfire.
Is that too much?
And enjoy the ride as we openthe doors to Hotel Daddy.
(00:47):
Brian Tersey is the chiefcommercial officer at AutoCamp,
a pioneer brand in thehospitality industry known for
revolutionizing outdoor travel.
He originally joined the companyas its chief marketing officer,
bringing with him over twodecades of global marketing
expertise and leadership acrossrenowned luxury lifestyle
hospitality brands.
In his current role, he leadsAutocamp's sales, marketing, and
(01:11):
revenue strategy, helping todrive the brand's continued
expansion and champion itsmission to elevate outdoor
hospitality.
Prior to joining AutoCamp, heserved as Senior Vice President
of Marketing at SageHospitality, where he oversaw
strategic campaigns for aportfolio of over 60 hotels and
40 restaurants.
During his time at Sage, hesuccessfully launched 12 new
(01:32):
hotels, repositioned threeexisting restaurants,
spearheaded the creation of anew CRM program, and established
the Sage Corporate MarketingTeam as an integral part of
their business.
Earlier in his career, he wasthe vice president of marketing
at Relevant Group, where heplayed a key role in introducing
upscale culinary destinations,most notably one I love, Mother
Wolf Italian restaurant, toHollywood's vibrant
(01:54):
entertainment district.
Terzy's professional journeyalso included significant
contributions at Soho House,Saddell Group, as well as
Starwood Hotels and Resorts,MGM, Thompson Hotels, and SBE
Entertainment.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
Brian, that is a bio.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Welcome to Hotel Daddy.
SPEAKER_02 (02:11):
Well, thanks, Blake.
I appreciate it.
Nice to be in the room, or thelobby, I should say.
SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
Well, you know what?
We start every episode aroundhere with something I like to
call Who's in the lobby?
I'm gonna ask you a few rapidfire questions.
And hey, you just tell me thefirst thing that comes to your
mind.
Are you ready?
I am.
SPEAKER_02 (02:30):
Name Brian Joseph Terzi.
Zodiac sign.
I'm a cancer, so I have a hardshell, but I'm a softy inside.
Aw, coffee or tea?
Coffee.
Iced grande coffee everymorning, even when it's cold.
You're that guy at Starbucks,aren't you?
I hate to admit it, but yes, Iam.
What's one word that describesyour leadership style?
(02:50):
Communicator.
Early riser or night owl?
I wake up really early everymorning.
It's a biological clock thatjust goes off.
Email or in-person conversation?
Depends on what it is.
These days, people are sooverwhelmed with email that I've
found a lot of success in justpicking up the phone and having
a conversation in person.
SPEAKER_01 (03:09):
Love it.
Let's talk some more about thatin a minute.
What's the first thing younotice when you walk into a
hotel?
SPEAKER_02 (03:14):
I notice the lighting, I notice the music,
and I notice if the staff issmiling.
What's your favorite hotelamenity ever?
I'm a sucker for a good tub witha great view, I have to say.
I'm not a tub guy, but anytime Isee one in a hotel, I just make
time.
That's the right time, right?
SPEAKER_01 (03:30):
Favorite time of the day.
SPEAKER_02 (03:32):
I love dusk when I'm in the desert, and I love
sunrise when I'm at the beach.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Final question.
One hospitality trend thatyou're really excited about
right now.
SPEAKER_02 (03:41):
I mean, I'd be remiss if I didn't say people
getting outside and into nature.
SPEAKER_01 (03:45):
So on brand for you.
So, Brian, I am so excited tohave you here at Hotel Addy.
I think you know you are guestnumber six in season number one.
And as we record this today, alot of the others we didn't
actually do in order justbecause of people's
availability, but I'm actuallyrecording you as the last one.
So I have the benefit of havingbeen through five others and had
(04:06):
some really great conversations.
I am so happy to have you as thelast one because I've known you
for a while, right?
And I remember just being sogenuinely proud for you when I
saw that in 2024 you got yourfirst C-suite appointment.
And I've watched your career andI've watched you grow your
career.
And I think the reason you're areally great ending guest for
(04:28):
the season one is my friend, youare that next generation of
leader that I really am excitedabout and I think people are
gonna have fun hearing about.
So do me a favor, walk methrough your resume just at a
really high level and discusswhat each of those opportunities
have added to you.
