Podcasts about Expedia

Alissa Coram and Justin Nielsen walk through Monday's market action and discuss key stocks to watch in Stock Market Today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Diese wichtigen Änderungen bei Google Hotels betreffen vor allem die Hotelbranche und alle, die Hotelanzeigen schalten. Ab dem 30. September ändert Google die Spielregeln für Hotel Ads grundlegend. Preise und Verfügbarkeiten von Drittanbietern wie Booking oder Expedia werden künftig nicht mehr als Datenquelle berücksichtigt. Hotelbetreiber müssen ihre Daten deshalb selbst über das Google Hotel Center bereitstellen – direkt oder über einen Konnektivitätspartner. In dieser Folge erfährst du, was sich konkret ändert und welche Schritte jetzt notwendig sind. Die Folge beantwortet folgende wichtige Fragen: - Was ändert sich bei Google Hotel Ads zum 30. September – und warum? - Welche Auswirkungen hat der Wegfall von Drittanbieter-Preisen auf Google Suche, Maps und Performance Max? - Warum wird das Google Hotel Center künftig zur Voraussetzung für Hotel Ads? - Welche Möglichkeiten gibt es, Preise und Verfügbarkeiten an Google zu übermitteln? - Warum müssen bestehende Hotel-Ads-Kampagnen neu angelegt werden? Das sagt Simone: „Hotelbetreiber sollten den Stichtag 30. September unbedingt im Hinterkopf behalten und möglichst jetzt schon tätig werden. Wer nicht rechtzeitig handelt, riskiert, dass Hotel Ads ab Oktober nicht mehr ausgespielt werden.” Wer seine Sichtbarkeit und direkten Buchungsmöglichkeiten über Google auch ab Oktober sichern möchte, sollte jetzt die Folge anhören – bevor aus einer technischen Änderung ein vermeidbarer Kampagnenausfall wird. Mit: Simone Kiel, Expertin für Paid Media Marketing bei webnetz

Thank you to Bilt for sponsoring this video! Start earning rewards on rent and mortgage when you sign up at https://biltrewards.yt.link/V31P5dr Somebody booked a brand new Las Vegas Strip hotel called Palette on Expedia, showed up, and found out where they were actually staying. It is listed on booking.com and hotels.com too, with AI renderings, a new name on the bed skirt, and no mention of a few things you would probably want to know about. Meanwhile Uncle Philly gave away $200 a person at Treasure Island and people stood in line for over eight hours to get it, at midnight, on a Tuesday. Plus Rio Rita's return continues, Circus Circus quietly killed its food court behind garbage bags, Wynn finally put a date on Al Marjan, and the most delicious thing in Las Vegas just got shut down by a neighbor. Let us know in the comments how long is too long to wait for $200. Episode Guide: 0:00 The Big Bad Wolf Plays Huff N Puff 0:33 Downtown Grand's Free Hot Dog 1:05 Eight Hour Lines for $200 at TI 2:44 Rio Rita Returns 4:53 Circus Circus Loses Its Food Court 6:03 Villa's Tacos Opens at Durango 6:58 The Cinnamon Roll Lady Gets Shut Down 9:03 Wynn Al Marjan Opens September 2027 10:53 Is Las Vegas Just California? 13:18 Housing Replaces Eastside Cannery 14:58 The OYO Is Being Sold as "Palette" 18:04 Final Thoughts Want more MTM Vegas? Get our exclusive weekly aftershow and join the community.

Uber is going all-in on autonomous vehicles, committing roughly $10 billion across more than 30 AV partnerships. But how many of those bets will actually produce commercially viable robotaxis—and does Uber ultimately become the Expedia of autonomous transportation?In this episode of The Autonocast, Alex Roy, Ed Niedermeyer, and Kirsten Korosec break down Uber's sprawling autonomy strategy and debate which partners have the best chance of reaching meaningful scale. The discussion covers Waymo's relationship with Uber, Wayve's prospects in London, the Lucid-Nuro robotaxi program, Rivian's autonomy ambitions, and whether consumers will ultimately book directly with robotaxi brands or through aggregators like Uber.The crew also examines Lucid's operational reset, including major cost reductions, leadership changes, its delayed midsize EV, Saudi manufacturing plans, and why the Uber-Nuro robotaxi partnership could become critical to Lucid's future.Then it's on to Ford's proposed $30,000 electric pickup, what it could mean for affordable EV adoption, and whether Ford's scale and manufacturing experience threaten EV startup Slate. The hosts debate Ford's opportunity to finally build a profitable mass-market EV platform, the importance of quality and reliability, and whether consumers really want the stripped-down, analog experience Slate is promising.Plus: Joby vs. Archer in the eVTOL race, the Porsche Cayenne EV, Tesla FSD and ADAS as a purchasing decision, Alex's increasingly eccentric car collection—and what he should buy next.Topics include: Uber robotaxis, autonomous vehicles, Waymo, Wayve, Nuro, Lucid Motors, Rivian, Tesla FSD, Ford EVs, Slate Auto, affordable electric vehicles, Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, eVTOL, robotaxi economics, AV regulation, self-driving cars, EV manufacturing, ADAS, and the future of mobility.

A two-hour wait in the summer heat. Overpriced churros. A parking lot that takes 45 minutes to escape. And yet - you remember every single ride, every firework, every detail. That's not an accident. That's Disneyland. Disney doesn't create magic through one big moment. They create it through thousands of tiny, intentional details working together. And in this episode, we dig into what that means for B2B marketers with our special guest Kris Lande, CMO at OutSystems. Together, we explore how to design end-to-end customer experiences that people actually remember, why the last impression is the lasting impression, and how to build community into your content strategy in a way no AI-generated campaign can replicate. About our guest, Kris Lande Kris Lande is Chief Marketing Officer of OutSystems, where she leads global marketing strategy and brand growth. With more than two decades of experience driving marketing for high-growth SaaS companies, Kris brings deep expertise in product marketing, category creation, and community-led growth. Before joining OutSystems, Kris spent over 13 years at Salesforce, where she led teams across product marketing, developer relations, and Trailhead. Earlier in her career, she led marketing at Escapia, a SaaS startup later acquired by Expedia. Kris holds a degree in Business Administration and International Business from Washington State University. About OutSystems OutSystems is the Agentic Systems Platform for companies who need to build governed AI apps and agents, fast. Global brands like Heineken and Bosch trust OutSystems every day to build everything from mission-critical life-saving apps to  AI agents that can automate their oldest, clunkiest legacy processes. Essentially, OutSystems gives our customers comprehensive AI tools under one secure roof, turning IT into a fast-moving innovation engine. What B2B Marketers Can Learn From Disneyland: The last impression is the lasting impression. Disney doesn't just nail the opening - they engineer the ending. Kris applies this directly to her event strategy: at OutSystems ONE, their annual conference in Amsterdam, the closing session ended with a full spirit tunnel - staff lining the exit with music, dancing, and high fives. "I want them to walk away feeling gratitude and feeling celebrated and feeling energized as they walked out that door." In B2B, most experiences just... end. The brands that create magic are the ones that design the goodbye. Identify friction points - then design around them, not away from them. Disney doesn't eliminate the wait. They make the queue part of the experience. Kris takes the same approach to events: knowing that European attendees tend to arrive late, her team put a mobile DJ, a saxophone player, and stroopwafels outside the doors before the morning keynote. "We made it a party outside because we knew that was going to be a friction point." The lesson: don't pretend friction doesn't exist. Find it, name it, and design something remarkable around it. Everyone's in marketing - culture is how you deliver on the brand promise. Disney's magic doesn't live in one department. It lives in every cast member, every queue, every trash can placement. Kris ties this to a principle she carries into every team: "Brand is a promise to the customer, and culture is how you actually deliver on that promise." That culture comes through in the SDR call, the webinar, the email copy - everywhere. "I believe everyone's in marketing. As employees, we are representatives of the culture." Quote"When you care and you're passionate about the details, your customers are gonna feel that. They can feel when you care about something. They can feel when you brought fun into something. And if you care, they will care." - Kris Lande Time Stamps [1:35] Meet Kris Lande, CMO at OutSystems [2:08] Why Disneyland? A Non-Disney Adult Makes the Case [4:06] What Is Disneyland? A Brief History of Intentional Experience Design [9:21] The Details That Make the Magic - And What Marketers Can Learn [13:42] Evolving Without Losing What Makes You, You [18:40] The Last Impression Is the Lasting Impression [22:11] Designing Around Friction Points [24:07] Building for the 10th Version, Not Just the First [28:31] Disney's Weenies - And Why Marketers Need Them Too [40:14] Community as Content Strategy [42:38] Authenticity in the Age of AI [45:48] Top Tips for Better Events [48:10] Final Thoughts and Takeaways LinksConnect with Kris on LinkedInLearn more about OutSystems About Remarkable! Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is "Solomon" by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when you combine hands-on hotel experience, OTA expertise, hospitality technology, and a test-and-learn mindset? In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili sits down with Nick Farrell, Senior Vice President and Head of Sales at Phunware, to explore his journey from working on-property to Expedia and into the world of hospitality technology.Nick explains why hotels should embrace a test-and-learn mentality, how AI can turn guest data into actionable insights, and why technology should ultimately give hotel employees more time to focus on what matters most: creating meaningful human connections with guests.In this episode, you'll learn:What working at Expedia taught him about distribution, digital marketing, and demandWhy a test-and-learn mindset is critical for hotelsHow AI and guest intelligence can transform the hotel experienceThe opportunities hotels are missing between check-in and check-outHow AI Concierge technology can personalize recommendations for guestsIf you're interested in hotel technology, AI in hospitality, guest experience, hotel revenue, hospitality innovation, hotel distribution, ancillary revenue, and the future of the hotel industry, this episode is a must-watch.Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXWIowhCp8Q Links:Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nfarrell1/Phunware Hospitality: https://www.phunware.com/For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/318Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn pageConnect with Steve and David:Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

