Miranda Small, MBA

I attribute my success first and foremost to my faith. Nothing I do is possible without my faith, because I know that I am only a vessel, and whatever God would have me to do and to serve is absolutely the start of my day and the end of my day. My faith grounds everything I do. I also believe that being genuine and authentic is essential. I want to be someone that people can see the heart and the passion in, and know that it's sincere and Christ-like. Beyond faith, I've been blessed to have what I call my women on my front row, a circle of about five women with different career paths who all share the same goal of being of service. We surround each other and lift each other up through our careers, and we show up for each other. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I received was from my Director of Sales back in 1999, who told me to imagine being the person I'm serving and to see myself in every guest. That perspective taught me to reach for the realistic portion of people's lives and focus on what is meaningful to them, which is what creates truly impactful service. I also understand the importance of restoration and self-care. At the end of each day, I do a mental release in my quiet place, whether that's on my patio or in my sanctuary at home with my jazz music playing. I meditate and let go of whatever heavy weight I've carried through the day so I can restore myself. I say to God, 'I decrease so that you can increase in me, remove anything that's not like you so that I can receive everything that is you.' In the morning, I say, 'God, have your way, that your will be done.' I'm very aware that my energy as a leader transforms and changes the lives of other people, so I want to be that person who has inviting energy, someone passionate who cares about what success looks like for my team. I can only be my best for others if I'm my best self for me first.

The best career advice I ever received came from my Director of Sales back in 1999. She told me to remember that I am the person I am working with, and to imagine being that person who is looking for someone in hospitality to provide a service that will create a memory. That advice stuck with me, and I thought about how whenever I go somewhere, I'm looking for an experience and I'm looking for someone that I can connect with who has passion for what I want. So that's what I provide when I work with people. I reach for the realistic portion of their life and focus on what is meaningful for them, and that is what's impactful. That perspective has stayed with me throughout my entire 28-year career. I want to provide what I would expect for myself, and seeing myself in every person I serve has transformed how I approach customer service and leadership.

My advice to young women entering the industry is to believe in yourself and believe in whatever your goals are. As I often say in my speaking engagements, whatever success looks like for you, find your purpose. I know that when I was going through college the first time, I didn't know what my purpose was, and I was lost. So I encourage young women to find their purpose and pray about what God will reveal to them regarding their talent and what their calling is. And once you discover that purpose, don't give up on it. Don't give up on that purpose, because that's what's going to be impactful. That is what's going to serve you best. Hold onto that determination, because your purpose is what will guide you to meaningful and fulfilling success.

The biggest challenge in the hospitality industry right now is finding reliable contract labor to assist with banquet service execution. We look for people from staffing companies to come in and help us execute events, because venues like convention centers and hotels with banquet services cannot carry that type of heavy labor cost on a permanent basis. The problem is that people don't show up and there's no accountability from those staffing companies that we source out to facilitate our events. I've noticed that after COVID, this became even more of a hardship. People became comfortable with not having to work while still receiving income, and now we're still struggling with people showing up and being accountable. It's hard to find qualified workers in the industry because all of us in hospitality, whether we're hoteliers or convention centers, are all pulling for that same limited resource. The most challenging portion of my job is that when you have to rely on outside services to provide a service internally and those people don't show up, you have to compensate for that. What we do is wear many hats, which sometimes means I've got on my business suit but I'm out there serving and executing with my staff to make certain that we deliver the service that the guest is expecting.

The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are rooted in my faith, which is absolutely everything to me. Nothing I do is possible without my faith, because I know that I am only a vessel, and whatever God would have me to do and to serve guides the start and end of my day. I also deeply value authenticity and being genuine. I want to be someone that people can see the heart and passion in, and know that it's sincere and Christ-like. Service is central to who I am. I have what I call my women on my front row, a circle of about five women with different career paths who all share the same goal of being of service. We surround each other and lift each other up through our careers, and we show up for each other. Giving back to the community is incredibly meaningful to me. I've been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for 22 years, which is one of the largest sororities worldwide with 325,000 business-educated women internationally. Through my sorority, I serve as one of the chairpersons for our annual Charm Clinic, where we teach young ladies ages [AGE] to [AGE] about etiquette, grooming, hygiene, how to apply for college, and how to become well-rounded women. For the last six years, I've also served on the board for the Gingerbread House, a nonprofit foundation that helps children who are victims of sexual assault. This is deeply personal to me because I was a victim of trauma myself, and once I learned about this resource and what it means for the community and the state of Louisiana, I knew I had to be a part of it. Being able to be part of something so life-changing and instrumental and impactful in the lives of our youth is so meaningful. I also serve on the board for the YWCA. Education is another core value for me, which is why I frequently accept speaking engagements at local colleges and organizations to talk about hospitality, tourism, leadership, and finding your purpose. At the end of each day, I practice gratitude and remember to stay in that grateful place, recognizing that so many people are going through devastating things that we can't change, and I don't want to carry something insignificant when people around me are going through something so significant.