Because I think your resume isone that a lot of people should
look at and say, this is how youcraft a really smart career.
SPEAKER_02 (04:50):
I really appreciate that.
I'm honored to be among thelikes of Victoria Fabio, who is
also on this.
So I have some big shoes, bighigh heels to fill.
That's when you know her.
I rightly saw her last night andshe was wearing some eels.
I think it's important just tonote that my dad was a big
hospitality guy.
So when I was growing up, wewere living in hotels, we were
traveling quite often, and Ireally understood the importance
(05:13):
of making that connection withthe staff that's really running
the hotel at the time.
I feel like no matter how goodyour marketing campaign is, no
matter how flashy yourphotography is, if your front
desk staff or the valet team,that first point of guest
communication isn't friendly andwell-appointed and looking on
brand, then you know theexperience really falls flat.
(05:33):
I lived in San Diego for quitesome time.
I grew up there and I wasfortunate enough to get my first
hospitality offer with StarwoodHotels in New York City.
I had always wanted to live inNew York, and that was a great
opportunity to do so.
I joined the field marketingdepartment.
So there I really learned how tonavigate the Google landscape
and build websites forindependent hotels within their
luxury collection at the time.
(05:54):
I had a lot of success.
I met a lot of great peoplewithin Starwood.
I think that's really where thefoundation of being incredibly
organized, understanding how tonavigate a corporate structure
and how to make friends with theinfluential people in the room
was really important.
Then I progressed intooverseeing W Hotels of North
America.
And at that point, not onlyworking with a really flashy
(06:16):
lifestyle brand at the time, Iunderstood how important it is
to scale the brand.
So what may work in South Beach,Miami, does not work in Austin.
And what may work in Seattledoes not work in San Diego.
So it's kind of how you havethat brand framework, but then
how you localize it to make surethat the people that live in
those local areas are going tovisit the property during the
(06:36):
slow periods.
It's great to have a profitablesummer and high occupancy and
high rates, but you really needthe locals to embrace your
brands when you don't have thoseopportunities.
After Starwood, I had a reallyincredible time there and I
really enjoyed living in NewYork, but SBE Entertainment
called, and that's when SBE wasreally all over the place when
it came to nightlife andHollywood and the celebrity
(06:58):
culture and opening nightclubslike Hyde and really being the
epicenter of pop culture andusing the media to drive
attention and clicks andattention on social media was
coming out at the same time.
So I oversaw all the Katsuya,the Bizarre by Jose Andres, Clio
restaurants.
I was flying to the Middle Eastto negotiate brand deals with a
(07:22):
Middle Eastern partner overthere to scale the Katsuya
brand.
And from there, I really learnedhow to leverage celebrity for a
marketing channel.
You know, how you have the rightpeople in the lobby or the right
people checking in or the rightpeople staying on property that
at the time really drove a lotof attention for the brands that
we were working with.
I moved to South Beach.
(07:42):
I opened ESLS South Beach andall the restaurants and bars
that went with that property andscaled a lot of the SBE brands
down in South Florida and downinto Bajamara and uh NASA and
really loved it.
You know, I was able to workwith some really incredible
individuals, some visionarieswithin the marketing landscape.
Um, Veronica Smarley was thefirst CMO that I reported to,
and she just had such a knackfor understanding brand, brand
(08:06):
evolution, and keeping thingsrelevant.
Had a really great time in SouthBeach.
And then Blake Danner, who weall know well, sat me down one
day and said, Hey, you know, Ithink there's an opportunity
here at Sadell Group.
And the fact that I had workedwith some true hospitality
visionaries from Starwood, youknow, to Barry Sternlake to Sam
Nazarian at SBE.
And then the opportunity to workfor Andrew Zobler and yourself,
(08:27):
Blake, was just really excitingto me.
And the opportunity to move backto New York and, you know, work
on the nomad and really create abrand identity for the line and
help scale the freehand brandfrom one small little location
in South Beach into fourproperties across the country
was incredible.
That's where I really learnedthat brand was incredibly
important to have a frameworkfor a brand that could be
(08:49):
scalable.
What was so special about thenomad in New York, we needed to
make sure that the nomad inLondon was going to have that
same essence and that same wowfactor.
And you know, that's also, Ihave to say, where I learned
from you how to empower andmotivate a team.
