Her Story
About Dominique
Dominique Tahiry is a hospitality professional whose passion for service began at the age of 16 in Madagascar, an island nation where tourism plays an important role in the economy. Her dream of becoming a leader in hospitality was inspired by a television program about a hotel owner who worked alongside his employees to understand their challenges and lead with empathy. With the unwavering support of her mother, Dominique pursued a degree in Hospitality Management and gained hands-on experience in several roles, including server, busser, and dishwasher.
By the age of 22, she reached one of her first major milestones: managing a luxury guest house in southern Madagascar and leading a team of ten employees, many of whom had more life and work experience than she did. That experience shaped her confidence, resilience, and leadership style.
Determined to continue growing professionally, Dominique took on an even greater challenge when she immigrated to the United States without speaking English. She began her journey as an intern for one year, learning to adapt to a new culture, a new language, and a new hospitality environment. After completing her internship, she became a bartender and quickly distinguished herself through her work ethic, leadership abilities, and commitment to excellence. Within just a few months, she was promoted to management, a reflection of her dedication, resilience, and natural talent for leading teams. Today, she works as a Restaurant Manager, overseeing daily operations, guest relations, team development, scheduling, inventory, and digital menu administration while maintaining high service standards in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
What drives Dominique most is the opportunity to create meaningful experiences for others. To her, hospitality is more than food and service; it is about making people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for. Whether she is helping create a memorable celebration, resolving a guest concern with empathy, or mentoring team members, Dominique finds fulfillment in bringing happiness to others.
Her journey from Madagascar to the United States reflects resilience, courage, and determination. As a young leader, immigrant, and advocate for personal growth, Dominique continues to inspire others to embrace challenges, believe in themselves, and pursue their ambitions with confidence.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dominique
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my ability to connect with people, make them happy, and lead with empathy. In hospitality, what I enjoy most is creating meaningful moments for others. When people are happy, I feel even happier than they do. Whether it is helping a boyfriend surprise his girlfriend with roses on the table for a date night, resolving a guest concern, or simply making someone’s experience feel special, those genuine moments of happiness are what drive me.
I also believe my resilience has played a big role in my success. I started working in hospitality at 16 in Madagascar, and by 22, I was managing a luxury guest house with employees who had twice my age. I also had to adapt to a city where people spoke a completely different dialect. Later, when I moved to the United States without speaking English, I had to rebuild my career from the beginning, first as an intern, then as a bartender, and eventually as a manager. Each challenge taught me how to adapt, prove myself, and keep growing.
Most importantly, I truly love what I do. Even when the work is tiring, I do not feel the pressure of simply “going to work,” because hospitality gives me purpose. I find joy in serving people, supporting my team, and creating experiences that make others feel valued and cared for.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received came from my mother. She taught me to work hard, stay disciplined, and never let my circumstances define my future. She also taught me to believe that everything works together for good. That advice has guided me through every challenge, reminding me to keep learning, stay humble, and trust that every step of my journey has a purpose.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be: you belong in the room you worked hard to be in.
As women, people may sometimes try to put us in a box or tell us what our lives should look like. They may say that our role is only to become a wife, take care of children, or stay within what society expects from us. But we are allowed to have dreams too. We are allowed to work hard, build careers, lead teams, and create a future that feels meaningful to us.
In my country, it can sometimes be complicated for a woman to have big dreams because the mentality is often, “You are a woman, so you should focus on finding a husband and having children.” But I believe a woman can be many things at once. She can be a wife, a mother, a leader, and still have her own ambitions.
So my advice to young women is: do not let anyone make you feel guilty for wanting more. Do not let society decide the size of your dream. You deserve to be in the room. You deserve to take up space. And you deserve to pursue the life and career you worked hard for.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in hospitality right now is meeting high guest expectations while also managing rising costs, staffing challenges, and a fast-paced environment. Guests today are not only looking for good food; they want an experience that feels personal, consistent, and memorable.
I also see this as a big opportunity. Technology can support our work through reservations, scheduling, inventory, and digital menus, but the heart of hospitality will always be human connection. For me, the opportunity is to build strong teams, lead with empathy, and create moments that make guests feel valued and cared for.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are empathy, respect, resilience, integrity, and personal growth. In hospitality, empathy and respect are essential because our work is about making people feel valued and cared for. As a leader, I try to support my team with kindness, patience, and fairness.
In my personal life, resilience and integrity guide me. My journey has taught me to keep going, adapt, and stay true to who I am even when things are difficult. Family is also very important to me, especially because my mother’s support helped shape my values and my determination. To me, success means reaching your goals while staying humble, treating people well, and continuing to grow.
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