Balancing Business and Humanity - David Shove-Brown - Defining Hospitality
"Networking always had this underlying idea of sales, we flipped it. For us, it's really relationship building."
Audio Links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
Most firms put their names on the door. David Shove-Brown put his philosophy there instead. Fifteen years, two offices, and over 70% repeat business, built not on a pitch deck, but on the belief that human connection is the only strategy that actually compounds. This week, Dan Ryan sits down with the partner at //3877 on why your tombstone won't say which hotels you designed, what a Green Beret father teaches you about building in uncertain territory, and why losing a mentor was the best thing that ever happened to his leadership. 🏠
Takeaways:
Reframe networking as relationship building. People can sense when you’re selling, but trust compounds over time, and over 70% of David’s work comes from repeat clients and referrals.
Build a peer group with your competitors. Sharing knowledge on fees, proposals, and market trends with similar firms removes the vacuum of entrepreneurship and makes the whole industry stronger.
When you lose a mentor, become one. Instead of looking for a replacement, turn what you’ve learned into guidance for the next person coming up behind you.
Listening is a skill, and it’s more valuable than talking. Ask hard questions like why you didn’t get the job, then actually absorb the answer instead of just checking the box.
Let your team run with things. Micromanaging stunts growth for everyone; the firm’s best leaps forward came from trusting people and stepping back.
Normalize mistakes on your team. Good mentorship means guiding direction, not dictating method; people grow faster when they know screwing up is part of the process.
Keep perspective on what actually matters. Your tombstone won’t list your projects, so invest in people, relationships, and community the way you invest in your work.
"Networking always had this underlying idea of sales, we flipped it. For us, it's really relationship building." - David Shove-Brown
Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.
Impact estimates vary by project. For the most up-to-date figures, please refer to the transcript
Connect with David:
David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsb3877/
David’s Company’s Website: https://www.3877.design/
🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by BERMANFALK
Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/
People can feel when they are being worked.
Relationship building is slower, but it is what keeps people coming back. That matters in hospitality, and honestly, in most work.
And “your tombstone won’t list your projects” is hard to argue with.