Defining Hospitality

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Dan Ryan: Today's guest is an innovative industry leader and mentor to many. He carries a tradition of integrity, quality, and service in his projects. He has over 35 years of experience. He is the owner and founder of Looney and associates, ladies and gentlemen, Jim Looney. Welcome Jim. Hey, thanks. Happy
Jim Looney: Friday.
Dan Ryan: Happy Friday to you too.
I know we were just speaking before about how. I love Fridays. I think we all love Fridays, but it's just a nice time too. I love doing these podcast recordings too, to just kind of step out of the batter's box, [00:01:00] kind of catch up on all the things that needed to be done and, you know, just get ready for the relaxing time over the weekend, which sometimes isn't too relaxing when at
Jim Looney: home.
Yeah. Our days are a little fuzzy. Uh, they run together, but you know, it's good to have that, um, you know, kind of book. To the week, you know, and here in our office, we, we use Fridays is the day, you know, try not to schedule too many. Um, outside meetings is more for people to catch up. Um, and I've worked with our.
Uh, work protocol that we have now. So, uh, yeah. I encourage people to relax and work if they, you know, if they're here, work in a relaxed way. So here in the office, people were gathered around tables and, uh, you know, not as much pressure as during the
Dan Ryan: totally. And it's so interesting to figure out all the different ways of like, I don't think everyone's really figured out what the new work looks [00:02:00] like, and it's exciting to see everyone.
Experimenting with how many days in the office is hybrid more and more out. And it's kind of exciting. It's, uh, it's like an efficient marketplace of ideas that are happening right now. And we're, we haven't really settled on exactly what it's all going to look like, but I think it's all good.
Jim Looney: Yeah. You know, we, we have done a series of surveys.
We did one as recently as last week. To see how we're doing and the results were, were great, you know, in large, we're, we're doing a good job. Um, you know, that middle of the week is, uh, a little bit more structured, um, you know, with Mondays and Fridays, uh, being, uh, you know, again, the bookends of the week.
Um, but by and large, they're good. I, it was, it was really great to read some of the responses, um, You know, a couple of interesting ones were, Hey, I get to, you know, I get to stretch, you know, [00:03:00] between meetings. Um, I can eat healthier. You know, the commute is a lot easier, you know, if you're on zoom, um, and we have different offices, uh, here in Dallas, we're more of a commuter office, uh, in Chicago.
Uh, people take public transportation. So a commute is a commitment an hour and a half. So, you know, being flexible that. Just avoiding traffic in our Honolulu office. Um, our guys or our folks there, uh, come in. So it's, it's different in every city, every situation, but some of the great responses where I get to kiss my dog, uh, uh, you know, and I thought really a great one was, you know, Hey, in between calls, I might be able to do a chore and.
I could do those during the week. So my weekend, um, it's not what I'm doing all weekend. So it was [00:04:00] really, it was really good. We, we rely on these surveys.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And everyone, and it's so interesting. Cause like no one is the same. Everyone has their own needs and. Everyone has their own priorities. And I think that as, as this marketplace of ideas of what the new work looks like, um, and then it kind of settles in all these areas.
I think it's allowing for everyone to do what's best for them and be, be themselves more. And I think it's all, it's a creative, right? If everyone is benefiting and I think it's a real silver lining, that's come out of this. Now, some people are fighting it. A lot of people like you are embracing it and it's.
It's good. I don't know. I think I love change. I think change is how we all evolve and it's exciting to see. I wanted to, um, just let everyone know that you and I came here today to speak because we were in Miami at an event I was sitting with you. And we were talking about this podcast that I had started and, you know, [00:05:00] speaking with the Michael of the world and, uh, the.
The, uh, Lenny parkers, although he didn't want to be on the podcast. He had a nice conversation with him in his home. Um, and I don't, I haven't spoken to Trish Wilson yet, but just thinking about like all these founders, but like the people who kind of started our industry and like what the provenance of all of us are from those really great.
Kind of first movers within this hospitality design industry and you, um, like so many came up under Trish Wilson. Right. And, and, and I just think it's so amazing to see how many people and careers and inspiration came from a Tricia and a Michael and a Howard and like all of here. And I just, I wanted to kind of tap into that.
Like, how did you first. Meet her. And then like, I [00:06:00] would assume she would be considered like a mentor of yours as well, but like, how did you find your way into this world?
Jim Looney: Yeah, it's um, yeah, I, I feel like, yeah, those were the leaders. Uh, they really established the hospitality design industry, as we know it.
And you know, the way Tricia was, um, residential designers. And she had resident designers and then hired architects. So that mashup created, you know, just a great combination. Um, there's some great projects that launched her actually here in Dallas with tremble Crow, but, you know, I'm so fortunate to end up to been.