With just a little over a month away from the 2026 Independent Hotel Show Miami taking place, special guest and President of Staypineapple Hotels Inc., Dina Belon, joins the Suite Spot to discuss the Stayepineapple brand, the independent hotel industry, and what she is looking forward to from IHS Miami 2026! Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, Ryan Embree. Back for another edition of season two of our independent hotel show series, where we are getting geared up and ready for that annual tradition down in Miami Beach at the Independent Hotel Show. We cannot wait. We’re gonna talk a little bit about it with our guests. We actually met for the first time in person last year at this event. We’re able to spend some time with her. Dina Belon, president at Staypineapple Hotels. Dina, thank you so much for joining me back on The Suite Spot. Dina Belon: Oh, thank you so much for inviting me, Ryan. This is amazing. I’m so excited. We had such a good time in Miami last year, it was a blast and, uh, talking to you felt like I was talking to a friend. Ryan Embree: Well, I appreciate it. I feel the same. Just honored to be speaking with you here. And I can’t believe we’re here. It’s we’re just months away from the Independent Hotel Show. It’s gonna be bigger, better than ever. We’re excited about it. We’re gonna talk about it. But we did have you on for the first time, so we had the opportunity. Usually, I start these episodes by a little bit of a background and kind of an introduction, but I’m gonna start a little unorthodox today. There was a post that I saw on LinkedIn, which by the way, for our Suite Spot listeners, make sure you say, uh, you follow Staypineapple Hotels and Dina. Great follows on LinkedIn. But there’s an, an article called Everything Staypineapple Hotels Dina Belon Does in a Day. And I thought that was such a cool and creative idea and concept. Talk to us a little bit about how that idea originated and give us a day in life. What is it like to be Dina Belon? Dina Belon: Well, I tried to be very honest. Hopefully it was fun too. I, there’s a lot of humor in my day, and so hopefully that came across. Um, the magazine, uh, that’s a local magazine here in, uh, east, the east side of Seattle and Bellevue and Kirkland area of Washington does those highlights of leaders in the area, um, on a regular basis. So it was fun, uh, a little stressful because you had to, like, take photographs and, you know, kind of just walk through your day. Um, I loved, though, really integrating my pets, because they’re a big part of my life. And so it started off with Molly waking me up at 5:45, which is actually what she does every morning. About 15 minutes before my alarm goes off, my little kitty cat starts yelling at me about wanting water. Um, so yeah, all the way until, you know, 8:00 at night and a lovely glass of wine with my husband. And all the shenanigans in the middle. Ryan Embree: Yeah. And I think it’s so cool because I think it, you know, we obviously work in the people business, right? In hospitality. Uh, we host people from all over the world, all different walks of life. Um, but to see, you know, sometimes, uh, I think right now, especially right now, right, when there’s all this talk of AI and technology and stuff like that, it’s really refreshing to see our industry leaders. And I get that. I have the, the privilege of getting that, interviewing some of the industry leaders when they talk to me about their, you know, beginnings and, and how maybe they started as a bellman or a front desk agent or fell into the industry. And I think the more that we can kind of humanize and show that these are people that really have a true passion for serving other people. Um, and then on the other side of the front desk, the guests that come into our lobbies, they are people too, whether they’re on a work trip, where they’re trying to escape. You know, sometimes it, it’s refreshing to take, take a beat and think about that. And that’s exactly what this article did for me because it is, you know, even though we’re hospitality, we’re in it, the hustle bustle, 365, twenty four seven. We’re still people, right? Yeah. We’re still people with our pets and, and, and our, uh, you know, what we like to do. Um, so it was a really cool, I think, uh, refreshing look. I wa – I definitely wanted to bring that in. Br – um, and, and your love of pets, it goes right along with your brand, uh, Staypineapples Hotel. And, you know, I’ve come to know and love through your content, your keynotes at the Independent Hotel Show, uh, following you on LinkedIn. For those audience members that might not be as familiar, uh, share with us, uh, a little bit about what makes Staypineapple Hotels so unique and one of a kind. Dina Belon: Yeah. So we are the opposite of corporate uniformity, uniformity. Uh, we’re really about, you know, a boutique sp – hotel experience with a lot of personality. Um, so one of the things that we’re well known for is the naked experience, um, which is, uh, a little eye-opening to a lot of people, but all it really is, is a fun, cheeky, which we like to do, uh, marketing way to talk about our bed and our bedding and our linen and our terry is so comfy, cozy and amazing, you’ll wanna sleep naked. Um, so it, and we give you an, a big cuddly robe so that you don’t come to the door naked. Ryan Embree: There you go. Dina Belon: Um, so that, that’s, that’s very indicative of the Staypineapple personality. Um, we’re also, um, not just pet friendly, we’re dog obsessed. Um, so we, uh, really go over the top with our pet program. We have a partnership with Soundz, S-O-U-N-D-Z, uh, that is, um, uh, sounds, uh, in music – Sure. That, um, pets like and that calm them when they feel nervous, um, that is available for guests, uh, at no cost, a 14-day, uh, free trial. And then, um, we have a partnership with, uh, an emergency veterinary, uh, service called Veg. Um, of course, you get beds and bowls and treats and, um, water bottles and poop bags and all kinds of stuff when you bring, uh, your furry friend. Although we’re dog obsessed, we also love kitty cats too. I have two kitty cats and two dogs. So, um, we, yeah, we’re, we’re pretty over the top with the pet thing. And then we have a, we have a number of the properties that have, uh, hotel dogs as well. Um, so one of the management staff ha – brings their dog to work every day and has really become a, a core team member. Um, you wouldn’t believe how many reviews we get, uh, with our, our furry, uh, friends being, uh, listed as their favorite part of the hotel. Ryan Embree: Yeah. I’ve seen them at trade show nows at industry trade shows. Yeah. You’ll have, like, a puppy break. Uh, brilliant. Brilliant. Dina Belon: It’s my favorite thing. Ryan Embree: Yeah. It just gets people in, in, in a happy mood. People love it. So, uh, and, and the focus of, of the dog obs – dog obsessed, um, i- i- is, is so smart. I mean, p – you know, people. We always think about how stressful travel is, obviously, from a logistics and s – and people standpoint, but obviously on our pets too. They’re in a place that they’ve never been before. Um, they don’t know that they’re heading across the country or even down the road. They’re in somewhere unnatural. So that’s really, really cool that you can kind of make them feel at ease there. And, and I’m sure the guest feedback, uh, from that has been really, really great to see. Um, now, you talked about, um, Staypineapple being a, a very unique boutique brand. Um, I noticed one word you didn’t mention in there, which is, uh, independent or non-branded. Uh, you prefer the term unchained. And I wanna explore that a little bit. I don’t wanna give you too much, uh, of a question. I, I’d like, like you to kinda run with that. Why do you prefer unchained to maybe independent segment or non-branded? Dina Belon: So to me, independent, non-branded, um, you know, indicates that we’re small or we’re isolated or, um. And, and I think it’s, um, diminishing to 30% of the hotel sector, which is truly unchained in both term, both ways that that term can be used. One, we are not attached to a chain in literal terms, but we’re also unchained from a limitation perspective. I think what is so amazing about the independent or the in – the unchained sector of the market to the guest is the founders, the visionaries, the leadership teams, the hotel teams at these hotels put their lifeblood and their passion and their vision and their belief in hospitality into these properties and into the experiences guests are gonna get. It is not a corporate ownership that is managed by a brand that has 5,000 other w – hotels just like it. And, you know, the onsite hotel team has reams of binders to tell them how to do their job. Um, we believe very much in no SOPs. Um, we have, uh, ultimate SOP. It’s do the next right thing. That’s the SOP for Staypineapple. It’s that simple. Just do the next right thing. We help the team understand that a little bit with kind of some guidelines, which is what is the best thing for you and your colleagues? What is the best thing for the guests? And what is the best thing for the business? And if you frame that question, those questions under do the next right thing, anybody can make the right decision at any moment, at every level of the organization. When we talk about empowerment, it isn’t, you know, we’ve given you a toolkit. I always loved this, because I worked in, in the brands. Um, and we always had a toolkit. You had a toolbox full of things that you could use to solve a problem. Well, I don’t need to give you a toolbox. You are a grown person that is a professional in the hospitality industry and you’ve entered this industry with a passion for people. Why would I tell you how to do your job, um, in every aspect with books of SOPs? Instead, I should get out of your way and let you be who you are in an authentic way. Because that connects with people. If, uh, you know, we put, we put people in our industry in a blazer, a Navy blazer, and a name tag, and tell them, “This is how you answer the phone. This is how you greet somebody. This is how you do this.” Basically, you’re a representation of the brand, so you need to fit in this box. Well, I believe in a different hospitality, in a hospitality that is, um, grounded in, um, real people and real human beings and, and mistakes even, and quirkiness, and stuff that you wouldn’t necessarily, uh, engage in or experience in your normal life. That’s why you’re traveling. You wanna experience different things and new things. You’re going to a new place. And so we don’t have, um, dress. We don’t have uniforms for our front of house team members. We do for back of house simply because we don’t want the back of house team to have to ruin their own clothes because the engineers get their clothes snagged and the housekeepers get their clothes dirty and, you know, so it’s more just to take care of our team. But, um, the front of house team doesn’t have uniforms. They get to wear their own clothes to work. That’s another idea. It’s like, I want you to be you, but wear this black polo shirt that makes you look like everybody else. Or Navy Blazer that makes you look everybody, right? Like the entire concept of what we think is normal and standard in our industry is the antithesis of what we’re trying to create as an experience for a guest. Um, so it’s really important to us, you know, you can have colored hair and ear piercings and tattoos. And I remember early in my career, it was always, um, I love to tell this story. Um, the, the dress code, because I was a manager, so I was allowed to wear my own clothes, but the dress code was, had to have, um, pants or a skirt, uh, a, a jacket, had to have a blazer, and it had to be of solid color. So what I’ve got on today would not have applied. Um, my shoes could not have open toes and an open heel, one or the other. And I had to have pantyhose on. So I lived in Florida. I remember I stopped wearing pantyhose at some point because they were hot. And so I, I actually had an HR person, uh, come up to me and say, “By the way, um, we’ve, we’ve noticed that you’re not meeting the dress code.” And I just turned around and looked at her and I was like, “Those things make me sweat. I have to be out by the pool sometimes. I have to be outside. It’s too hot. I’m not wearing them. Fire me.” Ryan Embree: Yeah. Yeah. Dina Belon: That was the end of pantyhose in our dress code. I was like, “Good luck with that.” Ryan Embree: Right. And I’m sure the person on the other side, you know, it, it, they were just obviously following the guidelines – Right. And the standards of what was put before them. And you’re absolutely right, Dina. You know, the, the one thing that we talk about all the time, and you talk to. Uh, I’ve talked to industry leaders about is, you know, what makes your management company brand property so great? Usually the first thing they say is they’re people. Yet, when you’re putting those people in a box, how great can they actually be, right? Every property is so different because of the individuals that make up that property. Um, so, you know, that thought process is, is so brilliant to, to think of the individualism and the passion can kind of shine through because it’s those stories that you talked about in the unchained or the independent sector that, that reason why I, this is one of my favorite series, because I get to sit and talk to independent hoteliers and, and hear their stories, their struggles, their challenges, but also their successes, their passions, where they built this, this property that has been, you know, where they’ve had these struggles, but they’ve gotten over the hump and they just love it so much and you can just see it come out in that, that, uh, conversation. It’s, and sometimes very different. Nothing to knock the brands, but sometimes very different when you’re talking to a GM of a branded hotel. Um, and it’s m- maybe just a stop on, on their way to the career. So it is one piece of advice I hear all the time is if you’re a hospitality professional out there, you know, maybe explore the independent hotel down the road. You know, get some good experience there. It’ll, you’re definitely gonna learn a lot, that’s for sure. Yeah. Um, you’re gonna get a lot of – Well, it depends on – Yeah. Dina Belon: Yeah, what you like, right? And I agree with you. One isn’t right or wrong. I spent the vast majority of my career in the, in the branded hotel space. Um, and I just found my happy place in – Sure. In the independent space, right? I, because I was always bucking the rules when I worked in the brands. And I didn’t, I didn’t even know what boutique and. I, I though boutique hotels were just little. Like, I literally, when I started at Staypineapple, I love the story too. ‘Cause when I started, I was like, “I’m gonna come in and show them how to write SOPs and, and brand standards, and we’re gonna standardize this, and we’re gonna scale it, and it’s gonna be, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” I had, I told, because I had spent my whole career in that space. Um, I believed passionately in brand standards when I started at Staypineapple. And I remember, um, our CFO telling me, “Do not say the word brand standard. You will send Michelle off the deep end.” Michelle is our founder. Yeah. And I was like, “What? I don’t understand.” Yeah. “How could you not have brand standards? How do you even operate this place without brand standards?” Right? Right. Um, and, and it took me a couple of years to really internalize what the difference in the business model is. Again, one is not right or wrong. They both have their strengths. But if you’re, uh, a free spirit, if you’re somebody. Like we hire for three things. Authenticity. Like your. First of all, people underestimate the willingness to be authentic. If you have been trained to put on a mask when you go to work and, and almost be an actor and play a part at the hotel, it’s very difficult to take that mask off and, and allow the vulnerability of being yourself. ‘Cause if somebody rejects you when you’re being yourself, it hurts a lot more than if a guest rejects you and yells at you when you have a mask on. That’s a Ryan Embree: Great point. Dina Belon: You’re being somebody else, right? Yeah. So it’s a harder position for our team members, I think, to be their authentic selves. Um, the next is really critical thinking. The ability to problem solve and, and, and be creative and figure out ways to, um. We know to say yes. That’s one of our sayings. We notice. We know how to say yes. Yes is not always a direct yes. Sometimes you have to go around to get to yes, but we know how to do that. And that’s all about creativity and critical thinking. And then really, the last one, um, I think is underserved in our industry, which is emotional intelligence. Um, that ability to read people. And, and it connects to that critical thinking, right? If I can, if I can, uh, connect with you on an emotional level and understand you better, understand your psychographics as a person, which is much deeper than that you like Diet Coke, right? I want to know things deeper than that about you. Then I can use that emotional intelligence to be creative and create, create hyper-personalized experiences for you. That is something that I think isn’t. It. The industry in general, particularly on the branded side, does not foster in our industry. If those things are interesting to you, then go check out the independent or unchained space, because I think you’ll be a lot happier coming from a recovering brand employee. Ryan Embree: Ryan Embree: Yeah. I, I love that. I love everything about that. I mean, those skills are. I mean, it’s, it’s at the core of hospitality, um, especially the emotional intelligence. And I think y- you’re absolutely right. It’s a skill needed now more than ever, by the way. Um, and it’s gonna get trickier to navigate. So we’ll be those, those younger, um, hospitality professionals and, you know, at, at, at any age, really, that invest that time and effort into honing in that skill that are gonna, that are gonna see successes there. Um, I wanna, I wanna take, uh, a step back, Dina, and kinda look at the hospitality landscape right now for independent and, or unchained, uh, uh, hotels. Where do you see opportunity in today’s landscape? And then maybe where are some of the bigger challenges that, that they’re coming up against? Dina Belon: Sure. So I think one of our biggest opportunities I just mentioned, which is hyper-personalization, um, we really look at this, i- if you kinda start at the beginning of the process of how you do hyperpersonalization. Um, it really starts with zero-party data for us. Uh, every brand or every group or every, you know, independent hotel is different, um, in their philosophy on this. I’ve certainly, um, experienced and, um, met with people that do research on their guests online. They look up your Facebook page. They check you out and see what you might be talking about. Um, we have decided to take the approach that we only wanna use data that you have freely and willingly given us. Um, so we communicate with our guests a lot, um, when we can. So there’s a little bit of a differentiator here when we talk about this. Um, if you’re coming in as an Expedia or a Booking.com guest, probably not getting this experience because we don’t have, we don’t have much information about you, and those OTAs don’t like to share. So, but if, uh, you’ve stayed with us before or it’s a direct booking, then we have communicated with you, um, in a way that is fun and cheeky and kinda starts to get you. Um, w- we like to, we like to encourage kind of a pre-arrival experience that is, um, engaging and, and, and gets you kind of primed for what Staypineapple is gonna be like. So you’re not, like, smacked in the fa – you know, you’re expecting a Marriott courtyard and you’re smacked in the face with Staypineapple. Ryan Embree: Right. You got a dog running up to you and yeah. Um, Dina Belon: So one of the things we do is ask a very open-ended question, um, in a pre-arrival email to all of our, uh, direct booking guests. And it says, um, basically in a cheeky way, I don’t remember exactly how it’s phrased, but it’s why you come in to stay with us. And you would be shocked at the amount of information that people share with us and, like, get into deep personal things and tell us all kinds of stuff. That is a trevor – treasure trove of information. Again, that’s stuff that matters. Not whether Jack Daniels is your favorite, you know, liquor. Uh, like, I wanna know that you’re. What, what do you volunteer for? What, what are you passionate about? What do you care about? Are you married? Do you have kids? You know, like, the things that, that you really, really make you who you are, right? That’s, that’s what we really look at for hyper-personalization and allows our team to use their creativity. So that’s just step one, right? Gotta have the information. And then two, you have to have a culture of people that are encouraged and inspired to be creative, to do fun, interesting things, not just deliver a bottle of wine to your room. What? Ryan Embree: Yeah. Dina Belon: Right? Um, like, do something that’s about me, not about you. It, like, that’s what I always say. To me, the bottle of wine in the room is about you buying my loyalty. It’s about you as a hotel. It’s not about me as an individual. So everything should be about the individual and about what makes them excited or happy or feel welcome or feel like they belong, um, there. How many times have you walked into a hotel and you felt like there was a cool club and you didn’t belong? Ryan Embree: Mm. Yeah. Dina Belon: So awful. It is the worst thing about hotels, I think. One of the other things that I just find, um, disheartening about our, our industry is that many people that are not related to the hotel business think you can’t go in a hotel if you’re not a guest. That’s so sad to me, right? Like, there’s, there’s this perception of a barrier, and it’s the opposite of what we should be. Like, we believe our hotels are very much a community hub. And so we encourage the community to come into the hotel. And we don’t even, we don’t have a lot of food and beverage. And some of our properties don’t have any. Some have just limited. We have a few full-service restaurants, but it’s not about us wanting to make money in our restaurants. It’s about us wanting to create an atmosphere in the hotel that is engaging and activating for the guests that are coming. ‘Cause the guests wanna interact with locals. They don’t want to interact with somebody from New York – Right. When they’re in Seattle. They wanna hang out with Seattle people, right? Yeah. So it’s, it’s a real win-win model, but you have to turn, you have to turn that barrier so many people think exists. Ryan Embree: Well, you touched on two things there, Dina, that at the core of this independent hotel show series, it really comes back to, which is loyalty, you know, just fierce, fierce loyalty for inde – I mean, the type of loyalty that I hear from guests talking about independent hotels is very different from the other points or nights that I’m, that I’m hearing in, on the other side of it. And, and it’s a depth that will be word of mouth. I mean, when you talk about word of mouth, like, that is the ultimate s – what marketing can’t buy, right? That storytelling that they’re going to be able to provide you champions of your brand and advocates for your hotel. Uh, the second thing is local community engagement and getting the community on board with what you do. I see it no greater place than Miami when we’re at, at the independent hotel show. And they talk about trying to just infuse that Miami culture into their own properties. And it does attracts a lot of locals. And, and you’re absolutely right. It’s, there’s a parallel where probably somewhere where you, where we talk a lot about reputation and people being scared of those one-star, two-star, or even negative feedback in any sense of it, embracing that and saying, “I don’t want one-star reviews, but I wanna see the negative feedback so that I can fix it, right? I want those, I want those locals to come into my hotel. Um, I don’t wanna put that barrier up because I wanna be that community hub. I love that. So what about any challenges you think right now? Dina Belon: Yeah, I think, um, the, there’s, there’s a number of challenges. I mean, I can, I can talk about the obvious, the headwinds on inflation, the cost of human and financial capital, maintaining service quality while we’re trying to maximize profit. Yeah. I like all of the blah, blah, blah. All of the, Ryan Embree: Yeah. All those talking points. Dina Belon: Yeah. They’re not very fun topics though. Um, honestly, I think the most interesting topic right now is really AI. And I do think it’s our biggest risk, particularly in our, our world of this unchained or independent hotel space. It’s the biggest risk we have, and it’s also the biggest opportunity. And it could go either way. And I think it will probably go hard one way or the other. It won’t be somewhere in the middle. And the reality is, is AI, AI search, which is kind of where we’re at right now, not, we’re not really to the point of bookings starting a little tiny bit. But, um, AI search is focused on very deep, complex, broad data about a hotel. So a, a person, and it really starts with the search parameters. You’re going from keyword search, like, I’m going to Seattle and I wanna be near Pioneer Square, to, I’m interested in a boutique hotel with a cool vibe that has a restaurant and provides a great sleep experience. Those two searches are completely different and is where the threat and the opportunity comes from. The opportunity is, as the hotel owner, operator, you have the best opportunity to create very deep content that is searchable by an AI. Compared to Booking.com and Expedia and all the others, their scale just does not allow them to create that kind of deep content for every hotel on their site, right? So you can create a higher value for the AI search to go to your website over somewhere else that it can go find your hotel. You might still find your hotel, but you’d rather get the booking. Um, direct and get the AI sending the guests to your website to check out the hotel than to booking.com ‘s website to check out. So that’s where the opportunity is. Threat is very real that the big brands and the OTAs have the pocketbooks, bandwidth, the resources to win at this fight and come in and put themselves between us and our guests. And so I think both at a legislative level, all the way down to individual property advocacy and elevating your voice online and everything in between, every hoteler, hotelier needs to be paying attention to. Because in the next five years, you could lose, you could lose the connection to your guests prior to arriving. And that, for us, that would ruin a huge part of our experience. Like we have pre-arrival concierge that helps you curate and plan your experience for your whole trip, not just your hotel stay. All of that would be for naught if I can’t communicate with my guests. Ryan Embree: 100%. Yeah. Uh, seismic shift happening, technologics pl – like shifting beneath us. Uh, I think you’re absolutely where it’s gonna impact everyone from the big brands all the way down to the small independent hotel who, who thinks, “Oh, this is, this isn’t coming for me. It’s gonna have wide ranging effects. It’ll be very, very interesting to see.” But share your concern, but also hopefully that little bit of hope there too, that it, it does go that right way and hospitality stays in, in somewhere where we come to know and, and love our industry. I wanna shift gears. Another thing I’ve, uh, learned about you over the years following your content and your career is your work, uh, inspiring, empowering the next generation of female hospitality professionals. Dina, I’ve seen you on stage at, at multiple panels, uh, a- a- around this subject. Tell us a little bit about the work you do behind the scenes and any tips you would share for up and coming Suite Spot female listeners or just the listeners in general here. Dina Belon: Yeah, I do. I love this topic. I, I love to empower women. Um, I think, uh, uh, we’re, we’re a force in this industry, um, and our voice should be heard. Um, so I, I like to support other women by a couple of things. Um, you’ll, you’ll, you’ll start to notice, I like to simplify things down to like one, two, three points at most. Yeah, I like it. Um, because I think it’s the way the human brain works. Sure. And the best way we can kind of, uh, create change – Yeah. Is by having a very focused, uh, approach to it. I really like self-advocacy, um, and encouraging women to self-advocate, because I think in general, this is a generalization because it’s not all women, but in general, we’re not great at it. Um, men are much better at self-advocacy than women. There’s been all kinds of study and research done on that. Um, and it’s a huge part of why women are paid less, why women are promoted less, because they just don’t ask. They don’t raise their hand. Um, and so I. And then the, the second point kind of ties in, which is leading by example. And so I think I love to tell stories about my career when self-advocacy was a benefit to me and how I got to where I am. And I’m afraid of it too. Let me tell all the female listeners I am not great at self-advocacy. Um, I’ve learned to do it over the years while I’m kind of gritting my teeth in the back of my mouth. Um, but I, there’s been a number of times when, you know, the really, the places where my career really took off, um, I stood up for myself and I raised my hand and I said, “I can do that.” Or, “I can even do more than what you asked me for.” So I’ll give you an example. Um, when I was at Wyndham, um, we, we acquired another company that did the same thing as we did. Um, and we were looking at how to create efficiency and blah, blah, blah. One was in Seattle and one was in Florida. And I was in the Florida office and I was asked, and we were the acquirer, so we acquired the company in Seattle. And so I was asked to fly out to Seattle and check out how my division, which we did all the renovation work and capital improvements and stuff like that, how my division would work with the group in Seattle. And so off I went on a plane and met with them and talked to them and figured out how they did things and figured out how we did things. Um, and so the ask was like, how do we merge the two and how do we create some efficiency? And I came back with a combined team that had me at the top of it with a promotion to vice president. It was really hard for me to do. It was a little bit easier because I gotta do it in writing and send it in and I didn’t have to say it out loud. Um, but it worked. And it was the first VP role I ever had. I was one of the youngest vice presidents at Wyndham. I remember the first time I went to the all leadership meeting, which was, happened once a year at Wyndham. There was 500 people there. This is vice presidents and above. Um, that’s how large the organization is. Um, that’s less than 5% of the employment base of the company. Um, and I was one of the youngest and I was one of the few women that were in the room. And I was blown away by that factor. And I went, “I, I need to work at do- doing something about this. I need to help other women.” ‘Cause particularly 20 years ago probably, um, there was a little bit more sharp elbows among women. There were so few seats in leadership that we were competing for them. And I think women weren’t as good as we are today at lifting everybody up instead of competing with each other. Adding more chairs at the table instead of competing for the one that a woman is gonna fail, fill. Um, so those, I think, are really my biggest things that I recommend younger women focus on is be an example to other women around you, above you, below you, beside you, I don’t care. Advocate for yourself. Advocate for other women and support each other. Um, don’t compete with each other. Ryan Embree: Yeah, I love that. I love that story. And I think we, you know, it’s inspiring to hear those, right? Because it, it can be scary sometimes. Um, but to hear those, those stories, those real life, um, you know, personal, uh, examples in front of you, those are the things that maybe get you that extra bit of confidence there. And it’s, it’s very, very cool to see. So, uh, appreciate your work there. And, um, you know, ex- excited to, to share that with those tips for the audience. Definitely wanted to, to, um, go into that topic a little bit. Um, but this is the Independent Hotel Show series. We might change your episode to say Unchained Hotel Series. But, uh, we’ll, we’re gonna. This is. We’re talking today about the Independent Hotel Show happening this year, September 16th and 17th. Uh, Miami Beach. Remember, listeners, uh, don’t forget to use promo code Ryan26. That’s for a complimentary, uh, registration. Dina, you’re on the advisory board. You’ve been a long time supporter of this show. What inspired you? Take me back to when you were first kind of asked to get involved with the show. Uh, what inspired you to get in, like, first involved with it? And how do you see it supporting independent hoteliers? Dina Belon: Yeah. I was, uh, introduced to it before the very first one and asked to be on the advisory board. And it was an immediate yes, and yes, what can I, what can I do to help? Because I knew that there was a gap in our industry in the independent space for a place for independents to get together and have real conversations and real opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other. We’re so isolated, um, in, in many ways. Like, we don’t have a mothership to create all of the stuff, the, you know, programs or education or philosophy or how do you do this? Or what do you do with that? Or, you know, how do you get mustard stains out of the towels? You know, like, anything. Like, we don’t have a mothership that helps us, that hands us a bunch of stuff and tells us how to do it. Each of us are creating all of this on our own. And that’s part of what makes our sector of the industry so unique and great, is that you get a different experience at every property because they’re all created through a visionary process. But there’s also a lot that we could share best practices and adapt what somebody else is doing to what we’re doing. I, like, I love to talk to, um, suppliers and vendors and tech companies, um, that reach out to me all the time because I learn from them. I learn what they’re doing, um, how one of their customers is doing something. You know, like, we constantly have a need for new knowledge and collaboration in our space that didn’t exist. And so this show is one of the only things that are really in our space focused on us and give us the opportunity to do that. It is an incredibly good show. It’s so well curated from, uh, an educational perspective, from the sessions. There’s multiple stages. Um, everything is in one room, which I love. Um, you can, you know, you can be listening to a panel discussion that’s really energizing, and then you’ve got a 10-minute break and you can run over and see a vendor that you wanted to talk to because you’ve only got 10 minutes. And then you get, you know, it’s not spread out. It’s not like the big shows where, you know, you’re gonna have to walk 10 miles to get to something. And the people that are there care and are focused on the independent space. So you’re also not gonna get the eye rolls and the you’re too small and we don’t care about you, and oh, you’re not part of Marriott, uh, you know, conversation, whether with vendors or with anybody, right? The, the people that are here are passionate about this part of the industry and are ready and willing to help anybody that comes to the show improve what they’re doing. Uh, like, I love helping other independent hoteliers, uh, in any way I can. In any context, talking about distribution, talking about guest service, talking about, you know, any, any part, because there are enough customers out there for all of us. I know we’re competitors, but, um, helping, helping everybody lift is a much better strategy than trying to elbow somebody out. Ryan Embree: Absolutely. We’re all in it together. 100% agree. And it’s funny, you know, you were mentioning at the, at the top of the answer about, you know, how independent hotels don’t have some of these resources that the big brands do. Uh, you know, one of the, one of the common things that big brands do is have an annual conference, right? And they get everybody together and, and share ideas and challenges. This is like the annual conference for independent hotel shows. So it’s a sense of belonging. Um, it’s a different energy. It’s a different. It’s, it’s a different type of, uh, uh, of event. Um, it. So real quick, first, uh, tip for any first time attendees that, uh, might be going. Dina Belon: Yeah. Um, I think two. Again, I love my, my two or three points. Um, be curious. So show up curious, um, and, and open and willing to share. Um, because that’s what your, your analogy to a brand conference is perfect because, um, that’s what we’re there to do is help each other. Um, and being curious will help you just be a sponge and take things in. Um, use, use AI in this scenario, um, and help have an AI assistant help you, an electronic one in your pocket, help you remember all the stuff that is gonna come at you because it’s gonna come like a fire hose and it’s gonna be really hard to remember it all when you get home. Um, I use Pocket for anybody who cares. It’s a little tiny device that I literally keep in my pocket. And I push it anytime I have an idea, I can just talk into it. Or I can push it if I’m having an interesting conversation with somebody and it’ll record that conversation. Of course, I ask the person before I do it. Um, but right? So that it, so that you’re, you’re capturing all of that interesting, cool ideas and, um, vendors and sup – you know, people that can support you. Um, it, walk away from an interaction with somebody and they’ve handed you their business card. Take your little device. It can be your phone too, but however you wanna do it and say, “I just met Ryan with Suite Spot and I really wanna be on his podcast. I need to reach out to him after when I get back.” And then your little AI will give you a to-do when you get back, uh, home. So that’s, that’s my number one tech tip. Um, and then I think the other, the opposite of that, which is a little challenging sometimes, is set the technology down and be present and be aware and pay attention. And don’t be on your phone answering emails from your staff back at your hotel. Like, I know it’s super hard to disconnect and, and be present while you’re at the conference, but you’ll gain a lot more if you’re there and you’re listening and you’re talking. Like, if you go to some of the educational sessions, raise your hand, ask questions. Make a point. Don’t even ask a question. If you’ve got an idea that the panel needs to hear, raise your hand and say it. Um, because it’s a, it’s a dialogue. This isn’t a. There’s, you know, we don’t have the president of Marriott and the president of Wyndham sitting on a panel telling us all how to do things. We’re all collaborators that are telling how we’re doing things and wanting to hear how you’re doing it and figuring out how we can share, share those ideas. So be present. Ryan Embree: That, that’s a great. Yeah, that’s a great mindset to, to enter this show into. My tip is gonna be make sure you see Dina Bellin on stage, uh, because she’s gonna be there once again. You’re gonna be moderating a powerhouse panel. Hospitality is not a department. Um, give us a sneak preview, if you can, of what that discussion might unpack and maybe your thoughts on the topic. Dina Belon: Yeah. It’s really gonna be, you know, about how hospitality is a culture. It’s not a silo. It’s, um, it’s really formed over time through behavior and modeling. Um, it’s not training manuals. It’s not a poster on the wall. It’s values. Um, it’s about, um, really taking everybody in your organization, whether it’s ops, which always seems obvious, but the finance departments, you know, HR, uh, the marketing team. Like, is everybody aligned to your mission and values as an organization? And you as a leader, are you practicing, as a lifestyle, the culture of your organization? So hospitality is not about the ops department. It is about the entire organization following a. Identifying first, have you identified? Right? So, like, our mission at Staypineapple is where stays become stories. Um, it’s a cute, cute way to say it, but it is in very real terms. We want your stay to be so impactful and so memorable that it becomes a lifetime story for you and your family. That kind of connection, that kind of sense of belonging, that kind of emotional feeling, um, is what we’re after, and that’s our mission. And so, if I’m not living that lifestyle every day as the leader of the organization, and our CFO, and our accountant, and our HR, uh, manager aren’t living that lifestyle, how can we ask the hotel teams to live it? Ryan Embree: Yeah. Great point. Yeah, it’s, I mean, it’s hospitality, right? And what we’re always trying to, to try to accomplish, uh, at the end of a guest day is to really, uh, not just, not just feel, feel the, the hospitality, feel the s – the, uh, uh, the, the service that we were providing them. Uh, not just feeling like they, they stayed in, you know, four rooms in a, four rooms in a box, right? That’s, that’s what – Yeah. The old saying. Dina Belon: How many hotels have you forgotten – Ryan Embree: Right. That’s a wonderful point. Wonderful point. And a great segue into our next, because I think you’ve got an unforgettable, um, uh, portfolio over there. So we’re gonna do some rapid fire here, Dina, to get to know you and your, uh, portfolio a little better at Staypineapple Hotel. So, uh, we always like to start with our favorite view from one of your hotels. Dina Belon: Definitely Chicago. So we’re in the loop and we look right at the Chicago Theater sign. And then three blocks down the other way, you can see the edge of the bean. And then there’s this amazing jazz mural, uh, from the corner rooms of the building. The, the incredible view. And we’re an urban city center, so views are not generally our vibe. Um, right? It’s usually another building next door. Um, but that one, that is really incredible. Ryan Embree: That makes for a good one. Uh, favorite fun fact about one of your properties? Dina Belon: Oh, uh, this is personal. Uh, uh, Fetch, which is our recycling program, is, um, all built around our dog obsessed culture. Uh, again, we like to be, you know, funny and cheeky. Um, so Dash, who’s our, um, our mascot, um, the pineapple pup. Um, he helps with waste reduction education, the Fetch program. Get it? Fetch, dog. Ryan Embree: Oh, I love it. Yeah. There you go. Uh, favorite signature dish, um, or amenity? Dina Belon: Hmm. Um, there’s a couple. Oh, goodness. These, this is hard. This is really hard. I, I mentioned the naked experience already, so I’ll let that one go, though that is one of my favorites. Again, personal. So you might start to see, I have a little bit of slant towards sustainability. Um, I am. It’s a, it’s a personal topic that I’m very passionate about. Um, our water bottles. Um, it was a huge lift for us to figure out. So, uh, what, I don’t know, five years ago, we used to have, um, unlimited water bottles available to our guests. Um, it’s part of our health and wellness program. We believe that, you know, hydration is a big part of health and wellness, particularly in en – urban environments when you’re walking a lot, you need to stay hydrated. It gave me a lot of heartburn. We were, we were, we were selling, or not selling, giving away a half a million water bottles, plastic water bottles a year. And it just, it hurt my heart. Um, so we were able to partner, um, with Path Water to do a custom 20-ounce aluminum water bottle pre-filled. Um, and we leave that in the guest room complimentary for every guest. And we put a water bar in our lobbies, um, for, to refill those bottles. Um, and that replaced all the plastic water bottles. And so, so now you see really fun, cute, steak pineapple aluminum water bottles all over the airport all the time in our city. Ryan Embree: Hey, there you go. Great marketing goes along with it. Uh, favorite guest experience? Dina Belon: Um, definitely Surprise and Delight, which is our, uh, strategy around that creative, uh, you know, hyper-personalization for guests. Uh, really creating those moments that create memories and stories. Ryan Embree: And then last favorite piece of art. Ryan Embree: That’s funny. Um, we, we happen to have our owner, our founder, Michelle, is a huge art collector. So that is really hard. We have a lot of original art in our hotels that’s from her personal collection. She regularly emails me and says, “Hey, I just bought a new piece, and can you find a place to put it in one of the hotels?” And I’m always like, “Oh my God, I’m running out of walls, Michelle.” But I think my favorite that she has, um, bought for every single hotel is, um, a Martin Goldstein original dog sculpture. Um, he is famous for creating these whimsical, limited edition bronze dogs that are known as Harvey Dogs. Um, and they’re just super cute. Um, and you can find one at every hotel. It’s, it’s one of those, like, Disney where you have to find the Mickey Mouse and Everything. Ryan Embree: Yeah, like a little Easter egg, yeah. Dina Belon: Exactly. An Easter egg hunt at any Staypineapple is go find the Marty Goldstein, uh, Harvey dog. Ryan Embree: All right. Well, there it, there it is. Challenge, um, put out there for our Suite Spot listeners, uh, visiting Staypineapple Hotels. Well, Dina, thank you. You’ve spent, um, quite, uh, some time with us. Um, thank you so much for sitting down. As we wrap up today, we do like to look into kind of our hospitality crystal ball. Uh, try to predict the future, which is becoming more difficult to do every single day, uh, now with every, the technology and AI. But, you know, as president of Staypineapple Hotels, what’s your vision for the future of, uh, the brand? Dina Belon: Yeah. You know, I think we’re gonna continue to expand on our ability to connect with guests and make them feel like they belong when they’re at Staypineapple, that they’re part of the family. And I know that sounds kitschy, but it’s, it’s a very real emotional, uh, mission for us. And, and in the broader context, what we believe the hospitality’s, hospitality industry’s role and responsibility in society is, and will become even more important as robots take over the world. That human connection that a hospitality industry can create, um, becomes an imperative for us to stay connected as a society. Ryan Embree: I agree. Yeah, that was just gonna echo that same sentiment. I think it’s gonna become more and more im- important. So we need, uh, brands like Staypineapple Hotels to, to keep true to that hospitality mission statement. So Dina, thank you again, uh, for taking the time to join us here on The Suite Spot. Any final thoughts before we wrap up? Dina Belon: Just go out there and be you, you know? Uh, don’t be afraid to, uh, come play in the independent space and definitely come to the Independent Hotel Show in Miami and, uh, let’s have a cocktail. Ryan Embree: Let’s do it. Uh, both Dina and I will have the privilege of being down there in Miami. We hope to see you in person. Dina, thank you so much for joining us here on The Suite Spot, and we hope to see you at the Independent Hotel Show in Miami. Thank you. And thank you for listening. We’ll talk to you next time here on The Suite Spot. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with cover art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host, Ryan Embree and we hope you enjoyed your stay.  

O alojamento local enfrenta um verão marcado por reservas mais tardias, maior cautela das famílias e desempenhos muito diferentes entre regiões. Enquanto o Algarve está a baixar preços para sustentar a procura, Lisboa e Porto sentem maior pressãoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Downtown Josh Brown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael Batnick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for another episode of What Are Your Thoughts as they discuss six major stocks that may be setting up for a bounce: Meta, Uber, Netflix, Disney, Nike, and Home Depot. Plus, Nvidia's latest data center financing deal and the rise of compute as an investable asset class, why stocks like Schwab, Expedia, and Booking are hitting all-time highs despite fears that AI would disrupt their businesses, and the $1.5 billion rescue deal for United Wholesale Mortgage after a massive loss on interest-rate hedges.Josh makes the case for Expedia, Michael brings the Mystery Chart, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Betterment Advisor Solutions. Learn more at https://betterment.com/advisors  Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Compound Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss out! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/thecompoundnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thecompoundnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-compound-media/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thecompoundnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Investing involves the risk of loss. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be or regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions. Michael Batnick and Josh Brown are employees of Ritholtz Wealth Management and may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this video. All opinions expressed by them are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Ritholtz Wealth Management. The Compound Media, Incorporated, an affiliate of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ritholtz Wealth Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, receives payment from various entities for advertisements in affiliated podcasts, blogs and emails. Inclusion of such advertisements does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof, or any affiliation therewith, by the Content Creator or by Ritholtz Wealth Management or any of its employees. For additional advertisement disclaimers see here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ritholtzwealth.com/advertising-disclaimers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. The information provided on this website (including any information that may be accessed through this website) is not directed at any investor or category of investors and is provided solely as general information. Obviously nothing on this channel should be considered as personalized financial advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. See our disclosures here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ritholtzwealth.com/podcast-youtube-disclosures/⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As search funnels compress and over 60% of digital queries end without a website click, enterprise leaders are forced to rethink how they monetize audience attention and maintain search visibility.Dylan Conroy sits down with Mark Mamber, CEO of Tiki, to break down the mechanics of monetizing lost web traffic and leveraging Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) to capture market share across AI platforms.Key Topics Covered:Monetizing the 95% Exit Void: How contextual page signals and automated exit triggers convert lost site traffic into high-margin ad yield.Enterprise Auction Mechanics: Deep-linking intent-driven consumers directly to tier-one global travel networks like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Kayak.Interactive AI Ad Syndication: Deploying custom brand LLMs as interactive chatbot units across third-party media networks (Envoy Reach).Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) via Reddit: How human-in-the-loop AI posting seeds clean source data into Large Language Models (Envoy Join).Real-Time Market Intelligence: Turning interactive consumer ad queries into strategic data dashboards for C-suite decision-makers.Mark Mamber is the CEO of Tiki, a proprietary ad-tech engine that has served the global travel vertical for over 15 years. He specializes in yield monetization infrastructure, interactive media solutions, and generative search strategies for publishers, OTAs, and Destination Marketing Organizations.Connect & Resources:Connect with Guest Mark Mamber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmamber/Visit Tiki: https://www.tiki.com/Follow Host Dylan Conroy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/Scaled Performance Automation by Strike Social: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/

Enterprise marketing teams face growing digital fatigue, as screen-based advertising alone struggles to capture deep customer loyalty.Don, Managing Partner at Salt & Pinch, breaks down how leading brands leverage experiential world-building and physical production to turn digital IP into high-converting real estate.Key tactical themes covered:- Scaling flexible production teams up to 240 members during peak production windows.- Translating entertainment and streaming IP into immersive pop-up retail environments.- Shifting B2B corporate keynotes from static product booths to human-centric spaces.- Engineering multi-acre brand installations on raw parking lot footprints.- Implementing circular, sustainable fabrication setups to minimize event waste.Don is the Managing Partner at Salt and its sister agency Pinch, managing experiential strategy, circular fabrication, and large-scale builds for clients including Amazon, Netflix, Lululemon, and Expedia.Connect with our guestFollow Don on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-strom/Explore Salt Creative: https://www.pinch-creative.com/Simplify Paid Social with Strike Social: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/Connect with Host Dylan Conroy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/

Während Dow Jones und S&P 500 auf neue Rekordhochs zusteuern, gerät der Technologiesektor erneut unter Druck. Das Motto des Tages lautet: Gute Ergebnisse reichen nicht mehr aus, und schwache werden konsequent abgestraft. Besonders deutlich zeigt sich das bei Software und Halbleitern. AppLovin, HubSpot, Figma, SanDisk und Western Digital legten überwiegend solide Quartalszahlen vor, doch verfehlten entweder die außergewöhnlich hohen Erwartungen oder enttäuschten mit dem Ausblick. Selbst Figma, das Umsatz, Gewinn und Prognose anhob, gerät unter Druck, weil die operative Marge trotz der starken Entwicklung nicht weiter angehoben wurde. HubSpot wird nach einem vorsichtigen Ausblick und zahlreichen Abstufungen der Analysten massiv verkauft, während AppLovin trotz überwiegend bestätigter Kaufempfehlungen mehrere deutliche Kurszielsenkungen hinnehmen muss. Gleichzeitig belastet die Schwäche im Speichersektor den gesamten KI-Komplex, obwohl SanDisk und Western Digital sowohl Umsatz als auch Gewinn steigern konnten. Positiv stechen dagegen eBay, Expedia, MercadoLibre, DoorDash, Block und Duolingo mit überwiegend starken Zahlen hervor, während Eli Lilly und Shopify von mehreren Analysten mit höheren Kurszielen unterstützt werden. Makroseitig stehen heute die Erstanträge auf Arbeitslosenhilfe und die Produktivitätsdaten im Fokus. Geopolitisch warten die Märkte weiter auf konkrete Details zur Vereinbarung zwischen Iran und Oman über die Straße von Hormus. Ein Podcast - featured by Handelsblatt. ► Entdecke den exklusiven NordVPN Deal! Jetzt risikofrei testen mit einer 30-Tage-Geld-zurück-Garantie: https://nordvpn.com/wallstreet * ► Erhalte einen exklusiven 15% Rabatt auf Saily eSIM Datentarife! Lade die Saily-App herunter und benutze den Code wallstreet beim Bezahlen: https://saily.com/wallstreet * +++ Alle Rabattcodes und Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/wallstreet_podcast +++ ► Mehr Einblicke: https://bit.ly/360wallstreetpc * Impressum: https://www.360wallstreet.de/impressum *Werbung

Wir sehen auf Ebene der Tech-Werte stärkere Verwerfungen. Das Motto des Tages lautet: Gute Ergebnisse reichen nicht mehr aus, und schwache werden konsequent abgestraft. Besonders deutlich zeigt sich das bei Software und Halbleitern. AppLovin, HubSpot, Figma, SanDisk und Western Digital legten überwiegend solide Quartalszahlen vor, doch verfehlten entweder die außergewöhnlich hohen Erwartungen oder enttäuschten mit dem Ausblick. Selbst Figma, das Umsatz, Gewinn und Prognose anhob, gerät unter Druck, weil die operative Marge trotz der starken Entwicklung nicht weiter angehoben wurde. HubSpot wird nach einem vorsichtigen Ausblick und zahlreichen Abstufungen der Analysten massiv verkauft, während AppLovin trotz überwiegend bestätigter Kaufempfehlungen mehrere deutliche Kurszielsenkungen hinnehmen muss. Gleichzeitig belastet die Schwäche im Speichersektor den gesamten KI-Komplex, obwohl SanDisk und Western Digital sowohl Umsatz als auch Gewinn steigern konnten. Positiv stechen dagegen eBay, Expedia, MercadoLibre, DoorDash, Block und Duolingo mit überwiegend starken Zahlen hervor, während Eli Lilly und Shopify von mehreren Analysten mit höheren Kurszielen unterstützt werden. Makroseitig stehen heute die Erstanträge auf Arbeitslosenhilfe und die Produktivitätsdaten im Fokus. Geopolitisch warten die Märkte weiter auf konkrete Details zur Vereinbarung zwischen Iran und Oman über die Straße von Hormus. Abonniere den Podcast, um keine Folge zu verpassen! ____ Folge uns, um auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben: • X: http://fal.cn/SQtwitter • LinkedIn: http://fal.cn/SQlinkedin • Instagram: http://fal.cn/SQInstagram

Plus: A federal judge sets a start date for the antitrust trial over Paramount's $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. And the robotaxi competition heats up in London, as both Wayve and Uber win approval to offer supervised rides. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-rosolio-434b2a98/ Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ — Vrbo just did three things most operators haven't connected yet: it purged 100,000 homes, surveyed 2,000 guests across seven countries, and started rolling out sponsored listings. Put them together and you get the clearest signal yet on where vacation rentals are headed. Tim Rosolio is VP of Vacation Rental Partnerships at Expedia Group, where he leads the supply and host side of Vrbo. He's also a Vrbo host himself. In his return to Behind the Stays, Tim and Zach get into what that survey actually revealed — and it wasn't what the industry has been selling. Quality isn't luxury. It isn't the private chef or the infinity pool. It's accurate photos, verified reviews, a fully stocked shelf, and linens and silverware worth touching. 81% of guests said they'd pay more for a stay they can trust to be consistent. Then there are the sponsored listings landing this summer — a pay-only-if-you-book model that lets hosts buy visibility without gaming the algorithm. Tim explains how it works, why bad operators won't be allowed in, and where it goes across Expedia next. The conversation also covers the "coach up or coach out" program behind the purge, why the future of discovery is personalization instead of a star-rating system nobody trusts, expanded distribution across Expedia's 70,000-business B2B network, and the one fear keeping every VRM up at night: owner retention in a market where 2022 numbers aren't coming back. Reach out to Tim on LinkedIn — he's an open book. —   Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world's top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.   Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of Growth at Journey. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we'd love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Joe Jensen sits down with Mark Simpson, founder of Boostly, to break down how short-term rental hosts can reduce their dependence on Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and other OTAs by building a stronger direct booking strategy. Mark shares how he grew up in hospitality on a 200-acre farmstay in the UK, long before Airbnb existed, and explains how the industry shifted from upfront marketing costs to commission-based OTA bookings. While platforms like Airbnb can be a great way to get started, Mark warns that relying on one platform too heavily leaves hosts exposed to rising fees, algorithm changes, guest complaints, and sudden account suspensions. The conversation dives into practical strategies for getting more direct bookings without leaving Airbnb entirely. Mark explains the "billboard effect," where hosts use Airbnb for visibility while making their brand, property name, Google presence, website, and social profiles easy for guests to find directly. He also shares why professional hosts should aim for a healthier mix of bookings, with direct bookings forming the backbone of the business and OTAs acting as extra lead sources. The episode is a reminder that platforms are useful, but real business control comes from owning your audience, your brand, and your booking process. Book a free real estate investing strategy call! No experience necessary. Check out the Real Estate Investing School Youtube Real Estate Investing School Instagram Brody's Instagram Joe's Instagram Mark LinkedIn Boostly UK

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wandering Works for Us PodcastDate: 1 August 2026Title: York & Corbridge, UK: Ghosts, Vikings, and the Wall That Ended Our England LegSummary of EpisodeYork earns the title of favorite city on the trip: walkable, atmospheric, and layered with Viking, medieval, and LGBTQ+ history. We cover the Shambles and its Harry Potter branding, the Jorvik Viking Centre's ride-through experience (built on the actual Coppergate dig), a haunted pub crawl at the Black Swan, a walk on the city walls at sunset, and the Holy Trinity Church plaque marking Anne Lister and Ann Walker's 1834 union. We're honest about regretting skipping York Minster. From there, we head to Corbridge for one final England stop — reuniting with an old friend, visiting Corbridge Roman Town, and touring Hadrian's Wall — before the coastal drive north to Edinburgh closes out the England chapter of the trip.Key Topics[03:25] The Shambles and its Harry Potter-themed shops[06:10]  The butterbeer verdict (get it for the show, not the taste)[11:00]   Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate — Anne Lister and Ann Walker[13:00]  The Black Swan and York's haunted-pub reputation[13:30]  Walking York's city walls at sunset[15:00]  Where we ate in York (Côte York, The Fat Badger, Kalpakavadi)[16:35]  Jorvik Viking Centre: the Coppergate dig and the immersive ride experience[23:50] York Minster — the one we regret skipping[26:00] Corbridge and the Golden Lion Inn[26:30] Corbridge Roman Town and its museum[27:40] Reconnecting with an old friend for a personal tour of Hadrian's Wall[29:00]  The coastal drive north to EdinburghImportant Links To follow all of our antics and adventures, please visit our social media pages and our website at wwforus.com! You can send us a message at any of these places, and feel free to email us at wandering@wwforus.comLike what we are doing? Buy us a gin and tonic and help us keep going!InstagramFacebookTiktokYouTubeLooking for a tour guide in Portugal? I have a whole list!Blog post for this episode: Things to Do in York: Vikings, City Walls, and a Butter Beer we wouldn't order again.RESOURCES & LINKSLooking to plan your next trip to Portugal? We can help! Check out our guides and Itineraries at wwforus.comFree Lisbon ItineraryPacking ListEssentials for every tripRenting a car in PortugalLooking for a tour guide in Portugal? I have a whole list!**Wandering Works for Us contains affiliate links and is part of Viator, Get Your Guide, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Awin,  and Amazon Services Associates Program LLC. If you make a purchase using one of the links, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/wandering-works-for-us/donations

Leadership often feels like a series of competing demands: be confident, but humble. Be decisive, but compassionate. Kevin Eikenberry is joined by leadership coach and author Sally Netherwood to explore the paradox of modern leadership through the lens of her new book, Graceful Power. Together, they discuss the three pillars of graceful power—Congruence, Courage, and Compassion—and why becoming a more effective leader isn't about choosing one over the other, but learning to hold both with intention. If you're looking to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact, this conversation is full of practical insights you can apply right away. Sally's Story: Sally Netherwood is the author of Graceful Power: Solving the Paradox of Modern Leadership, and a world-class leadership coach with over 25 years' experience helping business leaders, entrepreneurs and change-makers feel clearer, braver and more effective. Drawing on tens of thousands of coaching hours, she offers leaders tangible strategies that create immediate improvements in performance, workplace culture and daily working life. After a decade in the fast-paced world of advertising at three of the world's top agencies, she now works with leaders from organizations including Expedia and DoorDash, helping them discover and embrace their Graceful Power, so they achieve far more with significantly less personal cost. Connect with Sally Netherwood Website: https://www.sallynetherwood.com/graceful-power  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-netherwood-85599419/  Book Recommendations Graceful Power: Solving the Paradox of Modern Leadership by Sally Netherwood Brilliant Doubt: Harnessing Uncertainty to Lead with Impact by Jenny Williams Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence by Kevin Eikenberry  Like this? Understanding Power with Deborah Gruenfeld Creating Human-Powered Leadership with Dr. Christie Smith TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 00:38 The paradox of modern leadership 01:31 Meet Sally Netherwood 02:49 Why Sally wrote Graceful Power 05:05 What is graceful power? 06:14 Different kinds of leadership power 08:31 The Three Cs of Graceful Power 08:49 Congruence: leading as your authentic self 11:44 Creating your leadership signature 13:30 Courage is doing what you find difficult 16:14 Understanding fear as a leadership signal 18:30 Leadership is a constant act of becoming 19:36 Compassion as a leadership strategy 21:12 Why self-compassion comes first 23:20 Believing in others' potential 26:00 Reflection as a leadership responsibility 28:12 Helping teams reflect and improve 30:40 What Sally is reading 31:54 Where to learn more 32:22 Now What? ---

The biggest brand campaigns of 2026 share a handful of strategies, and none of them require a seven-figure marketing budget to pull off. Marketing Dive rounded up the year's standout campaigns, and these weren't chosen on vibes. Every one had results the companies reported publicly. Aerie, Coach, Expedia, Burger King, and Dove ran them with massive teams and millions of customers behind them. The strategies underneath are ones a small eCommerce brand can run with a product, an email list, and customers who already talk to you. Inside, the six moves driving those campaigns, how to translate each one to your size and your resources, and the one most brands hesitate to try even though it builds customer trust faster than anything else on the list. In this episode: Why leading with your values works for some brands and quietly costs others customers The move Coach made before launching their campaign that most brands skip entirely What to give creators if you want the content to actually perform The response to customer complaints that makes people more likely to buy from you Why the reviews you're tempted to hide might be doing the most selling The reason your best message probably doesn't need replacing   _______ Links Mentioned Full Show Notes https://ecommercebadassery.com/387   The Lounge Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______ Learn With Me Work with Me 1:1 https://ecommercebadassery.com/ecommerce-help/ https://ecommercebadassery.com/email-marketing/   Courses & Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/programs   _______   Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______   Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I'd be forever grateful if you'd rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it's also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you want to hear.    Review Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-badassery/id1507457683  

« Sénégal : la grande détresse des homosexuels », titre Le Nouvel Obs, qui a interrogé plusieurs de ces sénégalais venus chercher refuge en France, alors que dans leur pays, l'homosexualité est désormais passible de dix ans de prison. L'hebdomadaire a notamment interviewé Chérif. C'est un nom d'emprunt. Il préfère rester anonyme. Sans papiers, inquiet, il ne précise pas la manière dont il est arrivé en France. Il espère obtenir l'asile. Et il raconte « l'atmosphère devenue irrespirable » au Sénégal, « à la maison, dans la rue, à la télévision comme sur les réseaux sociaux », « tout le monde ne parlait que des homosexuels », et « les discours de haine se propageaient sans plus aucun filtre » : « Ils pervertissent la jeunesse », « ils détruisent le pays », « on doit les tuer », « on doit les brûler ». « L'histoire de Chérif est loin d'être isolée », précise Le Nouvel Obs. « Depuis des mois, des associations françaises alertent sur la hausse des appels de détresse venant du Sénégal ». L'association STOP homophobie reçoit ainsi de nombreux appels comme celui de cet homme de 34 ans qui cherche à quitter le Sénégal « parce que le pays n'est pas prêt à accepter les personnes gays ». Et il ajoute : « Tous les homosexuels se cachent. C'est comme vivre en prison ». Suède, Pologne, Pays baltes Et si Vladimir Poutine décidait d'attaquer l'Europe… C'est L'Express qui se projette dans l'avenir et livre plusieurs scénarios qui, nous dit-il, ont été élaborés par « les meilleurs experts ». Premier exemple : débarquement russe sur l'île suédoise de Gotland, le 3 septembre 2029. « À quelques kilomètres au large, surgissent de multiples corvettes et navires de débarquement appartenant à la flotte russe de la Baltique. Revanchard après les déboires de son armée en Ukraine, Vladimir Poutine vient d'ouvrir un nouveau front. La Suède, qui a rejoint l'Otan en 2024, en est la première victime ». Autre scénario : « Des drones déferlent sur la Pologne ». « Le but ultime de ces actions serait d'effrayer les populations, afin qu'elles fassent pression sur leur gouvernement pour qu'il cesse de soutenir l'Ukraine », estime le général américain Ben Hodges. Il y a aussi bien sûr l'hypothèse d'une attaque des Pays baltes, souvent évoquée. Ce pourrait être le 4 décembre 2028, raconte L'Express. « Avide de reprendre la main sur cette ancienne république soviétique, imagine L'Express, Poutine vient d'ordonner la prise de Narva (petite ville du nord-est de l'Estonie) au prétexte d'une protection de la minorité russophone qui y serait "persécutée" ». Bref, les hypothèses ne manquent pas…  Réfugiés climatiques Les incendies continuent de ravager la région de Bordeaux, dans le sud-ouest de la France. Incendies qu'évoque notamment la Tribune Dimanche. Dans son éditorial, Soazig Quéméner, revient sur le sort de ces nouveaux « réfugiés climatiques », « contraints de quitter leurs domiciles pour échapper aux ravages de feux à la trajectoire imprévisible ». « Ils rejoignent à leur cœur défendant, dit-elle, le contingent des exilés climatiques. Pour la plupart, ils retrouveront bien heureusement leurs foyers, mais tous seront frappés, marqués à vie par la mémoire de ces flammes monstrueuses ». Dans son éditorial pour le Parisien Dimanche, Jean-Baptiste Isaac parle, lui, des « réfugiés du feu » et constate : « L'Europe, que l'on pensait à l'abri de ces calamités est frappée de plein fouet, emportée par la spirale du dérèglement climatique ». Vacances paisibles Courrier International nous invite à « lever le pied ». Précision importante, il s'agit de lever le pied pendant les vacances. « Aux périples lointains rythmés par les sauts de puce de ville en ville, de plus en plus de vacanciers préfèrent les séjours plus tranquilles », explique Courrier International. Ils vont « moins loin, dans des coins plus calmes avec des activités plus douces ». L'hebdomadaire cite une étude de l'agence de voyages Expedia, selon laquelle « 91 % des voyageurs se disent intéressés par des voyages centrés sur la lecture, la détente et les moments privilégiés ». Courrier International s'appuie notamment sur un article du journal espagnol la Vanguardia, selon lequel, « les queues pour faire la photo chacun son tour, les parkings des plages les plus cotées déjà pleins à 8 heures du matin… tout cela n'est plus attractif… ». La Vanguardia, prône plutôt « le tourisme communautaire ». De quoi s'agit-il ? « De participer à la vie locale pendant plusieurs jours dans un même environnement, de se laisser tenter par le quotidien des commerces locaux, ou encore de bavarder spontanément, à la fraîche, avec des dames, dans les coins les plus authentiques de la région… »  Un peu de douceur, dans ce monde sous tension…  

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Lawrence Phillips. Purpose of the Interview To showcase Lawrence Phillips’ entrepreneurial journey from engineering to founding Green Book Global, a travel review platform for Black travelers. To highlight the significance of Black Ambition, an initiative by Pharrell Williams supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs. To inspire listeners about resilience, innovation, and the importance of culturally inclusive travel resources. Key Takeaways Background & Career Shift Phillips studied Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech and worked at Accenture in IT consulting for nearly a decade. Despite career success, he felt unfulfilled and decided to pursue his passion for travel, leading to the creation of Green Book Global. Travel Experience Traveled to 30+ countries across all seven continents, including Antarctica, in less than a year. Realized the need for a platform addressing “traveling while Black” concerns—safety, cultural acceptance, and inclusivity. Green Book Global Inspired by the historical Green Book (1936–1966), which guided Black travelers during segregation. Offers city-level Black-friendly scores, road trip planners, and Black-owned restaurant recommendations. Over 150,000 app downloads in 2025; partnered with Expedia; strong social media presence. Black Ambition Program Phillips applied three times before reaching semifinals, emphasizing persistence. Program provided funding opportunities and a transformative Evoke Wellness experience. His personal “why” statement:“I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” Impact & Vision Advocates systemic change by partnering with destinations to improve inclusivity. Highlights the economic power of Black travelers (over $140 billion annually). Encourages Black travelers to explore global opportunities beyond U.S. racial constraints. Notable Quotes “You can be successful and still not be happy.” — On leaving a lucrative career for passion. “I’m a protective and innovative steward of Black restoration and healing.” — His guiding principle. “There’s riches in niches.” — On unapologetically focusing on Black travelers. “Just because somebody said no doesn’t mean they said no to you—they said no at that time.” — On persistence in entrepreneurship. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get a $200 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Get 3 free months of Audible - https://milestomemories.com/audible-subscription-offer-2/ Both Hyatt cards have increased welcome offers, and we explain why the personal card's 75,000 point headline is a little misleading since a chunk of it is just base earning you would get anyway. Frequent Miler is reporting that Chase quietly added new terms to Chase Offers warning that abuse may get you excluded from future offers, which leads into a real conversation about where the line sits between an error in your favor and outright fraud. Bank of America is now handing out retention offers through its Erica chatbot, so you can click through your cards quickly without ever talking to a person, though accepting one offer appears to lock you out on the rest. United also has new targeted MilePlay promotions, some of them worth 20,000 plus bonus miles just for getting the credit card and opting into notifications. We close with a real problem on Bilt travel, where a hotel showing $279 a night turned into an $800 plus bill at checkout because resort fees were not disclosed up front, something Expedia's own site does correctly. Let us know in the comments what the craziest abuse story you have heard is. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel  0:24 Hyatt's New 75K Personal Card Offer 3:07 The Hyatt Business Card: Who It's For 6:34 Chase Warns "Gamers" on Chase Offers 8:20 Where Gaming Becomes Fraud 11:01 BofA Retention Offers Via Chatbot 12:58 A Rough Citi Retention Call 14:26 United's New MilePlay Promotions 17:29 Bilt Travel's Pricing Problem 18:06 The $279 Room That Cost $800 23:38 Final Thoughts Links Hyatt business - https://milestomemories.com/world-of-hyatt-business-card-70k-offer/ Hyatt personal - https://milestomemories.com/75k-bonus-on-word-of-hyatt-card/ Chase Offers - https://milestomemories.com/chase-adding-abuse-warning-to-some-chase-offers/ BofA retention - https://milestomemories.com/check-for-bank-of-america-retention-offers/ MilePlay - https://milestomemories.com/united-airlines-mile-play-promotion/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free

How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt - An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey Ian Knox and Megan Toomey of SimplePractice take therapists behind the scenes of how AI tools for mental health are actually built, trained, and kept secure. We're in the middle of AI month, and Curt and Katie wanted to move past the buzzwords and talk with the people who actually engineer this technology. As part of the show's partnership with SimplePractice, they sit down with Ian Knox, Chief Product Officer, and Megan Toomey, Sr. Director of Clinical Support AI Product Management, to pull back the curtain on how AI tools for therapists get designed, what "training the model" really means, and how client data is handled. They get specific about what to evaluate before adopting any AI tool, from vendor trust and HIPAA compliance to data practices, and why note taking is the most mature use case while insurance, scheduling, intake, and referral matching are still emerging. Ian and Megan also take on the fear that AI-first companies want to replace therapists, and explain why clinicians have to stay at the center of care and review anything they put their name on. This is a grounded, practical conversation for any therapist trying to decide what AI belongs in their practice, and what to be cautious about, without panic or hype. In this episode, we discuss: - How an EHR decides which clinician tasks AI is mature enough to help with - What to evaluate before trusting an AI vendor with client data - Why "HIPAA compliant" is a floor, not proof of strong security - What "training the model" does and does not mean, and why SimplePractice says it is not training an LLM on your data - How transcripts are retained, and the new opt-in for de-identified data - Why you remain responsible for every AI-assisted note you sign - How to talk with clients about AI and get meaningful consent Timestamps: 00:16 - AI month, and why we wanted to talk to people who build AI 01:33 - Who Ian and Megan are 03:21 - SimplePractice's history with AI tools 05:38 - What therapists should know when adding AI to a practice 08:44 - Where clinicians can streamline with AI 12:23 - How to choose which AI features to adopt 16:10 - Why you can't fully trust AI, and best practices 19:29 - What clinicians should know about their data 21:13 - The Trust Center, and "are you here to replace therapists?" 23:55 - How AI systems are trained (the puppy analogy) 27:00 - White-label LLMs and the "golden data set" 29:11 - De-identified transcripts and the opt-in 31:40 - Current tools and the product roadmap Guest bios: Ian Knox is Chief Product Officer at SimplePractice, with prior product leadership at Expedia and Microsoft. Megan Toomey is Sr. Director of Clinical Support AI Product Management at SimplePractice, leading the team building AI tools for behavioral health clinicians, with prior experience at Microsoft and Amazon. Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/

The U.S. passport stalls at 10th while the UAE jumps to second in the global rankings, Emirates president Tim Clark says retirement can wait, and Expedia opens a Silicon Valley office to find the engineers who are exponentially more productive with AI. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down what the UAE's historic passport rise reveals about how deliberate diplomatic strategy translates into real travel advantages, why Tim Clark is still running Emirates at 76 and showing no signs of slowing down, and why Expedia's AI bet is really a people bet. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGThe U.S. Passport Is Stuck. The UAE's Is Gaining Fast.Emirates' Sir Tim Clark on Retirement: It's Not TimeExpedia CTO Ramana Thumu on AI Talent Strategy Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

JetBlue picks up Spirit's coveted LaGuardia slots for $58.5 million, Airbnb adds car rentals and keeps inching toward becoming a one-stop travel shop, and hotel brands are quietly moving into student housing with a four-revenue-stream business model. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why JetBlue's slot purchase is a long-term strategic play in one of the most constrained airports in the country, what Airbnb's car rental launch says about where Chesky is taking the platform, and why hybrid student-hotel buildings might be one of the smartest revenue models in hospitality right now. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGJetBlue Wins Spirit's Coveted Slots at LaGuardia for $58.5 MillionHotel Brands Circle Student Housing: 4 Income StreamsAirbnb Partners With CarTrawler for Car Rentals in 5 Countries — Scoop Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Robin Lawther, vice president of Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, about how his company has moved beyond giving advisors access to commissionable hotels, tours and activities from the Expedia inventory. Expedia TAAP is introducing new capabilities that help travel advisors and agencies streamline back-office operations, reduce manual work and scale their businesses more effectively. For more information, visit www.expediaTAAP.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox. 

New Mexico prosecutors have issued evidence-preservation notices to more than two dozen technology, financial and travel companies as they investigate Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch and attempt to secure the complete record of Prince Andrew's communications with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The notices reportedly cover emails, messages, travel information and other digital records held by companies including Google, WhatsApp, Yahoo, American Express and Expedia. Investigators are particularly interested in Andrew's reported visits to the ranch, and one source said prosecutors are seeking to preserve “every message” he exchanged with Epstein before routine data-retention policies can erase potentially relevant evidence.The renewed inquiry has included interviews with former ranch employees about visitors, daily operations and Andrew's alleged presence at the property, including a former worker who reportedly drove him from a local airport. Andrew has not been charged with any offense connected to the investigation and continues to deny wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes. However, the preservation orders represent a significant escalation because they are designed to lock down evidence that could help investigators reconstruct who visited Zorro Ranch, what communications took place and how Epstein's wider network operated.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:'Every Message They Exchanged': Ex-Prince Andrew's Communications With Epstein, Maxwell Locked Down by Prosecutors | IBTimes UK

New Mexico prosecutors have issued evidence-preservation notices to more than two dozen technology, financial and travel companies as they investigate Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch and attempt to secure the complete record of Prince Andrew's communications with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The notices reportedly cover emails, messages, travel information and other digital records held by companies including Google, WhatsApp, Yahoo, American Express and Expedia. Investigators are particularly interested in Andrew's reported visits to the ranch, and one source said prosecutors are seeking to preserve “every message” he exchanged with Epstein before routine data-retention policies can erase potentially relevant evidence.The renewed inquiry has included interviews with former ranch employees about visitors, daily operations and Andrew's alleged presence at the property, including a former worker who reportedly drove him from a local airport. Andrew has not been charged with any offense connected to the investigation and continues to deny wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes. However, the preservation orders represent a significant escalation because they are designed to lock down evidence that could help investigators reconstruct who visited Zorro Ranch, what communications took place and how Epstein's wider network operated.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:'Every Message They Exchanged': Ex-Prince Andrew's Communications With Epstein, Maxwell Locked Down by Prosecutors | IBTimes UKBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

About the Guest: Ania Smith is the CEO of TaskRabbit, the global marketplace connecting people who need everyday tasks done with skilled local "Taskers." Born in Poland, she immigrated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota at 12, learned English, and went on to study business — including an exchange back in Poland — before earning her MBA at Wharton. She began her career in international development, moved through investment banking and consulting at L.E.K., and held leadership roles at Expedia, Walmart, and Airbnb before taking the top job at TaskRabbit at the end of August 2020. Ania is known for her candor about ambition, her belief in running toward growth and discomfort, and her conviction that great leadership is fundamentally human. She leads TaskRabbit (now part of the IKEA family) with a focus on helping Taskers build meaningful income while keeping human connection at the center — even as AI reshapes the way we work. Hear more about her journey from a paper route in South Dakota to the CEO seat in this episode of the Take Command Podcast. What You Will Learn: Why resilience is "getting up after the fall" — and how to stop catastrophizing setbacks Why careers are non-linear, and how lateral moves and new skills set you up to lead How humility ("hire people smarter than you") becomes a leadership superpower Why listening is the single most important skill of a good leader How to build relationships that last by keeping in touch when you need nothing Why human creativity and connection still beat AI's "generating to the mean" Join us for this episode of the Take Command Podcast to explore what it takes to lead with grit, humility, and heart. Ania Smith doesn't claim to have all the answers — she'd rather hire people who do — but her journey offers clear, practical lessons for any leader navigating uncertainty and growth. Please rate and review this Episode!We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

New Mexico prosecutors have issued evidence-preservation notices to more than two dozen technology, financial and travel companies as they investigate Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch and attempt to secure the complete record of Prince Andrew's communications with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The notices reportedly cover emails, messages, travel information and other digital records held by companies including Google, WhatsApp, Yahoo, American Express and Expedia. Investigators are particularly interested in Andrew's reported visits to the ranch, and one source said prosecutors are seeking to preserve “every message” he exchanged with Epstein before routine data-retention policies can erase potentially relevant evidence.The renewed inquiry has included interviews with former ranch employees about visitors, daily operations and Andrew's alleged presence at the property, including a former worker who reportedly drove him from a local airport. Andrew has not been charged with any offense connected to the investigation and continues to deny wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes. However, the preservation orders represent a significant escalation because they are designed to lock down evidence that could help investigators reconstruct who visited Zorro Ranch, what communications took place and how Epstein's wider network operated.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:'Every Message They Exchanged': Ex-Prince Andrew's Communications With Epstein, Maxwell Locked Down by Prosecutors | IBTimes UKBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

On Monday's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Brandreth Canaley and Michael Goldin break down three stories about who is building the next layer of travel distribution and what it means for STR operators. The conversation opens with a Skift scoop: Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) is forming a formal B2B unit bringing together Booking.com, Agoda, and Priceline to take on Expedia Group, where B2B already grows at three times the rate of its consumer business. From there, Brandy and Michael dig into what Airbnb's hiring of OpenAI's first global VP of creative says about the company's bet that brand is its moat against AI flattening. They close with a Visa Economic Insights deep dive on the great wealth transfer — $8 trillion in inherited boomer wealth heading toward travel over the next 20 years, and what that means for who STR operators will be serving. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠to learn more about their special offer of 50% off for GMH listeners! And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

From one region to the whole world: how Vaya Adventures built a $30M travel business on bottom-of-funnel search.Jim Lutz didn't plan on travel. He planned on law. A year abroad before law school, plus a trip to Morocco, rerouted the entire flight plan.In this episode, Brennen sits down with Jim Lutz, founder of Vaya Adventures, to trace how a former lawyer built a 35-person, $30M+ adventure travel company that's grown 25 to 35% a year for the last five years. The center of the story is the decision that reshaped the business: going from a South America specialist to selling the entire world, and why that one move did more for repeat and referral than any single campaign could.Jim is refreshingly candid about the parts most founders skip. Shrinking from 13 people to 6 during COVID. The discipline of fishing at the bottom of the funnel when booking.com and Expedia are spending billions on the same intent. Why the wrong lead is worse than no lead at all. And the years he spent resisting the word "luxury" before he understood what it was quietly doing for his pipeline.It's a conversation about building a proper business: the slow handoff from founder-led marketing to an in-house team, where AI earns its keep, and where the human on the other end of the trip stays irreplaceable.

92%ers, welcome to another episode of New Heights brought to you by Expedia! Today, we're joined by Tom Brady to talk about what separates great teams from championship teams, the intensity of Patriots practices, what made Bill Belichick so effective, his favorite Super Bowl victory, mastering the two-minute drill, and how he overcame self-defeating thoughts throughout his career.We've also got Tom's incredible stories about playing alongside Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss, Joe Thuney, Julian Edelman, & More! Shop our new sandal collab with OluKai at http://kelceclubhouse.comOur book “No Dumb Questions” is available now at https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/nodumbquestionsWatch and listen to new episodes of New Heights every Wednesday during the NFL season and follow us on Social Media for all the best moments from the show: https://lnk.to/newheightshowYou can also listen to new episodes on Wondery, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. ...Download the full podcast here:Wondery: https://wondery.app.link/s9hHTgtXpMbApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-heights/id1643745036Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1y3SUbFMUSESC1N43tBleK?si=LsuQ4a5MRN6wGMcfVcuynwSupport the show: EXPEDIA: The one place you go to go places. https://www.expedia.com/AMERICAN EXPRESS: The Platinum card gives you access to the largest curated global hotel program through Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection. Terms apply. Learn more at americanexpress.com/withplatinum. Largest as compared to other credit card programs with special benefits through Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection, as of 7/2025.ENTERPRISE: This tournament, every corner kick goal is your chance to win a car. Post on X #OnEveryCorner #sweepstakes and tag @Enterprise the moment a corner kick is called. For more details and an additional chance to win, visit https://OnEveryCorner.com. No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 US states, and D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, who are 21 and older. Sweepstakes ends July 19, 2026. Void where prohibited. Prize awarded if a corner kick goal is scored. For entry details and official rules, visit https://OnEveryCorner.com.XFINITY: Sponsored by Xfinity. WiFi so reliable you can host the world. Head to xfinity.com/soccer to learn more.MENTOS: Refresh the Everyday with Mentos Gum. Shop Now!ALLSTATE: Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As marketers reach for AI to explain every new capability, it's easy to overstate its role. Helen Melluish, VP of marketing at Expedia-owned Vrbo, says the hyperlocal targeting behind this summer's travel campaigns runs on traditional data science and machine learning—not AI. Vrbo tracks booking trends by origin and destination market, then shifts local messaging and media spend within a matter of weeks, if not days, once a route or region shows momentum, no AI overlay required. For Melluish, that speed matters this summer: as gas prices push travelers toward drive-to destinations and away from early bookings, Vrbo's data lets the brand chase the shift in real time. AI still plays a role elsewhere at home-rental brand, scaling creative production and handling routine customer service, but it isn't what's driving this particular decision. Dig deeper ~How brands are approaching summer travel with high gas prices and inflation ~Expedia Group's CMO on AI ~AI Marketing Playbook: How marketers are really using AI ~How brands are investing in local marketing—and why it's so important

On Monday's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Brandreth Canaley and Michael Goldin break down who is actually controlling the relationship between a traveler and a booking right now. The conversation opens with the race among Expedia Group, Booking.com, and Trip.com Group to become the trusted infrastructure layer for AI agents and what that means for STR operators who depend on Airbnb and Vrbo for distribution. They also dig into how Airbnb outreached Marriott International on FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States impressions while spending less, what Expedia's shoppable IShowSpeed video says about whether creator marketing actually converts, and what Cabo Verde's 800% surge in U.S. searches teaches operators about turning attention into bookings. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you're leaving direct bookings on the table, StayFi turns your wifi into a guest relationship engine. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠to learn more about their special offer of 50% off for GMH listeners! And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

We all start our careers as doers, or individual contributors. This means we make the widgets; we do the grunt work; we execute the strategy of management. Then, at one point, we may get very good at being a doer and are tapped for management. The issue is that there is no class for leadership. So many people that move from doer default into manager. And as you may have seen in the memes online, there is a distinct difference between a manager and a leader. Here are some differences:A manager is more concerned with:Output over peopleStays focused on the task at hand and less on managing to the total personDoesn't have the full respect or trust of their teamsHolds back or is unwilling to be authentic or vulnerableOn the contrary, a leader is more concerned with:People firstLegacyBeing authentic and vulnerableDuring today's conversation, Femi and I chatted about:The chase for output, and how great leaders design conditions for great work.The promotion gap and how no one teaches us how to move from doer to leader.Advice on someone who is primed for a promotion.How we can be powerful leaders during the explosion of AI.What the most important characteristics are for leaders today.If you are a doer or a manager and want to transition more fully to leader, this show is for you.Here is more about Femi:Femi is EVP, Executive Creative Director at Rescue, The Behavior Change Agency. She is a creative leader by trade and a brand builder and storyteller by obsession, with deep experience where creativity, culture, and innovation drive real-world impact and growth. At Rescue, Femi leads award-winning, large-scale behavior change initiatives for public health organizations across the United States, leveraging branded marketing approaches to deliver integrated, multi-channel campaigns powered by insight-led storytelling and culturally resonant creative. Prior to Rescue, Femi served as VP, Brand Creative at NBCUniversal, where she played a key role in the global rebrand for Universal Destinations & Experiences, associated brand campaigns, and upfront planning for the launch of EPIC Universe. Earlier in her career, she was Head of Creative at Little Dot Studios Americas, shaping modern, short-form storytelling and brand engagement for brands including Google, Disney, and Expedia. Her broader experience spans technology, entertainment, and retail, with work for Snyders of Hanover, NBC Television, ABC, AT&T, Intel, Lenovo, T-Mobile, and Michelob. Across her career, Femi has led and mentored resilient, high-performing teams while delivering work grounded in clarity, craft, and emotional truth. A certified global Gallup Strengths Coach, she is deeply committed to compassionate leadership, craft excellence, and building cultures where people and ideas can thrive. She holds an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts and is based in Los Angeles, where she lives with her dog, Zooey. Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven't downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at hello@bravewomenatwork.com. I am happy to share the details on the project. Alright, let's welcome Femi to the show!

92%ers, welcome to another episode of New Heights brought to you by Expedia! Today, we're joined by one of our favorite people in football, George Kittle! We get the latest on his offseason, his recovery from injury, why he's become an Oklahoma City Thunder fan, his thoughts on Mike Evans joining the 49ers, the teams upcoming international game, and how Tight End U continues to grow every year and more! Plus, we get the story behind his iconic "F*ck Dallas" shirt, tackle another edition of We Gotta Ask, and wrap things up with Jet's Jake and Intern Brandon giving us a full Tight End U recap.For more George Kittle, check out his podcast “The Kittle Things” https://www.youtube.com/@kittlethingsShop all of our new merch at http://kelceclubhouse.comWatch and listen to new episodes of New Heights every Wednesday during the NFL season and follow us on Social Media for all the best moments from the show: https://lnk.to/newheightshowYou can also listen to new episodes on Wondery, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. ...Download the full podcast here:Wondery: https://wondery.app.link/s9hHTgtXpMbApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-heights/id1643745036Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1y3SUbFMUSESC1N43tBleK?si=LsuQ4a5MRN6wGMcfVcuynwSupport the show: EXPEDIA: The one place you go to go places. https://www.expedia.com/AMERICAN EXPRESS: The Platinum card gives you access to the largest curated global hotel program through Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection. Terms apply. Learn more at https://americanexpress.com/withplatinum Largest as compared to other credit card programs with special benefits through Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection, as of 7/2025.MENTOS: Refresh the Everyday with Mentos Gum. Shop Now!REESE'S: Everything happens for a REESE'S. COLGATE: Colgate Total prevents problems before they start. Available on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/ColgateTotalAmazonALLSTATE: Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

92%ers, Happy Father's Day and welcome to another Bonus Episode of New Heights brought to you by Expedia. To celebrate, Jason reveals the fictional father he aspires to be, and we're looking back at some of our favorite dad moments from the show.We revisit some unforgettable stories and advice from Johnny Knoxville, Nate Bargatze, Zach Ertz, and more. Shop our new merch at https://kelceclubhouse.com Watch and listen to new episodes of New Heights every Wednesday during the NFL season and follow us on Social Media for all the best moments from the show: https://lnk.to/newheightshowYou can also listen to new episodes on Wondery, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. ...Download the full podcast here:Wondery: https://wondery.app.link/s9hHTgtXpMbApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-heights/id1643745036Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1y3SUbFMUSESC1N43tBleK?si=LsuQ4a5MRN6wGMcfVcuynwSupport the show: EXPEDIA: The one place you go to go placesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hayley Lowe had a textbook career pivot from her communications degree and agency life to a senior leadership role at a company like Expedia. Everything was going according to plan until burnout, infertility, a pandemic, and one very wrong Fortune 500 job forced her to rebuild from scratch. What she found on the other side wasn't a posted role. It was one she designed herself. Through coaching, she built an Ideal Career Profile that made it obvious why her last job had been wrong and exactly what right would look like. In this episode, Hayley shares what it took to trust her gut sooner, how she negotiated a role that didn't exist yet, and what work finally feels like when it's built around who you actually are.   What you'll learn What happens when you take a job that looks right on paper and know it's wrong on Day 1 and what to do about it fast How Hayley used her Ideal Career Profile to reverse-engineer a Chief of Staff role at a company she already trusted Why the best career opportunities are rarely posted — and how to position yourself to co-create the role you actually want   Our book, Happen To Your Career: An Unconventional Approach To Career Change and Meaningful Work, is now available on audiobook! Visit  happentoyourcareer.com/audible to order it now! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/book for more information or buy the print or ebook here! Want to chat with our team about your unique situation? Schedule a conversation   Free Resources What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out! Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.   Related Episodes Executive Burnout: Making A Midlife Career Change (Spotify / Apple Podcasts) Stuck in a Career You're Unhappy With? Fear Of Taking Risks Could Be Keeping You There (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

