Her Story
About Meghan
Meghan McGonagle has built a career in hotel operations since starting in an hourly role in 2017. After earning her bachelor's degree in business administration with a focus in hospitality management from the University of New Hampshire in 2020, she completed Marriott's Voyage program in room operations during the pandemic. She then served as assistant front of house manager at the Ritz-Carlton Boston, operations manager at a Residence Inn, and director of front office at the Westin at Denver International Airport for two and a half years before assuming her current role overseeing housekeeping, laundry, and front office in Denver. McGonagle is active in professional development as chairwoman of the Marriott NextGen Business Council Denver chapter, which she founded, and as a board member of the University of New Hampshire alumni group for young hospitality professionals. She supports the Children's Miracle Network through Marriott community events and attributes her success to hard work, daily self-improvement through podcasts and training, and self-reflection.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Meghan
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, taking everything one day at a time, consistently trying to better myself through podcasts, audiobooks, and training, and doing a lot of self-reflection on tough situations to learn and improve.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I received was to be resourceful and bring solutions to problems rather than just problems, with fact-based or resource-based background.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Have executive presence and confidence wherever you go, even if you have to pretend at first, because people will follow what you are doing. Shake the hand and have the conversation anyway.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is labor - getting quality applicants, no-shows for interviews, and retaining staff in a competitive market. Opportunities include navigating ever-changing travel patterns and seasonal factors like weather and wildfires affecting tourism.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I want to go home knowing I was a good person and did the right thing, making ethical business decisions even when challenging, and relying on my intuition and gut feeling to ensure choices are correct.
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