Defining Hospitality

[00:00:00] Dan Ryan: All right. Hello everyone. Uh, today's guest is an industry thought leader, talented keynote speaker and event programmer, a former adjunct professor at NYU. A board member of the long island hospitality association, president of Rouse media, host of the wildly successful podcast, no vacancy live, ladies and gentlemen, Mr.
[00:00:25] Glenn Haussman hey man.
[00:00:27] Glenn Haussman: That was so awesome. Like who's this guy introducing? I thought you booked me for the show.
[00:00:31] Dan Ryan: Well, I did book you for the show and what I'd like everyone to know. Um, and I know that you and I have spoken about this, but. There was an eight, there was a BDN Y trade show many years ago, obviously in New York where I organized a panel of a panel on re-inventing the hotel lobby.
[00:00:51] And it was the first moderated discussion I've ever done. And when they said, yeah, that sounds right. They're not the first person I called was you, [00:01:00] because I've seen you doing all of this for so long and you're such an important voice in our industry. And like, how did you, how did you get to the point where you were the first person I wanted to call?
[00:01:11] Glenn Haussman: I, no idea. A lot of, for decisions on your end. I would say,
[00:01:19] I know, man. I mean, if you, you know, uh, let me think about how long ago I started with the speaking thing. It's gotta be. 15 years at this point, I would reckon. And I was at, I was kind of at a crossroads of my career. Right. And I was very keen to the fact that, um, at that time the internet was really just becoming a thing.
[00:01:40] You know, I mean, it was part of our lives, but it wasn't our lives and how we interact with absolutely everything. And I was working in more of the print kind of world, and I knew that I was going to bump up against the seat. If I couldn't become more visible and become more of an individually, as opposed to a, a byline that nobody really reads, uh, anyway, and it's also a great way to get to know [00:02:00] industry people.
[00:02:00] So I start to force myself to go out there and participate. And if you want to focus on how I learned on stuff, I pretty much just watched what everybody was doing under the exception of a few people did the exact opposite of that. So just kind of like, um, getting out there, doing, doing, doing, doing, and trying to get confidence in it.
[00:02:21] And, uh, I guess eventually I just kind of got the confidence and that started to make me feel unstoppable, you know?
[00:02:28] Dan Ryan: Well, I love that unstoppable energy and that feeling that you're on your path and you're doing your thing. I got to tell you, like before I made that phone call to you, because like, I didn't know what to do.
[00:02:38] And you came top of mine. I was a little nervous. I was like, why is he going to help me? Like, why, what made you decide to like
[00:02:46] Glenn Haussman: coach me? Uh, I, I don't even think it was necessarily about you. It's just, I'm really all about putting positive energy out to the universe. If I could help people. With what I can do then that's really just [00:03:00] good for everybody and sending out positivity in the universe and you know, I'm not a, a God guy, but I'm definitely in a universe.
[00:03:07] It works in interesting ways, kind of guy. And I know that the more you put out there that's positive, the more positive comes your way. So I try really hard to lead my life in that way. So if I could help you, well, then maybe there's a chance that someone's going to help me. So I guess at the end of the day, I'm just really super selfish, which is why.
[00:03:23] Okay. So
[00:03:24] Dan Ryan: filling up that car Carnell pool that's out
[00:03:26] Glenn Haussman: there. Cause that's really what it's all about. We all got we're all in this together and we kinda got to help each other in any way that we in any way that we can, because it goes back to that cliche, pay it forward and all of that kind of stuff. If we can all help each other be successful, we're all going to be successful.
[00:03:44] It's as simple as that. The
[00:03:47] Dan Ryan: idea that we're all in this together, like that just jumped out of the screen at me, as you said that, because I look at just the past year and a half since this pandemic started and we're in it and now we're kind of coming out of [00:04:00] it. But I think for our industry in particular, all being in it together, it was never more present than this past year and a half.
[00:04:08] And we really all banded together and you were a real voice. Through that and just like stability, like every day you were always there, it was like a, a constant safe outlet. Right. Um, how did you see that as far as your experience of everyone coming together
[00:04:25] Glenn Haussman: through this? Uh, well, two things, um, it was just so important for us all to try to get together and figure it out.
[00:04:32] And I was so blessed that coincidentally, just a couple of few months before the pandemic hit, I got access to LinkedIn live as part of a trial. Program. Right. So I was in there right away. So when this crisis happened, I was able to just start speaking to my industry friends. Unfortunately, I've been enough around long enough that I knew some people that had good titles that happened to be willing to want to talk.
[00:04:56] And it's not what I did. It's what all of those people did every [00:05:00] day, a different individual or individuals would come on and reveal themselves and be totally honest with me, with themselves, with the audience in a way that I've never seen. In my 25 plus years in this business, all of those things that we were guarded about all washed away and suddenly everybody was extremely open and generous and trying to figure it out together.
[00:05:24] And I'm so happy that I was in the right place at the right time that everybody kind of rallied around what we were doing myself. And of course my cohost Anthony McCarrick Melchiorri on a no vacancy live. Just continue to do that day after day after day, it turned into month after month, and now we've been doing the live show for something like 18 months.
[00:05:43] In fact, as we're recording this today, Dan we had did, I did episode 4 87 of no vacancy live. So I'm just a couple of weeks away from 500 shows. Can you believe that?
[00:05:54] Dan Ryan: Wow, I actually, I can because you are so committed to just that [00:06:00] calendar and pumping it out and like, and connecting all of us and I love it.
[00:06:05] And I actually, this will probably lead into, um, you know, my big question of like, how do you define hospitality? But I love the idea of just being. Open and how everyone was open and vulnerable, because really if we don't open up and share what's going on, like how do we really move the ball forward? And how do we advance this idea of hospitality?
[00:06:26] So like, how do you Glen define hospitals?
[00:06:29] Glenn Haussman: I think it's, it's about that whole notion of giving without anything in expectation for return. So hopefully that's the way I live my life and that's how we should be living this, uh, this, this business. You know, of course we, you know, we can't all necessarily live that way every single day, but true hospitality really, from what I've seen from all of the amazing professionals around me is that incredible spirit of giving.
[00:06:52] And I've been at the receiving end of so much beauty of giving and stuff like that without any. Expectations in [00:07:00] return. So it's just amazing, amazing how open people's hearts are in the desire to please others is, which is such an incredible thing about this business. And Dan, I came from another opposite, kind of a back in the 1990s as I was starting my career in hospitality.
[00:07:17] I was, my buddy happened to be an extremely successful music video editor. He was like the guy cutting every single hip hop video you would see on MTV and bet and all of those networks. And I went with him to go kind of run the business side of it for him as I was building my, my writing career. Right.
[00:07:34] And every single person I met in that, um, Hollywood music kind of, uh, universe. And I met a lot of people. 99% of them were not people that I want to have anything to do within my life, nasty, negative, not the right type of human beings in hospitality. It's completely flipped on its head. Nearly everybody is universally amazing and open and terrific.
[00:07:59] And [00:08:00] jeez, yeah, I can literally count on less than one hand. How many people that are, I have something negative to say truly negative. In this business. It's absolutely incredible. And I think it's one of those self-selecting industries that we get into. So I think we're more apt to be more open and sharing.
[00:08:17] I think we just needed a complete crisis to show it to the world.
[00:08:21] Dan Ryan: You know, it's interesting as you're talking about entertainment, I'm thinking, okay, that entertainment, like. The arc type of that Dick, if you will, is that Harvey Weinstein type character. Whereas you look at, at our industry, if you think about that archetype, sadly, it's, you know, that Arnie Sorenson type warm open, and it's it's.
[00:08:41] If you took it, look at two Bannerman for two different industries. Now, obviously it's. 100%, but you know, tell me about that. I know that you've interacted with Arnie many times over the years.
[00:08:55] Glenn Haussman: Well, people like him are just really generous, but all the CEOs on that level [00:09:00] are surprisingly generous. Now I always had a, I always had a theory about why I would never be a CEO of a major company, because I think.
[00:09:08] People like that, that strives, that level have to have. And I say this with absolute respect, they have to have a little bit of a hole in them. Something that I don't have enough of it. I say that as a compliment because I sometimes get run over because I'm not able to put up certain barriers and I'm not able to be more aggressive.
[00:09:27] And I haven't been able to achieve XYZ things. I've made myself believe I needed to achieve in order to feel good about my self. Right. But those people. Those men and women don't have that same type of thing. So they're able to achieve more. So I walk into it thinking that they're going to be a little bit more rough edge, a little bit harder to communicate with, have a different way of looking at things than I do.
[00:09:49] But then you sit down, you have a drink with these people and you laugh. You have a good time and they turn out to be some of the most amazing, incredible people. So I don't know, I'm sure there's a little of that still. That happens. Day-to-day in [00:10:00] the office, but I don't really see that. And I've seen all of these amazing CEOs, especially the ones that started at the property line.
[00:10:06] They're just so open and amazing and wonderful, but I guess they're very clear on their goals.
[00:10:14] Dan Ryan: And speaking about the ones who start at the property level, it's really like, you can't really know someone else until you've walked a mile in their shoes. And I got to say, talking to those guys who started.
[00:10:24] As a baggage handler and then became CEO. Um, it's amazing. Cause they see the whole picture.
[00:10:31] Glenn Haussman: Yeah. It's incredible what it takes to accomplish something like that is not something that I am either capable of or had any desire for. Right. So I am amazed by the men and women who have been able to achieve that sort of a thing.
[00:10:47] It's pretty, it's pretty cool. But it also shows that anybody can do it just because, you know, just because they happen to be making a good trillion dollars a year, compared to what people at a hotel level might be [00:11:00] making, or they, it seems like it was easy for them to get there. That journey is filled with so many struggles and challenges along the way.
[00:11:07] Anyone that can make it all the way from delivering bags or cleaning rooms or, you know, checking in people at the front desk, they should be just commended for that.
[00:11:16] Dan Ryan: I agree. And going back to that, it's that experience is that empathy. They know what it's like, but they also know the path and the journey that they're taking their company on.
[00:11:25] Totally. And I think a lot of that has to do with just making other people feel comfortable. Around them and around you so much in the same way as when I was nervous calling you to say, oh, how like, how do I do, like, what do I do? And you're like, it's all about energy. Just be positive when things get off track, just kind of gently bring it back.
[00:11:46] And, but you gave me such great advice, but really there was a way that you would just made me as nervous. I said, I was calling you to feel super comfortable. So like, how do you. Make others feel comfortable in that sense? Like, what's [00:12:00] your, how do you do it? Like, especially when guests are coming on as well.
[00:12:03] Sorry. When guests are coming on and maybe he never done this, like how do you make them comfortable and at ease?
[00:12:07] Glenn Haussman: I don't know. I know it sounds weird, but I just tried to be authentically myself and just show interest in people, show positivity towards people and they will feel comfortable if I'm genuinely interested in you as a human being and you Dan sense that I'm genuinely interested.
[00:12:26] Then you're going to relax. You're going to be more yourself, you know, and you're going to therefore be more open and honest. I've been very fortunate to have a lot of people after the show go. I never thought I would tell you that, you know, but they wanted to, they just, they're usually more guarded in situations.
[00:12:46] So if you just make people feel loved and heard, I think then that translates into. You know, creating great content when we're on air or creating great relationships or helping you move your career belong. [00:13:00] Where do
[00:13:00] Dan Ryan: you think you learned that? Hmm,
[00:13:04] Glenn Haussman: I never thought about that before. Um, I don't know. Well, I just always just try to make people feel comfortable.
[00:13:13] I think it's one of those. Things that go so far back in my life that I don't really have a defining moment for it when I was, um, when I was a kid, um, I was always kind of that connector with my groups of friends. I had these friends here, those friends there, the friends out there, and I'd bring everybody together and we do all of that kind of thing.
[00:13:29] And I think that that nature of bringing people together and wanting to be that conduit probably led me on a subconscious level to learn those communication methods. Through practice at a young age without even visualizing and verbalizing it. Yeah.
[00:13:49] Dan Ryan: So in a way you just feel like you were wired that way.
[00:13:52] And just through life, you figure, because you're like the pied Piper trying to bring people together.
[00:13:57] Glenn Haussman: It's always refining process because when I first [00:14:00] started, it's very easy to think. And again, this is like younger people. They look at older people and they think everyone's got it all figured out.
[00:14:06] Right. When I was a kid, I thought adults had it all figured out. Now I'm an adult. And I realized nobody's got to figure it out. Well, I'm sure there are a few of you out there, but the most part we're all. We're all just faking it. Um, so, um, what I think, I, I think what happens is that we all just assume it's easy, but early on in my career, I was super, super scared.
[00:14:26] I was intimidated. I was uncomfortable. I was all over those negative things. But when I would have the opportunity to talk to these people at a high level, while they certainly hadn't accepted me as an equal, they were open and generous with their spirits. That allowed me to interview them and not feel intimidated or nervous or insecure about who I am or my skills as a professional and over time doing it enough, I became more and more and more and more comfortable to the point where I am [00:15:00] right now, where I can meet absolutely anybody on this planet.
[00:15:03] And I don't care who you are or what your title is or whatever it is. No big deal. And I can talk to you. Like we're hanging out at the bar with my friends that took a lot, a lot of years and talking to a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of people that you're supposed to be intimidated by.
[00:15:18] Dan Ryan: So thinking about from that pied Piper kid of getting people together to where you are now and that whole journey.
[00:15:24] And then you said the word process, like walk us through some of your process. Like, how do you, how did that process evolve and like, what is it, what does it mean to
[00:15:33] Glenn Haussman: you? You mean by what context and process? Well,
[00:15:37] Dan Ryan: when you said process, what I thought is like, You, you have all this programming, you're, you're, you've built out this thing.
[00:15:44] You've built out your, who you are and your, and you can just kind of plug and play. Is there a process to that? Yeah, obviously you have your gear, you know, you have your sense of who,
[00:15:56] Glenn Haussman: the technical stuff, you know, you have to have it in place [00:16:00] and over the last year and a half in particular, anytime unfortunate enough to get somebody to commit to doing advertising with me or hire me for speaking gig or a consulting gig or whatever it might be.
[00:16:10] Take little cash, put it back into the gear so I could continue to stay ahead and be able to develop it on the content side. I live and breathe our incredible business. I've been doing it in our industry since 1996 ish, I think. Right. So it's been my whole life. And at this point in my career, I've done.
[00:16:33] Many many hours in this industry, I just kind of get a sense to what people care about, what people want to hear about my ears are always open to, to learn. And I just live under the motto of be curious, if you are curious and you are that open personality, all of that will come together when you're creating content to always have something.
[00:16:53] Interesting or great people you can talk to. I couldn't have done no vacancy live in the format that I'm doing it [00:17:00] now 15 years ago. Not because there was the internet, wasn't the way it was. And we couldn't stream the way we do, but because I didn't have all of those relationships in place where I could call.
[00:17:09] Innumerable people to come on my show or even better. All of those people were coming to me a lot of it over the last year, and that couldn't have happened without putting in the hours, putting in the days of the weeks, the months, the years on the road, the years of the cocktail parties, all of that kind of stuff.
[00:17:25] So by now, at this point in my career, I really don't think about it. It really all just comes together. Honestly. We don't spend a lot of time preparing. I've got an incredible producer. I've got an incredible intern. They do prep calls with all of our guests. We try to figure out what they're passionate about, but we just kinda, we just kinda hit the go live button and roll for the most.
[00:17:48] Dan Ryan: And so, so like, it's almost like you have your 10,000 hours in, you've figured it out. That's your, that's your jam.
[00:17:54] Glenn Haussman: Figured it out. It's my jam, but I'm always learning at the same time because you, if [00:18:00] I'm not better tomorrow than I am today, then I'm doing myself as a human being a designer.
[00:18:06] Dan Ryan: With all of the people in your, your, the, the relationships that you've nurtured over the years to help you, because we all stand on the shoulders of those.
[00:18:15] Absolutely. We learn from right. How do you nurture those
[00:18:18] Glenn Haussman: relationships poorly, poorly? I guess, tell me about that.
[00:18:23] Dan Ryan: How would you like to
[00:18:24] Glenn Haussman: then I could do more interactions with people, um, other than in person. I probably could be better at sending emails, checking in on people, making phone calls, to see how people are texting more with people.
[00:18:38] But the truth of the matter is I'm really an introverted person. I'm really super happy when I'm alone. And I don't have to talk to anybody or do any communicating. And I kind of feel like I'm either on stage a lot of times, or just completely off stage, and I have to get better at the offstage part. I'm still being engaged and interested in people.
[00:18:57] I'm lucky. That I get to have these people on my [00:19:00] show and have meaningful interactions with them, which in a lot of ways, substitutes for that, then I'm lacking, but I could definitely be doing a better job with that.
[00:19:09] Dan Ryan: I'm totally surprised to hear you say that you're an introvert. I'll totally honest. Wow.
[00:19:16] That's surprising. So like, if so, just to hear it correctly, like you're out there, you're interviewing it's extrovert, then you can go to introvert, but you'd like to be work on more of your ambiverts that middle ground area. Yeah. Um,
[00:19:29] Glenn Haussman: yeah. I'm like either, uh, mostly everybody sees me. They're like, you have a lot of energy, you have a lot of energy, blah, blah, blah.
[00:19:34] This, that, the other thing, when I'm out with people. But it really SAPs me a lot. And when I get home from an event, when I get back from XYZ, I'm pretty exhausted and I need, I need serious alone time to be able to recuperate from that and then be able to go out and do it.
[00:19:53] Dan Ryan: It's almost as if you're putting so much energy out there, right.
[00:19:56] That
[00:19:57] Glenn Haussman: you need to recharge. It's very depleting, but I'm [00:20:00] also very bad at, um, doing that. I don't know how to stop, stop. I'm good at taking care of myself and going and doing fun things and that sort of thing, but I'm not good at jokes. Sitting on the couch for an afternoon and kind of resting right there have to be doing, going crazy with business, or, you know, I'm chasing the next concert on a, on a beach or, you know, whatever it might be.
[00:20:25] Dan Ryan: Um, so thinking about that recharging cause a lot of hospitality also is about like people who are coming in it's they recharge, they get recharged or they feel energized by an experience of hospitality. What's your best experience of hospitality.
[00:20:42] Glenn Haussman: I don't think there's one experience that rises above all, but I will say what I love about this is the incredible generosity that I've been on the receiving end of, you know, um, people, you know, uh, inviting me into their hotels to stay on a complimentary basis, the [00:21:00] opportunity to eat incredible foods that chefs are happy to prepare for me.
[00:21:05] You know, things like that are just, they just blow me away that people could be so nice, like that to get to a hotel. And then, um, you know, go see the room and see that they upgraded it. Or maybe they gave me this, this, you know, this bottle of the, you know, of alcohol that I like or whatever it might be.
[00:21:23] Sometimes it's all of those things. And then some more at once it's just. It's really just amazing. I've just, I feel so, uh, less, I mean, dude, let me tell you the best. I I've got the best story ever. Generous thing that I just realized. I totally forgot because it was 17 years ago. My kids were born, uh, premature and they were at my wife.
[00:21:47] My wife's mom was dying of a brain tumor at that time. And then we were spending a lot of time in Philadelphia where she was, my wife got an infection and they needed to do emergency surgery in Philadelphia to get those [00:22:00] babies out. So they wouldn't be harmed. And they were stuck there in a hospital in Philadelphia with her dying mom nearby for two months, the entire hotel industry at the time, all the PR people were so amazing and.
[00:22:15] Each of the major hotel companies, they gave me like one week in this hotel and one week in that hotel and one week in another branded hotel and everybody took care of me. And that made an indelible mark on me, I think ever since then though, I forgot it. When you asked the question that was there, but how incredible is that, that they saw somebody that hopefully that they had high regard for in a crisis and everybody jumped in on their own.
[00:22:44] To help me out in such an incredible and meaningful way. And it made all the difference.
[00:22:49] Dan Ryan: And that just touches back on that idea. Generosity openness and just filling that karma pool, right?
[00:22:57] Glenn Haussman: Yeah. Maybe I've been, maybe I've been paying that [00:23:00] debt back for the last 17 years. I don't know, but it's got to keep you just got to keep the love going strong.
[00:23:05] Dan Ryan: I think that it's definitely a feedback loop that just helps propel all of them.
[00:23:09] Glenn Haussman: It is man. We're old enough now. No, no, no insults to you, but we're old enough now to see that we, we see it. People that have angry spirits. Put out such negative energy and a lot of times surround themselves with other individuals that have those same types of characteristics.
[00:23:28] Right. I try really hard to sit around myself, especially as I get older and realize I don't need toxicity toxicity around me. And I'm just trying to stay around people that radiate positivity and love and light. That's all otherwise, what are we here for? I don't need that crap,
[00:23:46] Dan Ryan: but it also goes back to that.
[00:23:50] Like stereotype of entertainment or Hollywood versus hospitality. Right. Because there's that toxicity that doesn't exist everywhere, [00:24:00] but it's,
[00:24:00] Glenn Haussman: there it is a generalization,
[00:24:02] Dan Ryan: but yeah. And then in hospitality, it's all about like serving others without expecting something in return, which goes back to how you define it.
[00:24:10] So. Wow. I mean, for all of them to band together, to support you and lift you up is just amazing, really inspirational and amazing. So on the flip side of that, like, do you have a worst experience that you could share?
[00:24:24] Glenn Haussman: Um, yeah. Um, I've had a number of experiences where, um, I stay in hotels and it's been absolutely horrible experience and they just pretend like nothing is wrong and ignore me and shut me down and all of that kind of stuff early on in my career and a hamburger.
[00:24:42] And it looked like it had a bite take it out of it. Right. I mean, it was room service and stuff like that. And the hotel basically told me to F off. Right. So I'm like, what kind of, kind of experience is that on? Uh, you know, I never went back to that place ever since, but it's really, it's really frustrating how [00:25:00] sometimes those things happen.
[00:25:01] But typically Dan, I got to tell you, I rarely, rarely, rarely. Bad experiences. I've had inconveniences, you know, like, um, uh, the worst problems I have is what do you mean? My room's not ready and I have to wait a couple of hours, you know, I have to get lunch now, instead of after I put my bags in my room, you know, that's really, that's really the hardest, uh, the hardest I have to go.
[00:25:24] And I, that is a tribute and a Testament to the amazing people out there that are making things happen. And 99, 90% of the time when I'm traveling the hotel doesn't know that I'm connected with the industry or anything like that. So it's just organic.
[00:25:38] Dan Ryan: Yeah. It's all about the people and thinking about the people, it kind of what we've gone through and where we're going.
[00:25:46] The troubles that we've passed. Do you still see any troubles ahead? Like, is anything keeping you up at night now?
[00:25:53] Glenn Haussman: No, I still charged at the end of the day I fall right asleep. The problem is staying asleep. So I get up like every two [00:26:00] hours, but I don't really think about, I don't really think about all of that stuff anymore.
[00:26:06] Um, I'm at the point of my life journey where I feel confident with who I am as a human. And I finally feel confident with who I am as a professional and that no matter what happens, which I learned in the last 18 months, I will still be able to pay my mortgage. I will still be able to provide for my family and I'm doing it because I don't give up and putting in the hard work.
[00:26:29] And I proved that I can work hard and it will continue to work hard. So I've gotten nothing existential that I'm, uh, I'm super worried about it then.
[00:26:39] Dan Ryan: And then as far as not being, so I totally appreciate that as far as not being worried about stuff, but like, what do you see as your biggest challenge right now?
[00:26:47] Glenn Haussman: My biggest challenge is to, um, to leverage opportunity that the universe has given me throughout this crisis to get me to the next level that I perceive that I want to be. [00:27:00] I really am. I really need to get a lot more of those. Speaking gigs in front of large audiences. I really need to continue to do a few other projects that are going to yield results over the long term.
[00:27:14] I need to, uh, you know, focus on staying ahead with the type of content that I deliver and the methodology with win with how it's being delivered in order to continue. So it'd be to innovate instead of being caught behind. And, you know, I helped participate in this book called the adapters over this last year.
[00:27:34] So if I'm not adapting and innovating, well, nobody's going to believe in any of the philosophies we espoused and they certainly won't hire me to host their next event to speak about that topic.
[00:27:45] Dan Ryan: Totally. So, and do tell us about
[00:27:48] Glenn Haussman: the adoption. Uh, it's a project that I did with, um, Sean worker he's or hotel industry, a CEO that worked his way up from, you know, uh, a, a much more modest level [00:28:00] to a CEO of a major company.
[00:28:01] Um, We during COVID pre COVID. We had, we were talking about this for a number of years and we actually started it ahead of time. And then COVID happened. We started capturing all these crazy interviews as it was happening. And we weave in all of those stories more than 20 interviews with some of the top people in hospitality, with the methodology behind adapting and innovating how to get into that rhyme, that mindset and believe it or not mathematical formulas and stuff that are all.
[00:28:27] That, um, it's got great things. It's, we've got work zones that workbook areas, scribble zones and all of that kind of stuff to make it something that lives in breeds. Plus no other book has ever done this before. Now. We've got QR codes in there. So you hit the QR code with your phone and you could watch full extended interviews, short interviews, and all of this content that we keep putting out every single week.
[00:28:48] The adapters.net. It's really cool. Oh, cool. adapters.net. Okay. adapters.net.
[00:28:55] The
[00:28:55] Dan Ryan: adopters. But I can't make the, a upside down like it is
[00:28:59] Glenn Haussman: in your graphics. Yeah, [00:29:00] no, I mean, you can try. I mean, I've been, I've been working with logic tech to create a new keyboard with that letter, but they're still not answering my phone calls.
[00:29:07] I don't know why. I wonder why
[00:29:09] Dan Ryan: they're probably trying to find chips. They can put into things right now. Um, so I like the fact that you feel very comfortable. And not too many challenges. I think it's more of like dial turning a little bit.
[00:29:24] Glenn Haussman: I have to challenge myself. No, I know I can deal with the exterior challenges.
[00:29:28] I have to continue to deal with the interior challenges that I deal with. Um, because I still perceive myself as really, really lazy guy who doesn't get anything done. And, uh, you know, I got to keep, I gotta keep that beast at bay.
[00:29:42] Dan Ryan: See, it's so funny. These stories and patterns that we, I find that we all tell ourselves about ourselves where we're we're we are our own worst enemies.
[00:29:51] Oh yeah, man,
[00:29:52] Glenn Haussman: because
[00:29:52] Dan Ryan: to hear you say that you think you're lazy. I think I'm like how, how the fuck can that
[00:29:56] Glenn Haussman: be? Like you are out there when I was 20, you [00:30:00] know, I slept till 2:00 PM. I didn't, I didn't want to get a job. I would, I was lazy. I couldn't get my act together. To get one resume done in a day, let alone achieve anything of note.
[00:30:16] So I still perceive myself as that. Not yet fully formed human being, no matter how hard I try to put that, put that out of my head, but maybe it motivates me. I don't know. Maybe if I did. Torture myself with that. Maybe I would really revert back, even though I know I won't really revert back, but yet I still believe somehow fundamentally I will.
[00:30:35] I don't know. Very complicated. It is
[00:30:38] Dan Ryan: complicated. And again, like where you say that journey inward is the most powerful thing. And like it's, it's the journey inward. There's all these external things, but it's really what's if we can unlock ourselves, which I've heard you say. That you're comfortable with yourself.
[00:30:51] You've found yourself, you are living your authentic life. And maybe that I, and I'm sure not, maybe I'm sure that's, what's driving you forward.
[00:30:59] Glenn Haussman: [00:31:00] I don't know. Maybe I just, yeah, again, I mean, I think if everyone was a takeaway from anything from this, right, you got to be yourself, you got to put out positive energy.
[00:31:09] You've got to always push harder than the next guy. Do a little bit more. You know, vibrate, loving light, man. It's not, it's not all that. It's not all that complicated yet. As human beings, we make it so much more complicated than it needs to be so great. So it's really,
[00:31:27] Dan Ryan: yeah. We have to set the gear shift to the high gear of our
[00:31:31] Glenn Haussman: souls.
[00:31:32] Listen, I desperately need to run like an antelope out of control. And if I do not, I'm going to go crazy.
[00:31:39] Dan Ryan: See. Oh, I'm so glad we could bring fish into this. Um, so speaking about fish and just being in our, in our true, authentic selves and just running and going, what's exciting. You most about the future besides the three, the three nightstand of fish you're going to see in
[00:31:55] Glenn Haussman: Atlantic city?
[00:31:55] Obviously the, uh, the four nights of, uh, fish run [00:32:00] in the end of October, leading to Halloween in Las Vegas. What else is there, Dan? What else?
[00:32:05] So
[00:32:05] Dan Ryan: that, that's your most exciting thing about the future it's Vegas holiday? Yeah,
[00:32:10] Glenn Haussman: I know on a, on a, uh, you know, personal level, my kids are going to their senior year this year, so we're starting, uh, looking at colleges and stuff like that.
[00:32:17] So it's exciting and scary and weird all at the same time. I mean, it's amazing that they've gotten to this point. I can't believe we're all old enough that we've gotten to this, uh, this point. So that's going to be the focal point of my life for the next year or so. And then trying to figure out how to.
[00:32:33] Live a different way than I had for the last 20 years on a professional side, you know, looking forward, we've just got to keep continuing to try to be the best that I think I can be and continue to, to challenge myself and hopefully put myself into situations and handle them in the right way. Or opportunity comes up, comes my way in the longterm and I can just, you know, continue to pay them off.
[00:32:57] Dan Ryan: And then I, and I'm I'm, I have [00:33:00] every confidence that that's going to happen thinking about our industry. What's, what's exciting you most about our industry
[00:33:06] Glenn Haussman: going forward, but what's exciting the most now. And I hope is not going to disappoint me a year from now, is that sense that we have all hit that great reset button.
[00:33:14] Nothing is sacrosanct anymore. And those of you who watch no vacancy live, you've heard me talk a lot about this often because it's true. All the rules that we thought we had to engage in, they're all gone and you can reinvent everything. Let me Hilton. They just took away deli housekeeping at a lot of their brands and sure.
[00:33:30] Some people are going to complain about it, but don't move forward. Right. Uh, Disney they've, uh, they've started with reservation systems and they're raising prices and stuff like that. They're rethinking their entire business model and how they're doing things because they know the great reset button was hit.
[00:33:47] So all of these companies are doing different things and experimenting and taking chances right now. And now it's your turn out there to take that chance, make that leap of faith challenge yourself. More than ever [00:34:00] as a professional and through your, the business decisions that are being made because we're never, I hope never, ever going to have another opportunity like this in our lives.
[00:34:09] So if you don't make the most of this, gosh, you've really missed out on the biggest potential gift that we've all been given to come out of. One of the most difficult situations we've ever had.
[00:34:19] Dan Ryan: Yeah, this great reset is definitely like a clean slate, a blank whiteboard. It's ultimate creativity. As we go forward.
[00:34:27] One of the things you said earlier, it was like, you've gotten very good at, um, coming up with content around what people want to hear. So staying in the future thing, like what do people want to hear about in the next
[00:34:39] Glenn Haussman: six months? Let me, let me find that it's not only what they want to. It's what they need to hear as well, but night might not realize it.
[00:34:47] And I think really that nugget right there, it's kind of the cornerstone of everything that I do every day. I don't necessarily, I do need to reinforce. But that's not necessarily what my job is. My job is to try to be [00:35:00] a thought leader and get people to start understanding where I think we can all be and then be a cheerleader and an instigator to get everybody to come to that.
[00:35:11] Right. So looking for the future, um, we, we talk an awful lot of no vacancy live about how this there's an acceleration of all the trends that were in the marketplace and people are going to be making the right decisions to follow those trends that were there, or in my opinion, erroneous decisions by thinking somehow.
[00:35:28] Fundamental behavior and humanity has changed in such a way that they're going to make decisions. I think they're going to be proven bad in a year or so. I know again, guys, that's a super generalization, but I think you understand what I'm, I'm talking about. So accelerating and trends, utilizing that technology to figure out some of the uninsured and, and consequences we had regarding, uh, the labor issue.
[00:35:51] For example, I think we're gonna. Really see automation in the next five, 10 years have a real significant, meaningful impact on the hotel [00:36:00] stay experience and what it costs hoteliers to operate hotels. That is, I think the number one. Thing, um, number two, um, you can also use technology in a different way to, to really, truly, truly, I hope understand your guests, my entire career.
[00:36:15] Dan, I've been told that we're collecting all this information and it's going to turn into a miracle. I'm still not seeing that. So that's really where a real opportunity is. If I have. One more email about an incredible ski vacation. I can take I going to freak out. I haven't skied since the 1990s it's.
[00:36:37] If I did that, I would hit a tree. I'd be in a situation I'm never skiing again. Why don't they know that? Why don't they know that I like that I'd much rather do water sports and stuff like that. I've done them at your resorts. I've never played golf. I've never gone skiing. Why do you think I want to ski?
[00:36:57] I don't get it right. That's
[00:36:58] Dan Ryan: a super [00:37:00] interesting puzzle. And because earlier you said that. When you talk about like what hospitality means to you, it's knowing what that bottle of alcohol is that you really like, and it shows up there, or so it's like, okay, you have that really super personal thing. Right.
[00:37:16] Versus the, versus these golf or skiing emails, like how do you, how do you see technology bridging the gap?
[00:37:23] Glenn Haussman: This is an issue that I was talking about back. I, you had mentioned that as an adjunct professor at NYU and I taught consumer behavior. Yeah. Quality. And these are the issues that we would, we would talk about over there.
[00:37:34] So trying to bring that all together is really super tough, but, um, I call it mass customization, the whole notion of creating individualized experiences for the masses of people. Um, what you, what I experienced is because I'm fortunate enough to have great relationships and connections with high level, you know, high title level individuals, that's more of a one-on-one personal experience.
[00:37:57] So there's an opportunity for [00:38:00] technology based on the CRM. Should the human beings put in the right information to be able to theoretically kick out the right answers at the right times to create that right experience. So I think we'll get there. But I think we have to not over overcome technological issues, but we also have to overcome, uh, training and the human issues where people may not want to do all that data entry when they learn little things about.
[00:38:25] Dan Ryan: Yeah. It, it, it brings into this idea of that movie, the social dilemma, where social media is based on how long you're looking at something. They really, we become like these marionettes, right. They're feeding us what we want, which I guess is cool. Like, I don't want to see a golf vacation thing, but I would like someone to know what that bottle of alcohol or water or whatever is in my
[00:38:47] Glenn Haussman: room.
[00:38:47] Yeah. Well, that's building a level of trust between you and a brand and some of the social media sites. I don't think have built that level of trust. I would argue that they've gone much further than they should have, and they're starting to [00:39:00] alienate us. And I think that people are finally starting to catch on for that.
[00:39:03] So hopefully that will change on the other side, on the hospitality side. Um, I think that we're not there yet. We, I mean, literally you and me, not us collectively are probably more likely to give some more of that personal information because we know it will reward us in the longterm. But a lot of times hotel brands they'll go to the trouble of pick out what types of pillows you want and then they don't follow through with that stuff.
[00:39:29] So what's the point you're wasting my time. You're wasting your time. You're creating a scenario of a potential negativity. It would have been better just to do it.
[00:39:38] Dan Ryan: Totally agree. Um, so switching back now over more to you, you as Glen, um, when you're traveling and you're traveling a lot, what kind of food do you crave the most when you, when you get
[00:39:50] Glenn Haussman: home?
[00:39:51] When I get homesick, what I, I love, um, I love our real new Yorkie, Chinese food and pizza and stuff like [00:40:00] that, honestly. Yeah. You know, I like the, I like the comfort foods. I like the junky foods because when I'm on the road, um, I'm eating either. Conference food, which I must commend the industry for continuing to keep crappy.
[00:40:12] Um, now that we're post COVID so right on. So it's always just, that's always disappointing, but either that, or I'm very fortunate enough to be getting to go to these amazing meals and those are great, but they're not necessarily what we want every single day. So when I come home, there's nothing better than having that sort of thing.
[00:40:29] Now. Um, if I'm cooking. Then that's a totally different manner. I'll, you know, we'll make like chicken wings or stuff like that. We may not have fried ravioli for the first night. So that was last night for the first time. So that might be our next big, our next big snack. I got
[00:40:43] Dan Ryan: to push back on the conference.
[00:40:44] Food one, you were so gracious to invite me down to the hunter conference and I thank you. Thank you. Thank you. But the food they had there, as they were passing it around, I was surprised how good it was.
[00:40:54] Glenn Haussman: It was all right. We just thought it was okay. Hey, listen. It could be me. I've [00:41:00] never claimed to be anything but spoiled.
[00:41:02] And when it comes to the way that I eat, that's one of my super, super weird points about me is my relationship with.
[00:41:11] Dan Ryan: How weird. So, okay. Let me see you. You like good passed hors. D'oeuvres really nice. But you also like the junkie Chinese, uh, paper
[00:41:19] Glenn Haussman: box take out, right? I have all sorts of elaborate rules and regulations that would make to, uh, any, any normal, even being the biggest problem that I have though, is deciding what we're going to have for dinner every single night.
[00:41:32] It's a freaking nightmare, and I could waste hours dealing with this before then having to rush to the supermarket to, to make it. So, if
[00:41:39] Dan Ryan: you were to have a whiteboard and sketch out a blend of food choice algorithm, how, like, what would the main bullet points be? Couldn't
[00:41:46] Glenn Haussman: the decision I will, I will just freak out about the whole thing and my whole mind goes blank.
[00:41:51] There's not one single piece of element of food that I can think of right now. That would be interesting to, uh, to eat for dinner tonight. [00:42:00] Not good. That being said after the fried ravioli, I made this, uh, this lasagna last night. That was freaking awesome. If y'all want the recipe drop me off, drop me a line.
[00:42:08] Okay,
[00:42:08] Dan Ryan: good. We'll we'll we'll definitely get to that. Um, so let's pretend you went back to you when you're 20 years old, sleeping until two o'clock. Okay. You show up at that blend you, you today. Glen show up at the 20 year old Glen sleeping until two. What advice do you give your 20 year
[00:42:27] Glenn Haussman: olds? Um, don't let the fear of rejection hold you back.
[00:42:36] The only thing that is holding you back is yourself and how you feel about yourself. If you could go out there and get yourself into uncomfortable situations. You will do fine. You, the world won't end, you'll adapt. You'll deal with it and gain confidence. I wish, I wish I wish I found my true [00:43:00] self earlier in life.
[00:43:02] I, you know, it was so difficult to, uh, to do that. So I think it's held me back from a whole lot, for a whole all the time.
[00:43:10] Dan Ryan: And they say like the best time to plant a tree is either 20 years ago or today. So regret aside, I feel like you're on this path. Um, but I do like that question because it is the journey.
[00:43:24] Shortner like, we are all love our journeys, but hopefully someone will hear what you just said and it will shorten
[00:43:31] Glenn Haussman: their journey. I missed out on so many opportunities, man, because I was scared, you know, and it's really a shame, um, early on, and this is going back to 99. Bye Vish. You know, I was in that entertainment world and people are like, ah, you know, MTV is doing VJ tryouts.
[00:43:50] You should really do that. You should really do that. Looking back now that's so me that or a game show or something like that would have been, so me, but I was [00:44:00] scared to do it. And I missed out on a potential opportunity out there. Now I'm not saying I would've gotten a VJ job and I would've done any good at it, but I prevented myself from taking a chance at a potential opportunity.
[00:44:13] And I must have done that innumerable times in my lives. And I wonder how many other people have done that innumerable times in our lives. And if we just didn't do that, where would we wind up?
[00:44:23] Dan Ryan: You could've gotten John Stewart's job on remote control.
[00:44:27] Glenn Haussman: Dude or, or, um, uh, what's his, what's his face? Uh, Colonel Ben bedsides money when Ben Stein's money.
[00:44:37] Yes. So that would have been that would've been perfect for me, something like that. So. I really wish that I came out of my shell earlier on, because I think I missed a window of so much potential opportunity that I could have, I could have had if I just found myself.
[00:44:54] Dan Ryan: Hmm. Well, I feel like we all missed a window.
[00:44:58] I know you're really [00:45:00] passionate about seeing live music. And I feel like we all this past 18 months, for those of us who love live music has really been an empty part in all of us. So like, how are you looking to make that up? I know you mentioned a couple of. Over the next six. How are you going to make up for that lost time and lost
[00:45:15] Glenn Haussman: experience?
[00:45:16] Well, I don't think you can, the best that you can do is just try to have as many as you can going forward, but I've always lived my life. That way. I've always lived under the pretext. When my kids put me in a nursing home, I want to be able to sit out there on the rocking chair. And if I could remember them share all of the great experiences I had, that fundamentally is what it comes down to going out there.
[00:45:40] Having those experiences, sharing the love, being with your family when possible and giving it your all, everything else is just a means to that end. And if we don't. Take care of ourselves by doing the things and the experiences that we want. Then I think we're really robbing ourselves at what the whole point of this life is.
[00:45:57] Man. I created a whole career [00:46:00] based on going to have experiences and, and doing things because of that particular ethos. It's no surprise. I got into the hospitality industry after leaving the, uh, the horrible world of entertainment and. Because I saw the experiences that people were having, the celebrities are having in the hotels that I was interviewing the match, and I saw the possibility of things that you could do in life and to be able to do all of these cool things and go to all these great places and not have to necessarily spend your money to do them.
[00:46:31] Well, I feel like I'm a huge winner in life, regardless of how my career.
[00:46:37] Dan Ryan: Onto the live music from front and being on that rocking chair and thinking about your best experience, what's your best live music
[00:46:44] Glenn Haussman: experience? Uh, best live music experience was a fish show and it was December of 1999. And my buddies and I rented a Winnebago and we drove down to an area called the big Cypress Indian [00:47:00] reservation.
[00:47:01] In the middle of Florida where a fish was holding a concert, it turned out to be the largest outdoor concert in north America. Something like 80,000 people showed up and they played a show on the 30th. Um, uh, two, two and a half hour sets. And on the 31st they played a two hour set in the afternoon and they said, Hey, everybody, come on back at midnight.
[00:47:18] So we all took our naps and, you know, we all prepared things that we need to prepare because this is the millennium. The world is coming to an end. At, you know, December 31st, 1999, who knew what was going to happen. Right. All the computers were going to fail us the world. Right, right. Why two K. So, um, we're all here at this thing.
[00:47:37] We're all ready to party. We go down to 1130. Uh, the band, uh, comes out. They go, if they hit that first note at like 1145 and didn't stop playing until the sun came up at like 6 45 in the morning, what a great party. That was what a great musical experience. That was what a transformational experience was for us and our [00:48:00] 80,000 good friends that were over there.
[00:48:01] Absolutely incredible. I don't think anything could beat that experience. And how
[00:48:06] Dan Ryan: did you sleep and recover and recharge in the RV after that?
[00:48:10] Glenn Haussman: Uh, we. Ditch the RV and they took a flight home.
[00:48:17] Dan Ryan: I bet you, that must have been so exhausting and, and amazing. I actually I've listened to that show. Yeah,
[00:48:25] Glenn Haussman: it was really cool.
[00:48:27] Dan Ryan: Well, I'm so excited to get out and see live music and be around people. And I just miss it so much. So, Hey Glenn, where can people find you?
[00:48:34] Glenn Haussman: Uh, you can find me maybe at the Brooklyn bowl in Las Vegas. Cause they got a lot of great concerts over there. And I'll tell you guys next time you're in Las Vegas.
[00:48:42] They'll do yourself a favor. Catch a live show is nothing more fun. I can't wait for that fish show on October 30th. In Halloween costume going down the strip, that's going to be a great time. If you don't find me there, you'll find me Glenn at no vacancy news. Of course we do no vacancy live daily at noon Eastern time, Monday through Thursdays on Friday nights, [00:49:00] we do things a little bit differently being this awesome dude, Craig Sullivan, we do a show called Friday night audit.
[00:49:04] We have a great guests on, we have lots of cocktails and just laugh. It's all comedy, no serious business. The business of having fun is what we like to do and go check out no vacancy news.com, where we keep all of our stories and all of our videos and all of that kind of good stuff, man.
[00:49:21] Dan Ryan: Awesome. Hey Glenn, thank you so much for your time, everyone.
[00:49:25] Thank you for listening.
[00:49:27] Glenn Haussman: Been no one in my family has ever made it this far talking to me. So congratulations. I
[00:49:33] Dan Ryan: love it. Well, Glenn, thank you so much and thank you to everyone. Um, I hope that this chat with Glen helped evolve your understanding of hospitality and how you make other fields feel comfortable.
[00:49:42] And I hope you learned something. If you did, please be sure to pass it along. And, uh, thank you. We'll be seeing you next time.