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Episode 62: Laura Van Til (The Kessler Enterprise), Orlando, Florida, USA

YPO member Laura Van Til grew up in the heart of the hospitality business. After her father helped found Days Inn, he developed The Kessler Collection, a network of boutique luxury hotels. Laura understood this would be a big step up from Days Inn – room prices could be as much as 15 times higher, and customer service would require a much higher standard.

Laura prepared herself to join the family business, graduating from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and earning a MBA from Emory University. She gained real world experience in a variety of positions in the real estate development sector and eventually joined The Kessler Collection, where today she is President and COO.

The Kessler Collection currently holds nine luxury sites in the Southeast United States and Colorado, and Laura is growing the company into a premiere brand for guest experiences.

In this episode, Laura shares how she empowers employees to perform and embrace culture in the hospitality business.


 

Guest: Laura Van Til, President and COO of The Kessler Collection
Host & Executive Producer: Kevin Daum
Executive Producer: Van Van
Music: DreamArtist Music.

Made possible with grants from Gazelles Growth Institute.

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Kevin Daum is an award winning and bestselling author of 5 books. He is a marketer, speaker, and columnist for Inc.com and Smart Business Magazine. As an Inc. 500 entrepreneur, his sales and marketing techniques resulted in more than $1 billion in sales. Drawing on his background in theatre and business, Kevin is a compelling speaker who has engaged and inspired audiences around the globe. Kevin is a graduate of the MIT Entrepreneurial Masters program and has received the Global Learning Award 3 times from the Entrepreneur’s Organization, where he held several board positions. Kevin has designed, produced, and led award-winning executive training programs and events for C-level executives and entrepreneurs on four continents. Previously, Kevin was named one of the 40 people to watch under 40 in San Francisco by the Business Times and in 2006 was named Distinguished Alum of the Year by his alma mater, Humboldt State University.