This week, I sat down with the brilliant Newton Fernandes - and this is one of those conversations that reminds you just how non-linear careers in hospitality can be.

From starting out as a journalist, to working in airline reservations, to quite literally being invited across the road into a hotel career… Newton’s journey spans continents, cultures, and some seriously big roles.

We’re talking global brand, marketing, and communications at a scale that’s hard to get your head around, but always grounded in one thing: understanding people.

In this episode, Newton and I get into…

• Growing up across the Middle East, India, and Europe, and how that shaped his worldview
• Starting out in journalism and developing a love for storytelling
• Moving into American Airlines… and then being recruited into hospitality by a hotel GM across the street
• Why travel, tourism, and hospitality are one industry (and should act like it)
• The reality of working in different cultures, and why curiosity beats assumption every time
• Moving to London and adapting to a completely different way of working
• Starting at the “bottom” in PR & marketing, and why that foundation matters
• Managing brand and marketing across 450 hotels, 12 brands, and 33 countries
• Why structure, training, and community are essential at scale
• Moving to Marriott and navigating the world of franchise vs managed hotels
• Helping independent hotels plug into global brands without losing their identity

Some cracking quote-ables from Newton

“I didn’t move into hospitality… I was invited into it”

“Travel and hospitality are not separate industries, they’re one”

“You can’t understand a hotel brand unless you’ve seen it on the ground”

“Curiosity is more important than assumption”

“The way you work in one country won’t work in another, you have to adapt”

Why this episode is worth your ears

If you’ve ever thought your career path is a bit all over the place… good.

Newton’s story is proof that the most interesting careers are built through curiosity, opportunity, and saying yes to things you didn’t plan.

There’s also a ton in here around leadership at scale, how you manage people, brand, and culture across different countries, different expectations, and different ways of working.

And a reminder that in a global industry like ours…

Understanding people is everything

Show Partners

A big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Paul Hunter, and after nearly a year of trying to make it happen, we finally got the conversation in the can.

And it was worth the wait.

From early days in hospitality (and admittedly being a “bit of a mischievous lad”) to launching hotels across London, navigating redundancy during COVID with twin new borns, and now stepping into a brand new luxury estate role back in Yorkshire… Paul’s journey is packed with honesty, resilience, and a proper appreciation for the twists life throws your way.

We talk about growth, mistakes, leadership, and why sometimes the plan you had isn’t the one you end up living, and that’s exactly where the magic happens.

In this episode, Paul and I get into…

• His early entry into hospitality through weekend jobs and how it quietly became a career
• The “cheeky chappy” phase… and the moment his brother told him to go to London and grow up
• Learning the craft of hotels with Premier Inn, and why fundamentals matter more than flash
• Launching multiple hotels across London and what that teaches you about scale and standards
• Winning an Acorn Award and how that opened his eyes to a bigger world beyond his role
• Managing three different hotel brands in Leicester Square (and juggling three ways of working at once)
• The brutal reality of COVID redundancy with a young family, and navigating uncertainty
• Relocating back to Yorkshire and rebuilding from the ground up
• Launching GuestHouse Hotels’ No.1 York and building something from scratch
• The power of giving people second chances, including working with prison rehabilitation programmes
• Why mistakes aren’t failures, they’re proof you’re actually pushing yourself

Some cracking quoteables from Paul

“You can have a plan… and then something comes along and completely changes it”

“I think that’s where I learned hotels”

“Mistakes aren’t bad things, they just mean you tried something different”

“If you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably playing it too safe”

“Life’s about making mistakes… as long as you learn from them”

“You don’t get that level of success without being great at what you do”

Why this episode is worth your ears

If you’ve ever felt like your career hasn’t gone in a straight line… good. That’s exactly the point.

Paul’s story is a brilliant reminder that growth often comes from the unexpected, whether that’s a tough boss, a redundancy, a relocation, or just saying yes to a conversation you didn’t see coming.

There’s loads in here about leadership, resilience, and the importance of early opportunities in shaping careers, especially in hospitality.

Whether you’re just starting out or leading teams of your own, this one will give you a fresh perspective on what progress actually looks like.

Show Partners

A big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Dawn Lister - and honestly, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get someone from the world of sales on the show.

And what an introduction to it this was.

From wanting to be an air stewardess at 10 years old, to building a 20+ year career in hotel sales, Dawn’s journey is packed with graft, growth, resilience… and a lot of persistence (some might call it “relentless follow-up” 😅).

Now Sales Director for B&B Hotels UK, Dawn brings a no-nonsense, people-first approach to an area of hospitality that often gets misunderstood, and massively underestimated.

In this episode, Dawn and I get into…

• How a childhood dream of travel turned into a lifelong career in hospitality
• Starting in conference & banqueting… and quickly being moved out of it 😅
• Falling in love with sales (mainly by talking too much at coffee breaks)
• Why she didn’t go to university - and built her career through doing instead
• The importance of early mentors (and learning under “formidable” leadership)
• Being told to stop calling people so much… and why persistence still wins
• The reality of sales: rejection, resilience, and finding the right fit
• Leading with a “people first” mindset - both with customers and teams
• Why hospitality sales isn’t about the product… it’s about the experience

Some cracking quote-ables from Dawn

“Revenue isn’t revenue until it’s banked”

“Hope is not a strategy” (Dammit)

“If you’re not the right fit, that’s fine, but let’s have the conversation first”

“We’re all selling similar products… the difference is how you make people feel”

“Some people told me to stop calling… those are the ones I enjoyed winning the most”

Why this episode is worth your ears

If you’ve ever worked in sales, or been on the receiving end of it, this one’s for you.

Dawn strips it right back to what great sales actually is:

curiosity, conversation, and care.

There’s no fluff here. Just real insight into what it takes to build relationships, handle rejection, and lead teams in a world where everyone’s selling something similar.

And if nothing else… you’ll never look at a follow-up call the same way again

Show Partners

A big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil