In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Tate Hackert, founder and president of ZayZoon, to discuss earned wage access and financial empowerment in the hospitality industry. Hackert shares his entrepreneurial journey from small-town beginnings to revolutionizing employee pay access, along with insights on business growth and workplace benefits.

Key Topics:

• How did ZayZoon transform from a manual loan service into a comprehensive fintech platform?
• What new features are planned in ZayZoon's rewards and recognition tools?
• How can earned wage access benefit both employees and employers in the hospitality industry?
• How does ZayZoon's integration with payroll providers work?

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tate-hackert/

ZayZoon: https://www.zayzoon.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/110

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil...

How is Springboard addressing the housing affordability crisis for hospitality workers in expensive markets?

Join hosts David Millili and Steve Carran as they sit down with Benjamin Rafter, President and CEO of Springboard Hospitality, for an insightful discussion about the intersection of technology and hospitality. With a unique background spanning from tech startups to hotel management, Rafter shares his journey from selling a company to Amazon to leading a portfolio of 47 independent hotels across 14 states.

Learn about his innovative approach to hospitality, including why he puts his personal cell phone number in every hotel room, his strategies for tackling staffing challenges in high-cost markets, and his candid thoughts on technology adoption in the hotel industry.

Key Topics:

• How did a tech executive end up running a hotel company?
• What makes an ideal property for Springboard's portfolio?
• Which hotel technologies are actually delivering value?
• Why is technology adoption so slow in hospitality?

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
Ben Rafter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-rafter-623a702/
Springboard Hospitality: https://www.springboardhospitality.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/109

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil...

Independent hotels are the creative spark for the Hospitality Industry. So, what's the current state of the Independent Hospitality sector?

In this episode, David and Steve head to the Independent Lodging Congress in Sausalito, CA to talk about the latest insights and challenges happening in the Independent hotel space. On this episode, we hear from Brigette Harenda the President of B&Co., Romal Jayswal, Co-founder & CEO at StayNow, Jacqueline Nunley, Travel and Hospitality Advisor at Salesforce, and Ryan Foat, Dream Facilitator at THREE SIXTY.

Key Topics:

• How is Milwaukee's hospitality scene evolving beyond being "Chicago's shadow"?
• Why are some hoteliers hesitant to embrace new technology?
• How can hotels maintain service quality while adopting new technology?
• What will define luxury hospitality in 2025?

The Modern Hotelier is the official podcast of the Independent Lodging Congress

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
Brigette Harenda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigetteharenda/
B&Co.: https://bcobranding.com/

Romal Jayswal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rj411/
StayNow: https://staynow.com/

Jacqueline Nunley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinesnunley/
Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/

Ryan Foat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanfoat/
THREE SIXTY: https://threesixtymke.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/108

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil...