You can’t give what you don’t have

Last week, you heard the story of my first day at Hilton—the disconnect between Conrad's inspiring vision upstairs and the gray cubicle reality downstairs.

It ended with Jerry Colonna's challenging question:

Today, I want to explore what it looks like to become part of the solution.

One insight that has shaped how I lead is understanding that I'm not separate from the environment I'm trying to influence—I'm part of it.

Think about parenting. Early on, I thought my job was to control my children, to set the right rules and manage their behavior. Then I realized: they exist within an environment that I'm part of creating.

If they're anxious, maybe I'm anxious. If they're disconnected, maybe I'm distracted.

The same is true in hospitality leadership. Your team's energy, engagement, and care for guests doesn't exist in isolation—it's part of an ecosystem that you're helping to create every day.

When Chris and I built our new business within Hilton, we knew the foundational layer had to be "take care of each other." Not as a nice slogan, but as a lived reality. Because we understood that you can't give what you don't have.

Teams that feel cared for naturally extend that care to guests.

Bridging the gap between vision and reality requires the courage to be authentically yourself in professional spaces.

I think about a quote that Mr. Rogers shared:

"A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

This is the kind of environment we can create in hospitality—not where people have to be perfect, but where they can be real. Where both team members and guests feel safe to be themselves.

The magic happens when people feel truly seen and valued for who they are right now, not who they think they need to be.

Conrad Hilton understood something profound: hospitality is fundamentally about human connection. It's about creating spaces where people can experience belonging, understanding, and care.

But that vision only becomes reality when individual leaders—like you—choose to embody it in your daily actions.

Your true north isn't found in a mission statement on the wall. It's found in the moment-by-moment choices you make about how to treat the person in front of you.

This week, I challenge you to move from observer to participant:

What's one small way you could begin to bridge the gap between your hospitality vision and reality—not by waiting for others to change, but by bringing more of your authentic self to your work?

How can you create just a little more space for genuine connection with your team or guests?

Remember: The hospitality industry needs leaders who understand that we're not just in the business of rooms and revenue.

We're in the business of creating spaces where human beings can experience the light and warmth of genuine care.

And that starts with you.

Take care,

Josh