Mike Messeroff spent three decades in hospitality and was JetBlue’s first intern before swapping corporate partnerships for a life of travel and a career behind the bar. A low point in paradise led him to mindfulness, daily meditation, and ultimately leadership coaching for hospitality executives. Today, he’s launching the Self Hospitality Collective, offering bite-sized audio guidance and practical practices for leaders. Susan and Mike talk about meditation, mindfulness, and modern management.

What You'll Learned About:

• JetBlue’s first intern by “accident”? Mike turns a chance aisle chat with the CEO into a career.

• Daydreaming of beach life? Mike says you’ll pack your baggage either way, so do the inner work first.

• Breckenridge paradox: daily skiing + dream town ≠ joy; anxiety became the wake-up call.

• “Happiness is uncaused.” (Yes, that line stops the show—and your doom-scroll.)

• Self Hospitality = treating yourself like the VIP in your lobby: restocked, respected, and not running on fumes.

• Meditation is non-negotiable. Even 3 minutes builds that “magic gap” between trigger and response.

• Gratitude hack: you can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time.

• For the “no-woo” crowd: real-world ROI—lower cortisol, better focus, fewer dish-smashing meltdowns.

• Micro-practices for brutal days: one conscious breath, a three-minute reset, a mindful reminder (“I’m here to solve problems”).

Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Inner Work Comes Before Outer Change

Mike’s story shows that changing your surroundings, whether by moving to a beach in the Caribbean or skiing daily in Colorado, doesn’t guarantee happiness. Wherever you go, you bring yourself with you. True fulfillment comes from addressing patterns like negative self-talk, stress, or self-medication. External shifts may feel exciting, but without the inner work, they won’t resolve deeper struggles.

2. Self-Hospitality Is Essential for Leaders

Mike’s concept of self hospitality is about treating yourself like your most honored guest. Just as hoteliers go above and beyond for VIPs, leaders should extend that same care inward: practicing consistent meditation (even for just three minutes), cultivating gratitude, setting clear boundaries, and pursuing personal passions. When leaders nurture themselves, they can give from a place of overflow rather than depletion—ultimately benefiting their teams, guests, and organizations.

3. Joy and Happiness Are Our Natural State

Mike emphasizes that happiness is “uncaused," meaning we are born joyful, but stress, fear, and external pressures layer over it. Through mindfulness practices like meditation and gratitude, leaders can reconnect with that natural state and create a “magic gap” between stress and response. This not only prevents burnout but also models healthier, more sustainable leadership in an industry prone to overwork and high stress.

Mike Messeroff on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemesseroff/

The Carpe Diem Company
https://www.mikemesseroff.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

130: Guard Dog Negotiations with Melissa Maher
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/130

88: Dating App Surprise with Karen Laos
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/88

192: Fluff and Fold with Shelley Brown
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/192

Josh Kremer is the co-founder of Paradero Hotels, a Baja-born luxury brand blending boutique resorts with destination management to create immersive, off-grid experiences. A classically trained chef who pivoted into real estate private equity, Josh brings both palate and P&L to building small-scale, high-touch hospitality. Susan and Josh talk about remote resorts, resourceful resourcing, and refined service.

What You’ll Learn About:

• From chef whites to term sheets: Josh Kremer’s zigzag from kitchens to Blackstone to founding Paradero Hotels.

• Why “experiential luxury” beats “bikinis + margaritas," and how Paradero designs trips that spill far beyond the property line.

• Off-beach on purpose: picking a site framed by five ecosystems to unlock creative freedom (and way better adventures).

• Oasis IRL: how Baja’s mountains create desert lagoons—and a top birdwatching haven—without cartoon mirages.

• The unsexy backbone of remote hospitality: fiber pulls, buried power lines, backup gen, daily procurement runs, and a fleet of guide-led vehicles.

• Scale by listening: adults-only → groups/events → families → homes; growing to 92 keys while keeping density low.

• Where guests are pointing next: Riviera Maya (not in Cancun), Riviera Nayarit, plus eyes on Oaxaca, San Miguel, and Valle de Guadalupe.

• Hiring where others won’t: local-first, import managers when needed, and invest in great staff housing for a “soft landing.”

• The 10x Rule: whatever effort you think it’ll take, multiply by ten (site selection alone jumped from ~20 to 800!).

• A perfect Paradero day: sunrise views → surf coaching → chef-driven breakfast → pool + temazcal → farm tasting → cliffside sunset → stargazing net.

1. Expect 10x More Work Than You Think

Josh stresses what he calls the “10x rule”: however much effort you think a project will take, multiply it by ten. From evaluating 800 sites before selecting one to interviewing 20 architects before choosing a partner, the reality of launching a hospitality venture is far more demanding than anyone could have anticipated. The lesson applies broadly: if you’re starting something ambitious, prepare for an order of magnitude more persistence, patience, and problem-solving than your first instinct suggests.

2. Culture Shapes Business—and Guest Experience

Having lived in both Mexico and the U.S., Josh highlights how family-centric culture in Mexico contrasts with the U.S.’s emphasis on individualism. Understanding and respecting those differences helps him build both teams and guest experiences. The broader takeaway: Leaders who work across borders, or even within different communities, need to tune in to local cultural values. This can guide not only how you manage staff but also how you design meaningful customer experiences.

3. Operating in Remote or Nontraditional Locations Requires Creative Infrastructure

Running a semi-remote property is as much about mastering logistics as it is delivering luxury. Josh described pulling fiber from a distant city, burying power lines to protect the guest experience, and organizing daily supply runs. The big lesson is that unconventional opportunities often require unconventional solutions. If you’re drawn to an out-of-the-box idea, success may depend on investing early and heavily in the unglamorous operational backbone.

Josh Kremer on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-kremer-bb904a26/

Paradero Hotels
https://www.paraderohotels.com/

Other Episodes You May Like:

159: 15-Day Career with Gustavo Viescas
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/159

165: Purple Flower Luxury with Florence Li
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/165

74: Calm and Nurturing Ghost with Trisha Pérez Kennealy
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/74

Happy anniversary, Top Floor!

Calvin Tilokee is the founder and creative director of RevPAR Media, blending 20+ years of revenue management and marketing with a sharp creative streak. Known for illuminating hospitality brands and roasting industry quirks with his beloved hotel-meme persona, @revparblems, Calvin bridges data, strategy, and humor. On this anniversary episode, he flips the script as guest host, guiding a lively tour through pandemic pivots, podcast production, and personal pet peeves.

What You'll Learn About:

• Where Susan found the nerve to launch a business without a cash cushion or safety net.
• Calvin’s own origin story: furlough → pandemic pivot → RevPAR Media, full steam ahead.
• The birth of Top Floor: from “Going Up” to the brand you know (and why the original name got nixed).
• Why the show expanded beyond marketing, and why that makes it more fun (and nosier).
• Production secrets: heavy prep, tight edits, and Susan’s biggest guest pet peeves.
• The fan favorites everyone mentions: the sister episodes (aka laugh tracks with plot).
• What’s next: more episodes, collabs, maybe a digital magazine, and some video—selectively.
• Dream guests: Cindy Gallop and Sara Blakely (manifesting!).
• Big swings Susan wants to try: investigative series + hospitality history deep dives.
• Legacy goal: helping pros discover dream roles they didn’t know existed.
• Three Loading Dock stories for the price of one… but you’ll have to listen for that.

Our Top Three Takeaways:

1. Entrepreneurship isn’t about perfect timing or eliminating all risk.

Susan launched Hive Marketing in 2009 without savings or a safety net, betting that the chaos of the financial crisis made “failure” reputationally safe, and she’s never looked back.

2. Top Floor’s edge is curiosity + craft.

The show evolved from a marketing niche to a “curiosity cabinet” for the entire hospitality industry, staying audio-first with tight editing and meticulous preparation, and measuring success by growing influence and genuine relationships.

3. The next chapter is expansion and experimentation.

Susan’s eyeing more episodes, collaborations, a digital Top Floor magazine, selective video/live moments, and investigative or history-of-hospitality series, aiming to surface hidden career paths and inspire listeners while the industry modernizes to match guest behavior.

Calvin Tilokee on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvintilokee/

RevPAR Media
https://www.revparmedia.com/

Susan Barry on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandbarry/

Hive Marketing
https://www.hive-marketing.com/

Top Floor
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/

Female Founders in Hospitality
https://femalefoundersinhospitality.com/

Cindy Gallop's Brain-Altering HBR Article
https://hbr.org/2022/04/stop-criticizing-women-and-start-questioning-men-instead

Other Episodes You May Like:

03: Dude, Calm Down with Calvin Tilokee
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/03

53: It's Your Birthday 🎂
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/53

Playlist: Shenanigans
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/category/Shenanigans