Her Story
About Emily
Emily McCandless is a hospitality professional based in Charleston, South Carolina, with nearly 20 years in the field. She earned a hospitality business degree and, right out of college, gained foundational experience at the French Laundry, a three Michelin star restaurant known for its rigorous training in problem solving, leadership, and business practices. After working in restaurant operations, she explored the business side through roles at a startup caviar company and a specialty coffee company. She recently completed a year-long accreditation with Harvard Business School, which reinforced her operational philosophies with academic validation. In her current role managing a dual-property operation, her schedule includes office days for meetings, one-on-one team interactions, and service facilitation on weekends. McCandless advises following one's curiosity rather than a rigid career path and encourages young women in the industry to reject limitations placed by others while building supportive networks.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Emily
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Somebody said to me one time, just like follow your curiosity. Not necessarily going on a very specific roadmapped path or trajectory, but just kind of like follow the areas of your interest. I have always found that to be very successful for me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't let a man tell you you can't do something. I've had several to my face tell me that I just should either get a different dream, or that I wasn't that I was too nice to do something. Anything that a man can do, a woman can probably do 10% better. Find those people who want to champion you and are your support system. It's okay to not want the things that people always tell you you should want.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Staffing is always challenging because the hours and lifestyle are not always the most attractive. It's challenging to get people to want to spend time with people directly since you're very customer-facing. Finding people who really want to do that and like to do that can be challenging. The industry is working to get to better life-work balance but it's still tough since you're on your feet all day and it's physically and emotionally demanding. Still coming out of COVID, perceptions about dining in a restaurant have changed and expectations are different. The world is moving towards 100% customizable experiences which is challenging when margins are small and workforce is tough.
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