I feel like I had a front row. And all that. Um, you know, it, I came in at a time when this industry was being formed. It was, that was the Genesis. It really works. Um, I think Michael Bedner, um, you know, again, in that same [00:07:00] strata, you know, we're creating all of this and kind of the rise of hospitality industry, as we know it was, was then so I'm, I consider myself so fortunate.
You know, that created this wonderful family tree that had its roots back then. I just happened to, you know, um, come in at a time when it was forming. So, you know, again, I feel so fortunate and then all the people that, you know, you know, that family tree has been growing and growing, uh, and it's just, it's the most fun.
And the world we are so fortunate to be in this business. Yeah.
Dan Ryan: Um, one of the things that strikes me about working with your teams and in the offices around the country and the projects that you work on, and it's not just me, but I hear it from so many other people. And I'm curious like how you scale [00:08:00] this and probably get it out of your head.
But whenever. If we think of a project, you're building a hotel, you're opening a hotel. There's so many different inputs from construction to design, to architecture, to everything. And I find that there's this idea of a return on time, right? How can we all be the most efficient and organized to really deliver a great project?
Um, and from my experience and from what I've heard from others, even re very recently, um, The deliverables that you guys pulled together and your organization and documentation, it just makes the process, nothing is ever easy, but it really makes the process really smooth for all parties as a furniture supplier.
I'm sure as a general contractor, as an owner, as all of the, all of the different consultants, how did you, and it's also very similar through all of your offices, right? And through all of your, your, your great team, how do you. [00:09:00] Embrace that value. And how do you get it out of your head and into everyone else's so that it's, it's just the way it goes.
I'm very intrigued by that.
Jim Looney: Uh, yeah, there is a trickle down effect, you know, I think there is a attitude. Um, you know, and I think it's part of modeling, you know, how to, how to treat people. I, you know, when I started, you know, one of the big things was. I felt like I could start a firm when I believed I could gain the trust of people of a client, you know, that they trusted me.
It's a big, it's a big thing. It's a tall order. Um, they have a lot, right. Uh, developers think about the millions. Think about the heartburn that they have when things are over budget or whatever. Um, so, you know, I always felt like that [00:10:00] I had their trust, then, you know, I can do things for them. I had a, you know, I would always make sure that, um, you know, I could, I could carry that through.
I didn't take on anything that I didn't feel. I'm doing, uh, I started my firm doing, um, renovations, you know, here's a guy, um, probably ain't gonna give me. You know, a 500 room thousand room hotel, but gosh, you know, I could, I could do a renovation and I trusted myself that I could, I could do that. Um, so you know, that, that was the Genesis for all of that.
And that's what I hope that, you know, I can make to people that, Hey, you can trust us. We, um, we take that very seriously. Um, and we just want to do a very thorough job. Again, it goes back to my just ethos of helping, you know, [00:11:00] my job is to help people.
Dan Ryan: So in our initial calls and just conversations, and then just knowing you over the years, I get that feeling so much of the treating people well doing unto others.
And then how do you take that ethos, which is so important to you, that value and how do you. How does that help you define what hospitality
Jim Looney: is? Well, you know, hospitality to me is making people feel comfortable in your presence. That, to me, that's the definition of hospitality. Um, but you know, this, the ethos of helping it works on several different levels.
My job, uh, for instance, uh, for designers here, if they've they've encountered a particular problem, My job is to help them get through that from our clients. You're building a hotel. My job is to help you realize your vision because, [00:12:00] you know, we work in the public sector, work with developers. Um, they have a vision we want to, they want to do something with build a building.
Um, they want ROI, they have all kinds of things, right. Um, so my job is to help them achieve. Um, you know, best that ethos of helping. And then we take it a little bit further to, um, this outreach here in our own community. So that's, that's a literal though,
Dan Ryan: so, oh, so I actually, I want to cause, and that made me very curious because in all of the times that we've spoken, it's helping others, helping others, helping others.
And, and this ethos that I'm hearing you talk about, I'm really curious about. What kind of like, as far as an impact from a, a charitable time, um, like what are you passionate about on that side? Outside of work to, yeah. Of helping others?
Jim Looney: Yeah. You know, we've done [00:13:00] some things. We've had, uh, connections with, um, Dallas independent school district.
Um, so we've, we've helped them. Um, every year we do a quarterly. Uh, outreach and all of our offices. Um, and we have a group here that, uh, channels those efforts every quarter, and it can be different sometimes they're repetitive and, um, that's very meaningful to people and gets us out of our ourselves. And then, uh, something that I'm really, really proud of.
Uh, I have a scholarship back at the. Fazio and school of architecture and design, where I got my architecture degree. And, um, I didn't know this, uh, how it all started. Uh, tell me more about that. I didn't it's um, when I was inducted platinum circle from want to give me a gift and I'm pretty hard to buy for, [00:14:00]
Dan Ryan: you know, what you need and you get it.
