Denisha Baraka

I attribute my success to my ability to build and create structure out of chaos. Whether I'm shaping a high-performing sales team or transforming a client's closet through my organizing business, Denisha Danielle, I understand that true success starts with building something meaningful and pouring care into it. I'm a builder in every sense - whether that's an event, a team, or a closet, building and planning is my thing. With 24 years in hospitality, starting as a catering sales coordinator and now leading the group segment at Choice Hotels, my proudest accomplishment isn't a revenue target or a title - it's the team culture I've built. I pour so much into my teams because I know they're boots on the ground doing very tough work, getting 50 no's before they get a yes. I make sure every member feels valued and appreciated while being held to high standards, because I know that investment directly fuels results. One of our senior leaders called me a 'friendly drill sergeant' because my team feels so deeply connected to me, but they also know there's a high level of performance expected. I've also learned to be authentically myself, thanks to mentors like Teresa Tamer who showed me it's okay not to focus on being liked - that pushing back and challenging ideas is actually my responsibility. And Talisa Villa taught me to give myself grace, especially as someone who became a mom at 19, never graduated college, and often found myself in rooms with people from prestigious universities who didn't look like me. She taught me that if they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. That's the mindset I carry with me.

The best career advice I've received came from two incredible women who shaped how I show up in my career. Teresa Tamer taught me that I don't need to focus on being liked to be successful. For the longest time, I thought I needed to be liked, which meant I would speak in the tone people wanted, I wouldn't push back, I wouldn't challenge ideas - I would just acquiesce to what people felt like women in corporate should be. But Teresa showed me that you actually can do all of that, and you should do all of that, because it's your responsibility to yourself and to your environment to push the boundaries and make things better. She taught me that being authentically myself matters more than being liked. The other piece of advice that changed everything came from Talisa Villa, who taught me to give myself grace. As someone who became a mom at 19, never graduated college, and consistently found myself in rooms with people who had degrees from the most prestigious universities - often rooms where people didn't look like me - I felt like my being there was performative, like I didn't belong. Talisa taught me to give myself grace because these were some of my first experiences in those spaces, and I had to learn how to handle it. She embodies this quote that I love: if they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. That's the energy she brought - you may not want me here, but I'm here. And I loved that about her.

My advice to young women entering hospitality is to experience as much of it as you can at first - all of the different elements of it. Just be a sponge. If you have an opportunity to work in a hotel, do that. If you have an opportunity to work in corporate, do that. If you can work in a country club, do that. Whatever facility, whatever you can experience, experience it. The hospitality industry is so massive and well-rounded - there are tech jobs, robotics, marketing, data and analytics, sales, real estate development, ownership. People don't realize the breadth of roles and responsibilities. They probably just think sales, or checking in at the front desk, or housekeeping. They don't think about all the different avenues. So experience it all first, and then hone in on what you liked the most and drive towards that. You may not realize what's possible until you try it. I also want young women to know that you don't need a traditional path to be successful. I became a mom at 19, I never graduated college, and for a while that hung over my head. But I had to make a choice between pursuing a degree or getting deeper in my career, and I chose my career. I focused on individual courses that would help me in this field rather than a degree. Now I'm sitting in boardrooms with people from the most prestigious universities, and I never thought that would be possible when I had my daughter at 20 and didn't finish college. So dream for things you never thought would be possible.

The biggest opportunity in my field is the breadth of hospitality, which offers diverse pathways in areas like tech, data, marketing, and real estate. The greatest challenge lies in the events and group segment, which is operationally intense and demands resilience through long hours and unpredictable, high-pressure situations.

The values most important to me in work and life are investing in my team and fostering a strong, authentic culture, approaching every situation with graciousness, pushing boundaries to improve environments, and balancing high expectations with support. Outside of work, I enjoy organizing, spending quality time with my children, and baking.