That was an incredible skillthrough COVID that I always
remembered listening to youabout how you kind of led a
(09:10):
sales division after 9-11 andreally taking it day by day and
picking your head up andrealizing like you fish where
the fish are and you gotta keeppeople excited and motivated to
come to work every day.
And I thank you for that.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
It's funny you say that.
You know, through tough times welearned so much.
And I still to this day thinkabout the skill sets that we
honed in a post-9-11 environmentthat have been so helpful for me
today.
I think they're probably why wesucceeded through post-COVID uh
proper, like we did.
But yeah, I hear you.
SPEAKER_02 (09:39):
And so after Saddell.
After Sadell uh moved back toLA, I was consulting for a
little bit during COVID.
Then I was able to work withsome pretty incredible chefs uh
like Evan Funky, who openedMother Wolf.
It was really interestingbecause there I've worked with
some from some great chefs fromJose Andreas to Kristen Kish to
Evan Funky.
(10:00):
And you realize that type ofcreative talent is not behind a
computer.
They're not answering emails.
They don't care about yourcritical path at all.
That's where I learned that youreally need to meet that
creative talent where they are.
So I was in the kitchen withchef.
I was taking photos when we weregoing to the farmer's market.
You really need to kind offollow that creative vision to
(10:21):
help create the brand becausethey are in a different world of
creativity.
And in the kitchen, that istheir landscape.
That's their canvas.
And to watch them paint withdifferent ingredients and
recipes and menu merchandising,you know, that's not anything
that's going to be done in aspreadsheet.
I really learned a lot withworking with those chefs,
especially Evan, because they'reso powerful and you just have to
(10:43):
meet them where they are.
I hate using that phrase, butthat's exactly what it is.
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
But how important is it as a marketer to really
understand what's driving theproduct, what the passion is?
I think that's something thatyou've done very well and you
just hit on it.
Being in the kitchen with themand understanding how to
manifest that self to thecustomer.
SPEAKER_02 (11:00):
Absolutely.
I mean, Evan is an incrediblechef and just the passion he
shows and enrolling oneindividual piece of pasta.
And I realized this is themagic.
This is what people want to see.
I mean, Evan also has a reallygreat creative marketing mind.
Being able to meet thesecreative people where they are.
I mean, Andrew Zilber is anothergood example.
Kristen Kish, another greatexample, where she had a great
(11:22):
strong vision and she understoodthe flavor palette and the type
of inspiration that she wantedto go after.
And the name of the restauranthad a beautiful story behind it
that we opened in Austin.
But you really needed to kind ofshadow these individuals.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
When you're working with these great creative minds,
how obligated do you feel tomake sure, man, I've got to
communicate this, I've got tomarket it the right way, I've
got to make sure that I capturethis in my messaging.
SPEAKER_02 (11:43):
It's incredibly important.
But you also have to build thattrust with the hoteliers and the
chefs and the nightcluboperators that I work with.
You really have to gain trustbecause you don't want to be
seen as, oh, just the commercialofficer that's in the room
that's always looking to valueengineer things or cut costs or
choose a cheaper fabric becauseit's just cheaper for that
(12:04):
matter.
Like you really need to buildtrust and let these people know
and these developers andcreative talent know that, hey,
I got you.
Like this is going to beincredible.
And thank you for trusting mewith your vision.
SPEAKER_01 (12:15):
Understood.
So let me go back for a second.
When I started off thequestioning, I said, I think
you've crafted such a smartcareer.
You're talking about Starwood,big corporate entity, right?
And then S B E S L S, huge kindof nightlife of the moment,
Sadell, Uber Creative, MotherWolf.
You went on to Sage, large,well-respected management
company.
(12:35):
Talk to me about how importantyou think it is that you have
such a diverse complexion ofcompanies.
Like I just think one of thethings I like about your career
is you've been very strategicand you've really made sure that
you filled out all of yourexperiences with some additives.
SPEAKER_02 (12:51):
No, I appreciate that.
And I think I've leaned intowhat each individual opportunity
they were good at.
So with Starwood, it was allabout kind of the corporate
structure, understanding theimportance of having structure
and SOPs in place andunderstanding who to go to to
get things done.
At Sadell Group, it was allabout brand, understanding the
importance of brand and who werethe creative people that were
(13:12):
kind of gonna pull through thatmarketing message and that brand
identity.
