Room for All - S1 E4 - Scott Bear, a young leader's perspective

Creating Inclusive Employment: Hotel Etico's Journey with Scott Bear

In this episode of 'Room for All,' hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell delve into inclusive employment for people with disabilities, featuring Scott Bear, General Manager of Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah. They discuss the success of Hotel Etico, a social enterprise providing career opportunities in hospitality, and highlight Scott's passion for inclusion influenced by his upbringing and experiences. Scott shares insights on starting the Young Hotel Leaders group, his professional journey, and the cultural shifts in the workplace prompted by inclusive hiring practices. The conversation also explores accessibility challenges in the hospitality industry and the importance of creating meaningful and inclusive guest experiences.

00:00 Introduction to Room for All Podcast

00:10 Meet the Hosts: Andrea and Saraya

01:51 Special Guest: Scott Bear

02:33 Scott's Journey in Hospitality

03:36 Young Hotel Leaders Initiative

07:38 First Impressions of Hotel Etico

14:42 Sam's Journey at Mercure Manly

18:28 Scott's Passion for Inclusion

28:33 Progress in Inclusion and Accessibility

29:12 Innovative Programs and New Hotel Builds

30:50 Impact of Inclusive Culture

33:00 Personal Reflections and Charity Work

35:53 Fundraising Challenges and Industry Support

37:47 Career Aspirations and Industry Insights

46:08 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Room for All Podcast
• 1:51 Special Guest: Scott Bear
• 2:33 Scott's Journey in Hospitality
• 3:36 Young Hotel Leaders Initiative
• 7:38 First Impressions of Hotel Etico
• 14:42 Sam's Journey at Mercure Manly
• 18:28 Scott's Passion for Inclusion
• 28:33 Progress in Inclusion and Accessibilityerspective on Industry Inclusion
• 29:12 Innovative Programs and New Hotel Builds
• 30:50 New Hotel Developments and Accessibility
• 30:54 Impact of Inclusive Culture
• 33:00 Personal Reflections and Charity Work
• 35:53 undraising Challenges and Industry Support
• 37:47 Career Aspirations and Industry Insights
• 46:08 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans

Transcript

Welcome to Room for All, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of inclusive employment and explore the power of creating opportunities for people with disabilities. I'm Andrea Comastri, CEO and co founder of Hotel Etico, Australia's first not for profit social enterprise hotel. And I am Saraya O'Connell, General Manager of Hotel Etico.

Together, we'll be your hosts as we talk about the importance of breaking down barriers in the workplace. We will have a particular focus on hospitality and other customer facing roles and how businesses can lead the charge toward inclusion. At Hotel Etico, we believe that everyone deserves the fair chance to succeed.

And we've made it our mission to not only provide jobs, but to build meaningful careers for people with disabilities. On this podcast, we will be sharing success stories, and inspiring conversations with industry leaders from the hospitality sector, the disability sector, other social enterprises, philanthropy, and of course, our own trainees, graduates, and staff.

Whether you're a business owner, an advocate for inclusion, or someone curious about the future of work. This podcast is for you. So come and join us at Hotel Etico, or as we call it, the Hotel California for the heart, a place where once you have checked in, your heart will never, never leave. So let's get started and open the doors for all.

Andrea: Okay. And we're rolling. and as usual, I've got my giggly co host with me. Welcome everyone. Welcome back to. The studio where we're recording Room for All, the inclusion in hospitality podcast. I'm here with my co host Saraya O'Connell. 

Saraya: Hi.

Andrea: How are you?

Saraya: Good. How are you?

Andrea: Good. My name is Andrea Comastri and we have today here with us our special guest, Scott Baer, how are you, Scott?

Scott: Very good, thank you for having me. 

Andrea: Welcome, welcome. 

Andrea: Um, do we want to disclose straight away that this is the second time we have Scott? 

Scott: Oh, I was going to pass over that

Andrea: . Because someone stuffed up?

Saraya: I would have made it very obvious. 

Andrea: All right, we, what do we do at Hotel Etico?

Saraya: Learn from our mistakes.

Andrea: Yes. Hopefully.

Saraya: Admit our failures.

Andrea: Yes.

Saraya: And that you're not very good at something.

Andrea: And move on. Welcome, Scott. Um, so I think we're going to just like jump straight into it, right?

Saraya: Yeah. 

Andrea: Scott, who are you? Who's Scott?

Scott: Who is Scott? Uh, Scott is currently the general manager at the Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah out in the Northern beaches. Um, who is Scott outside of his title? Scott is, um, uh, outgoing, sporty, loves to be outdoors, family oriented, uh, social, I guess, yeah.

Saraya: Butterfly?

Scott: Extrovert, sure, butterfly, spread my wings. Um, no, I, yeah, born in Sydney, grew up on the Gold Coast, um, went to school. 

Andrea: Another Queenslander almost.

Scott: No, blue blood. Yeah, everything's blue, but, um, came back down for uni, studied at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School just down the road. Um, did three years there and then headed out into the big world of, of hotels. So worked in the Park Hyatt in Sydney, over in London as well, uh, came back, did Sofitel Darling Harbour and now Mercure Manly Warringah. 

Andrea: So you're like 45 years of age or something.

Scott: 28. Close.

Andrea: 28.

Scott: Yeah.

Andrea: 28. Rising, rising quickly. and talking about your age, you, you're heavily involved in, in a group called the That you started, started yourself with a colleague.

Scott: I was a early joiner, um, Amelia Perez, uh, uh, another alumni from the hotel school that I met through. The school and also just the industry, uh, came to me about two 2022 May with an idea to create a group for young hotel leaders to connect the industry. Um, we often always learn from people who have been in the industry for 40 years and it's not really relevant anymore. It's great to hear their experiences, but we use technology now and, uh, self check ins and, uh, different. Algorithms and AI,

Andrea: there's no big book.

