Transcript: Episode 147: Black, Brown, and Down

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[00:00:00] Susan Barry: This is Top Floor episode 147. You can find the show notes at topfloorpodcast.com/episode/147. 

[00:00:13] Narrator: Welcome to Top Floor with Susan Barry. This weekly podcast ride up to the top floor features tangible tips and excellent stories from the experts and characters who elevate hospitality. And now your host and elevator operator, Susan Barry.

[00:00:32] Susan Barry: Welcome to the show. When Ashli Johnson announced her conference for black and brown hospitality leaders, my first thought was, “Finally!” Ashli is an industry mainstay with experience across operations, real estate consulting, and academia. As founder of Hospitality Hued, Ashli creates gatherings that allow hoteliers of color to connect with and be inspired by the best in the business. Today, we are going to talk about Hued 2024 and the state of intersectionality and hospitality. But before we jump in, we need to answer the call button.

Call button rings

[00:01:32] Susan Barry: The emergency call button is our hotline for hospitality professionals who have burning questions. If you would like to submit a question, you can call or text me at 850-404-9630. Today's question was submitted by Lana. Lana asks, are there rules by which I should evaluate my return on investment for attending conferences? I love this question. I feel like I have such a countercultural answer to this. I'm dying to hear yours and then we'll hash it out. 

[00:01:50] Ashli Johnson: Yes. In short, I do think that there is a rubrics for sort of grading what your conference experience is. But I also feel like, um, you can find more success by going into it with some very clear metrics. I always advise folks, if you're attending a conference, you need to establish a hit list about two or three weeks in advance in terms of these are the five people that I need to spend at least five minutes with over the course of these two days to make sure that I'm actualizing ROI on this.

These are the follow up, uh, meetings that I need to create. This is what I need to learn. This is what I need audience attendees to know about me, um, before you even go into it. And then that way, You're very clear on I'm making this investment. I'm going here. This is what I'm going to get out of it. Uh, and then you just continue to actualize the ROI on the backend. So just a little intentionality. 

[00:02:50] Susan Barry: Yeah. I like that. You didn't say anything about leads or dollar amounts, because that's the part that kills me when people are overly focused on numbers. Now, you know, that may be coming from a different position than somebody who's scraping together the badge money and really needs the money to pay itself back.

Like I get that the power to me of conference attendance is the multiplication of doing it year after year after year. Because, you know, the first year you go, you may not see any return, but then the second, third, fourth, fifth year that you go, you're sort, you become like part of the expected crowd. And I don't know, I don't know if I'm explaining that well, but do you know what I mean?

[00:03:41] Ashli Johnson: Yeah, I absolutely know what you mean. I think, you know, over time, I get the question very, very often. How do I get invited to speak at these conferences? It's like, well, you've never even been to the conference before. So like, let's start there. So part of it, part of the return that someone could get from investing in conference attendance is sort of elevating their cachet in the industry and sort of finding their voice and offering it to other people such that they find value enough in it that they want you to come speak. 

[00:04:13] Susan Barry: What were some of your early non-conference experiences that inspired or contributed to your choice to go into hospitality?

[00:04:24] Ashli Johnson: So Susan, I am the child of a retired United States Marine Corps officer. So I grew up, um, moving often. I grew up, uh, in super diverse, um, communities around the world. And so I think that's really where I first got bit by the hospitality bug. I was you know, the dorky kid that wanted to, like, choose the hotel and, oh, we should find, we should check out this tourist destination.

And so, um, later on, sort of in the latter part of my dad's Marine Corps career, um, he was assigned a food service assignment and so that sort of opened up a whole different world and sort of the word hospitality for me. Uh, and so yeah, I think that's, that's really where it came from, um, that, you know, military brat experience is what really, um, created, uh, a lot of really great exposure for me early on.

[00:05:25] Susan Barry: It's interesting because hotel people often refer to their career, especially early days career as their hotel tour of duty. So it's kind of funny that like a military childhood would lead to a hotel career. You and I have talked before about the fact that so many people in hotel operations, particularly like who run individual hotels, truly have no idea that the real estate ownership, asset management side of the business exists, except for maybe their, you know, quarterly interactions with those folks.

Why do you think that is like, what is, it seems like so many parts of our business are hidden. Like you need this secret password to find out that. No. In fact, this Marriott hotel is not owned or managed by Marriott. And those two people are completely different entities. Like that is such a mystery to people.

[00:06:21] Ashli Johnson: Yeah, it has, uh, alluded many people, uh, over the years in hospitality. Uh, Susan, as the kids say, I think it's because it's the business side of hospitality is where the money resides, right? And so if you can't figure out how to get to that other side, there really is a very clear and distinct ceiling that you will hit. Uh, and you know, I talk to people all the time and say, Hey, you know, uh, who do you work for? And I say, Oh, I work for X, you know, major brand. And I'm like -

[00:06:57] Susan Barry: No, you do not!

[00:06:21] Ashli Johnson: You live in a town of 10,000 people. Like you don't work for that brand. Right. And so, so often people, they don't even recognize, um, sort of like the tiered structure of the business that you work for a management company, or you work for some individual ownership group. And so I think it, it A: is hidden because it's, I don't think it's, it was ever intended for it to sort of be discovered in that way. Uh, and also, you know, it's, If you studied hospitality in school, a lot of the curriculum that has been out there for years is really solely focused on operational support by way of delivering service, not understanding the business of service.

[00:07:42] Susan Barry: That's such a good segue to my next question. So a big part of your career has been spent in academics, from Virginia State University in Georgetown to UCF, University of Houston. I'm nervous maybe that this question will piss you off a little bit, but I have to ask. So,

[00:07:57] Ashli Johnson: Never!

[00:07:58] Susan Barry: It seems like there's a mismatch, and it's related to what you just said, that students will take out many thousands and thousands of dollars in student loans to get hospitality degrees and then be told that they have to start in a $10 an hour position or $15 an hour like entry level position in a hotel. Hotels are such apprenticeship businesses. Like what you said, higher ed only teaches operations. They very rarely talk about real estate ownership, asset management. So what do you think, like what? What? What?

[00:08:41] Ashli Johnson: So it's a, it's a few things. First of all, as we know, student loans are the bane of, uh, just about everybody's existence, right? And it is even more pronounced amongst those of us who maybe studied a field like hospitality only to graduate and realize. Yikes. I'm never even going to be able to pay this back, provided what my projected earnings are, are, are projected to be. And so I think it starts with a few things. Um, and I see this maybe even more so amongst students and families that come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, certainly see it from black and brown communities. They solely understand that, hey, somebody told me I need to go to college to make life work for me.

Um, and so they just sort of matriculate through four years or five years, depending on how quickly you got that done and not truly recognizing that there's some additional work that has to happen outside of the classroom. Long gone are the days you can just go to school, take these classes, pass with a C, and graduate and, um, really make either some life changing money or, you know, develop some level of like generational wealth. It just doesn't work that way. And so specifically I see with students, um, you know, similar to what I just mentioned, it's like, oh, okay, well I went to school and I, and now I'm graduating. I don't have a job. It's like, well, where did you intern while you were in school? I have this conversation with parents all the time. It's like, but I, I want Johnny to come home this summer. It's like Johnny needs some real work experience. 

[00:10:31] Susan Barry: Plus you don't want to miss that opportunity. Like you don't, you know, you don't have to work in operations for your career, but you don't want to miss out on the experience of it. In my opinion, it's so fun.

[00:10:45] Ashli Johnson: It's such a blast. It's, it is, um, you know, experience. It, it is experience that is, is packaged in a way that you can't get in any other part of your life. 

[00:10:57] Susan Barry: A hundred percent.

[00:10:59] Ashli Johnson: And so specific to hospitality, right? You can't work in operations for let's call it three internships and then graduate and expect to go work in a private equity office. Right? Like you really have to be intentional about the type of experience that you're gaining while you're in school. You really need to be intentional about, uh, the rooms that you're placing yourself in. Um, and the mentors and leaders that you're placing yourself around. And so, you know, when I worked in higher education, whether it was at Howard University, uh, or at the University of Central Florida, or at Virginia State University, my goal was always, uh, that students, uh, while in school will be able to build a resume that is indisputable.

[00:11:48] Susan Barry: That's a great word.

[00:11:50] Ashli Johnson: Meaning that, upon graduation, no one should be able to say, “Oh, no, you can't work in revenue management because you don't have the right experience.” “Oh, no, I actually need you to go back to operations for whatever reason.” Right? I believe that, you know, we need all kinds out here, Susan. We need operational experts. We do. But there is also a huge opportunity for folks to work in other areas of the business. They can work in marketing, they can work in real estate, they can work in investment, uh, but they have to be prepared for it. And so I think A, scholarships and grants are definitely the answer. Um, one, you know, I don't want to call anyone's decision a mistake, but I often that sometimes, um, students will graduate with an undergraduate degree in hospitality, um, be interviewing for jobs. The money is not there or the money that they anticipate will be there is not. And their knee jerk reaction is, “Oh, I'm just going to go back to school, get a master's.”

[00:12:55] Susan Barry: Oh my God.

[00:12:56] Ashli Johnson: A Master’s in Hospitality. It's like cringe. We're one of those very interesting industries that values, experience and education, right? It's like you need a little bit of both. Um, and I've seen it happen time and time again, particularly if a student finishes undergrad and then they go immediately into a graduate program, you're going to graduate and make the same amount of money as you would if you would have just started out after undergrad, because you don't have any real life experience.

[00:13:26] Susan Barry: Exactly. And because people in the hotel business are untrusting of education in some ways, they want to see you prove that you've worked your way up the ladder. It's a very frustrating conundrum for sure. What is not frustrating is Hospitality Hued, which you started in 2019. What was your vision when you started it?

[00:13:52] Ashli Johnson: My vision in starting Hospitality Hued was to facilitate community around black and brown hospitality leaders across the country as a means of connecting them to one another, connecting them to resources, connecting them to opportunities. 

[00:14:08] Susan Barry: Excellent. And you're holding the first ever HUED conference in New Orleans, August 7th and 8th. Who should attend and what should they expect? 

[00:14:20] Ashli Johnson: Yeah. So very exciting. Uh, we're hosting our first in-person, uh, gathering. I've been calling it an un-conference because it's really designed to not mirror that of a traditional conference experience. Uh, who should attend? We are calling on hospitality leaders, black and brown, and anybody down, as I affectionately refer to it as.

[00:14:48] Susan Barry: That's the best.

[00:14:50] Ashli Johnson: But we're very clear on there needs to be a space in which, uh, the focus, uh, and the deposit and the investment is really made, uh, within, uh, the careers and futures of existing hospitality leaders. How do you get to the next level? Uh, how do you stay at the next level? How do you call someone else up to the next level? And perhaps if you have an interest in Uh, in entrepreneurship or ownership within hospitality that's also another area of our business that is just historically underrepresented, uh, with black and brown talent. So, uh, all segments of hospitality. Uh, and so we're super excited. We've got an amazing lineup of speakers, really the best in the business. And so it doesn't matter where you are, um, in your journey, but if you're currently in a leadership role, we want to help you get to that next level. 

[00:15:44] Susan Barry: Excellent. So how can allies and anybody down and hotel companies best support your efforts? Like what are some of the things you're looking for in terms of support?

[00:15:56] Ashli Johnson: Yeah. So I'm all about tangible things, right? So, um, in the words of one of our great leaders, Rihanna, uh, tell your friends to pull up, right? You should pull up. You should be encouraging. Um, if you have black and brown leaders operating under your leadership, uh, or within your organization, encourage them to attend.

Uh, I am finding that so many black and brown leaders are very hesitant to, um, to share that they're interested in, in attending something that is specifically designed for black and brown leaders. There is, um, honestly some fear surrounding that. So support, um, your teams in attending. Uh, if you're unable to attend, there's always an opportunity for you to sponsor, uh, to cover the registration fee for someone else to attend. Your organization can sponsor, uh, Hospitality Hued, uh, and spread the word spread the word. 

[00:16:58] Susan Barry: We like to make sure that our listeners come away from every episode of Top Floor with some really specific practical tips to try either in their businesses or their lives. You are the first person I have ever heard use the term “under conferenced.” Talk about what that means and what are some steps a hotel leader can take to become less under conferenced. 

[00:17:27] Ashli Johnson: Don't you love it when I just like make up these terms?

[00:17:30] Susan Barry: I do. They're always good.

[00:17:33] Ashli Johnson: They make a ton of sense to me in my experiences. So under conferenced or unconferenced, uh, to me simply equates to being under networked, right? And so when you ask about steps that one could take to sort of remedy this, um, I would, uh, suggest starting with mastering your markets. And that means, hey, geographically, do I understand who the players are in my market? And that's you know, if you live in Birmingham or Nashville or Queens, New York, who else does the same job that you do? How are they doing it the same or better? How could you potentially learn from them? You may even discover, Hey, I'm an innovator. I'm doing this maybe better than anyone else is. 

[00:18:19] Susan Barry: How can the industry do a better job of publicizing or bringing to the surface the different types of jobs that are available in hospitality? Like what should academic programs change to do that? 

[00:18:35] Ashli Johnson: So, you know, Susan, when I worked in operations, I found often that leaders really had no idea who was working for them. You might know the person's name. You might know that they've worked there for five years, but you know, great example. I remember once upon a time, it's like, Oh, we really need to hire somebody else in like loss prevention, like we need somebody to lead, um, investigations and partner with our accounting department to sort of track down these types of things. And it's like, yeah. Well, you know, so and so in the restaurant has a degree in forensic science, right? You know, this kid at the front desk is like completing a degree in criminal justice.

They're already working in hospitality, as you know, Susan. Tons of folks just sort of fall into this business. And then in many, in many instances, they don't leave. But that doesn't negate that they had a life before they got here or they have degrees that can absolutely be put to work in hospitality. Schools can do the same thing. If they're recruiting students, maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I see in high school programs across the country. Usually if I'm, if I'm speaking at a high school or maybe I've been asked to judge a competition, I typically come across extremely passionate students that have a passion for culinary or hospitality, but in their minds, it's a hobby, right?

They just took this class because it was fun. It was a great elective to add on, but in their minds, and they say, Oh, well, you know, my goal is actually to go to law school and it’s like, okay, have you ever considered, um, practicing hospitality law? Have you ever considered, um, you know, uh, getting into legislative advocacy and policy making, writing, change? We don't even talk about it, thus they don't even know that it exists, so we do have to do a better job of, um, expanding the definition of hospitality and what roles are available for sure. 

[00:20:40] Susan Barry: We have reached the fortune telling portion of the show. So now you're going to predict the future and then we will see if you were right. What is a prediction that you have about industry conferences? 

[00:20:54] Ashli Johnson: I believe that the future of conferences will be that the platform will have to shift into we're facilitating conversation amongst one another, right? Larger, deeper, more meaningful conversations will be happening amongst attendees and platform speakers such that we can create the change that we want to actualize far faster. Not just we're sitting in the chair. We're listening. We chew on it. We go home and forget about it. And then, you know, six weeks later we show up to the next conference and sort of like regurgitate the whole thing over again.

Um, I also believe that the future of conferences, um, is going to have to diversify their platform speaking. We're also going to have to essentially lower the barrier to entry, but, but increase the barrier of contribution, right? It's, we see it all the time. The conference is $3,000. And you can pay and sit in the back of the room and no one will ever ask you to do anything. You can just sort of float by. Hopefully that barrier to entry will lower just a bit, um, such that more innovators can fill the room and fill the space and hopefully ignite the change we want to see. 

[00:22:10] Susan Barry: I think you're absolutely right. It was interesting to see at, um, Hunter this year that they achieved around a 50-51 percent split of women and men on the podium. So I think that's great progress. Um, I still every day I'm calling out panels that are all men and inviting them to ask me for suggestions for women panelists because it's still running rampant. 

[00:22:44] Ashli Johnson: You know what, um, tickles me not in a fun way? Um, is often, is often I am seeing conversations about the future of labor. I'm seeing conversations about, and it's like, The folks that are having that conversation are not reflective of the folks who actually make this business go on a daily basis.  

[00:23:06] Susan Barry: Do the work! Like, tell me how you have an HR panel when 80 percent of HR executives in the hospitality business are women and you have a panel that is all men, explain, walk me through that decision making process. I’m getting hot!

[00:23:23] Ashli Johnson: Yeah. And too often, too often I see, and it sort of makes me cringe a bit. Let's just, let's just let the facts be facts. Just because you have a phenomenal title does not mean that you know how to fully um, convey your message to an audience. And I understand every executive in the game has a coach, everybody has a comms team, and still some folks are not the best messenger for whatever the topic is. Right? And so I'm often trying to encourage leaders, um, who often are white men. It's like you've got somebody in your organization who knows this initiative better than you do. When they called you, you should have said, You know what? I'm happy to speak, but I got somebody that needs to be sitting in the chair next to me within my organization. I need to increase the visibility of this exceptional talent that I have, uh, within my organization. And frankly, they can speak to it better than I can. They can prep me all day long, but the work is really being done on a daily basis by this, by this particular black Brown woman.

[00:24:40] Susan Barry: And I will tell you, I hate that this, I believe that this is true, but you know, I can continue my like crusade on LinkedIn or whatever, but until men and white people in this industry say, I'm not going to be on an all white panel, I'm not going to be on an all men panel, until they make that personal commitment. I don't see it changing, but I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to be wrong about that. 

[00:25:09] Ashli Johnson: I think you're, I think you're right though, Susan. It absolutely has to happen. 

[00:25:16] Susan Barry: Okay. If you could wave a magic wand and create a new product or service for hospitality, it doesn't have to be realistic. What would it be? 

[00:25:25] Ashli Johnson: Uh, I believe I do have a magic wand. I don't know how well it works, but the magic wand would be waived to normalize sabbaticals.

[00:25:37] Susan Barry: Oh, that's interesting.

[00:25:40] Ashli Johnson: We work in a super labor intensive industry, right? What's interesting about it is that hospitality, if you're working on a property, you're probably working a ton of hours and it is, you know, it can be laborious, right? You know, you have a couple of housekeepers that call out, guess what? You're stripping beds that particular day. But I'm also seeing, you know, in corporate environments, I mean, it's a, it's a tough business, right? Um, you're rolling out a new initiative. Your company just acquired another organization. You're working on all manner of things. It's not uncommon for leaders in this business to be working 50, 60, 70 hours a week, particularly if I'm working on an acquisition or whatever the case may be. And so you think about folks that have been in the business. For 20, 30, 40 years, that's a ton of wear and tear.

Rehabilitation is overdue. Like we have to find a way to create rest and rejuvenation for folks such that they don't just get burned out because we see this burnout happening across the board. Um, but what's the remedy for it? And it, and it is, the remedy is not take two days off. It's not even take a week off. Right. It's, Um, and I also find that, you know, too many organizations, it's like, Hey, we're not rolling over your PTO deal with it. It's like, why do so many people have 800 hours of PTO on the books? Why isn't someone saying, you know what, let me do it for you. You're off for the next two months. Right.

