Getting from there to here

"It's been a long road, getting from there to here..."

So begins the once-reviled, now-cult-favorite theme song from Star Trek: Enterprise. And how fitting that this lifelong Trek fan would land in Romulus, NY—homeworld of the oft antagonist Romulans themselves.

My hospitality journey started in high school in Richmond, VA. After our senior football season, my best friend and I landed jobs at the new Famous Dave's. Too young to serve, we threw ourselves into greeting, seating, busing, handling takeout, and delivering catering—two energetic teens tackling the whole restaurant on busy weekends.

Then there was the giant pig mascot, Wilbur. Shane would don the costume while I guided him around the dining room. One Friday night, we danced past a quiet family of four. They smiled politely, but didn’t pay much attention to us, and we moved on without thinking much of it.

As they left, the mom pulled us aside and told us, “Our daughter has been through tough medical treatments, and tonight was the first time we’ve seen her smile in six months. Thank you for that.”

That simple, silly moment hit me hard. It was the first time I felt the real impact that hospitality can have and I knew what I wanted to do.

I went on to study Hospitality & Tourism Management at James Madison University. A last-minute scholarship and job offer from Hyatt pulled me into their management training program in Chicago instead of the private club path I’d planned. I spent the next 12 years climbing the ladder across seven hotels in Chicago and San Francisco, earned several company-wide sales awards, and finished my 8 year corporate career as VP of Sales Operations; a total of two full decades in the big box hotel industry, and it was time to hit the reset button.

Like many in hospitality, I occasionally daydreamed about owning a B&B. Only when it became real did I understand the appeal: no corporate layers, no endless meetings, no red tape. Just us, our team, and our guests—free to create genuine experiences with heart, purpose, and joy.

And I’m loving every single moment of it.

<authored by Chris>