Scott: We don't use the maps and have to flick 20 pages. We just use Google maps these days. So and it's, um, we just wanted to find a space where people were comfortable to ask questions, learn from people and learn more about the industry. So, uh, we created young hotel leaders. Uh, it was a committee of six that we started with, but from all across the industry. So from development to real estate to yeah, brokerage. and um, it really opened my eyes up to what else is out there in hotels, not just operations. And, you know, out of the whole group, I was the only Operations representative. Uh, so it showed how big the industry is outside just purely hotels. So yeah, we host, uh, events, run clubs, um, we do conferences, panels, um, women leadership speaker series, um, we did uh, take the stage. So it allowed, uh, up and coming leaders to present CEOs, what their projects were and give them a bit of a space and a spotlight. So to. accelerate their careers, which has been pretty impressive to see some people who started with us in May 22 and where they are now so quickly, uh, not just because of the group, obviously, but, you know, to see those connections being built is quite

Andrea: It's such a generous industry, isn't it? 

Scott: Yeah.

Saraya: What's young, young, like what's the age limit?

Scott: Yeah, it's not age. Um, we've kind of actually started off as age and it was like under 35s and we kind of saw it as. restrictive, but also if we're talking about young hoteliers, you can be a young hotelier when you're 60, you know, you can, um, you can join a hotel for the first time.

Saraya: Are you holding on to the young or the hotelier part of that?

Andrea: The 60.

Scott: The 60. Um, so yeah, we target. Really, yeah, first and foremost, probably age, but, um, experience in the industry as well. I would always say that a 50 year old hotelier can learn more from a 24 year old than they can from a 60 year old. So, um, especially with the ever changing dynamic of the industry, you've, if you're not adaptive to change, you're not going to learn and move forward. And the youth have the perspective of climate change and different priorities that, you know, you see in politics nowadays. And they Relate that back to hotels. So, um, to not be on top of that is probably a burden to yourselves. So connecting with the young and learning as much as you can is what we created for

Andrea: great initiative. Saraya,

Saraya: am I young enough?

Scott: Uh, yeah, of course. You're a young general manager. We want you on board and learning, getting involved, but you know, you come from a different part of the industry that we haven't gained a lot of exposure to. And that's why I'd love to, uh, White shoulder connect with Etico and make sure that we are encapsulating everything that this industry delivers, not just, you know, the normal, like what's considered the norm. 

Saraya: What is considered norm? 

Scott: Well, it's changing now, which is great. Um, the norm was always just the typical running of a property, a five star property in Sydney and, or maybe even I'm getting ahead of myself, maybe the norm was just your basic bed and breakfast on the side of the road in Taree that. You stopped on your drive to the Queensland. So, um, norm is, is changing and it's changing for the better, which is exciting. 

Andrea: Yeah, it is a very dynamic industry.

Saraya: It's fast changing too.

Andrea: Absolutely. So you've been now. because of me, um, at the hotel a couple of times, um, what was your first impression of Hotel Etico? 

Scott: Uh, beautiful.

Saraya: And then second.

Scott: Yeah, second, uh, beautiful building. Like this place just carries so much history, uh, such a, like a landmark of the mountains in Mount Victoria. Um, and then you kind of see it from the outside and you're like, Oh, building pretty cool. A few ghosts probably, a few stories, a few tales.

Saraya: We literally track it. 

Scott: Yeah, but then you step in and you're like, wow, like, how homely do you feel? And not just, well, not just from the building itself, but from the people in it. And you walk through the restaurant and the bar. And, um, my first trip up here when we were having drinks and dinner, it was like, you just feel a part of something bigger than just a hotel and an operations. And you see the smiles on all the staff faces, but not just like the students, it's, it's, it's also the, you know, the the work support workers and the staff, uh, the kick that they get out of one of the team members going up and taking an order and kind of fist pumping himself that he nailed the order and he's going to go back to the kitchen and put it through properly. You know, when they get good feedback about their pasta and pizzas and it's like in your hotels down the city, you just don't get the same response and you don't see the value of a positive word.

Saraya: It is good here on a Friday.

Andrea: There's a great level of engagement. I mean, literally like you bump into guests and they just are so generous about the feedback that they give you about the experience that they've had. It's uh, it's, it's.

Scott: But it's not like. People sugarcoat it because of the social enterprise and because they feel like they have to, it's

Saraya: Oh, we get bad feedback sometimes, very rarely, but

Andrea: Very rarely. 

Scott: But people genuinely Like have a great time. And you read the guest book on departure and the amount of amazing comments.

Andrea: And they come everywhere today, the page on which it's open. 

Andrea: There's Germany, Dandenong, central coast, Victoria, uh, Sydney, everywhere. It's It's incredible.

Scott: I saw Japan. Osaka or Japan or Okinawa. It's like unreal.

Andrea: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Saraya: I do love the guestbook. 

Andrea: Yes. It's a, it's a great, um, yeah, keepsake. .Um, and, uh, all right. So second impression still, we're keeping up? 

Scott: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it just gets better and better, the experience and. The personalized care and, you know, it was, um, the room was great. Um, I was saying, I was at the hotel school just before and I was like, I have not had a comfier sleep. Like those mattresses are incredible and they're not too soft that you break your back and yes, chiropractor, but, uh, you just sink into it and you don't want to leave. 

Andrea: Very, very good. 

Saraya: Yeah, they are good. I like, I like, them when I sleep here.

Andrea: Have you always wanted to work in hospitality? You said like, you know, you went overseas, you had a bit of experience. I think. What sparked the interest in hospitality?

Scott: Yeah, I'm, I was always medicine, uh, through school with all sciences. Yeah. So I was, um,

Saraya: Dr. Scott,

Scott: Dr. Dr. Bear, you know, sounds like play school or something. Um, Yeah, I did like physics, chem, bio all through school and wanted to be a veterinary science, um, kind of marine biology side of things. Uh, my respiratory system doesn't allow me to scuba dive, so that kind of ended that career. Um, went over to Vegas on a school trip in year 11, a very private trip. Very unfortunate to have done that. So there was no party and it was very, uh, 17 years old, um, walking through the casino and we met the gM of the Mirage Casino in Vegas. And he just lit a fuse in my stomach that was like, wow, I gotta get involved. I've got to do this. Yeah.

Saraya: Have you gone back? 

Scott: No, no I haven't. I'm looking at a trip, uh, in July to go to Texas and through the young hotel leaders, one of the girls on the committee, she's from Texas and she wants us to go over for July, 4th of July. So I'm really trying to make that work.

Andrea: 4th of July next year is gonna be big in the US

Scott: Yeah.

Andrea: With what's been happening. 

Scott: So, um. haven't been back, but you know, just seeing him cirque du Soleil one night, you know, you've got a magician the other night and you've got bars, restaurants, casinos, lights, and people just so excited to arrive in that foyer and lobby. And the world awaits, um, To be able to Be responsible for creating that kind of feeling, uh, sparked my keenness and then, yeah, it just went from there, came back to Australia and realized we didn't have a Mirage casino in Sydney, but, um, more so, yeah, what I could do in my career that was probably not more meaningful because I think, you know, medicine and scientists, they save people's lives, but, you know, you can do that in hospitality. You can change someone's life by an experience that they have. And, um, yeah, it's what I've loved for the last 10 years doing. 

Andrea: Very good. Talking about nicknames, 

Saraya: don't you, and you will edit this out.

Andrea: There's a nickname going around here about Scotty. 

Saraya: I'll start naming your nicknames. Don't you dare. I will make you edit it out anyway.

Saraya: Like legit, like it's not valid.

Andrea: It's Scotty the hottie.

Scott: Oh.

Saraya: Sophie did warn me that you would put that on the podcast.

Andrea: Of course. But I had other plans as well, like, which I can't do now because ,I've been playing around with chat GPT, the, the voice one. .And that was bloody unbelievable. So I was saying, can you tell me some questions that I can ask Scotty the hottie? And she was going, Scotty the hottie? 

Saraya: This whole bit is being edited out.

Andrea: Ah, we'll see. I'll probably go in the, bloopers. 

Saraya: No, it fucking won't.

Andrea: Especially that bit. 

Scott: That's why she did it. 

Andrea: So Mercure Manly.

Scott: Hmm. 

Andrea: To us about the hotel. Do a bit of a plug for the hotel.

Scott: Yeah, uh, beautiful hotel in the Northern Beaches, Brookvale. Uh, so it's more Brookvale than Manly. Situated about 300 metres from, uh, the Brookvale Oval, the Seagulls home ground. Um, uh, We're 120 room property, new cafe called district, buffet breakfast, 24 hour in room dining. Um, and the hotel has just improved tenfold since I started. Uh, we took over from Travelodge in July 22. Uh, Salter Brothers bought 11 Travelodges and turned them all into a core properties and have put a fair bit of money into uplifting the quality. You know, it was average rates of 100, 105 for the Travelodge. Um, and. A lot of big groups, inbound agent operators, um, to now we're, we're FIT market. We have a lot of domestic travel, uh, free frequent independent traveler. So, uh, you can, you're casual guest. So, um, a lot of Western Sydney guests come in for a weekend in Manly to spend by the beach. Uh, we have a lot of groups still, but more sports groups, um, and we just pack out on game days. So yeah. Yeah. The property. It looks great. Uh, the team is fantastic. It's a tight knit team.

Saraya: I think you have a very good staff member.

Scott: We do. Yes. I don't like to point people out because I love all my staff and they're fantastic. 

Andrea: Tell us about this staff member.

Scott: This staff member in particular is Sam. Sam joined us, you know, it's like over a month ago, nearly.

Saraya: Six weeks probably

Scott: yeah. And Sam, um. Incredible, incredible guy. He's a great kid. He's, uh, passionate, bubbly. He brings a world of personality to our breakfast service. So he's a hotel all rounder. He does breakfast from 6. 30 till 10 and then he works in the maintenance department from 10 till 12, 10 till 11. Uh, we've got all new, uh, bark in our gardens now. Our lawns are looking fantastic.

Saraya: Yes I saw him doing it when we came to visit, I interrupted him. So I had to leave.

Scott: All looks great. He's done the lawns. He's doing the hedging, done the windows. Like the properties never looked better. And

Andrea: he uses the power tools and stuff.

Scott: Yep, So he's all over it. So he's, um, just a passionate, fun guy to be around. And he's brought a new spark to the team. I think, I think they See him around the hotel and. they want to hear his stories of the weekend and what he got up to and, uh, we had our staff celebration week. We call it hardest week with a call. 

Saraya: He was talking about it on the balcony this morning. 

Scott: Yeah, he's um, we, we, went down to the brewery, Buckety's, which is right near the hotel and, uh, Um, had a few, few scooners and got chatty and we stopped at McDonald's on the way home from McFlurry.

Saraya: He looked at me and I said, do you get a McFlurry? And he goes, he looked at me like, how do you know that? 

Scott: People talk. Did you see me there? So yeah. And today's his first day, official day up in Etico. 

Saraya: He has come, um, for the official training week, the RTO training week, but yeah, it took a lot to get him here into the program. Um, and the day has come. 

Scott: Yeah. I mean, Sam's such a, an amazing first for us because we, in every intake, we've had a trainee that secured open employment in industry before the graduation. Sam secured open employment even before we started. So it's been an amazing, um, experience. Amazing opportunity. And obviously now we're going to, to add to his training, to his experience, to his independent living. Because obviously hotel Etico is all about the independent living, uh, that goes with hospitality. So yeah, we're very, very excited to have him and his family part of the journey. 

Scott: Yeah, Every shift it's like, I'm nearly at Etico. I'm nearly going nearly there. I'll use sharpen a few skillsets and then I'll go up. And I was like, it's usually the other way around, Sam. Usually you sharpen it up there. And then 

Saraya: He is pretty onto it. When we came to visit, like, he was like, he knew everything. He was, I was like, I was pretty impressed.

Scott: Yeah, Well we did, uh, what was it, uh, yesterday? So it's Friday today, isn't it? Wednesday, he was on shift and we did 70 covers for breakfast. And for us, small hotel, that's quite, quite a lot. Sam ran it all himself. Like I was on a meeting at eight o'clock because I got pulled in with the owners and. He was like, yeah, I'm fine. I can do it. And I walked back out there. The place was spotless. People were smiling, no one was arguing. Chefs was like, yeah,

Saraya: you often have people argue over breakfast.

Scott: Oh, trust me, you know, when I cook no cook when I cook. It's, it's an argument. Um, but he was just all over it. And I just walked out there with so much like a calmness. Yeah, he's, he's got it covered, so.

Andrea: We're redundant.

Saraya: That's what we want.

Andrea: We're not needed.

Saraya: That's what we want.

Scott: It's the end goal, isn't it?

Saraya: It is the end goal.

Andrea: So, um, obviously you quite ahead of, of the curve, I suppose, but is the industry getting on board with inclusion? Well, 

Saraya: can I ask why you're ahead of the curve? Like, why do you have a passion for inclusion? 

Andrea: Good point.

Scott: So go you first?

Saraya: Yeah. Go me first. I should always come first.

Scott: Okay. Um, I have a passion from my early days, childhood, uh, parents influence mainly, uh, both my parents heavily involved in the disability sector, um, the inclusion community, dad, uh, quite heavily passionate about it. I mean, mainly for me, I grew up in junior school with one of my best mates, um, Angus. Um, he had a, um, mental disability and I guess, you It could have gone two ways in that sense. It could have gone at school and gone the whole push him aside and not give him much focus and time. 

Saraya: It happens a lot. 

Scott: It does happen and too much. And I think you see past the disability, you see the person for who they are and he was fun and exciting and genuinely curious about who we were as people and I was curious about who he was. built a great friendship and you kind of see how he was treated by externals and you kind of build a bit more of an empathy towards them and towards him especially and you know he was probably more of a lucky kind of experience through school, you know, he had a parent who was on the staff at school. So kind of was, um, not protected, but you know, no one was really going to be too dismissive of him during school, but you know, others aren't so lucky and have that kind of guidance. So yeah. Through those formative years, it was great to see him grow and come out of his shell and be successful in his own right. And now he's, um, down at, uh, where is he? He was at Warwick, um, working in a library, driving, like he's just, you know, 

Saraya: Normal.

Scott: Living life, you know, and yeah, but like he's normal either way, so just a different type of normal. So we, Yeah, I think through that we connected and I found a really passion for making sure that everyone was included in everything we did. And then dad introduced the Sony Foundation Children's Holiday Camp to our school when I was in grade nine. So I got to experience four days of looking after someone 24 seven. 

Saraya: You know, you say you're not a Queenslander, but you talk like a Queenslander. Grade. 

Scott: Yeah. Year, whatever. Mm-Hmm. .Um, and got to, yeah, take full-time care of, of someone with a disability and and my camper is what we referred, but ended up friend, um, had, uh, cerebral palsy, uh, was, you know, uh, confined to his chair at all times and, um, was also partially blind. So. Um, it kind of got everything loaded in on once. And, um, to come from a 17 year old kid who's hanging out with his mates and causing trouble on a weekend to four days only school holidays looking after someone 24 seven.

Saraya: It's hard work.

Scott: Well, it's just, you find a true appreciation for the parents big time firstly, because, you know, they. Didn't choose to have a child with a disability, but I am like in awe of people who do have a child with a disability and how much work they have to do and sacrifice, um, Because you love your kid either way, whatever they've got, you love them and you do anything for them. So those four days was an eye opening experience to, you know, it took us 20 minutes to get him changed into swimmers to go for a swim where he had a tantrum five minutes in and then 20 minutes to get back out of the pool because you didn't want to swim. So that's a 45 minute exercise. I jump in for a dip, jump back out. It's five minutes, you know, and it's all the extra planning and for foreseeing the future of how you need to get places. And, um, you know, we talk about accommodation and transport. What you have to plan because it's not as accessible as just jumping in a taxi. You've got to get a specific cab or, um, an Uber these days and whatnot. 

Saraya: And I don't think many Ubers actually are wheelchair accessible.

Scott: No, none. So you've got to, you're restricted and everything you do in life is restricted. So that was a huge eye opening experience. And then After school, dad, um, came up with a concept called Alvie. Uh, it's an application. I always refer to it as like Bumble BFF. Bumble BFF. Um, but for the disability community. Um, so you can jump on, you make a profile, um, you say your interests and you connect with, um,

Saraya: A few of our grads are on there now.

Andrea: Really? 

Saraya: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Andrea: That's awesome. 

Saraya: They've had some trouble making friends. 

Scott: Yeah. Because of what we recognised and, you know, it's easy for me to speak able bodied and able minded and whatever, but, um, Talking to people in the community, the biggest thing is loneliness and the lack of connection because the dismissive nature and not even dismissive nature, but probably too scared to approach and create a friendship because you avoid you saying the wrong thing. 

Saraya: A lot of people that take advantage of people with a disability. So it's really hard to make, um, good connections, 

Scott: safe space,

Saraya: safe is a key. 

Scott: Yeah. And this app. Um, you know, if you're under 18, you've got support work has access to your profile conversations. So you're not taking advantage of and, um, and it's, it's a great initiative that dad did. So I guess through all those examples, I'm passionate about the industry and now working in hotels. Everyone travels for a holiday, everyone needs a job, hotels combines both, from guest and staff access, so I have a privileged position where it's not my money that I get to spend, but it's my owner's and they're so supportive of it. And, um 

Andrea: How accessible is Mercure Manly? Physically? 

Scott: Yeah, It's Not perfect. And I definitely can, um,

Saraya: I think there's power in admitting that and people with a disability prefer you to say that 

Scott: we can do better.

Andrea: You've got some accessible rooms.

Scott: We've got six accessible rooms in the hotel, um, ground floor and second floor options. So we don't. restrict just disabled people to be in a ground floor room because it's easier for the hotel. 

Saraya: Yeah.

Scott: Um, so we open those opportunities up on high floors that we don't have views, but the whole concept is you have a better view and you're higher up and you get to go in the elevator instead of just be restricted to the ground floor of the hotel. And. um, yeah, I've had a look through our rooms and, you know, we've made changes to bench tops and probably uplifting our mattress bases so that, you know, bed frame lifts can get under the frame in the, under the, the base, um, and improve the quality of the bathrooms. I think when hotels are designed, it's very lax on. Disabled bathrooms and making sure, you know, Oh, we'll just chuck a rail in there and we'll 

Andrea: generally look like a hospital bathroom and people don't sort of connect with it. 

Saraya: If you don't know, you don't know. And every disability is different. So somebody's accessibility needs isn't. 

Andrea: Yeah, but you can make a bathroom look really attractive, even if it's not a hospital. Well, that's right.

Saraya: We like our front stairs aren't accessible, like nothing we can do about it, but 

Andrea: We are accessible. 

Saraya: we are accessible. but not the front door. 

Andrea: Yes. Unfortunately. But I mean, this is 150 years old hotel 

Scott: and properties are restricted, but the end goal is that every guest can have the same experience. Every guest can have the feeling of walking through that front door lobby and going, I'm in the hotel, not, you know, heritage buildings different, but a new build hotel, it needs to have that feeling. 

Saraya: Yeah, it really does. 

Scott: You don't want to pull up the front and the concierge turn around and be like, Oh, you've got to go around the other side to come through. 

Andrea: That's what we struggle with, but we do our best. Um, what about your reception desk? Is it tall desk? Do you have a lower desk? 

Scott: So we've got two desks for reception. So we've got the main reception, uh, we've got the cafe style, but now we've created a self checking port area, uh, where it is lower desk self service, but also assisted service as well. So. Um, yeah, there's definitely what you've got to consider. And again, everyone should have the choice of, I want to check in at the proper desk or I want to do it myself. 

Andrea: And do you promote it? Do you advertise it? Do you sort of detail it on your website or things like that? What accessibility features you've got?

Scott: We've got the accessibility options for the rooms. Um, I kind of sit on the fence with it because. You want to get to the point where it's normal. So you shouldn't feel that you have to say, we have an accessible front desk. We have a successful option. They should be able to walk in and expect that that's, that's what they're going to get. And they should be more so surprised that we don't have it.

Andrea: Told you he's ahead of the curve.

Saraya: He is ahead of the curve. 

Scott: You know, it's, we, our building was built in 2000 where transparently it wasn't much focus on disability accommodation. 

Andrea: I suppose the problem is that, I mean, I think people with disability. Expect that, um, hotels are not as accessible as they should be or, or, or it, because it's all very personalized, it's, you know, it depends what accessibility means to to a person. Um, I wanna, I'm looking at Mercure Manley and I want to know what their accessibility features are. And so the advice that we always get that we, you know, from, from industry is that just show us, just tell us, let me look, make me look, maybe see what it is and, and then I'll be the judge. 

Scott: A hundred percent. And then you choose if it's the right place for you. And if it's not, then that's the business's fault because like, if you don't have the option, you're the, for better words, you're the idiot for not providing better accommodation and you're losing business. On a sale. 

Andrea: Yeah, of course.

Scott: It's just like. Pools, uh, hotel doesn't have a pool. You're missing out on people who are looking for pools. So it's, you know. 

Andrea: Well fortunately you've got owners that have got the means. 

Scott: Fantastic owners. 

Andrea: The means and the vision. 

Scott: Yeah. And they implement those changes. For not a revenue driving purpose. for, for an experience purpose. And I think that's the big difference. You know, you don't want an owner that looks at everything and goes, how can we make money out of it? And they will, because it's a business, but it's how can you do something better than what you're doing just for the sake of doing it. 

Andrea: And so what about the rest of the industry? So going back to my original question, that's okay. No. Um, so where do you think the industry is at from a young leader's perspective? Do you see. Um, changes in, in, in inclusion in, yeah. 

Scott: Yeah. I think it's, it's heading in the right way. It's not close to being there, but you've got major companies like Accor, Marriott, whatnot, setting targets now and making sure that it's a prominent focus

Saraya: as long as it's not a tick box, 

Scott: Well, that's where the. Blurred lines get to, and that's with any KPI that you said, you know, when we talk about gender diversity, we talk, it's, so it's not just restricted to, um, the disability community. It's anytime you set a target, there are blurred lines on, did they deserve the job or was it, you know, a tick, 

Andrea: but it's, it's useful to push the boundaries and 

Scott: it gives people the focus. So, you know, um, our portfolio is fantastic. We have a people with purpose program where we, uh, Actively seeking people with disadvantaged upbringings. So whether it's with a disability or whether it's Indigenous background or homelessness, where we can provide opportunities to employ or give a different kind of perspective, if it's, we focus on them from an accommodation standpoint. So, um, that's really exciting to see, um, the new build of hotels. I think that's where we're going to see how forward the hotel industry is. You've got, um, waldorf Astoria coming into Sydney in a couple of years. You've got, I'm not calling them out, but, um, they should be probably the market leaders for accessible accommodation because 

Saraya: you're not calling them out?, 

Scott: um, but they've got every opportunity. They've got the resources, you know, the St. Regis or Ritz Carlton going into the Gold Coast, the Mondrian green built on the Gold Coast. All these properties that coming in now, they're new builds, they don't have, you know, you guys are restricted. It's a heritage building. You can't do much legally with it. You know, these are an opportunity to build a foundation and yes, it's. You know, we're going to be one of the top hotels in the country, so why not be the top in every category and lead it. 

Andrea: So, and that's obviously about the environment and the build, then there's the people. 

Scott: Yeah.

Saraya: There's a lot more to accessibility than just, 

Andrea: yeah, that's right. So, I mean, that's almost an essential, you know, like a condition, but. You know, you can have all the accessibility in the world that you want, but if then the culture and the processes and 

Andrea: well, a hundred percent, I've seen it from my side, introducing Sam into the team, just how much of a shift that's made. And yeah, it's, it's really interesting. You have someone on shift, safe example, on breakfast, one of our old long term employees, they just left to do their job. We've got Sam out there. Have we checked on Sam? How's it going? Yeah, cool. Breakfast is right. I'm just going to jump out for half an hour. I'm going to help as well. Try and get some more people involved and what they should have been doing a year ago, they're naturally doing now because they want to be there. They want to see it happen. They want to support and see him succeed. Like that's all that we want to do. 

Saraya: There's a massive culture shift. 

Scott: Massive. And it's great to see, like. What you guys are doing as well, that it's not just to get these graduates out and employ, but it's also an education piece and it's educating the employer, how to employ better, how to train better, how to talk better. You're like, don't be scared. Just say, how do you, how can I help? How can I make your job easier? Like, just be up front. It's not a scary thing to say, because I say it to my staff who have been working for 10 years, but, you know, with Sam, does he prefer the lights to be a little bit more dimmed because it could be too bright for him in the lobby, or do we turn the music down a little bit more because it's overwhelming, and does he want to sit outside for five minutes during his shift just to soak in the fresh air? Like, things that You've just got to ask the question. Cause I don't know what his preferences are. I met him six weeks ago, but you learn and it's been inquisitive. 

Saraya: And there's so much you can do. Yeah. There's so much you can do. 

Andrea: Fantastic. Yeah. I think I always say that our industry is really encouraging in terms of the appetite they've got to this. That's, and I said, it moves a little bit slow, but it's, it's, um, 

Saraya: everything moves slow, 

Andrea: yeah, but it's, um, yeah, really inspiring. We were really, really excited about it. so yeah. Well done. Other questions? All right. Talk about Alvi.

Saraya: I had heaps, but now they're gone. Now. 

Andrea: no, tell us, um, you did something pretty brave a couple of days ago again for charity reasons. 

Scott: Yeah. Uh, jumped out of a plane. So that was with a shoot. Oh yeah, luckily the shoot on someone else did, I was quite closely attached to them. It's, uh, it's almost uncomfortable how tight you are against them.

Saraya: So when I did it, what I found the most uncomfortable is, you know, when you scoot to the door, cause I was right at the back of the plane and, but they lift you up and scoot you to the door. It was very tight. 

Scott: Yeah, It was, um, 

Saraya: very interesting experience.

Scott: Incredible though. Like just, it's one of those like life changing activities, I think. I think. Parachute doesn't work. Yeah. Um, But, I think doing it and then afterwards I kind of re evaluated a lot personally, like you reflect I think internally, and, um. 

Saraya: What, after you nearly die? 

Scott: Yeah, but like, you have that thrill and that adrenaline that goes through you and you kind of, I don't know why, but like I sat there that night and I was Like, am I, am I happy? No, no, the after, yeah, yeah, and I was like, am I happy in what I do? Yeah. Like, do I want to do something else? do something bigger? And yeah, it was, it was really cool. But like the thrill of that first 50 seconds of free fall is like the most incredible feeling in the world. And you fall so quickly and then you get through the clouds and you see the ground. And that's when I started to shoot myself. Oh, the beach and it's beautiful and Wollongong, amazing. How long is the time 

Andrea: between the opening of the shoot and the landing?

Scott: Um, I think the opening of the shoot and the landings about two and a half minutes of just floating down and then the free falls, yeah, just under a minute.

Andrea: So you fall about three minutes.

Saraya: It's worth it. It's the best thing you'll ever do. You'll do it. Yeah. 

Andrea: I know.

Saraya: I'm going to make you jump out of that plane.

Andrea: I think I've committed already. 

Scott: Yeah. Oh, you got to do it. I lost all my hair doing it. So 

Andrea: I'm already ahead myself. 

Scott: Yeah, that's all right. But yeah, no, we did it for, um, the children's cancer institute. Um, so we do something every year for them, which was great. So just raise money and awareness. I think, you know, everyone does charity events to raise money, but I think the important thing is the awareness. So, um, I really try to utilize LinkedIn to share the message more. So, um, yes, it's great to get donations and you know, funding helps research and whatnot, but yeah, sending the message and getting the conversation going and that's with everything. So when you guys. You know, featuring on channel seven and channel nine lately has been incredible because people have been able to hear the message and see it. It's not just reading an article, but you know, seeing, was it Reggie, um, in action making in the hotel and seeing the impact he has on the guests is, you know, people look at it and go, Oh, I'll go check that out. 

Saraya: And we had somebody today,

Andrea: this morning was checking out and they said, Oh yeah, we'll just. 

Saraya: Saw you on Channel seven

Andrea: and we go on channel seven. That's awesome. Weekend. And we loved it. And amazing. Very good. Well, so I'm gonna throw a challenge at you. So instead of, I mean, every

Saraya: off script

Andrea: every raising, every fundraising reasons is, is, is, um, you know, uh, uh, obviously needed, but we need the industry to see us as the recipient of possible raising fundraising opportunities. 

Scott: Mm-Hmm.

Andrea: So. Next time we jump off a plane, jump, jump off a plane for us. Do a plane or let's do, 

Saraya: would you do it again? 

Andrea: Let's do something in industry.

Scott: I'll do it again. Yeah. But I think I've got to do something different.

Saraya: You can do the glass thing with me at Scenic World.

Scott: Yeah. I'll pass. But , you lemme know how that goes.

Andrea: I, I, I'm serious about, for example, the young leaders. Yeah. Young leaders, right? Mm-Hmm. .What best way for a group of young leaders in the, in, in the industry to, to come up with a fundraising activity? That supports

Scott: the industry

Andrea: the industry through Hotel Etico, I think. So

Saraya: now he's got to do it because you told him to do it.

Scott: And now I'm on camera. 

Andrea: So yeah, that's my challenge to you. We, I mean, 

Scott: that's a great idea. 

Andrea: We are a charity. 

Saraya: That's a way to get people to do things for you. Just lock them in on camera. 

Andrea: That's right. Lock them in. 

Scott: No, that's good. I completely agree. And I think when we first initially connected, it was more around YHL Um, the employment side of things with the hotel. So yeah. 

Andrea: And the pull you've got in the industry, it's just, you know, amazing. And people can't say no. 

Andrea: No, they can't. Yeah. 

Saraya: They can. 

Scott: Went through a good cause. No. 

Saraya: We just don't take no for an answer. 

Andrea: Not to Scotty the hottie.

Scott: Oh God.

Saraya: You aren't editing that f ing out. Not funny. 

Scott: Very good. Um, running as well? Are you running? 

Scott: Yeah, we'll do the Run Club with YHL, so it's another form of activity, get people out and get around. 

Saraya: Andrea's back to 10 Ks.

Scott: 10Ks.

Andrea: Yeah. We're back. 10Ks now. Yes. I mean, that's

Saraya: From what? 150?

Andrea: 150. Yes. That's the Yeah. Yeah. So I've got a little bit to go. But Yeah.

Scott: But yeah, no, running, um, I'm training for a marathon for next year. And, um, I think

Andrea: The Sydney one?

Scott: The I'm going to do the Gold Coast.

Andrea: Okay. Yeah. The Sydney's not part of the major marathon. 

Scott: Yeah. It's a major one, which is great. So, uh, that's in September. So I might

Andrea: It's still 42 kilometers, 195 meters. 

Scott: Yeah, correct. So, um, I think running is a great way of, it's that and golf for me, that is where I disconnect from everything and just kind of relax. I mean, golf can ruin your day and it's just a very infuriating sport when you don't hit it straight. It's a really simple task. You swing, you hit a ball, should go straight, but it doesn't. So at least running, I can't go off track usually. 

Saraya: You could fall over. Yeah. Could trip. Thanks again. 

Scott: Have not yet.

Andrea: I run on trail, so it's more dangerous. 

Saraya: But I remember my question. Andrea asked Mariella on the last episode, why hire somebody with a disability,

Andrea: which is probably the next episode actually, rather than the last episode. 

Saraya: But yes, that's because you stuffed up the recording. But why not? Like I say, why not hire somebody with a disability? Why do you think people should? 

Scott: Well, it shouldn't be a question 

Andrea: like that was the same answer.

Scott: It's not. 

Saraya: I agree. It shouldn't even be a question. Then I've got no more questions. 

Andrea: Because we, 

Scott: sam would have been hired if he came through Etico or not. Like he interviewed really well. He showed a passion. He showed an area for development. Steph Lopesi our director of HR, she's fantastic. And Etico's biggest supporter. Um, 

Saraya: she's coming up.

Scott: Is she? 

Saraya: Yeah. 

Scott: Oh, without me. Okay. 

Saraya: Yeah. Um. I told her not to bring you again. 

Scott: Yeah. She just said, yeah, he's hired. Like, I wasn't unfortunately there for the interview, I was overseas, no, I was in Melbourne. 

Saraya: Unfortunately. Weren't you on holidays? 

Scott: Yeah. I would love to have interviewed Sam. Um, and I just got the text saying, hi, do you want It wasn't, Oh, consider this and, Oh, do you have the support for him? It was just hired and make it happen. 

Saraya: She has great passion. 

Andrea: One thing, one thing that, um, you know, I always worried about that interviews. I mean, interviews don't work for the majority of employees. 

Saraya: She did a walking interview. 

Andrea: It's always a bit of a, bit of a gamble anyway. It can be a great interviewer, but yeah, it can be a horrible employee and vice versa. 

Saraya: I think there are skills in learning the interview process. We teach all of that. 

Andrea: Yes, absolutely. There needs to be some innovative way. At the recruitment stage, um, to understand, um, uh, whether the person, cause for the majority that our trainees, our graduates have, um, autism or other disabilities where communication can be a bit of a problem where social skills can be a bit of a problem. 

Saraya: You don't make a great first impression.

Andrea: Yes, And you know, it's stressful. 

Scott: Yeah. I think it's, uh, HR departments at hotels need to change how they, And advertise their jobs and change job descriptions to make sure that they're more appealing. And someone from Etico with autism or whatever it is, can look at it and go, I can see myself in that role. And a lot of the time with the JDs, they can't, so they don't even try.

Andrea: I've been, I've been fantasizing about flipping it on its head and having the HR person come and visit here, see them in action. Don't even have to say anything, see them in action. 

Scott: We call it a career expo day, come up every quarter, HR managers, welcome, 

Andrea: but you see them in the element, right? Which is familiar. so they're a little bit comfortable. 

Saraya: We do the videos. We do video resumes,

Andrea: but there's nothing like the real thing, 

Scott: but the interviews have changed over time where it's less. Um, question answer, and it's just having a conversation again to know them and especially more so at leading level roles like frontline roles, I don't ask, give me an example when or, you know, give me three strengths, three weaknesses under advisement. It's just, where'd you grow up? What are your interests? What do you love? you know have you, what's your favorite restaurant? because that's the conversation they're going to have with the guests. and that's, yeah. 

Saraya: What is your favorite restaurant? 

Scott: My favourite restaurant? 

Saraya: Yeah.

Scott: Bistecca. It's a alleyway down in Wynyard, you walk in there, it's a bar out the front, as you walk into the restaurant, you get your phone taken off you, they put in a lockbox.

Saraya: Ooh, I would really like that. 

Andrea: You know what bistecca means in Italian? 

Saraya: No. 

Andrea: Steak. 

Saraya: I would like it even more.

Andrea: Well the only main on the menu? Steak. So you've got a thousand sides but they have one cut of steak and you just say how much. 

Saraya: Dude, no phone and steak? 

Scott: Yeah. But the coolest thing about it, the candle on the table is actually butter. So as it burns you dip your bread in it. Splash! It's incredible. Yeah. I was blown away. So that's my favourite restaurant. 

Andrea: Amazing. 

Scott: Check it out. Very good. 

Saraya: I will be going. 

Andrea: And, what's your favourite drink?

Scott: I don't know. Um, it's tosses up between Negroni and an old fashioned, and it depends what I'm feeling and how manly I'm trying to feel, you know, on a first date, I'll get an old fashioned. Um, no, it's, uh, yeah, I'm not, I don't drink beer. Um, I actually found out a month ago, I'm kind of allergic to hops, so, and it doesn't sit well in the stomach. So yeah, I love a bit of a cocktail gin tonic. 

Saraya: I can't drink gin. Can't do the gin and tonic. I've tried. Andrea. I made me try. 

Scott: What about tequila? I know Soph, you guys probably just absolutely had a field day last night on tequila. 

Saraya: She really did actually. That was, um, I can't do tequila and I can't do black Sambuca booker ever. That's not being edited out Soph, I love you, but it's not coming out. 

Andrea: And, um, so. Five years down the track, where's, Scotty? 

Saraya: Andrea is very good at tequila. Apparently. 

Andrea: Yes, used to be. 

Saraya: It's Scott. 

Andrea: Where's Scott in five years time?

Scott: Where's Scott? Um. 

Andrea: What's your ambition? 

Scott: Five years, the ambition is to be a general manager in an overseas property. Uh, whether that's a four or five star hotel. 

Saraya: In Vegas? 

Scott: Maybe not Vegas, maybe Southeast Asia. Um. Hmm. If I'm being realistic with myself, yeah, it'd be probably like a Mercure Pullman Novotel kind of range, uh, 200, 300 rooms conferencing in F& B, um, either that or, uh, 2IC in a luxury hotel, uh, either one, I think my next step, uh, is probably a category of hotel up like a, like an Novotel kind of brand, uh, a bit more F& B offering larger rooms, get that experience and then head over, you know, my career has, you know, Fast track so quickly, it's been an exponential kind of climb.

Andrea: It's the best industry for that. 

Scott: Exactly.

Andrea: I said it before that I sort of discover it so late that for me now, it's sort of too late, but. 

Saraya: Too late. 

Andrea: well, 

Saraya: You're not dying, you're in your 50s. 

Andrea: I know, but you can go anywhere, you can travel anywhere and you can aspire already, you know, at your age. Yeah. I want to do this. I want to do that. And it's very doable. Yeah, it is. Work hard and you know, capable, 

Saraya: but I think, yeah, people need to stop looking at hospitality as jobs. Their careers. They really are. 

Andrea: It's incredible. 

Scott: You can climb so quickly, but I think it's important 

Saraya: to take your time

Andrea: to pace yourself. 

Scott: Yeah, So I think these next few steps will be a stop. enjoy it, learn, develop, develop other people. I get a massive kick out of seeing people that I've been a leader of become my, the same, you know. You know, I just had a assistant manager become an FOM, um. Like it just gets such a 

Andrea: FOM, for our listeners,

Scott: Front Office Manager

Saraya: So many acronyms, 

Andrea: we, we, we work across so many industries. You know, if we start with a disability acronym, people won't know what we're talking about.

Saraya: Sometimes I have to check myself with that. 

Scott: You learn it at the Paralympics, you see all the acronyms, you can get better, but yeah,

Andrea: that's right. That's right. Great. Very good. Well, good luck with that. I know that you get there. Uh, and yes, it's a marathon, not a sprint. 

Scott: That's it. 

Andrea: Yeah. Very, very good. 

Saraya: Marathon runner. 

Scott: Marathon runner. 

Andrea: Yeah. Never been a fast runner. 

Saraya: Wait, is it? No, it's ultra marathon runner. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. That's, yeah. He's too young for ultra marathon. It's for, you need patience. 

Scott: It's an art. 

Saraya: You're not good at art? 

Andrea: It's a realisation you can't run fast and so you run slow and long. 

Scott: Yeah. 

Saraya: We're out of time. 

Andrea: I think we've covered what we wanted to cover. Is there anything else that you would like to 

Saraya: What did we talk about last time that we missed? 

Scott: Uh, no, I just want to like acknowledge the work that you guys do. I think Etico has made a huge stamp in the industry and in Sydney, Australia, especially so small, but like, and there's so much more that's going to happen over these next, like for you guys over the next couple of years, what you're going impact on this industry is exciting. And. It's not just an an operational revenue, it's changing the culture of what we do and why we do it. 

Saraya: So, yeah, we had this conversation the other day, like, I mean, effectively we're only three years old and we've done 

Andrea: four, 

Saraya: four,

Andrea: four, 

Saraya: three, three for me, three next week for me, 

Scott: You guys opened here on my birthday. Yeah. 5th of June, 2021. 

Andrea: Uh, that was the official opening. Yeah. I mean, we opened on the 4th of November, just a few days ago, four years ago. Yeah. But then the official opening was on the 5th of June and then they locked us down. 

Scott: Yeah. 

Andrea: So, uh, but yeah. But cool. We're very excited by what's ahead. Um, it's a lot of bloody work, but it's, uh, very, very exciting. It's worth it. Yes. 

Saraya: It is worth it. 

Andrea: We'll be everywhere around the country. 

Scott: Good. 

Andrea: And, um, we'll, wherever you're going to be, maybe not in Southeast Asia ourselves, maybe our colleagues from overseas. 

Saraya: Or in Italy, wherever we're at. You can start an Etico in South East Asia.

Scott: I'll do an Etico. 

Andrea: We need champions like you in the industry, so. We know that we've got an ally now. So, well with that, thank you, Scott. 

Scott: Thank you. 

Andrea: Thanks for coming. And, uh, thank you, Saraya. 

Saraya: You're welcome. 

Andrea: Thanks everyone. Uh, who's been listening and watching. 

Saraya: What are we up to now? You've been monitoring the downloads. 

Andrea: The latest update is that just after a few days after we launched fourth, yeah, three or four days ago. Uh, we've got 70 downloads, um, lots of followers, um, and so, you know, it starts small, but I think it's really exciting. We keep refreshing, refreshing to see how many we've got. It's like, yeah, we've got another one. 

Saraya: There's a telly in our group chat.

Andrea: Yes. So, thank you, thank you, thank you very much for the support. Keep spreading the message. And, um, let's make room for all. 

Saraya: And keep fighting for inclusion.