In der heutigen Folge sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Daniel Eckert und Lea Oetjen über die Umsatz-Vervierfachung von Micron, schwere Vorwürfe gegen Alibaba und die Rettung einer Meme-Aktie. Außerdem geht es um Nvidia, United Airlines, Expedia, Booking Holdings, Wendy's, Alphabet, Verizon, Qualcomm, Cerebras Systems, Rheinmetall, TKMS, JPMorgan Chase, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, UnitedHealth Group, Chevron, HSBC, Applied Materials, Apple, Cisco Systems, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Electronics, Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield (WKN: A2PLTB), FTSE All-World (WKN: A2PKXG), iShares MSCI World Quality Dividend Advanced (WKN: A2P3WJ), iShares Core MSCI World (WKN: A0RPWH), iShares Euro Stoxx Select Dividend 30 (WKN: A2QP38), Fidelity Emerging Markets Quality Income (WKN: A2DWQW) und WisdomTree Megatrends ETF (WKN: A3EYCN). Und mit dem Code „AAAFRIENDS“ spart ihr jetzt 50 Prozent auf Eure Tickets beim Finance Summit am 2. Oktober – aber nur unter diesem Link: https://veranstaltung.businessinsider.de/event/financesummit26/summary?rp=c6dc55d6-6f4f-4fb4-b75f-3f3501d84859 Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts. Hier bei WELT: https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html. Hier könnt ihr den AAA-Newsletter abonnieren: https://www.welt.de/newsletter/article232797673/Alles-auf-Aktien-Der-taegliche-Boersen-Newsletter-fuer-WELTplus-Abonnenten.html Und – ganz neu: AAA gibt es jetzt auch auf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alles_auf_aktien/ Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte! https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html

Get 25% off courses, workshops, and bundles at UX Content Collective! Ends May 29.  IT'S A "BEST OF" SERIES! We're digging back into the archives and resurfacing some of the best episodes of the Writers of Silicon Valley podcast i the conversations that have held up, and in some cases gotten more relevant since they first aired. This one's with Chelsea Larsson. She currently leads content design at Anthropic, but when this conversation happened she was at Expedia. We got into the future of content design, UX writing, how AI is reshaping the work, and why content designers shouldn't cling to old definitions. And maybe…why content designers should learn Python? Worth a second listen if you caught it the first time, and a good place to start if you didn't. Things we discuss during this episode: Generative artificial intelligence Information Architecture for the Web Open AI, ChatGPT, Gemini Python Chelsea and her stuff: Chelsea on LinkedIn Smallish Book (newsletter)

Send us a message!AI is changing the way travelers search, compare, and book vacation rentals. But what does that mean for direct bookings, local brands, and the websites operators have spent years building?In this episode, Alex and Annie are joined by Richard Vaughton of Yes Consulting and Mark Simpson of Boostly for The Great AI Debate. After taking this conversation to the stage at the Host Planet Roadshow in London, Richard and Mark continue the discussion around what AI could mean for vacation rental marketing, website strategy, and guest acquisition.Richard argues that AI will reshape websites, search, and distribution in ways the industry has not fully prepared for yet. Mark makes the case that strong website infrastructure, brand strategy, PMS connectivity, and niche positioning still matter, especially for operators who want to grow direct bookings.Together, they explore whether AI search will create new opportunities for independent vacation rental companies or make it even harder to compete with OTAs.Episode Chapters:05:29 - How AI is changing the future of vacation rental websites07:10 - The debate between WordPress websites and AI-built websites10:00 - Why website design alone is not enough to drive direct bookings28:25 - How Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Expedia continue to shape guest behavior36:29 - Why broad search terms are becoming harder for local operators to compete for18:00 - How AI search could make niche positioning more important21:53 - The growing role of TikTok, creators, and social media in travel discovery46:03 - Why brand trust still matters in an AI-driven search environment48:22 - How PMS data, integrations, and distribution may evolve53:22 - What vacation rental operators should be thinking about now as search changesAs guest behavior shifts, vacation rental operators are being pushed to think more carefully about how people find them, what makes their brand memorable, and how they can stay visible beyond the major booking platforms. Connect with Richard:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardvaughton/ Website: https://yes.consulting/ Connect with Mark:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmarksimpson/ Website: https://boostly.co.uk/ ✨ Exclusive Offers to Alex & Annie Listeners: Thinking about the next chapter for your vacation rental business? Connect with Monarch Collective to explore what growth could look like with the right platform behind you.

The Social Success Series is back with a brand new episode featuring a very special guest and hospitality's no-nonsense voice, Mr. Scott Eddy!  Scott Eddy joins the podcast to give audiences his perspective and insights on where the future of hospitality is headed, social media growth in hospitality, and how AI technology is the biggest innovation that the industry has ever seen. If you are looking to stay ahead of the hospitality technology curve by getting the latest hospitality information, tune in to the episode. Cassady Quintana: Welcome to the Social Success Podcast, where we have conversations with top hospitality professionals about successful digital marketing strategies, emerging trends, and how to connect with today’s travelers. I’m your host, Cassady Quintana. Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Social Success series. My name is Cassady Quintana and I am the brand ambassador here at Travel Media Group. And today we have an awesome guest. I am super excited, a hospitality influencer, celebrity to me. Super excited to have the no nonsense voice of hospitality. Mr. Scott Eddy, thank you so much for joining me. Scott Eddy: Thanks so much for having me, man. Cassady Quintana: Yeah, super excited. So, right now you’re in Spain. We talked a little bit about that, but for people that may be a little bit unfamiliar with you and your history, talk us through how you got involved in hospitality and how you got to where you are today. Scott Eddy: Yeah, so I actually didn’t come from a hospitality at all. I came from investment banking, which I think gives me a very different lens of the world. So I look at hospitality through psychology, positioning, ROI, branding human behavior before I even look at aesthetics, which actually means nothing. after my banking career ended, I went to Thailand on a two week trip, and after four days I called my mom. I was like, I’m never coming home. I love this place. And I ended up living in Bangkok for 11 years. So I went over there in 99, several years before social media came out. So for the next four or five years, I basically just partied my butt off all over Asia, made a lot of friends and just getting acclimated with the region. ’cause it was just, it’s like a different world over there. So then social media came out and I started the first digital agency in Asia, and we were the biggest for five years. And all my clients were hotels. So my very first client in this industry was the first Aman property on earth. Aman…, which was in Phuket. And that really taught me the whole quiet, luxury, luxury persona. Like that whole thing. It really like it was like a, like a, like a weight in my brain that is still there today. It’s really, really stuck with me and a lot of things that I learned from that project. Really, I use it every day. Cassady Quintana: Yeah. No, that’s awesome. I feel like a lot of the people I talk to and we talk to here, it’s kind of a similar story. They fall into hospitality, they don’t realize, and it happened to me too, like I was working just in normal social media marketing before I got into hospitality. And that’s kind of how it happens for a lot of people. So you live in hotels, you’re traveling constantly. A lot of people would only dream of that. I wish I could do something like that. So for you, at what point did you realize, like, this wasn’t travel anymore, but you could kind of turn that into your brand and a business for yourself? Scott Eddy: So, okay, so as I was doing the agency, and again, I just hired really smart people that worked at advertising agencies. And just watched them. But during that time, that’s when social media first came out. And I’m very early on every platform. I was probably first 2000 people on Twitter. And Twitter was it back then. So that’s actually where I built my brand. And I was the first American expat in every Asian country to have a million followers on Twitter, which back then got me headline news, which got me speaking gigs, which got me consulting gigs. So after a while, all my business was coming through my social media. And again, this is back when there was no term influencer, there was no term personal brand. There was no, that might have been a thing, but it wasn’t a thing. So eventually I just decided to sell the agency because it just made no sense to me to have a brick and mortar office paying 37 full-time employees when the clients are coming through my phone or my computer. Like, it just didn’t make sense. So I sold it and started traveling around. In total did 11 years in Thailand, one year in Philippines, one year in Sri Lanka, four years in Spain, one year in Portugal, and one year in London. And then I came back to the US in 2015, thereabouts. And that is when I literally blew up because that is when real budgets were starting to be applied to social media marketing. And I was approached by a PR agency as soon as I came back to be the travel host for the first video, for the first travel show that was gonna be a lifetime. And it was like a Anthony Bourdain type show. It was called Video Globetrotter. So that solidified me in the U.S. Then I just started doing just huge campaigns with F1, with Air New Zealand, with like, all these big brands. I was a brand ambassador for Lexus for two years. I mean, it was, it was very, very cool. But when I, before I came back to the States when I was in Europe, I was just looking at like what was gonna happen when I went back to the States and I was like, well, I don’t want to get a lease and like have like a normal life. I haven’t had a life for a very long time. So I ended up selling everything that I own while I was in Europe and even now. So I was born in Michigan, but I was grow, I grew up in Fort Lauderdale since I was little. I used to only have a storage unit in South Florida. So I used South Florida as a base in between all my trips. But I’m there two, three days. Like, I was just there this past weekend. I went to F1 and then I came to Europe right away. That’s awesome. So, yeah, I mean, it just happened. When did it happen? Who knows? But it just, I’ve been in the trenches of hospitality marketing for 17 years, since day one of social media. Not that we were doing social media strategies on day one. Back then it was like websites and SEO and graphic design. Remember when people paid for that? Cassady Quintana: Yeah. Scott Eddy: So the services side is very different now. But it’s fun. But it’s fun and hospitality, like it’s the greatest people in the world. Cassady Quintana: I couldn’t agree more. I mean, how could you not be happy with being able to travel to all these places and meet new people and stay in different hotels and you’ve experienced, a wide range of different hotels. So when you think back of all these places you’ve stayed at, for you what makes a memorable stay versus one that’s kind of forgettable? Scott Eddy: And I’ve had both. The difference is emotional impact. That’s it. Most luxury hotels today are physically beautiful. And emotionally empty. The industry has been become obsessed with that whole polished and everything else. But forget humanity. Guests don’t remember the sink design or the way the lobby looked. They remember how your people made them feel. And I’ll give you a perfect example, and this is not to put them down, but I just left Tulsa. I was there for eight days. I mean, you’re talking about Tulsa, Oklahoma. Like it’s not New York City, it’s not Paris, it’s not Hong Kong, it’s Tulsa. And I was at the Marriott there. And again, this is not a ultra luxury property, I’m telling you right now, I stay over 300 nights in hotels and have done so for the more than eight, nine years. This was the best employees, the best staff that I’ve ever met in my life, ever. And I’ve lived in Asia for 13 years. And Asia has, I mean, the best of the best. But I mean, it, it was crazy. Like the finance lady coming out and she’s like smiling and laughing with the staff. Have you ever seen finance person smile? Like that’s where the creativity goes to die. That’s the person who’s telling me, no, no, no, we don’t have the money for this. Like, it was unbelievable like every day I was just like pinching myself. I’m like, is this real? It was just, it was really crazy that the best experience that I’ve had ever in hospitality just happened. Cassady Quintana: Oh, that’s awesome. And I feel like this is something that a lot of hotels should be posting about on social media because I always say like, your hotel and the way it looks is part of the experience, but what makes it memorable or what makes it terrible for people is how the service was. So, and that can be hard to translate online. So when you are looking at a hotel, social media page for you, like what makes something make you gravitate towards it and wanna engage with it, rather than it being a promotional or sale. Like how can hotels translate that inhuman experience and how awesome their staff is and how awesome their staff makes you feel to social media so that potential guests can feel that through the phone? Scott Eddy: I mean, first off,I browse through social media profiles of hotels every day. I mean, I’m, I’m talking dozens and it’s, it’s honestly most of it just makes me wanna throw. It is ridiculous. We are in the most feel good, fuzzy warm feeling industry in the world. And they can’t stop taking these gorgeous pictures of rooms and dead pictures of an empty swimming pool. And like, it’s unbelievable. Most hotels, social media feels like it was approved by seven people in a boardroom and a legal department. That’s the problem. Everything is safe, polished, filtered, and emotionally flat human beings connect with people, not corporate perfection. When are you gonna wake up? Like, I don’t understand. It’s 2026. It’s almost as if they don’t have a calendar. Like show it, show the chef, show the bartender, show the housekeeper, show them, show humor. I mean, like, it’s crazy. Cassady Quintana: And I think that’s the thing, like when Instagram first came out, it was that opposite, right? We need the perfect photo, we need the perfect shot. We have to use the perfect filter. And now it’s, it’s kind of gone to the opposite. And maybe this is with AI becoming so pertinent in all of these things, but people want to see that real moment. Because it’s hard to imagine yourself in a perfect photo of a hotel room. Like, I wanna see someone enjoying their coffee, or like you said at the pool, things like that. So obviously you’ve followed this since it’s started and it’s changed. We’ve seen new trends. We’ve seen Instagram change its algorithm completely. So beyond that human emotion, is there anything else that you think hoteliers are still getting wrong in 2026 with their social media? Scott Eddy: I mean, the biggest mistake hotels are still making is thinking that content is the strategy. Content is not the strategy. Content is the vehicle. Emotional relevance is the strategy. Anybody can create content. Now, do you have a phone? You can create content, you have AI, it can create content. So the value is no longer in simply producing the content. The value is in perspective, storytelling, culture, trust, leadership, and emotional connection. That is the number one. Most hotels still have no clear voice online. What I love to ask hotels. I love to say, what is your brand personality? They don’t know how to answer. Like, how do you not know that there’s no founder visibility, there’s no staff involvement, there’s no community building. God help you if you can find a GM. They’re heading in the office. There’s no understanding of platform psychology. I was talking to a guy who is part of a group of a hotel group, and they own 11-17, they owned a bunch of hotels. And I asked him about one of the properties. So before we hopped on the call, I went on every platform to see where they are, how active they are. That way I have the ammunition. We get on the phone and I ask him, what about X, Y, Z property? I couldn’t find them on TikTok. Why aren’t they, oh, I don’t like TikTok. That wasn’t a question. Cassady Quintana: Right. Scott Eddy: And then, with me, I dive deeper. I’m like, why don’t you like it? kids dancing. Come on. That’s the way it started. I said, the average, the average age demographic that’s most active right now is 38 to 57. Luxury brands are killing it on TikTok. I love when people say can’t sell luxury on social media. What? These are the people that aren’t on their phones. Right. Come on, man. Cassady Quintana: No, and I love that you mentioned that because especially TikTok, it had that, that image, especially in 2020 of just being that platform where people dance. But it goes beyond that now because we’re starting to see integrations with, Booking.com on TikTok and Expedia on Instagram. Like, there the conversation of is important is long gone. Now it’s, why are you not on this? It’s kind of almost weird and embarrassing if you’re not on social media. Like, what do you mean you’re not on social media? ’cause that is, and especially my, I’m older, gen Z, but as these new demographics start to have buying power, this is where we’re searching. Likeand it, and like you said, TikTok is now that age group of 30 to 50. Like those are the people with the most buying power. So what do you mean, like that it, and it’s hard to get people to see that sometimes because when they have that preconceived notion of what social media is, to try and get them to a point of believing in it is tough. But I mean, the proof is in the pudding. We can show them how important that is. So kind of in that same world, I mean we’re seeing a lot of influencers in hospitality now. And we actually, I did an exercise last week where I was searching, hotels and the most viral videos and most of them came from influencers. So where do you see the value with influencers in hotels and maybe where do you see that continue to go? Scott Eddy: The problem with the whole influencer space, and I hate that word so much. Just because influencers ruined, just like marketers ruin the term marketing. Influencers have ruined the term influencers. I mean, it’s just such a egotistical. Ridiculous word. It’s just such a saturated market. So much so that I don’t even work in South Florida and I rarely work in Florida. And if I can avoid it, I rarely work in the U.S. I’d much rather work overseas. South Florida, it’s like all the big cities are just saturated. So, I mean, of course in between all my trips I get offered to do a million free things and I’m like, bro, I’ve been building my brand for 17 years. Like I’m not in the intern stage right now. Like, I already built my brand. I don’t, I don’t need your $20 meal for Instagram posts. I appreciate it though. But I mean, most hotels, they still evaluate influencers completely wrong. They obsess over follower accounts instead of trust and audience alignment. I can’t tell you how many times, so if somebody doesn’t know me, they don’t follow me on LinkedIn or a lot of other platforms and they just look from the outside looking in and they just see a big audience. So the first thing they’re gonna say, okay, this guy’s an influencer. Which I don’t mind. I still being an influencer, I hate it. But doing that is still a lot of what I do. Because yes, I travel with a video guy. They’re get and a photographer, one of the top photographers in hospitality by the way. And they both arrive here on Friday and we’re going on a cruise. So I do travel with a video guy and we do long form storytelling. We do a lot of things and we do complete photo shoots and this and that, but they always want my distribution. So like, I would never run away from that because I have a very good audience. I’m deep in the wine world. I’m deep in the finance world. I mean, my audience spends, so I know creators with massive audiences that couldn’t drive a booking if their life depended on it. Meanwhile, smaller niche creators, which strong trusts absolutely crush it because their audience actually listens to them. Listen, it’s the micro influencers that are killing it right now. Their engagement rates are in the teens, people like me, people with over a million followers, generally if you have a anywhere from one to 3% engagement rate, you’re killing it. I get very high engagement. So I mean, I just figured it out two days ago because I’m launching a new website and new media kit and whatnot. I just did my media kit or my engagement rate on Instagram so far in 2026 and I’m at 6.5%. Oh, that’s awesome. I mean, that’s like top tier, right? For somebody in my space. But I mean, most macro, most big, I think they call ’em mega like over one, two, 3 million. You’re lucky if you get one to 2%, but the numbers still work out to somebody who has 20,000 who’s getting an 11% engagement rate. Things like that. So, I mean, hotels need to stop treating creators like vending machines. Here’s a free room now, make us viral. It’s not a strategy. I can’t tell you how many hotels tell me that they want to go viral if I can help them. And I, and I asked them, I’m like, what is getting going viral gonna do for you? And they can’t answer going viral 90% of the time, does nothing. My photographer that I traveled with, he did a hyperlapse video on a river cruise that we were on of like a locks opening up and closing. It was very cool. I think it got like 12 or 15 million. I’ve never even gotten those numbers. I mean, he’s still sitting, like, he didn’t gain a hundred thousand followers. He didn’t get 10,000 brands commenting oor wanting to work with him. Viral does nothing without a proper strategy attached to it. What I mean? So the, the problem is these brands, they don’t do the research. I can’t tell you how many times I get reached out to and they’re like, Hey, we want you to do this campaign. And I’m like, this is not even my niche. Oh, sorry. It was a copy and paste email. Well, no kidding. Of course. It was like, it just, listen, over the next few years, creators are gonna evolve into, and they already are full blown media companies, production, distribution, consulting, storytelling, community building, all of it. The creator economy, let me tell you, and I’d much rather call it that than influencer space. It’s becoming one of the most powerful engines in hospitality because the bigger AI gets, and listen, a lot of these companies will go to the wayside. But AI, the technology is here. The bigger AI gets, the more valuable humans are gonna be. Cassady Quintana: Absolutely. We, we say that all the time, especially because AI is gonna fuel the tech. But at the heart of hospitality is the people and it will always be the people. And you can’t replace that people to people emotion. And like you said earlier in this episode about how that’s what you remember the most right. Is how the staff made you feel. And AI will never be able to do that. So I’m glad you brought up AI because we are seeing that start to shape the traveler journey. Like I mentioned with the integrations with Expedia and Instagram and their AI agents that are building these itineraries. So where do you think AI and social media and hospitality are headed now and in probably the next couple of years? Scott Eddy: I honestly think that most of the hospitality industry still underestimates how massive this shift is. This is bigger than social media. This is big tech, bigger than mobile phones, bigger than websites. AI is fundamentally changing how humans make decisions, right? We’re moving from search behavior to recommendation behavior. And that changes everything. Your website is no longer the front door to your brain. AI is becoming the front door. Yeah. Travelers are increasingly asking ai what hotel fits their personality, what cruise line matches their lifestyle, where they should go for a specific emotional experience. Yeah. So now your digital footprint matters more than any more than ever. Consistency matters more than ever. The brands that survive this next era are gonna be the brands that feel the most human, have the clearest voice and create the strongest emotional connection online, generic corporate garbage. You’re done. Cassady Quintana: Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, and we’re already in the middle of that. I feel like we know a lot of us, we don’t necessarily know how big AI is gonna be and where we’ll be this time next year. I mean, I bet in just a few weeks we could be having this conversation again and it would be something new. So course it’s definitely always changing and I recommend everyone that’s listening to this episode to follow you because this is the kind of stuff that you’re talking about and you’re following and it’s, it’s super important. Hotels are busy and a lot of the time they don’t have the time to do the research. So if they can find people like you to get that information from, it’s extremely helpful because it’s, it’s changing every single day. So if you can stay up to date and understand it and what’s going on and how you need to adjust your social strategy and your marketing strategy as a whole, you’re gonna be ahead of the pack. And so with that, thank you for all that awesome information. I kind of wanna shift gears to get to know you a little bit more Sure. With some rapid fire questions. So first thing that comes to mind that you can think of. So favorite hotel you’ve ever stayed in? Scott Eddy: I have a couple, but let’s say Kuda Duke in Maldives. Cassady Quintana: Alright. I love that. Scott Eddy: It’s insane. Insane. Cassady Quintana: Okay. And then what do you think is the most underrated destination right now? Scott Eddy: Right now? Sri Lanka. I lived in Colombo for a year. It’s seriously underrated. I think it’s, I mean, and it’s already bubbling, right? But I think it’s just gonna explode soon. Cassady Quintana: Is there a best time of year to visit there? Scott Eddy: Just like, you’re in Orlando, right? Cassady Quintana: Yeah, I’m in Orlando. Scott Eddy: So, so just like us, winter time is their high season just like Florida. Cassady Quintana: Okay. Noted. Perfect. Okay. Do you have any travel habits that you swear by? Scott Eddy: Yeah. I, and this is a life habit. I mean, just ’cause my whole life is travel, but I wake up super early every day and I’m up for the sunrise and I go for sunrise walks. If you ever follow, especially my Instagram stories, I’d post sunrise almost every day. I think there’s no better way to start the day. I think it’s impossible to have a bad day when you start the day like that. Cassady Quintana: Right. That’s why they recommend you get 10 minutes of sunlight every morning. Right. There’s, there’s something to that. So definitely everyone follows Scott’s Instagram so you can get that morning motivation for your walks. Okay. One hotel that is crushing social media right now, or one that you’ve seen recently that you loved? Scott Eddy: Wow. That is a great question. Wow. That’s a good question. . You can, there’s a lot out there you can tell. I didn’t really go over your notes, . Cassady Quintana: That’s okay. Scott Eddy: I never do. ’cause that’s like the, that’s when you get the raw answers? Cassady Quintana: Exactly. And then you overthink it. Scott Eddy: Let’s go back to that. Let me think about that for a couple minutes. Cassady Quintana: Okay, perfect. Well that was the last rapid fire question I had. So maybe people just need to follow you and find out later.. Scott Eddy: But let’s talk about brands as a whole. So like, I love, I love fun luxury and I guess they would call them luxury lifestyle or whatever, but I love the one hotels. Okay. All over. I really love, so if you really follow, I used to be, I used to do a lot of work with Ritz Carlton pre pandemic and now they’re just garbage. But horse, the guy who co-founded it started Capella. Capella Hotels is really cool, really fun. It’s just, I like brands that don’t take themselves too seriously. I mean, I hate the whole corporate stuffy stuff. And listen, I’m titanium bonvoy, like I stay in Marriott properties all over the world. Just so I can hit that status. Right. It’s easy because they’re large, they’re boring. The marketing is, I mean it’s, it’s so vanilla, it’s so beige. It’s so like, like it’s forgettable in 10 seconds. Never used to be, and it’s interesting. I remember when W first came out when they were Starwood. W was awesome. I mean fun, great, great, great. Like the marketing was like, just so off the chart and now they just look like any other hotel. Cassady Quintana: Which is so interesting. ’cause social media is like the place to be crazy and be fun because there are really no rules. And like why wouldn’t you be, especially if you were that at one time and your competitors are doing that. Why? I wanna, I wanna know like what the logic is behind that. Like are they trying to keep an image or? Scott Eddy: No? Well, well the ones that are that fly a big flag like Marriott and Hilton and that, they always hide behind, oh, well I can’t do that. ’cause of brain guidelines. Right? So you can’t show fun. Of course you can, right? They just hide behind the rule book and everything takes 15 approvals. So by the time you do have a good idea and you want to execute it, it’s gone. Cassady Quintana: It’s too late. The trend is over. Scott Eddy: It’s about speed. Cassady Quintana: Absolutely. Yeah. Well, I’ll definitely go check out those brand Instagram pages. ’cause that’s the kind of stuff I like to look at. I mean, that’s what makes me as a traveler, I don’t really have much brand loyalty. So I like to do research and look at their Instagram pages and social media, and I’m gonna pick the one that looks the most fun to me. So super important. Okay. Well as we wrap up, Scott, I’m so excited we had this conversation, but for anybody that’s listening, what are you up to next? Where can they find you? You have any campaigns or exciting things coming up? Scott Eddy: I mean, I’m pretty much, I mean, you’re all of this month I’m going, so the, the the top vacation club company and now they’re transforming into just hotels. Nice. But, it’s called Ante in Mexico. So they just launched their ultra luxury cruise line here in the med couple weeks ago. And we’re going out there to film and, and to shoot. That’s the cruise we’re joining on Saturday. And then I’m spending the last two weeks this month in Rome. And then next month I, I’m going to Ellie Miami the first week of June. And then I go to Sicily to speak at a conference. And yeah, so I’m going nonstop and at the same time I’m doing a whole rebrand. So in the next few days I’m launching new website, new logo, new everything. So it’s fun. Cassady Quintana: Well, perfect. By the time this episode comes out, you’ll have your full rebrand. Scott Eddy: There you go. Cassady Quintana: So when people listen to this and they find you, you’ll be ready. So, perfect. Well, I’m excited to, to watch your travels and of course I’m connected with you on LinkedIn and love to see everything that you’re up to. I’ll make sure to follow your Instagram too so I can get that morning inspiration for my Sunrise walks. But thank you so much for taking a little bit of your time out of your day. I know you’re super busy with travel and things going on, so I really appreciate it and I know our listeners do. So thanks for joining me. Scott Eddy: Thanks for having me, man. Cassady Quintana: All right, cool. Well, thank you everybody for listening to another episode of the Social Success Series, and we’ll see you next time. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The Social Success Podcast is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host Cassady Quintana, and we hope you enjoyed this episode.

My guest today is Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber. Before Uber, Dara ran Expedia for thirteen years. We start with why he took this job in 2017, and a big part of that story is Daniel Ek, who told him that life is not about happiness, it is about impact. We talk about what the chaos felt like on day one, and how his family leaving Iran when he was nine shaped the way he handles pressure today.  We spend most of our time on autonomous vehicles and Uber's role as the demand aggregator in a world of physical AI. Dara explains why Uber is a supply-led company, what it will take to win, and why he expects many winners in AVs rather than one.  We also discuss Uber's $10 billion in free cash flow, the push toward a single app for everything, and what he has learned from Allen & Co, Barry Diller and Reed Hastings. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- ⁠Ramp's⁠ mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, ⁠Vanta⁠ continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to ⁠vanta.com/invest⁠.  ----- WorkOS⁠ is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- ⁠Ridgeline⁠ has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgelineapps.com⁠. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:02:29) Intro to Dara Khosrowshahi (00:03:37) How Daniel Ek Convinced Dara to Take the Uber Job (00:06:54) Bringing Order to Chaos (00:09:20) Managing Stress as a Leader (00:11:22) The Chip on His Shoulder (00:12:53) Parenting Lessons (00:17:01) Mandate for AI Adoption (00:21:21) Uber's Role in Physical AI (00:22:48) Winning the AV Demand Race (00:27:41) Partnering vs. Competing with Waymo (00:32:05) AV Success Unlocks New Markets (00:35:09) Why Drones Haven't Arrived Yet (00:36:27) Regional AV Rollout Differences (00:37:35) Uber Eats International Winning Formula (00:39:44) Key to Aggregating Supply Well (00:44:34) Adding Hotels to Uber Platform (00:50:46) Lessons in Marketing at Scale (00:52:59) Apps vs. AI Agents in Seven Years (00:54:08) What Dara Learned from Barry Diller (00:56:52) What Dara Learned from Allen & Co (01:00:09) Buybacks vs. Growth Investing (01:04:17) Lessons from Reed Hastings (01:05:49) The Kindest Thing

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Max Kellerman to discuss the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade to the Rams (02:35) and the Patriots trade for A.J. Brown (16:05). Then, they preview the biggest storylines heading into a highly anticipated Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals (29:35). Finally, they discuss the greatest Knicks of all time (56:20), what's next for OKC (1:39:30), and much more! Host: Bill SimmonsGuest: Max KellermanProducers: Chia Hao Tat, Eduardo Ocampo, Tucker Tashjian, and Chris Wohlers Brought to you by PayPal. Learn more at paypal.com Bundle and SaveBook now on Expedia.com The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A.M. Edition for May 11. Around 150 passengers from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship are finally returning home, with authorities around the world coordinating flights for quarantine and isolation. Plus, fading hopes of a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran are reigniting a climb in oil prices. According to the AAA, Americans on average are paying $4.52 for a gallon of gasoline, with drivers in California hardest hit. And while consumers may be anxious about higher fuel costs, Expedia's CEO tells us that they're still booking trips. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 638 of Spittin' Chiclets, the guys are joined by Red Wings Legend Joey Kocur as he sat down with us to tell some unbelievable stories from back in the day, cup runs, cup celebrations, and much more. But first, the crew break down 5 of the first round matchups in the East. Set your playoff picks now, it's the start of the best time in hockey. Check out this weeks episode, you won't want to miss it. 00:00:00 - START 00:00:31 - Around the League 00:44:11 - Penguins Vs. Flyers 00:56:11 - Montreal Vs. Tampa 01:07:22 - Bruins Vs. Sabres 01:19:43 - Hurricanes Vs. Senators 01:31:28 - Vegas Vs. Utah 01:40:19 - Joey Kocur Interview 02:46:48 - RA's World 03:01:22 - ETC. Support the Show: PINK WHITNEY: Go get a bottle of Pink Whitney. Pinkies UP! NHL: The Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge presented by Expedia is back! Start building your bracket and make your predictions! MAGNOLIA PICTURES: See NORMAL only in theaters starting April 17. Get your tickets now at https://www.normalthemovie.com/ NOBULL: Exclusively for Spittin Chiclets listeners, NOBULL is offering 35% off your FIRST order. Visit www.nobullproject.com and use code CHICLETS for 35% off your entire FIRST order. That's www dot N-O-B-U-L-L-P-R-O-J-E-C-T dot com, and use code C H I C L E T S for 35% off of the Official Training Shoe of the NHL. REESE'S: Pick one up today. SHELL: Shell V-Power® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline. More power. More performance. In gasoline direct injection engine fuel injectors with continuous use of Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline. Compared to lower octane fuels. Actual effects and benefits may vary according to vehicle type, driving conditions and driving style. See shell.us/more for more details.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Netflix. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe preview the 2026 NBA playoffs on the final day of the regular season before doing a draft of the most intriguing guys in the playoffs (0:32). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Zach Lowe Producers: Chia Hao Tat, Eduardo Ocampo, and Chris Wohlers Bundle and Save Book now on Expedia.com The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit⁠⁠⁠ www.rg-help.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices