Top Floor

Shanté Micah is a seasoned storyteller and strategic PR pro who launched her career covering the Olympics before earning her master's from Syracuse and pivoting into brand strategy. With global experience and clients like Disney and ESPN under her belt, she’s now the founder of Good News, a consultancy redefining media outreach. Susan and Shanté talk about personalized pitching, press release pitfalls, and purposeful PR for hospita...

Liz Dahlager is the Chief Operating Officer and a partner at Mereté Hotel Management, a hotel management company based in Oregon. With roots in boutique hospitality at Kimpton Hotels, Liz has climbed the career ladder from area director of sales to Chief Operating Officer. Susan and Liz talk about culture, career pivots, and crafting local guest experiences.

Episode Highlights

🎯 Why a solid vision can disarm even the most skeptica...

Kim DiMarco is a veteran textile executive and the founder of Somato Textiles, a brand reimagining hospitality fabrics through creativity, sustainability, and heart. With over 30 years of global industry experience, Kim brings a rare mix of business acumen and design passion to every swatch she touches. Susan and Kim talk about pattern psychology, people-first operations, and planet-friendly practices.

What You'll Learn About:

How ...

It’s the 200th episode, and who better to celebrate with than the show’s most frequent flyer—literally—Cat Meek! Restaurateur, sommelier, real estate investor, travel advisor, and Susan’s sister, Cat shares the hilariously chaotic and wanderlust-filled story of her “adult gap year.” From a surprise St. Croix slideshow pitch to mimosa-fueled airport lounge reviews, it’s a memory-loaded milestone you don’t want to miss.

What You’ll L...

Chuck Kelley is a seasoned hotelier who’s done it all—from F&B to executive leadership across the globe. Now a partner at Cayuga Hospitality Consultants, he helps independent hotels tackle their trickiest challenges. Susan and Chuck talk about career pivots, consulting pitfalls, and crispy critters.

🦂 From busboy to big boss—how Chuck climbed the hospitality ladder.

🦂 The sideways move that changed his whole career (and wasn’t su...

In this second batch of HITEC interviews, Susan invites a new group of hotel tech leaders into the Top Floor recording booth to deliver their best Elevator Pitches—and a few unforgettable stories. From AI-powered concierges to spa booking solutions and a piano-playing manager who couldn’t play piano, this episode blends industry insight with plenty of personality. Plus, you’ll find out exactly how a monkey became part of a hotel’s ...

In this special HITEC edition of Top Floor, we’re riding the elevator with hospitality tech leaders who know how to make a pitch. From PMS platforms to AI concierges, we cover real-world tools and real-life chaos, including fainting coworkers, bat encounters, and nightclub drama. Whether you're here for the insights or the insanity, this episode delivers both!

Featured in Part One:

David Fox with Quore

Mark Lewis-Brown with Zucchet...

Mahendra Doshi is a journalist, historian, and author who came to the U.S. from India in 1967 with just $8 and a dream. From working in Nevada casinos to launching a trailblazing Indian newspaper, he chronicled immigrant stories long before they were trending. Susan and Mahendra talk about his latest book, Surat to San Francisco, which uncovers the incredible rise of Patel hoteliers in America.

What You'll Learn in This Episode
🧑‍...

Guise Bule spent nearly two decades in tech and cybersecurity before pivoting to hospitality, where his personal experience as a frequent traveler and dog owner inspired a new mission. He founded Roch Dog, a certification agency that applies objective data to evaluate hotels for their dog-friendliness. Susan and Guise talk about standards, service, and shifting expectations in the world of pet travel.

What You'll Learn About:

🐶 Ho...

Chris Tripoli is a veteran restaurateur, consultant, and podcast host with decades of hospitality experience under his belt. From teenage busboy to industry sage, he's seen it all—launching concepts, advising entrepreneurs, and mentoring the next generation. Susan and Chris talk about hospitality, hiring, and hitting the bullseye with your brand.

What You'll Learn About

🍽️ The #1 mistake restaurant owners make.
🧃 The secret to ba...

Scott Roby is a lifelong hotel enthusiast whose love for hospitality began during childhood stays at the Ritz Carlton. After studying at Cornell’s Hotel School and cutting his teeth in revenue management at Hilton, Scott co-founded Evolution Hospitality and is now president of Pacifica Hotels. Susan and Scott talk about operations, owner alignment, and offbeat inspiration.

What You'll Learn About:

🌺 How Hawaiian resorts sparked a ...

Shelley Brown is a keynote speaker, artist, and former hospitality pro who has built a career by challenging the status quo with heart and humor. After decades navigating buttoned-up boardrooms and high-stakes sales, she ditched the script to help leaders embrace imperfection, foster belonging, and lead like actual humans. Susan and Shelley talk about legacy, leadership, and the Dead.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🎤 The surpr...

Sarah Moss is the Chief of Staff at Hunter Hotel Advisors, where she’s the operational glue behind both the firm and its booming hotel investment conference. A hospitality lifer, she started as a maitre d’ and worked her way through college before joining Hunter full-time, pausing only briefly to crunch numbers at Coca-Cola. Susan and Sarah talk about growth, grit, and good data.

💡 Learn why saying “yes” to the jobs no one wants c...

Donte Johnson is a hospitality veteran with a 20+ year career of transforming hotel experiences through cultural integration and community connection. Now GM at Thompson Atlanta Buckhead, he’s known for blending operational excellence with authentic local engagement. Jason Bass is a serial entrepreneur turned hotel innovator, bringing his background in fashion, spirits, and tech to a new role as Director of Culture and Impact. Toge...

Adrian Balcan is the founder of Feed Check, a platform that helps hospitality businesses decode customer feedback and outshine the competition. With a brain wired for both economics and engineering, he started his company straight out of university, pivoting from tech reviews to the tasty world of hospitality insights. Susan and Adrian talk about fake reviews, feedback-fueled fixes, and futuristic formats.

🔍 What the signs are tha...

Renee Rubens is the founder of Symphony of Leaves, a luxury tea company rooted in ethical sourcing and sensory sophistication. After decades in global media sales, she followed her passion for tea into a new venture that blends her business savvy with botanical elegance. In this episode, she dishes on premium pu-erh, purposeful partnerships, and proper preparation.

What you'll learn about:

✨ Why tea bags are basically dust in a dis...

Michael Blank is a hospitality veteran who’s worked every angle of the hotel biz—from slinging room keys at the Willard in D.C. to steering multimillion-dollar acquisitions. Now the Principal of Woodmont Lodging, he owns and asset-manages properties across the U.S., with a soft spot for extended stay. Susan and Michael talk about counterintuitive takes on the hotel industry. 

What You’ll Learn About:

🚮 Pick Up Club! Why picking up...

Mike Mumford is the General Manager of Brand g Vacations, a leading luxury travel company serving the LGBTQ+ community. After a long career in corporate finance and tech, Mike traded spreadsheets for sunsets, turning his passion for travel into a full-time gig. Susan and Mike talk about career pivots, curated group experiences, and the power of packing light.

🌏 Why cotton candy, corn on the cob, and a theme park mentor helped spar...

Episode Summary:

Steve Fortunato never planned to make hospitality his life’s work—until he realized it was embedded in his DNA. After starting roomforty, an innovative catering company designed to deliver restaurant-quality experiences anywhere, he went on to open Fig House, a sought-after event venue. Steve's book, The Urgent Recovery of Hospitality [please bold and italicize the title], looks at relationships through the lens of...