the weekly Round-Up

Dear Round-Up Readers,

 

The theme this week is...PARTNERSHIP. Loving the amazing collabs coming out of the fashion space––looking at you Nike x Tiffany, LVMH and the artist Yayoi Kusama, and the new marriage of Conde Nast + Pinterest––everything feels "better together." And hertelier is right there too, with some BIG partnership news coming soon, so stay tuned!  If you are interested in joining our new, signature sponsors, email me!

 

TONS of news this week!  February is Black History month (in the US) and we’ll be spotlighting Black women making history all over the world, so let's get to it...

 
Business, Women, and Random Trends: 

 

  • ‘Having it all’ was always a poor measure of success Important essay in the FT, inspired by the recent resignation of Jacinda Arden, where author Anne-Marie Slaughter writes, "In 2023, the answer is that the phrase itself is a tone-deaf, dispiriting and deeply sexist way to frame the debate about work and family — and about leadership." And she concludes, "Unless we are prepared to apply the same standard to men, let’s banish the phrase “having it all” from our vocabulary. “ 
     

  • New Research finds Parenting is Harder than for Previous Generations. The NYT reports, "Today’s parents spend more time and money on their children than previous generations — working mothers spend as much time with their children as stay-at-home mothers of the 1970s — and feel more pressure to be hands-on." Read more here.
     

  • "Strategetic Incompetence" or "Weaponized Incompetence" both are bad ideas. Can we please just stop this practice of making it seem like you are "not good" at administrative or non-promotable tasks and letting these jobs fall on others (mostly women)? Read more about this in Fortune, "It’s time to talk about male mediocrity at work." And another thing to stop: Mansplaining. The made-up word to describe when a person – usually a man – provides a condescending explanation of something to someone who already understands it. Turns out women don't like it, read more in The Guardian.
     

  • Why Women Are Viewed As Lucky When They Succeed At Work. Another trope I'm ready to see the end of...the idea that when men succeed it is due to their ability but when women succeed they are considered lucky (huh?), which still persists according to new research from the London School of Economics. First of all, as the Forbes article correctly states, "Individuals can be incredibly skilled and incredibly lucky, so it does not have to be a zero-sum game." The article also offers 3 tips on how to reduce luck and ability biases at work.
     

  • Speaking of LUCKY....‘Be delusional,’ ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ is Gen Z’s answer to optimism according to the Washington Post, "lucky girl" is one of today's terms for positive thinking. Which may not be helpful in getting rid of the trope mentioned above. {Sigh}
     

  • Is ‘laughter padding’ undermining you at work? You know, when you force a smile or light chuckle to soften whatever you are saying. Well, don't. The UK mag Stylist gives tips on how to break this habit. Also, if you tend to upspeak, Nancy wrote a useful column on that!
     

  • Brag at Work Without Sounding Like a Jerk. Promote yourself better, and reap career benefits according to the WSJ. Drop the humblebrag, prepare lists of your accomplishments, and promote the work of others along with yourself. Yesss, do this!!
     

  • Tech: ChatGPT is now officially the fastest-growing consumer application in history after it notched 100 million monthly active users in January. It took OpenAI’s chatbot just two months from launch to reach the milestone, compared to nine months for TikTok and 2.5 years for Instagram.
     

  • Today's Etiquette: from texting to tipping, ghosting, and hosting. The Cut breaks down how to behave in society today. You all know this already, but it is a fun read!

Travel & Hospitality news:
 

  • A Black Hospitality Executive Drives Hyatt’s Community-Centric Push Loved this interview with Hyatt's Crystal Vinisse Thomas in Bloomberg. Also, we interviewed Crystal last year! Read both.
     

  • Missing Workers. Nearly 2 million hospitality and leisure jobs remain unfilled in what economists call a ‘deep, profound’ shift in the labor market. the Washington Post takes a deep dive into the numbers and the human side of why and where hotel and restaurant workers have gone.
     

  • Travel leaders: US Government must do more to ease woes Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, and Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton Hotels & Resorts shared a vision of addressing issues from airport delays to visas for foreigners to improve the travel sector. Read more in The Points Guy.

     

  • Travel companies are ‘greenwashing’ — here are 3 ways to find ones that aren't. Interesting read from CNBC advising consumers on how to find travel brands that are getting sustainability right. How does your hotel stack up?
     

  • Hotel Analysts Expect Industry Resilience Through Recession According to Amanda Hite, President at STR, the latest forecast calls for a strong Q1 and then a slowing in Q2.
     

  •  ALIS Panel Helps Move Diverse Ownership Conversation ‘Forward’ Recap in Lodging of the panel discussing getting more women and minorities into hotel ownership with Tracy Prigmore, of She Has a Deal, Lisa Checchio, chief marketing officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Janis Cannon, SVP, upscale brands, Choice Hotels International.
     

  • Island Hospitality President and COO Gregg Forde on the Commitment to Promoting Women The company's program, "Pathways" is helping to get more women to the c-suite! Recent promotions include Kate Bleakley to vice president of operations of its WaterWalk Division and Susanne LoFaso to regional director of operations. Read more in Lodging.

On hertelier this week:

 

Big welcome to our new subscribers! The story in Forbes, How Women Are Changing The Hotel Industry, keeps bringing new readers! Super excited to have you here. 
 

  • A Tribute to Stuart Johnson, GM of Brown's Hotel in London, who passed away unexpectedly this week. Stuart was an icon and beloved leader in the London hotel community.
     

  • Meet Four Women Changing African Tourism The International Hospitality Institute recently recognized the "100 Most Powerful People in Africa," and encouragingly many women were on the list! We chat with four change-makers.
     

  • Finding the Right Words Have you ever been at a loss for words? Columnist Nancy Mendelson was this week, but not in the way you might think! Turns out there are words in German to express exactly how you might be feeling.
     

  • What is the secret to living a long and fulfilling life? In case you missed Nancy's column last week due to the bad link, now you can read it here!
     

  • Mr. January: Stuart Greif, EVP, Forbes Travel Guide Introducing...Ally of the Month, a new column about the men going out of their way to support women in hospitality...like Stuart!

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Thank you for reading! Have a great week!

 

Em

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