Dear Round Up Readers, After a few wonderful days unwinding at the Hotel de Mar, a Gran Melia Hotel, I was easing back into the digital world when a curious DM popped up on my Instagram. Given the barrage of phishing scams I usually encounter, I was skeptical at first. But this message was different—it hinted at something genuine…then again, don't they all? "Hello! Do you now a Brenda? They have her phone at the Harrisburg airport American Airlines office. I saw ur name pop up n her notifications so maybe????" Knowing my friend Brenda lives near Pennsylvania, where the phone was found, I reached out to her with a half-joking, half-serious text: "Is this legit? Because if it is, I may drop dead." To my surprise, Brenda confirmed she had left her phone on a plane and was thrilled to get this message! A few emails later, the kind stranger, who had contacted me while dealing with his own lost luggage issues at the American Airlines office, helped get the phone back to Brenda. This encounter was a refreshing reminder that amidst a sea of scammers, there are still everyday heroes walking among us, turning small acts of kindness into moments of unexpected joy! Heads up: tickets to go on sale this week for our NYC Event on May 15th! Last chance to get tickets to She Has a Deal Pitch Competition in Washington, DC on April 25-26, happening this week (there is also a livestream option)! Other highlights for your calendar: AHLA ForWard is happening in Chicago on May, 1; and the WORTH Association Inaugural Conference in Vancouver, Canada on May 15; and the Black Women of Hospitality Inaugural Brunch on Sunday, June 23rd in Atlanta. For my fellow Swifties: do you like the new album? Of course the song, "So long, London" got my attention! Also, apparently, the pub she mentions in the song "The Black Dog" has since been swarmed with her fans. The owners of the pub don't even know if she or her ex, Joe Alwyn, ever visited! Read more in the Evening Standard. On to the news of the week... |
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Business, Women, and Random Trends:
Immigration, Productivity, Inflation: Why Finding The Pandemic’s ‘Missing Women’ Could Be The Solution To Almost Every Challenge Facing The U.S. Economy Today The potential for women to invigorate the economy and alleviate labor shortages is HUGE! Despite making up 51% of the population, women’s labor force participation in the US has plateaued and, in some cases, regressed, primarily due to systemic barriers such as inequitable pay and advancement practices. Examples: while women are 58% of college graduates, they represent 47% of the labor force and only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs. And that 10% is an all-time high. The pandemic has exacerbated these issues, with millions of women exiting the workforce. As of April 2024, there are still 377,000 women missing from the labor force since the beginning of the pandemic. Read more in Fortune.
Tradwives, Stay-At-Home Girlfriends and The Dream of Feminine Leisure Some young women see patriarchy as a solution, not a problem. "What in ‘The Feminine Mystique’ is going on here?" asks the Washington Post. Another take on the viral "The Case for Marrying an Older Man." Which our own Nancy Mendelson unpacked here.
How Valuable Are Stay-At-Home Parents? They Do About $4,500 Of Unpaid Labor Per Month Does this compute for you? Stay-at-home parents of two children in the United States do roughly 200 combined hours of cleaning, shopping, cooking, childcare and other tasks each month, according to a new study by Beike Biotechnology. The math: the monthly labor would cost between $4,000 and $5,200 per month to outsource (they looked at 5 US cities: San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago), compounded over 20 years to raise children = $1 million.
Why Women Can’t Overwork Themselves Out Of Workplace Inequality Forbes shares new (and upsetting) research. Key findings: even when a woman completes the same amount and quality of work in 40 hours as a man does in 60 hours, the man will receive greater rewards. So women are disadvantaged not just because they tend to work less hours than men. Women are disadvantaged because face time gets valued more than efficiency. Working moms—who tend to be highly efficient employees—likely suffer among the most from this evaluation bias.
How You Can Be Vulnerable On Social Media Without Being A TMI Oversharer Expert Kim Rittberg says "canned business content won’t build relationships and won’t make people want to work with you. Bring your personality into every post and share your struggles and triumphs." She explains how to do it without overdoing it in Fast Company.
How To Become More Confident At Work We all know confidence is important. But how do you actually develop it? Another great explainer from Fast Company.
TikTok Ban? The recent US House of Representatives vote could lead to a ban on TikTok. Enjoyed this piece by the New York Times on the ways the app changed us.
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Travel & Hospitality:
WELCOME TO PRICING HELL The ubiquitous rise of add-on fees and personalized pricing has turned buying stuff into a game consumers can’t win, reports The Atlantic. Really interesting read about the history of revenue management, where we are now, and what is next with the influence of AI and algorithms. If you can't access, email me. I have a few gift links.
100 Best New Hotels Of The Year by Travel + Leisure
The 41 Best New Hotels in North America and Europe 2024 by Esquire
Twenty-Five Years Later, Standard International is Still Bucking The Ordinary Hotels offers 5 reasons why in a great interview with CEO Amber Asher.
In the UK: Hotel Investment 'Hits Post-Pandemic High' as £1.7 Billion Traded First Quarter UK Deal Volumes Grow 138% Year-on-Year reports CoStar.
‘We Can’t Put a Fence Around Amsterdam’: Dutch Capital Bans New Hotels To Curb Mass Tourism Amsterdam is banning the construction of new hotel buildings in its latest move to curb overtourism. The Dutch city is also limiting the number of overnight stays by tourists. Read more in EuroNews.
Trends: The Longevity Vacation: Poolside Lounging With an IV Drip The latest trend in wellness travel is somewhere between a spa trip and a doctor’s appointment reports the Wall Street Journal.
Barbiecore Bahamas Style! Atlantis and Mattel are bringing Barbie-themed holidays to the Caribbean with Barbie-style accommodation and menus, a pink carpet and mermaids, reports Globetrender. We can feel the Kenergy!
Hospitality Industry, Gender Balance, and Profits Founder of the peer-to-peer mentoring community, Inspiring Women in Hospitality, Naureen Ahmed, makes a strong data-backed case for gender balance in our industry. She's also got a new newsletter!!
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