Jim Looney: So they said, well, we'll do a scholarship. So they contact the school of architecture. I started this. And so, um, and I didn't know this, but when you establish a scholarship, you can direct it any way you want to. It could be gosh, kids from Dallas county, Texas, or whatever. I always felt like that we benefited, especially in hospitality, from a larger world.
So mine is geared to the travel abroad, a study abroad program that, uh, is in the fourth year of curriculum because I believe that, you know, students want to be able to again, have a bigger.
Dan Ryan: I love that so much. And I just got goosebumps, as you said it, because I don't have very many [00:15:00] regrets in my life, but one is when I was in college, I never studied abroad.
And that kills me. And I, I wish I could have done that. And the closest I've done was a few years ago, moving to Vietnam with my family and opening an office out there, but like really being in a place for more than just. A week or a few days. And it's, I think it's the ultimate gift. And I think it's a real, it's something that as a family, we do all the time, it's really, it's part of us as travel and to be able to give that to kids.
Or young men and women at university of Arkansas, like encourage that. It increases the worldview incredibly.
Jim Looney: Yeah. And, and, you know, they don't have the means necessarily, or may not have had the means to do it. You know, this is a mandatory program and it wasn't in place when I was there. And I wish I had it.
I'm like, I wish I had had that. And like, you I'm sure. [00:16:00] You know, travel is the thing that inspires us all. Um, I was in New York and saw this, um, it's a beautiful paving pattern and I'm very modern hotel. Well, it looks really great. About two weeks later, I was in Florence. There was that same pattern. So it hadn't been around for centuries, you know?
So that inspiration from travel is just, it's invaluable, especially in our business and how.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And it just, just to be able to see and experience all of our differences, which when you really get down to it, it's the same mosaic here and there because we're all this mosaic and we're all standing on the shoulders of those before us.
Um, do you have any, do you have any good stories about someone who received the, um, one of the scholarships and then went on the, on the. The abroad experience and came back, like, do you, do you [00:17:00] get to hear those, how you impacted them? Um, I
Jim Looney: do. There's a, there's a young lady. Um, who's was one of the recipients here in Dallas.
She had to be from Dallas. I didn't realize that she was a recipient recipient that we hadn't known her. Our family have known her since she was a little girl, went to the school of architecture. She was a recipient. We, um, and the program is based in. Um, so, um, my wife and I were in Italy, happy to be in the room and found out that she was there.
So we all got together in Rome while she was there doing her semester abroad and got to talk about it and visit. And it was just, it was such a great experience. I mean, that was, so it really brought to life. So tangible one, just a name. You know, or, uh, an event at an [00:18:00] honors banquet there, she was in Rome.
We were all together. It was just a ton of fun.
Dan Ryan: Wow. And then do this, have you ever had a recipient of that skull of your scholarship ever come and work for you in any of your
Jim Looney: offices? Um, I'm trying to think, no, but I have several graduates here from the school and we do. We do via the scholarship. You know, it's just really tied me to, and given me an interest and students and what they're doing.
So we, we do critiques with the school of our texture, uh, interior design program is now, um, in that umbrella. And, um, so I don't know, it's been great to have that.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. That's. And again, you think about these students who are just coming out and to be able to broaden their worldview and give them this experience.
It only enriches and I'm sure. [00:19:00] There's a, this idea of paying it forward, right. So that they're going to get it. And then they're going to remember, and then they're going to pay it forward. And it has a, it's like throwing a stone into a, into a pond, right? The ripple effect. And you know,
Jim Looney: one, another gratifying thing I just learned about a month ago that the first recipient is now opening his own architect.
Which is great. Great. A great young guy, and I'm so proud of him, you know, so, yeah, so, and he said, gosh, I want to make sure we stay in touch. Um, love your advice. Can you be a mentor to continue to be a mentor to me? Um, his, his career, uh, That's amazing. Yeah. So that's why it has a lot of Hills, a lot of legs to it, you know?
Oh,
Dan Ryan: that's fantastic. Um, yeah, so I, I love the idea of helping students [00:20:00] and, um, I'm, I'm pretty involved with this organization called the opportunity network. I actually was just at their gala the other night and it takes all these kids from high school. And then sometimes I'll coach kids on how to write their essays.
They've never been to college before. Um, It gets them placed in coach and college. And then it helps them out, not just in high school, but also through college, getting them placed in internships. And I've been very passionate about that and getting it coming into our industry in hospitality, because I just feel like whatever we learn of serving others that I think is so.
Deeply entrenched within our industry. It's transferable to everything. Yeah. Every industry it's just, it's being empathetic. It's, it's thinking about how someone is going to experience walking through the space or, you know, it. Like, what is this? It's always putting others first is what is what I find and what drives me.
And we can all learn from that.
Jim Looney: And you, you think about the nature of the [00:21:00] spaces that we create and, you know, you're furnishing and you know, we're, we're doing that for the supply. We don't know, you know, uh, who's going to walk through those doors. We don't know. Um, so we hope it has that appeal. You know, again, we're doing it for others that, uh, They will get to meet them.
Maybe we want.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And then, okay, so then I want, so let's say you fit your you're at university of Arkansas. You finished, you have your architecture degree. Right. And then how did you find your way back to Dallas or to Dallas? And how did you find your way into the hospitality issue? I'm really curious about that.
Yeah. Yeah. You
Jim Looney: know, um, uh, found my way here through a classmate. When we graduated, he, um, to work for Tricia. And, uh, so he, uh, um, I wasn't in Dallas and he called and said, Hey, [00:22:00] um, well pita, babe. My wedding come to America. He was marrying a person from Fort worth, came to the wedding, was in the wedding that Tricia met, met the group.
And then he called me a few weeks later and said, Hey. We're going to be hiring. Why don't you put your name in the hat? I said, sure. Came over. And six weeks later we were in Dallas and the rest is history. So I'm just so fortunate. So, you know, it's, you know, life, I think you heard the speaker at HD a summit this year, Dan, that think she was director at the MoMA, said life has, has, is like a vector.
You know, you set your vector. No an engineer, or I want to, you know, set a course, but then all these other vectors come in, you know, so that, that's how there were a couple of those, you know, that, uh, got me here and I'm just so fortunate, happy to be [00:23:00] doing
Dan Ryan: this. And what year was that?
Jim Looney: Let's say I started there 82.
So
Dan Ryan: then 1982, you're there. You're working with for Tricia and then like, Were you interacting with her every day? Like what, like how, like, she is just so inspirational and amazing to me. And I didn't, I don't know. I've only met her a couple of times. I don't know her that well, but
Jim Looney: I was the 15th person, uh, and we had sequential employee numbers and I think, you know, what, two thousands after that, but yeah.
So yeah, we were on a, and it was a growing firm. It was a fun time. So yeah, it was very, it was kind of. You know, um, good group of people, core group of people.
Dan Ryan: Wow. And then, uh, and then you'd go and you fast forward from 1982 to now you're in Dallas, you're in Chicago and you're in Honolulu. What prompt to me Honolulu is like the dream place.
So like [00:24:00] what prompted you to open the office out there?
Jim Looney: Um, we were working on a project on Maui and it was a large project kind of in the end top to bottom repositioning project there. And. Which one was it? Uh, it was the Marriott Wailea, uh, for Sunstone properties and, um, it needed, it was, uh, it was a big project, so it needed some boots on the ground.
So, um, that's how that started. We had traditionally or historically done work out, starting at one a Surfrider there in Honolulu some years prior to that. And it, uh, there's always a place that. I just, you
Dan Ryan: know, so, okay. The mana Surfrider actually, I had a life-changing experience there. Yeah. You know, it's, uh, it's got the big, uh, mangrove tree out in the, in that central [00:25:00] courtyard in the back.
And there's a bar. Yeah. Um, do you know, do you know a guy named John Stobbe? Do you ever meet him? He's out in Hawaii. He was with, uh, Philippines.
Jim Looney: I never, I never met him.
Dan Ryan: No. Um, I was sitting out there with him and I was asking him, I said, Hey, John, how do you, you know, he would always go on these great vacations, like trekking up to, I dunno, like base camp.
Uh, Everest or like always take these big, like one month long vacations. And I was like, how do you do it? He's like, oh, I just have a really good team. And I, I go out there and I do it. He's like, you should do it. I was like, for a month, he goes, yeah, just do it. And I started to like, have a panic attack. I was like, I can't go away for a month and unplugged, like, that's crazy.
Um, but I had a trip coming up for. Uh, to a family or we go to this family camp up in New Hampshire. Um, and I said, you know what, I'm going to do one week. I'm not going to touch my phone or my [00:26:00] computer. And it was the greatest week of my life at that point. And now I do it every single year. But when I was up in New Hampshire, I wrote him a postcard saying, oh, thank you.
This was amazing. I didn't know like how present I could be with my little kids running around and. I said, Hey, I'm going to be out in Hawaii. And, um, I'd love to see you. I got no response. I emailed him like I was coming in August and no response. I got out to Hawaii and it turns out he'd had a stroke.
And then I didn't, it was some trade show that had come up later. I saw him. He he's better and everything's fine now with him. Um, I haven't seen him in awhile, but I saw him. He was riding around on his, like he was on a rascal. He was still going through physical therapy, trying to get everything back to normal.
And I ran up to him. I gave him a hug and he said to me, he goes, I got your letters. You see, I've been busy. He goes, but now you see why it's so important to you.
Jim Looney: Oh,
Dan Ryan: well that [00:27:00] brought it home. I brought it home and it comes back to that whole idea of like Friday and taking the time. And like, I think that also truly is like one of the silver linings coming out of all of this that we've been through.
It's as horrible as this whole pandemic has been for so many people. Um, I think it's also forced us to like really think differently about things.
Jim Looney: Yeah, totally. You know, I've heard, I've heard silver lining, um, several times in reference to, you know, looking for the positive, you know, in this situation we find that silver lining, but yeah, it, it really, you really have to adjust your lens for a lot of them, you know, you really do.
Um, you know, in, in here in our firm, we want. Sure as much as we can that work, you know, that's not the thing you have to worry about. You know, we, as business [00:28:00] owners, we have lots of, lots of things. We know they keep us up at night, but, um, you know, for, for people here in our offices and you know, it, it, it gives me.
Um, you know, greater sense of peace that they don't have that to worry about being focused on other things, but when they are here with present.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And you, I mean, in all of your offices, you've built such a great team, and I know you didn't do it alone. Like it's, it's your team. Um, but I think a lot of that comes from you as well.
And I heard you say, you know, as a business owner, what keeps us up at night, what's keeping you up at night.
Jim Looney: You know, it's, um, you know, we've been through, I've been doing this long enough that we've been through a lot of things. So, you know, we'd been through, you know, uh, world trade center, you know, terrorist attacks.
We've been through recessions, you know, big downturns and, you know, like [00:29:00] John Tisch said, we'll just throw in a pandemic. Can there mate. But, you know, I really do think about people, you know, um, are things fair and balanced, you know, as far as our projects workload, um, is that okay? Um, you know, and you know, one of the folks that, uh, one of my first clients said, and I believe this too, you know, if I can do things that the things that are undermining.
You know, I can focus on that, things that out of my control, I, I, I didn't predict a pandemic. Um, but I'd had enough experience with other kind of ups and downs to anticipate some things that might happen. Academic kind of really skewed things, you know, created some situations where women would never have known about.
Um, but [00:30:00] back to your original question, um, he can things fair and balanced, uh, making sure that. Um, you know, people can, um, maintain their some sense of balance, you know, and we were, we were very flexible from even before this happened, but this, um, which is great because it has helped us, you know, continue to get
Dan Ryan: through all of this.
And then as you think about. Okay. So we're getting through it. You have great teams all over, like what's exciting. You most about the future?
Jim Looney: You know, it's funny. I think that because of this new lens, we're starting to explore just different things and they may be right in your front. yard I think before we had the opportunity to travel [00:31:00] wherever, the world was our oyster to go anywhere to do anything.
we've been limited in that way now. So it's forced us to, appreciate things that are maybe right in front of us. So as far as things that excite me, it's just that, kind of reawakening That's happening, reawakening with, I want to get closer to my family. Where are places I can go, and I can do that.
Um, so that may guide us to, gosh, you know what? I want to be outdoors. You know what I want to, I want to be in the excitement of a city, which city can I go to, to do. So it's a little bit of a reawakening of all those things.
Dan Ryan: And then as you're reawakening and looking at things differently, like, how are you, what are some things that you're doing in your business and with your teams that are different than you've done in the past?
Like how, how are [00:32:00] you continuing to evolve?
Jim Looney: Yeah. Um, you know, I think, um, it's pretty fluid, um, right now and, uh, probably what we've been doing. Yeah, what we did a year ago, it was different than what we're doing now. You know, it's again, like you've probably heard, um, you know, we're, we're fixing the airplane while we're flying it.
I'm sure you've heard that many times. I do it all the time. Um, but in doing things differently, I think we're. I think a lot of people, you know, just more casual, uh, we're not as, uh, demanding or as thing, um, about expectations. We know that there are everybody's different everybody's situation is different.
So I think there's a, there's more tolerance for that. I [00:33:00] think, you know, delivery of our projects is still, um, speed to market is still a thing. You know, doing things for our own time on budget, on schedule are still, they're still there. But I think internally, you know, we're, we're, we're just more tolerant.
Dan Ryan: I like that calm. And then I actually, in one of our conversations, or before we started talking to you, you were telling me about Grove street. Tell me about that. Like that seems to be something different as well and innovative is that I didn't know about that.
Jim Looney: Yeah. It's, uh, it's a division, uh, within our, within our firm that does product design.
Um, and it's, uh, we started doing surfaces and more focused on surfaces. Um, so we have, um, uh, we provide designed for, uh, for us a studio. And the chance that it'll [00:34:00] like, uh, they're a leather company and we have used their leathers on upholstery. For many years, we saw that they were doing a wall tile. Um, it was, it was very interesting, but for us, we needed something.
It was interesting because you know, for us surfaces, you know, it can be millwork. That could be stoned. We walk up. Um, leather walls was, I don't know, it was very interesting to us, but they were not of a scale or an application that we could use in hospitality. We needed bigger things for lobbies or restaurants or whatever sweets.
So, um, we created leather panels that, um, have metal accents. Um, we also do textiles. Pixel design for James Dunlop out of New Zealand.
Dan Ryan: Um, you're like fo like product designing, industrial designing
Jim Looney: in a way. [00:35:00] Yeah. Yeah. Uh, link, um, here in Dallas does beautiful outdoor furniture, uh, working with fam look, wall covering.
Uh, also here in Dallas, we just launched a line and that's what, um, one of those is, um, one of those lines is nominated for HD product design award over the
Dan Ryan: HD awards,
Jim Looney: the award coming up. So we're excited about that.
Dan Ryan: And which one is that again?
Jim Looney: Uh, it's look, look, yeah. Now.
Dan Ryan: Oh, good. I'll have to, I'll have to check that out and we'll, we'll definitely put it in the show notes because I also think like, as.
Business owner, entrepreneur, always evolving and growing and like putting people first and grow and building these great teams of people throughout your tenure. Just the, the amount of like intellectual property and just design for, because every project you see is a, is a new constraint. They [00:36:00] offer all these new constraints and you're always trying to figure out how to like bridge the gap on those constraints.
And you must create. And I just have such a vast library of so many different materials and new ways of thinking about challenging or addressing old problems. And that's kind of cool that you're doing that. Yeah.
Jim Looney: You know, it's, um, we're in the design business, we do, most of our projects are custom designed, you know, case goods.
Um, you know, it kind of threads through virtually everything. Um, so we thought, well, gosh, we're, we're doing this. We love doing it. Um, maybe we can help people, um, supplement their design efforts and people would be very receptive to it. You know, we're always looking for different things, but it's so funny, our office, I mean, it's full of wonderful products and materials and things, you know, but it's got.
It's almost never enough, you know, but [00:37:00] where we, you know, that's what we do for our clients. We're editors, um, you know, we're the filter for all those things. Hey, I want to do a great restaurant. Or even, Hey, I want to, I think I want to do, um, a natural stone floor. Well, that's our job to go out and find that perfect floor, the perfect pattern, the perfect fitness drawing, design it, present it, you know, so, yeah.
Dan Ryan: And you have to really put your yourself in your client, not just your client, but all the guests that are going to be coming through there as well. And how do you, and it's just like the ultimate exercise and empty.
Jim Looney: Yeah, it is, you know, you're creating a stage set of sorts, you know, for some, but, and I believe it has to feel immediately comfortable.
I, you know, I would say, you know, guests, you know, they're not in the design business there, that alignment can't put their finger on it. Wow. [00:38:00] Why they like it? You know, a lot of times they can refer back to a piece of art or service, you know, The person, the man or woman at the front desk was really great, super helpful.
Um, but the envelope that be designed here, it may not be able to put their finger on it. I just like, it feels good.
Dan Ryan: And I think that's also in a way, a frustrating part about what we do in that oftentimes. The best experiences are when you actually don't notice what's going on, right. You're just, you're fully present and mindful about what you're doing.
Right. Then nothing is distracting your attention. You're just completely in the
Jim Looney: moment. Yeah. And you know, you want those, you know, the Instagram moment has become something, you know, um, was some people, you know, want that. Um, but you know, I think it, I think it has to be, um, Natural, [00:39:00] you know, I don't think it could be contrived.
Some people, you know, sometimes there are those fun things. It's, you know, creating that postcard moment. But, um, you know, I think that, you know, we, the most successful things that, um, eight evokes a feeling,
Dan Ryan: um, as you look back over your career and before your. And you think about just people that you've worked with or interact with or learn from who do you think was your biggest mentor on your journey?
Jim Looney: Uh, no. I, I think, uh, maiming, uh, someone who was really instrumental was, um, Jim Romel spa. He was an architect at, at Trisha saw. Who's super talented. Um, I was new to the hospitality [00:40:00] business. We were all kind of young guns then, but he had, uh, he was, he was, he was my mentor, I would say. Um, great architect, great sensibilities.
Um, I just learned a lot by observing.
Dan Ryan: And was there any one, um, situation or moment? Really impacted you the most as you were kind of learning from him?
Jim Looney: Um, I'd say Dan, um, I would do what we would travel to projects. Um, we got to talk, talk design. I got to see an action and you know, we, on several occasions, we got to.
Fan out a little bit, you know, if we were in Boston, we got to go, we would make sure we got, we went to see things, um, you know, that were inspiration, but we got to it. It was more, [00:41:00] um, you know, being with him. That was great. And sorry. And then, you know, there were always things about, he would teach me about scale or things like that, but, you know, I used when I groupings.
And
Dan Ryan: if you could plot a line from Jim through you, to your team, like, what do you think you've taken from him? And that you've kind of paid forward, paid forward?
Jim Looney: Um, you know, I think it's. Maintaining anything at an eye for detail and for scale, you know, a lot of what we do is intangible. You know, it's about taste or, um, you know, your sensibilities, I'd say, you know, putting colors together and materials together.
And Jim had just, just had that great. And the art fly I'll call it. Um, but he [00:42:00] also had the ability to, or he led me to, um, um, resources or a way of thinking that always made me look at the scale of things, how things fit in a space. So that was always something that helped me a lot and, and bringing that, stitching that through to all of our projects.
Dan Ryan: Right. And I know it's, it's very intangible and it's really like, it's really a sense of feeling. Right. And to me, I'm just always curious about like, how, how, how can you take that feeling and, and share it and teach others to tap into that feeling as well?
Jim Looney: Yeah, that, that is a tough one. And, you know, I think there are.
There are folks, uh, here in the office. Um, I've worked with elsewhere who are good, [00:43:00] very good teachers in that sense. And then I think there are people who are good models. It may be, it may not be able to verbalize it, but I think if you're around it, you know, you can probably pick it up. Um, but I think dialogue.
You know, uh, having an explanation, uh, if you have a critique or you have a point of view is be open to that. Um, and being able to, um, just talk about it, you know, I'm not a fountain here at all. Hadn't done that the spring for me. I love seeing what other people come up with and. Yeah, maybe I'm more of the symphony conductor.
A lot of times I'm the editor I'm in that role because my clients expect it, but it makes me happy when I see [00:44:00] people be their creative best. Okay.
Dan Ryan: I love that you brought up the Fountainhead and I've always loved the writings of Anne Rand. Mostly. I think, I think what I've loved about it the most is if you mix up and write.
It spells Dan Ryan. So I would always add, I don't know, dyslexic or something, but every time I would see the, and they're big books, right. So bookshelf and I see them, I'm like, I kind of see my name in there. It's just kind of fun because I love that. You're not a Fountainhead, you're a symphony conductor.
I like that. I mean, it's so true. And especially as you scale, it's really hard to be a fountain head. You really have to be able to. Get the best out of your whole team. You got the timpani over here, you've got the woodwinds over here. You got the strings over here and get
Jim Looney: them going. And I, you know, I want them to take the bow too.
You know, it's not, it's not me, [00:45:00] you know, it's, it's all of them. They do. And I'm so proud of them. They do so great. They work so hard, you know, to achieve these things. But yeah, that's, I feel like that's, that's not wrong when I go. And again, it circles back to that. If I can help them be successful, then that's my job.
Dan Ryan: Yeah.
Jim Looney: Yeah. Well, all along be successful. Um, and you know, another, I wanted to add, oh yeah. We're so fortunate in this business to be able to see those results. You know, I was, um,
and another profession, you know, um, you know, we leave a legacy, you know, a very tangible, visible legacy. We can walk back into a hotel that we've, we've worked together and [00:46:00] see it, there it is,
Dan Ryan: you know, That's a that's really? Yeah. It's really exciting because it's a real, tangible thing. I can go with my kids, like, oh, I worked on this one and you get to walk through it.
And yeah, it is
Jim Looney: feel it and interiors too. I firmly believe that, you know, more and more, uh, no matter what the brand or what the product is, there's a desire for. That's a, that's just a big thing. It's not about decorating a space or whatever it is. It's all about conveying a story. Um, you know, and I think that what we did, especially in interiors invest when people really come in contact with the story, you can touch it, you can feel it.
Um, You know about materials, you use the art you place, the, you want to convey, you know, the story that is comfortable and relax well then, or your furnishings that way. [00:47:00] Um, or the colors calming soothing. You want it to be, uh, um, bright, you know, want to make it an energetic space. Well, that says something too.
What's
Dan Ryan: also interesting to see, you know, you. With the studying architecture. Right. And then, you know, you have architects on one side and interior designers on the other, and oftentimes there's conflict between and me as an outsider. I, okay. I get the, you know, going back to the Fountainhead of the architect.
Building this great edifice, but I, on the interior side, it is so much about, more about the people, right? Because it's, how are they interacting and playing and, and feeling within the space. And do you see a conflict between architecture and interior design and how did you reconcile your journey?
Jim Looney: Yeah, you know, I, I'm just fortunate that I got in this swim lane, you know, And I would, and I love being [00:48:00] architect.
You know, that's one of the things that defines me. Um, but I love interiors, especially hospitality, interiors, but reconciling on that, I think it was, I was fortunate, um, because I'm an architect I could relate to some shell knowing architects, you know, spoke, spoken language, they would, whatever it was talking about.
Um, but I think now, uh, Um, it really is. Now there are programs in schools that focus on interior architecture. I think that, um, um, you know, it's more, it's more integrated now. Uh, I know even the Jones school, um, they're creating a graduate program in hospitality. Which is great and material design and architecture and landscape design are all in the same school and they're layering in [00:49:00] vertical studios.
So everybody gets to work together. So while it was separate, you know, when I was starting out was becoming more blended now. And, uh, the interior experience, especially in hospitality is special. It was very important. The Genesis of the concept a lot of times is manifested in. Totally being an architect.
Good. Well, you
Dan Ryan: know, you get to understand the, the entire spectrum of the building to the experience within, and I think oftentimes that's, you know, I feel like a lot of architectures go down the architect path and that's fine, you know? I always get upset when I see the conflict between, because like you're saying where they're bringing these entities together, like everything feeds off of and informs each other.
And I think it's really important to have as much of that cross pollination as possible.
Jim Looney: Yeah. And you know, it's a lot of owners, a lot of developers want that [00:50:00] interaction that play, you know, sometimes they, you know, some ideas come in conflict. But it's it's I feel like my job a lot of times is to make sure that it's a complete bond at the end of the day.
That's that's one of my jobs. I think that's something we do very, very well, I guess, creating a complete thought.
Dan Ryan: Yeah. And telling that story. Yeah.
Jim Looney: Yeah. And, you know, resorts, you know, it's a little bit, fuzzier architecture is interiors and, you know, She'll be building architect kind of bland. Let's see.
Anyway, but, um, again, in any project it's gotta be a complete,
Dan Ryan: okay. W uh, one of the things I like to do in these conversations is I like to go through a little time machine. So imagine you, Jim, that I'm talking to you right now, teleports back to the gym, just graduated. Architecture school [00:51:00] and that you're standing in front of yourself.
What advice do you give yourself?
Jim Looney: Uh, that's a great question. Um, be open. Um, there are. There are, there are a lot of paths to achieve the same result. There are a lot of paths to achieve satisfaction fulfillment in your career and be open to do that. I never dreamed that I would have a life in hospitality, interior.
I didn't know. Um, so I would, I would say. Yeah, I don't, um, don't have blinders on about the profession. Cause I think a lot of times, you know, professions kind of guide you in a certain direction. Um, but yeah, stay open-minded, [00:52:00] uh, look around, try to look around the corner.
Dan Ryan: I think that dovetails nicely into the idea of the vectors that we were talking about.
Right. There's just, you just never know. Right. And if you're open, if you're truly open, you're just open to the experience that's coming into you and you adapt and move as you go without blinders. I love that.
Jim Looney: Yeah. Um, but that's a great question. You know, that's good because,
Dan Ryan: you know, we, I think. Again, I said earlier, I have very few regrets.
Um, I really don't. It was really that I didn't go to, um, live abroad when I was in college, but I think that even with no regrets, I think we can still teach ourselves and others by our own life experience. So I think it's just a good way to kind of just check out. Kind of have that out of body experience so that we can all work.[00:53:00]
Jim Looney: Yeah. That would be great. My, my hair would be a lot darker. Um, totally. Um, but no, that's a, that's a super great question. Um, you know, because gap is, you know, it's, it's a journey, you know, And it, you know, people, people have been the biggest influence. You know, there are things that have been influencers, you know, great spaces, great cities, great variances, but it's all about people.
I
Dan Ryan: totally agree. And, um, if people wanted to reach out to you and learn more about Looney and all the things that you guys are up to, how can they, uh, how can they do that?
Jim Looney: Yeah. We have a very active social media presence. Uh, feel free. Um, you know, my email is, uh, you know, having to post this Jim hill at Looney dash associates.[00:54:00]
Um, great. Yeah.
Dan Ryan: And we'll put out, we'll put all that up in the show notes. I love the idea that people are really the experience and that is really the journey. All the other stuff is just kind of as noise. So thank you. It's really good. And I get it and in all and everything, it's all people, it's all others.
It's treating people. That's what I'm hearing from you. And to hear you kind of wrap it up there, I totally agree. And that's, as I'm learning about trying to define what hospitality is, you know, there's no nothing black and white, but it's, I think it's. People and the interrelationship and being able to think like the other.
So that's all my ex exploration right now. Yeah.
Jim Looney: We're designing for people, you know, it's design five people. Um, but yeah, it's, it's all about relationships, but that people have had the biggest impact. I completely
Dan Ryan: agree. Yeah. Well, Jim, I want to say [00:55:00] thank you so much for being such an incredible guest.
I've enjoyed this conversation incredibly
Jim Looney: much. Well, it's, uh, it's been a fun way to wrap up the week. Dan, it's always a pleasure to see you, whether you're in-person or on screen, you know, we traded a lot of travel time for screen time. So, um, it's always great to see, and I hope to see you, um, in New York,
Dan Ryan: uh, Um, again, that's really good to know about your wall covering.
Um, that's going to be, uh, HD awards for our product. So I will definitely see you in New York, uh, during the NYU lodging conference and also, uh, the HD awards. And I think that's going to be awesome. And I also, most importantly, speaking of people, I'm just always amazed by the growth and just people who are listening to all these conversations.
So I just want to say thank you to the people who are listening because. People care. And like we're in this really cool niche and [00:56:00] people just want to know more and more and more about it. And I feel like it's a really cool way to fill in the gaps about what we do and why we do it. So if this changed your thoughts on how to deliver or think about hospitality or people, please pass it along, share the link and we'll catch you next time.
Thank you everyone.
Jim Looney: And thanks so much. Great talking.