At SBE, it was all aboutleveraging marketing
opportunities and promotions andgetting out there in street
teams and promoting things in areally guerrilla marketing,
organic sort of way.
And with Sage, I really learnedthat a CRM system is incredibly
important.
And by that, I mean you have toknow who your guests are.
(13:35):
Installing a Salesforce systemacross 50 hotels and 40
restaurants, I took theopportunity that Sage provided
as a management company andunderstood the opportunity of,
okay, as a marketer within Sage,where's the white space?
What isn't working right now?
How can we do things better?
And the CRM program was reallysomething that we identified
that would kind of pull theindependent collection together
(13:56):
and make them more profitable.
SPEAKER_01 (13:58):
I just love the storytelling because I hope what
folks listening to or takingfrom this is you've worked for
several different scale sizeethos companies.
And the message that I hopepeople take from is lean in and
take the best of what thatorganization lends you.
So with Sage, it was this greatscale and CRM.
With Saddell, it was like thisUber creative up and coming with
(14:21):
Starwood, it was systems thatwere critical to what you do.
I just think that's such a greatone lot for people to take away
from this conversation is everyorganization that you work with
probably delivers somethingdifferent.
If you're trying to build areally strong leadership
profile, you want to just takefrom each of those the best that
it has to offer.
So you round out your leadershipskills.
SPEAKER_02 (14:42):
Absolutely.
I had a vision when I startedthe career within hospitality.
I had always looked at the CMO,the chief marketing officer role
as that is my North Star.
That's what I want to worktoward.
That's the title that I wantedas an adult.
And from each individual role, Itried to learn a different
category of the business,whether it was digital
marketing, brand marketing,social media, CRM, PR, so that
(15:05):
it made myself a morewell-rounded marketer.
And in addition to that, it wasreally important for me to
understand the operations of thebusiness, the sales, the revenue
function, because you can't be agreat marketer if you don't
understand how the operationworks.
SPEAKER_00 (15:18):
Amen.
Anybody listening?
I'm doubling down on that one.
Say it again to me, Brian.
SPEAKER_02 (15:23):
You can't expect the GM of a hotel to understand the
promotion at hand because theyhave guests at the front desk
that need servicing right away.
Oh, by the way, housekeepingstaff called off sick.
And oh, by the way, there's aunion labor issue.
Like you have to get inside ofthe operation to understand how
it all works, then drive themarketing off of that.
SPEAKER_01 (15:42):
Well, you know, my North Star has always been
multi-dimensional communication,making sure everyone understands
the dimensions of the business.
Probably sometimes Iovercommunicate, but I think
what you've just articulated sowell is if you don't understand
what's going on in all sectorsof the business, it's hard to
price, it's hard to market, it'shard to sell.
SPEAKER_02 (16:01):
The operation is the most important function of the
business.
You know, you can't have egogoing into any critical path
meeting or any executiveleadership meeting because you
learn so much from the otherpeople around the table.
And that's something that atSage, Walter Eisenberg was
always an incredible leader.
He sat at the table, helistened, he understood what the
(16:21):
guest wanted, and he deliveredon that.
And that's why I think Sage isso successful these days.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Walter Eisenberg, another legend name in the
business.
Absolutely.
So here you are today.
You find yourself at AutoCamp,which, by the way, is just a
vertical of our business that'snew and burgeoning.
And I am just personally soexcited about.
You guys have like ninelocations now.
You're like in the Catskills,you're in Yosemite.
Tell me about it.
SPEAKER_02 (16:43):
Auto Camp is incredible.
And just to take it a step back,the fact that we've been
speaking about my career upuntil this point, I mean, yes,
it has been in luxury, it hasbeen in lifestyle, it has been
in more traditional hotels.
And when the AutoCamp teamcalled me for this role, I
admittedly didn't really knowanything about the category.
And I was a little intimidated.
Really?
(17:03):
That surprises me.
Yeah, I was, I just didn't knowenough about it.
And I was a little bitintimidated with how would I
even market this?
What would I do?
Like, do people even want this?
I did not seem that interestedat the beginning.
And then I said to myself, youknow what?
I've done this traditionalluxury lifestyle hotel thing for
quite a while.
And let's see what else is outthere.
(17:24):
Let's see what's different.
I went to the auto camp inJoshua Tree, and immediately
driving out there, you know, thesun was setting and nothing
better than the desert atsundown.
I checked in in the clubhouse,which is at every single
location.
The clubhouse is where we havethe bar, the restaurant, we have
a pool right outside theclubhouse.
We have all the brandedmerchandise, anything that you
would need for your stay.
(17:45):
I remember looking out over theJoshua Tree National Park as the
sun was setting and thinking,this is so different.
This is so special.
I took a picture, I sent it to afew of my friends, and
immediately I thought I've hadthe opportunity and the benefit
of experiencing a lot of cities,a lot of different hotel brands.
And if this is making me show myfriends taking a picture,
(18:05):
posting it to social media andsaying, hey, we got to come back
here, like if this is impressingme, then it's something that I
want to be a part of.
SPEAKER_01 (18:11):
You know what I find so interesting about that story
is when I read that you hadjoined AutoCamp, I remember the
day I read it in one of thetrades or something.
We hadn't spoken in a while.
So I learned it that way.
And I just shook my head and Isaid, that is perfect for Brian.
You've always been kind of thatnext gen, bleeding edge, doing
the next thing.
It's so funny how you describeit because as an outsider
(18:33):
looking in, I was like, ofcourse that's what Brian's
doing.
Of course it makes so muchsense.
So in the first five episodes,I've heard a lot of people talk
about well-being.
And well-being not just as abuzzword, but well-being as
something they're committed tothat's important, not only in
their lives, in their brands, intheir product.
So talk to me about the benefitsof being outdoors and how that
(18:53):
plays into your brand vision atAutoCamp.
SPEAKER_02 (18:56):
There is a huge shift in our culture these days.
People are saturated withscreens.
There is so much data about howpeople are watching TV and
they're scrolling on their phoneat the same time.
And oh, by the way, the iPad isalso on next to them.
And all the kids that have theirown media devices that are just
scrolling, Doom scrolling,there's a lot going on and a lot
(19:18):
of screen time.
Being in the outdoors forces youto reduce the screen time.
Put your phone down, turn the TVoff, get outside and kind of
understand the beauty that isnature.
And there's so many stats abouthow sleeping under the stars
like really resets yourcircadian rhythm.
Instead of buying these soundmachines, like at Auto Camp
Sequoia, we're along the river,which you open your window and
(19:41):
you hear this rapid rightoutside your window.
You don't even need a soundmachine.
Like you naturally fall asleepto the sounds of nature.
SPEAKER_01 (19:47):
When am I going there?
When?
When?
SPEAKER_02 (19:49):
Don't get me started.
I've invited you many times, butdude, we're coming.
We're coming soon.
I promise.
There are so many benefits tobeing outside.
National parks are really havinga moment right now as well.
I mean, people are noticing thatthere is so much beauty in North
America that's yet to beexplored.
Yosemite is obviously the crownjewel and everyone knows about
Yosemite.
But you know, our property up inSonoma, right by the Russian
(20:11):
River, our property in Sequoiais really incredible.
Up in Catskills, New York,Hudson Valley is a hot spot.
And Cape Cod overlooks the oceanon this 11-mile bike path, which
is so quintessential, Cape Cod.
All of our properties are sounique.
And I'm actually going to Zionnext week for a company off
site, which nothing cooler thanbe able to do a company offsite
in the middle of Zion NationalPark and take the team out for
(20:33):
like a half day adventure day inthe park.
SPEAKER_01 (20:35):
So let me ask this question.
I hear the passion in yourvoice, and I hear your passion
about screen time and well-beingand detaching and the benefits
of being outdoors.
As a marketer, how do youcommunicate that in your
messaging?
How do you get that to resonatewith the customer?
SPEAKER_02 (20:50):
Great question.
We have really pivoted ourmarketing to feature the
landscapes.
Instead of traditional hotelsare so focused on, oh, come to
our lobby and meet new people orcome to our happy hour and get a
free glass of wine.
Ours is more about creatingcommunity with the guests that
are on the property.
We don't even have to force it.
I mean, at six o'clock, whenthat communal campfire goes on
(21:12):
and everybody comes back to basecamp from their exploring the
park from the day and they'rejust sharing stories about, oh,
I saw an elk or, oh, did you dothis hike?
