Tomorrow I will be the guest speaker at one of our fine Philadelphia institutes of higher learning. The topic is “Women in the Hospitality Industry” and I will stand before fresh faced college students considering hospitality careers and tell them about the industry and how I got started. It seems like just yesterday, I was sitting in class not knowing what I wanted to do with my life.
In my 20’s, I was so stressed. Would I ever find the right job? Would I ever own a house? Would I find a husband? What about kids?
Those years after college have brought contentment into my life. I have found my happiness and now I am focused on enjoying myself and not stressing the future. I really am at peace. I wake up next to my life partner everyday. I look into the faces of my beautiful children and see the future in their eyes. I see all of life’s possibilities. I work and know that I do it because I enjoy it, not because it’s a means to an end.
Tomorrow when I stand in front of those kids, I want to share with them that life is truly a journey. I fell into what I do by accident and it has become my career. I have had so many adventures and worked with some great people who love to serve others. Hospitality is either in your blood or it isn’t. You can train someone on how to work in a hotel but you can’t train people skills. You have to have that spark. The willingness to serve.
Working in a Hotel is not for everyone. The guests are not always appreciative, clean or fun. However, it is about the small things that make the guests smile. The attention to detail. The anticipation of their needs. Above all, it’s a job where you really have fun everyday. We are always laughing and we are like one big family. Working all of the crazy hours are only bearable because we have each other. That and the fact that guests are hilarious. Really, we laugh at all of the stuff you do. (You’ve read the Hotel Chronicles.)
Yes, tomorrow, I hope to enlighten tomorrow’s leaders. Hell, one of them may grow up to be my boss. Wish me luck and enjoy the weekend.
13 comments
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March 28, 2008 at 4:31 am
erica b.
Good luck on your speech tomorrow… as if you’ll need it. I know you’ll knock ‘em dead!
March 28, 2008 at 12:29 pm
jameil
you are so marvelous! i love it! the part about not worrying about the future really resonated with me. (seeing as i’m one of those crazy 20-somethings who is working on not needing results NOW!!)
March 28, 2008 at 12:49 pm
onefromphilly
Good Luck, those kids need to see someone like you up there. It shows them that with the proper preparation you can have a successful career, and a well balanced family.
They need to see successful women of color. It’s a GOOD LOOK!
March 28, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Amadeo
You should start your speech like this:
“The Hospitality Industry….DON”T DO IT MAN!!!!!!”
March 28, 2008 at 1:15 pm
1969
AMADEO……I swear I was thinking that very thought. YOU SLAY ME!!!!!!!! LOL
Thanks guys for the support…I am heading out the door in a few. I’ll have the afternoon update.
March 28, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Funky Fresh
Make sure you wear your “No BITCHASSNESS” t-shirt.
March 28, 2008 at 3:31 pm
jalishouse
It great to hear how happy you are to give the presentation. We need enthusiastic role models!
March 28, 2008 at 3:34 pm
CreoleInDC
The most important part of all this is….WHAT ARE YOU GONNA WEAR?????????????????????????????????????
March 28, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Leslie C.
Good luck on your presentation, Soror. You’ll be fabulous!
March 29, 2008 at 12:10 am
Fergie
How exciting, how great it will be for them to hear from someone that really loves what they do. Go ahead, enlighten the youngens’…
March 29, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Pro
Those kids will look at you and think, hell, I can serve anybody no matter the degree of dificulty ONLY if I can look as flyyy like this woman! Get them excited about their future, no matter the career path. As you know, we can veer off that mofo at any given moment. 34 and still searching for my niche! Sigh. However, this “sigh” is one of contentment in my moment of uncertainty (read: adventure of discovery).
March 30, 2008 at 7:22 pm
nexgrl
Good luck tomorrow. I believe that you will give them the best example of what working in the industry is really like. You will leave them with a better understanding of what they need to bring to the table in order to be fulfilled.
March 31, 2008 at 7:52 am
Los Angelista
So how’d it go? Did you rock the house and have them all wanting to be you and do your job?