Sundip Patel is the founder and CEO of AVANA Companies, a financial services firm managing over $1 billion in assets. Born in Zambia and raised in the U.S., Sundip’s journey from CPA to impact-focused entrepreneur is rooted in resilience and purpose. Susan and Sundip talk about lessons in financing, failure, and forging a better future through hotel lending, job creation, and financial education for girls.

What You'll Hear About:

🏨 What exactly a "capital stack" is and why it matters.

💸 The difference between lenders and investors.

💔 What Sundip learned from his first startup flop.

🎓 How the Sunday Scaries pushed Sundip to pivot from public accounting to purpose.

🏗️ Why measuring social impact still feels like algebra.

💡 Sundip's next big idea? A gamified platform to teach girls how to invest in real estate (with real money!).

🔮 A bold vision for the future: tokenized hotel loans, AI-powered underwriting, and faster, fairer financing.

🧠 The “character check” lenders don’t talk about—but absolutely do.

🪄 What Sundip would change with a magic wand: every loan comes with a social impact score.

Our Top Three Takeaways:

1. Failure Isn’t Final. It’s Foundational.

Sundip Patel’s journey from bankruptcy to building a billion-dollar lending firm is a powerful reminder that setbacks are not dead ends. Learning from failure, especially early missteps in leadership, hiring, and funding, can pave the way for long-term success rooted in purpose.

2. Hotel Financing Is a Tool for Community Impact

A hotel isn’t just a building. It’s an engine for economic development. By prioritizing job creation and social equity in lending decisions, Sundip demonstrates how capital can serve communities, not just bottom lines.

3. The Future of Investment Is Inclusive and Fractional

From tokenized hotel loans to teaching teen girls about real estate, Sundip sees a future where access to investment is democratized. As technology evolves, so will the tools to make ownership and impact more widely available.

Shanté Micah is a seasoned storyteller and strategic PR pro who launched her career covering the Olympics before earning her master's from Syracuse and pivoting into brand strategy. With global experience and clients like Disney and ESPN under her belt, she’s now the founder of Good News, a consultancy redefining media outreach. Susan and Shanté talk about personalized pitching, press release pitfalls, and purposeful PR for hospitality brands.

📰 From Olympic glory to Israeli boardrooms—Shanté’s wild ride through global communications

📰 What hospitality PR is getting terribly wrong

📰 The million-dollar Fashion Week flop that proves impressions ≠ impact

📰 Behind the scenes of how Shanté’s team pitches podcasts like pros—and gets booked

📰 Thought leadership vs. thought wallpaper—how to actually stand out in B2B PR

📰 Why your press release isn't a strategy and coverage isn't a trophy

Our Top Three Takeaways:

1. PR Is a System, Not a Spotlight

Instead of treating press coverage like a trophy, successful brands build systems that turn media wins into ongoing visibility and business value. Amplifying, repurposing, and integrating that coverage into everything from sales decks to social content is where the real impact happens.

2. Relevance > Reach

Whether you’re pitching a story or crafting a message, start with what the audience needs, not what you want to say. Personalized, timely, and audience-centered communication cuts through noise and builds lasting credibility.

3. Volume Doesn’t Equal Value

Big numbers—followers, impressions, splashy campaigns—don’t guarantee results. Focus on aligned messaging, strategic intent, and meaningful connections to make a lasting impact in business or life.

Liz Dahlager is the Chief Operating Officer and a partner at Mereté Hotel Management, a hotel management company based in Oregon. With roots in boutique hospitality at Kimpton Hotels, Liz has climbed the career ladder from area director of sales to Chief Operating Officer. Susan and Liz talk about culture, career pivots, and crafting local guest experiences.

Episode Highlights

🎯 Why a solid vision can disarm even the most skeptical peers

🕵️‍♀️ The gamble that (literally) involved chasing cash to a casino

🧠 The surprising prediction about AI and the vanishing sales role

🛏️ The growing divide between experiential and utilitarian hotel stays

🤹‍♀️ How hotel companies can actually support women without just talking about it

🧞‍♀️ What she’d wish for every entry-level hire if given a magic wand