Or wasn't that rapid incredible?
The natural conversation thathappens around the campfire.
And then we break out thes'mores and everyone has this
like very nostalgic, veryAmericana moment of like, Oh my
God, I love it.
No matter how old you are,there's always this who can
(21:34):
build the best s'morecompetition that happens, which
is just so special to see.
And from young families withyoung kids that are creating
memories that will last alifetime to older couples that
are just in their golden yearswanting to see the rest of the
country and check off thesenational parks that they have
heard so much about.
It's really incredible.
And it's been reallyinteresting.
Back to the marketing question.
(21:55):
You don't have to work that hardto tell these really organic
stories of people that are onproperty.
They kind of tell it themselves.
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (22:01):
That's a really good point.
SPEAKER_02 (22:02):
Yeah.
It tells itself.
It really tells itself.
And the word of mouth that weget from people that stay on
property is also just the best,you know, promotional tool that
you could ask for.
SPEAKER_01 (22:11):
You're a seasoned hospitality marketer.
You have literally been on thecommercial team for some of the
most famous lifestyle propertiesin the United States and London.
As I think through it, you know,you were involved in the NED,
the Nomad, SLS.
I mean, some really formidablenames.
But I have to believe that yourdemographics for outdoor
hospitality are different.
But I could be totally wrong.
(22:33):
So tell me, who is yourcustomer?
SPEAKER_02 (22:35):
Our customer is anyone that wants a unique
experience.
So whether that's adventuringinto the canyons, doing the
narrows in Utah, or someone thatjust wants to go on a reflective
writing retreat, it is somethingdifferent that you can't get
from a traditional hotel.
This whole idea of creatingmemories, a vacation has to work
(22:57):
a lot harder these days, as youknow.
You know, there's not thisdisposable income as there once
was, where people could takemultiple vacations with their
young kids throughout the year.
So these days, a vacation, youknow, if you're taking time off
work, you need to recharge orreset, you need to spend quality
time with your loved ones, youneed to make memories with the
kids, you need to exploresomething new.
And autocam checks all thoseboxes.
SPEAKER_01 (23:19):
You guys are so unique because you have a luxury
aspect to what you do.
So what do you say to a guy likeme who says, yeah, roughing it
means no room service?
How do you communicate tosomeone like me?
No, you don't understand.
This isn't the old campingexperience that you're used to.
This is a whole new experiencethat you guys are presenting.
SPEAKER_02 (23:39):
Well, Blake, I would actually ask you this as someone
who's on the road, such asyourself, many, many days out of
the year, someone that doesn'teven unpack their suitcase when
they get to the destination thatthey're in.
To us, what auto camp is to you,it's time.
Time spent with your loved one,with your dog, time with
yourself to kind of recharge.
That is the luxury point withinauto camp that it could provide
(24:01):
a traveler like yourself.
SPEAKER_01 (24:03):
Wow, that message resonates so much.
I'm sitting here a little chillyright now because it really
resonates.
And you're right.
Look, I, as you know, I'm a roadwarrior, and I think you just
nailed it.
That was a really great responsebecause it was very emotional
for me.
SPEAKER_02 (24:18):
Yeah.
And and by the way, we have agreat wine selection.
We have full bathrooms withluxury amenities and all the
cabins and the airstreams.
I mean, it's a very elevatedexperience.
SPEAKER_01 (24:29):
But you know what's funny?
When I asked the question, whatI thought you were gonna say is
that, well, Blake, it's notreally rough in it.
We've got wine, we've gotluxury, we've got you know,
amenities.
I actually love the fact thatthat's not what you led with.
You led with no, there's thisemotional connection, Blake.
You're gonna feel time.
How brilliant.
Uh I have to be honest with you.
You didn't just spit back somefeatures to me, which is
(24:50):
probably what I expected.
It's the experience, it's theconnection that people are
looking for.
SPEAKER_02 (24:55):
People are stretched very thin these days.
Whatever you're following in thepolitical environment, families,
trying to raise qualitychildren, trying to stay
connected to your level andtrying to take care of your
parents, whatever it is, theability to disconnect and be in
nature, also in a comfortableway.
You don't have to pack up allthe stuff.
(25:15):
You don't have to go to anycamping store REI and spend
thousands of dollars.
It's kind of a set it and forgetit.