[00:27:22] Susan Barry: Right. I mean, I have a client, I probably shouldn't say who they are, but they have the best program, which is they pay their general managers - this is a management company - they pay their general managers to take their PTO. So if they use it, then they get some, I don't remember the details, but they get something extra. Like what a great solution to what you're talking about. 

[00:27:47] Ashli Johnson: It's brilliant and solution it is. Because it's going to solve for turnover. It'll solve for burnout. It'll solve for employee morale. It solves for all these things. And you get a better leader when you're not cranky and burnt out and struggling life and work and everything in between.

[00:28:07] Susan Barry: Okay, folks, before we tell Ashli goodbye, we have to head down to the loading dock because that's where all the best stories get told. And I'm just can't wait to hear this one.

Elevator rings and announces, “Going down.”

[00:28:24] Susan Barry: Ashli, what is a story you would only tell on the loading dock? 

[00:28:33] Ashli Johnson: Susan. You know, my time, particularly in operations was Colorful, eventful. Some may even say dramatic, right? Uh, you know, from working in hotels, you see a little bit of everything. Um, listen, we could talk about how I made deliveries to rooms and have seen, you know, some of the world's most loved stars completely in the nude. I could share about, um, who says hospitality is not where dreams come true, right? I've had, I've had employees that, you know, I'm trying to help and support and get extra hours. And then magically they don't need overtime anymore because a guest has paid off all their debt and saved their lives and made all their dreams come true.

[00:29:26] Susan Barry: Stop it. No, no.  

[00:29:30] Ashli Johnson: But I think the story that I'm going to go with.

[00:29:31] Susan Barry: Nothing ever shocked, like, I should not be shocked. I am so naive. That is, I've never heard of that before, but that is amazing. 

[00:29:39] Ashli Johnson: I mean, the quick and narrow of it is, you know, we had a very, um, you know, wealthy businessman had made his money in oil in Texas and would come and stay at the hotel in one particular room. He always smoked in the room. Paying the smoking fee was never an issue. He just always paid it up front because he knew he was going to smoke in the room. Um, older gentlemen, but I had, you know, mostly college students working on my front desk. And, uh, and yeah, this one young lady, like, you know, I'm always trying to help her get more hours, like how school going, all these things.

It's like, Oh, I might have to take a semester off cause I'm, you know, behind on my tuition payment. And then it was just like magic overnight. It was like, Oh yeah, I got a car. Um, my school's paid for, my debt is paid for, and I was like, what? Um, and that story did come to me. In fact, on a real live loading dock of someone saying like, Hey, I think somebody is going on with so and so and that gets, you know, 704, right? Um, but I think the story that we'll talk about today, Susan -

[00:30:47] Susan Barry: The story after the story.

[00:30:49] Ashli Johnson: Yeah. Yeah. I, um, You know, for the most part, people that work in hospitality, as we know, super nice, genuine, good hearted people. Um, as an intern, I, um, I mean, can I say the company? Should I say? I mean, I think it's fine. I was, I was a, um, I was a part of the college program at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. You know, big time. I was super excited to be working at this phenomenal resort and, you know, go through all this training at Disney University and you're ready and I go out there, I get on the front desk and you're being trained by folks that work in this role year round, right?

They're not interns. Um, the political side that I did not fully understand at the time was that it was often, the perspective was often that interns take away your hours, right? So we need to like, we need to get rid of some interns so that regular folks can get their, get their hours back. I didn't fully understand it at the time. So post Olympics, we are welcoming the U.S. Olympic team swim team to the hotel and to myself and a few other interns. I'll never forget. One of my fellow interns was on the swim team at a major university and she just could not believe that Michael Phelps was in there. Mind blown. And the woman who worked here year round was like, “Yeah, you should, you should go say hello.”

And I was like, “Oh my goodness, girl. Yes, you should. Like you're a swimmer. You should go say hi.” She's like, “Oh my God, I'm so scared.” Susan, we've met before, so you know, I have no fear. I harbor no fear in going to speak or say hello to someone. Don't worry about it. I'll go talk to him for you. So I go over, I waited until, you know, all the fanfare, you know, paparazzi got done with him. He was over at the elevator and I walked over and I said, “Hi, my name is Ashli. I'm a part of the college program working here at this hotel. And my friend over there, she's on the swim team at X, Y, Z university. And she's such a big fan.” And he said, “Oh my goodness. Where is she?” Right? And I'm pointing the girl out and he's waving at her.

And he said, “Why won't she come over here?” I said, “She's afraid.” And he was like, “Oh my goodness. Well tell her I hope she has a great season when she goes back to school. And Hey, let me sign something for, for her. What's her name?” And so I say the girl's name. He was super, super nice. Signs everything. I take it back to the girl and she's literally in tears. Like, “Oh my God, I can't believe Michael Phelps waved at me.” It was so great. Susan, when I tell you it might've been nine minutes later, right? And I'm maybe two weeks in on the job at this point. When my manager comes to me and says, um, “Ashli, can we speak to you in the back?” And I said- 

[00:33:56] Susan Barry: I just, my heart is already breaking.

[00:34:03] Ashli Johnson: And of course, you know, I mean, you're familiar enough with the Walt Disney company. I mean, they got serious rules around there. You don't talk to guests. You don't engage with celebrities. Like these are all the, I mean, again, I am, I'm still an undergrad. I have no clue what the rules and regulations and all these things are. And I thought, yeah. So he's explaining, he was like, yeah, so it's my understanding that, and of course it was the woman who told me to go over there. The woman that told him, Hey, look at what your intern's over there doing. And so he said, well, you know, it's, it's come to my knowledge that you had a conversation with a particular guest today.

And I was like, Yeah, it's great. And he's like, we don't, we don't do that. And so went on to explaining that this is an offense that warrants, um, you know, termination and. Listen, you thought that girl was crying happy tears. I was bawling. I go to school for this. I can't, I can't go home.

[00:35:15] Susan Barry: Did you say that? That mean person sent you over there?

[00:35:16] Ashli Johnson: Of course!

[00:35:19] Susan Barry: Okay. Good.

[00:35:20] Ashli Johnson: Because even at the time. You know, I was so young and naive. Like, I didn't realize really what the woman was doing. Right. And so he's like, okay, well, you know, I'm going to have to, you know, talk to, you know, the higher ups. And I was like, Oh my God, my, my school is going to be so embarrassed. I think like the president of my university was like all the college program board at the time. I was like, Oh God, I have just ruined my entire career. And again, I was like, it's just a misunderstanding. The woman that's training me said I should, I didn't miss any work. Nobody was checking in, could not understand it.

You want to talk about a valuable lesson learned. Now, of course they let me keep my job and you know, I try to do all things well, but I thought that was going to be the end of my hospitality career before it even really got started, Susan. And you know, hey, shout out to Michael Phelps. He was super, guys. I'm sure that girl's life has changed. I'm sure she's an Olympic swimmer now. 

[00:36:25] Susan Barry: I hope so. We will tune in and find out Ashli Johnson. Thank you so much for being here. Hey, everyone signs up to attend Hued 2024 and I really appreciate you riding up to the top floor.

[00:36:42] Ashli Johnson: Awesome, thanks so much for having me, Susan. It's been a pleasure. 

[00:36:45] Susan Barry: Thank you for listening. You can find the show notes at topfloorpodcast.com/episode/147. Jonathan Albano is our editor, producer, and all around genius. He even wrote and performed our theme song with vocals by Cameron Albano. You can subscribe to Top Floor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And your rating or review will go a long way in helping us give you more of what you like. 

[00:37:21] Narrator: Thanks for listening to the Top Floor Podcast at www.topfloorpodcast.com. Have a hospitality marketing question? Reach us at 850-404-9630 to be featured in a future episode.