You check in, you get your roomkey like you would at any other
hotel, and immediately you justfeel this sense of calm that
kind of comes over you when youcome to the properties.
SPEAKER_01 (25:29):
What's the biggest challenge you face in trying to
attract customers who have justnever stayed at an outdoor
hospitality experience?
They just don't know it.
So they're either afraid of itor they're just not particularly
risky or they're risk averse.
What's your biggest challenge intrying to convert that customer?
SPEAKER_02 (25:47):
The number one question we get asked, whether
it's people that call in or theclicks to the website we can
track, it is always about thebathroom.
People want to know how big isthe bathroom?
Is there a shower?
Do I have to share a sink?
The answer is in all of thecabins and all of the
airstreams, you have your fullstanding bathroom, you have your
full vanity, full toilet, justlike you would with any other
(26:10):
property.
People are so concerned aboutwhere they're gonna get ready in
the morning and how are theygonna brush their teeth.
So, marketing expert that youare, how do you overcome that?
We have great photos of ourbathrooms.
Bingo.
But we also just let people knowthat you don't need to have a
lot of stuff.
You don't need to be this liveoff the land.
You don't need to be asurvivalist that knows how to
build a fire like a survivorepisode.
(26:32):
You literally can just come, andall you need is the zest for
adventure and to be outside andto explore nature.
That's what AutoCamp reallybridges the gap there.
Love it.
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
One of the surprises in this season has been how many
folks have discussed AI.
You know, I was talking to achef and did not have on my
bingo card that when we talkedabout chef and leadership and
kitchen management, we'd talkabout AI.
And yet we did significantly.
I've always thought of you assomeone who's kind of on the
bleeding edge of technology.
You've always been super smart,super quick to find new terms.
(27:04):
You've led some really largeorganizations.
How is AI impacting yourmarketing strategies today?
SPEAKER_02 (27:10):
In terms of just optimization, understanding our
guests, extracting data fromGoogle, all of that stuff, we
are absolutely looking to AI tomake things more efficient.
Even when it comes tocopywriting at times and
proofing documents and thingslike that, AI is incredible.
But on the flip side, and I hateto give this away, but one of
(27:31):
our upcoming campaigns is it'snot AI, it's Autocam.
You don't need to look up apicture of Yosemite.
You should be there andexperience it for yourself.
Oh my God, I love it.
We're really flipping the scriptthere, and we are gonna let
people know that yes, technologyis important.
AI is here to stay, and it's agreat tool.
(27:51):
However, there's something to besaid for going analog and
getting into nature and puttingAI away for two to three days.
I love it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:59):
Let's move away from AutoCamp for a second and just
talk your leadership style.
You have led some verysignificant teams.
Talk to me about hiring andgrowing a strong marketing team.
SPEAKER_02 (28:09):
I'm a strong believer by not micromanaging.
I'm a strong believer in hiringthe right person for the right
job.
I also look for personality.
People that have passion in whatthey do, I think is incredibly
important.
You and I have been throughcountless resumes of people that
on paper, they could definitelydo the job.
They look great.
But in that interview, if youcan't convey passion for what
(28:33):
you do, then I don't reallythink that there's a place for
you here.
Or in any marketingorganization, you need to show
that you're excited.
Hospitality is exciting.
It is an industry that we'refortunate to work in that has so
many different channels withinit, whether you're an operator,
a brand marketer, even if youwant to be in finance, like we
(28:53):
are so fortunate to be inhospitality because it's fun,
it's creative, and it's a way toconnect with everyone out there,
anyone that you meet at a dinnerparty or at a restaurant or any
social gathering, everyone has afavorite place they've stayed,
everyone has a favorite citythey've visited, and that is
hospitality.
And if you can't convey thatpassion behind hospitality, then
(29:14):
you probably shouldn't be on mymarketing team.
SPEAKER_01 (29:16):
I love it.
That's such a great place for usto start to wrap up.
Brian, you are literally one ofthe good guys in our industry.
It has been so fun to watch yourcareer growth.
Can I tell a little story beforewe close out?
Depends on what it is.
Yeah, well, I'll tell it anyway.
So you just said, you know, ifyou're sitting at a dinner party
and you're talking to people,and common theme through season
(29:37):
one has been networking.
And I think you are an amazingnetworker.
And one of the reasons why youdo such good brand affiliations
and promotions, and you'realways kind of like you're in
the know.
You always just kind of knowwhat the next big thing's gonna
be.
And I think it's in large partbecause you are a great
networker.
And so I want to tell a quickstory.
I don't even remember how wemet.
We met many years ago.
I think it was through socialfriends or something, but I kind
(29:59):
of knew who you were.
But that was it.
We crossed paths every now andthen.
You know, I knew who Brian Terziwas and I knew of you.
And as you said earlier in theconversation, when I had a
senior marketing role availableat Sadell, you reached out, you
networked, you picked up thephone and you said, Hey, let's
talk.
Now, there are a lot of reallytalented people that applied for
(30:19):
that role, and frankly, you wereat the top of the heap.
But that phone call, that simpleoutreach of networking, put your
resume to the top and we startedtalking, and then you went on to
be hugely successful for me.
I'll always appreciate you forthat.
But just talk to me about howyou view networking.
I think it's something you doreally well.
And I use that example all thetime when I'm talking to people
about we knew each other.
(30:40):
It was that phone call.
It was using your network tosay, hey, not for nothing.
Let's talk about this role.
And I've seen you do that in somany different situations.
SPEAKER_02 (30:50):
It is important.
I would take it a step furtherand just maybe reposition it
from networking to justrelationship building.
Ah, good point.
Yes.
I love that.
I'm I'm fortunate to have areally great group of friends,
colleagues, peers within myworld.
And I'm constantly connectingthe good people that I think
(31:10):
could help each other out.
And I don't think that'snetworking.
I think that's bridgingrelationships, building
relationships with like-mindedindividuals that just have, back
to my point earlier, passion andexcitement for what they do.
And I really try hard to buildrelationships with the good ones
out there.
And I think it's really paid meback tenfold with the people
(31:31):
that I can call today of, hey, Ineed a videographer out in
Joshua Tree next week for thisgreat thing that we're doing, or
we're shooting a commercial inCAD skills and I need some food
and beverage support from agreat chef.
I am really fortunate that I'vebuilt incredible relationships
in true, authentic ones, notjust like a, hey, what can you
do for me?
True relationships where I feellike that time spent building
(31:55):
those relationships have reallypaid back in many, many ways.
And that's an example of usbuilding a relationship.
And when that role was open, Iknew that it wasn't just me cold
calling Blake Danner.
We had a relationship.
And I think that's incrediblyimportant.
SPEAKER_01 (32:09):
I think that is such sage advice.
And I hope everybody's listeningtakes that to heart.
Hey, Brian, thank you so muchfor joining me today on Hotel
Daddy.
At the end of every episode, Ilike to just give you an
opportunity to say anything wedidn't cover.
So the campfire is yours.
SPEAKER_02 (32:24):
Oh, wow.
So appropriate.
I've sat at so many campfiresrecently.
It's really exciting to be inthis category as a marketer
that's worked in hospitality forso long.
Seeing this, I hate to use theindustry term white space within
hospitality really flourish overthe past two years and to be
kind of at the forefront of itwith AutoCamp, it's incredibly
(32:44):
exciting.
We get to take chances, we getto take risks.
I have crazy ideas and we trythem.
And if they don't work, we don'tdo them again.
And if they do work, then we dothem twice as much as more,
more, more.
SPEAKER_01 (32:54):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_02 (32:55):
You know, I really am fortunate to learn from
people such as yourself and suchas the other people that I've
listed previously.
That I think that my strategy isjust a product of people that
I've learned from in the pastand just being really smart to
connect and build relationshipswith people that are doing the
thing, you know?
And I think it's great.
It'll be interesting to see howpeople travel this upcoming
(33:17):
year, how corporate events arerestructured and repositioned
over the next few years.
I think that's an interestingthing to look at.
I just really hope that peopletake that chance.
And if they've ever thoughtabout going on a trip to a
national park or just somethingthat's not traditional and get
outside and get out into theoutdoors that they choose
Autocamp to do so.
SPEAKER_01 (33:34):
Kids, this has been the Hotel Daddy Pod.
Thanks to my guest today, BrianTursey, Chief Commercial Officer
of Autocamp.
Thanks for listening to HotelDaddy with your host Blake
Danner.
Be sure to like and subscribewherever you get your podcasts.
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.