Room for All

Room for All - S1 E7 - Samantha Cox

• Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell • Season 1 • Episode 7

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Customer Service and Guest Experience - Featuring Samantha Cox

In this episode of 'Room for All,' Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell, hosts from Australia's first social enterprise hotel, Hotel Etico, dive into the world of inclusive employment. They discuss the importance of creating opportunities for people with disabilities, particularly in customer-facing roles within the hospitality industry. Joined by Samantha Cox, former EA to Sir Richard Branson and founder of Samantha Cox International, they explore leadership, guest experience, and the impactful training provided at Hotel Etico. Through inspiring conversation and practical insights, this episode showcases how businesses can lead the charge toward inclusion and build meaningful careers. Tune in for a heartwarming discussion filled with personal stories, valuable takeaways, and a touch of fun.

00:00 Introduction to Room for All Podcast

00:10 Meet Your Hosts: Andrea and Saraya

00:35 Mission and Vision of Hotel Etico

00:47 Podcast Content Overview

01:33 Starting the Episode

01:45 Casual Morning Banter

02:31 Introducing Samantha Cox

03:40 Samantha's Early Life and Travel Adventures

07:16 Career Journey: From UK to Australia

09:29 Working with Richard Branson

10:44 Life on Necker Island

24:35 Leadership Insights and Lessons

26:04 Leading by Example: The Core of Leadership

26:46 Empathy in Leadership: A Strength, Not a Weakness

27:48 The Importance of Honest Feedback

28:39 Authenticity and Vulnerability in Leadership

30:41 The Loneliness of Leadership

31:23 First Impressions and Customer Service

33:36 Enhancing Guest Experience: Practical Changes

38:16 Continuous Improvement and Team Engagement

43:47 The Unique Value of Hotel Etico

49:03 Wrapping Up: Reflections and Future Plans



Andrea: Okay. And we're rolling. We are back in the studio of Room for All, the inclusion in hospitality podcasts. My name is Andrea Comastri and I'm here with my co host, Saraya O'Connell.

Saraya: Hi, good morning.

Andrea: How are you?

Saraya: Good. How are you?

Andrea: I'm good. Have you had your coffee?

Saraya: Uh, Chris is meant to be delivering me one.

Andrea: But you've had one already.

Saraya: I've had one. I don't know how far that's going to get you.

Andrea: In your takeaway cup.

Saraya: Um, okay. [00:02:00] Already it's starting. The takeaway cup is essential because I can't drink coffee that fast.

Andrea: But surely you can sacrifice for the turtles of this world.

Saraya: But then I leave half a coffee sitting at the table. I'll tell you what, I will bring my keep cup. From now on, my Yeti, and then will you get off my back?

Andrea: For that? Yes. Um,

Saraya: good morning.

Andrea: Good morning. Uh, the first time we were recording in the morning, I think.

Saraya: Yeah. Yeah.

Andrea: We're here for another exciting episode of Room for All. Today we have with us a very special guest, like all other special guests. Um, her name is Sam Cox. Samantha Cox.

Andrea: Do you go by Sam or Samantha?

Samantha: It varies. It can be Sam. It can be Samantha. It can be Sammy. But normally it's Samantha Cox.

Andrea: Okay. Samantha Cox.

Samantha: For business reasons. But friends call me Sam. Sam. So please call me Sam

Andrea: Sam. Welcome.

Samantha: Good morning.

Andrea: How are you?

Samantha: I'm great. How are you?

Saraya: You are definitely a morning person.

Samantha: I am indeed. It's quite annoying, isn't it?

Saraya: No, I like, you know what? You bring out the [00:03:00] best in me in the morning and I'm not a morning person. Cause you're just happy.

Andrea: I like to see Sam ones like completely smashed with no energy. I've never seen you.

Saraya: Yeah. I've never seen you without energy.

Samantha: Well, that's a good thing.

Saraya: I think it's an amazing,

Samantha: it's a good thing for what I do. And you know, I'm sure it probably annoys some people, but 

Saraya: it doesn't annoy us.

Samantha: Having good energy and high vibes is fun.

Saraya: And I think you bring out the best in everyone.

Andrea: And you've got the great accent. So everyone loves an English accent. Um, Who is Samantha Cox? That's our first question that we ask everyone. I mean, we changed the name.

Saraya: It's a very,

Samantha: I was going to say, if you catch more than one Samantha Cox. That could be scary.

Saraya: All of them. Um, it's a very intense question though.

Samantha: It is because I think, you know, At the age of 45 now, Samantha Cox, when she was 10 and then 20 and 30 and 40, you know, has been evolving, um, changing, um, as you can tell from my English accent, I wasn't born here in Australia. Um, and I really

Andrea: Where were you born?

Samantha: I was born in the UK in a place called Bristol.[00:04:00] 

Andrea: Bristol.

Samantha: So southwest.

Andrea: On the beach.

Samantha: Not really on the beach, it's on the coast.

Andrea: That's Brighton.

Samantha: Yes, that's Brighton. Yes. You can, where we grew up, you could see the beach. Um, but I Very much love the fact that I'm English and people say to me all the time the amount of people say to me here still in Australia, oh you're on holiday and I'm like no no I've been on and off living in Australia for the last 25 years, um, but I think my English accent is still pretty strong.

Saraya: Very strong, yeah. It's great.

Samantha: So yes, so I was born in the UK um, I, as a very young child, I think if you were to ask my parents, I always had the travel bug. We were very lucky. We got to go to the south of France on most of our summer holidays camping And I was adamant by time. I was 18. I wanted to work for one of these camping companies Um working in that tourism sector and so at the age of 18, that was it I packed my bags got a job with key camp holidays and moved to a place called the Vendée in France And that was my first, you know initial

Saraya: Living out of home and you moved countries?

Samantha: Living out of home and [00:05:00] moved countries.

Saraya: Unbelievable.

Samantha: And I think, you know, for me, I always knew that I was going to be doing things traveling because at the age of 16, we'd gone to Greece on holiday and I, with my family, and I'd said to my mum, if I worked in the pub all summer, could I go back to Greece on my own?

Samantha: And she said, you know, if you earn the money, of course you can. And I don't think she thought that I would do it. And I worked every shift in the pub, waitressing. And at the end of the summer in England, so the end of, um, August beginning of September, I flew to Rhodes Island, Greece on my own for a week's holiday, the age of 16.

Samantha: Absolutely shit myself, but had the time of my life. And I think from then on, it, you know, it was just who part of my makeup, part of my DNA. I was always looking for adventure. I loved going on adventures. Meeting new people. 

Andrea: Once you open the travel can.

Samantha: That's it. Yes. Um, so yeah, so you know, that was my start of traveling and then I lived in France.

Samantha: I then had a job in Greece, all within that tourism hospitality sector. I love looking after people. I love meeting new people. 

Andrea: What were you doing?

Samantha: So I was a, [00:06:00] The name of my role when I worked for key camp, I was a courier. Um, so basically greeting guests on arrival to the campsite, showing them to their tents and making sure that they had a great holiday checking in with them every day.

Samantha: You know, they would come and see me to book tours and trips. So very much within the tourism and hospitality world, but just an old way, I guess, of doing it compared to how it's done now. We obviously don't have the tech, we didn't have the technology then, um, but still very much in that.

Saraya: So you had to like, to book somebody in for a tour, like it's all phone paper.

Samantha: Absolutely. You know, you'd get your little docket to say that you're on the seven o'clock bus to the beach tomorrow. Um, but very much a case of being around people and delivering experiences. Um, and then in Greece, I did the similar, I worked for, It was like 18 to thirties holiday company. And as you can imagine,

Saraya: that would've been wild.

Samantha: It was extreme odd.

Saraya: That would've been wild.

Samantha: And I was only 19, you know, and I was this five foot tiny little thing greasing some of these much older people than me who were, you know, on these holidays to have, you know, de bores [00:07:00] adventure. Um, and

Saraya: you joined the adventure, right?

Samantha: I just loved it. I just loved being around different people and then living in Greece was amazing.

Samantha: Um, and then I kind of thought I should. Try and do something a bit more serious with my life. And my mom was in recruiting, so she ended up getting me a job with Toyota. So I then kind of said, I'll go back to the UK for a couple of years, but that really didn't last long because I just couldn't fathom the fact of being, I was actually an admin.

Samantha: Um, I was in, um, Admin secretary, I guess I was only young, um, but working for, um, Toyota and their import center, which I loved, you know, at the age of 20, I was driving a brand new car and, you know, thinking that I had all the money in the world and, but the, the travel bug just wouldn't let go. Um, and then at the age of 23, that was it.

Samantha: I was packing my life up in the UK and coming to Australia thinking that I was going to come for 12 months on a tourist visa and, um, ended up. Getting a permanent residency and kind of been on and off living in Australia for the last 25 years. 

Andrea: And what did you do in Australia for work or?

Samantha: So I became an [00:08:00] ea pa um, so I was an EA for, um, a trading company in Brisbane, um, which was fun 'cause it was me and 12 guys who trade.

Saraya: How good Brisbane though.

Samantha: Oh, Brisbane's a great, great city.

Saraya: It's a so underrated city. It is the best city I would have to say. Like Sydney's. Cool and all, but Brisbane, it's my favorite city in Australia.

Samantha: And it was great. And people said to us, Oh, why did you first move to Australia? Why did you first move to Brisbane?

Samantha: And it was a case of, I had a school friend living there. And so it was a case of, why don't we go and see them? And yeah. I had a couple of different temporary roles, but very much in that secretarial EA roles. And I worked for a trading um, that company who traded out energy. And then I got a job with Virgin Blue, which is now Virgin Australia.

Samantha: And I was EA to the chief operating officer, a crazy German guy called Stefan. Um, but again, very much in that world of looking after people and you know, the admin world and being organized. Um, 

Saraya: I feel like you're a very organized person. 

Samantha: [00:09:00] Well, I am, but I was late for breakfast this morning, which disappoints me.

Saraya: You weren't late.

Andrea: You were 15 minutes earlier on the time that you thought it was.

Samantha: Yeah, I thought it was 8. 30. Yeah. Um, I'm sure you said that to me last night, but anyway. 

Saraya: That's a possibility.

Samantha: Yeah. Who knows? I am an organised person.

Saraya: I could have said 8. 30 and Andrea could have said 8. 

Andrea: Yeah, I said 8. Yeah,

Saraya: I probably said 8.30. So you probably weren't late.

Samantha: I was in the middle.

Andrea: Perfect.

Samantha: Okay, great. Um, but yes, I am an organised person and I think that I love being organised. organizing things. I love organizing people. I love looking after people. And I think that then led onto me being at EA and then onto my role after being with Virgin Blue and that was EA to Sir Richard Branson.

Andrea: Wow. Okay. Yes. 

Saraya: Big job.

Samantha: And moving from Brisbane to Necker Island and the British Virgin Islands, which is where Richard's home is. 

Andrea: Okay, so

Samantha: that's probably where the interesting part of bit of story comes around. 

Saraya: I think all of it's pretty interesting, but yeah, I'm sure it would be very interesting. Necker Island, so that's in the Caribbean.

Samantha: Correct. Yes. So the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. So a long way away [00:10:00] from here. 

Saraya: Tropical island.

Samantha: Beautiful part of the world. Yeah.

Saraya: I've never been, I need, I need the travel bug. I think I'm starting to get it. Yeah. I'll be there. I'll just go with you to Necker.

Samantha: Yeah, sure.

Saraya: We'll be sweet.

Andrea: And how long were you with Richard?

Samantha: I was with Richard for almost five years.

Andrea: Okay. 

Samantha: So I joined him when I was 28 and then I left him when I was 33. So I was still a baby ish. Baby ish. 

Andrea: I'm sure you packed in so many experiences, unbelievable. Um, To have the trust, because an EA needs to be fully trusted.

Samantha: Oh, it's a role that, You can't be an EA if you're not trusted, and it goes vice versa, you know. Working for Richard in that capacity, it was different. It wasn't working for somebody in London or Brisbane. You know, we're living on an island in the middle of the ocean, and supporting Richard, you know, 24 seven pretty much. And because it wasn't a case of, Oh, I'm going to jump on the train and go home for the night, you know, you're on island there.

Samantha: Um, so it's very immersive. The travel that we did with Richard and I [00:11:00] say, we, Richard's got an amazing EA called Helen Clark and Helen and I joined Richard at the same time, 17 years ago, she's still with Richard and, you know, one of my dear, dear friends, and she's an incredible lady. Um, But we, we took it in turns kind of looking after Richard when it came to traveling.

Samantha: So one of us would stay on Necker, the other with travel with Richard. But it, it was a 24 seven role, very well. Richard was very respectful of our downtime, but because we lived on Necker, there were no kind of, you know, we'd finished work for the day, but then we'd see Richard for dinner. Um, or we'd go for a walk in the morning and bump into Richard on a morning walk.

Samantha: It was part of, you know, it was part of the way of life there, which I loved. I loved it. It was, it was incredible.

Andrea: How did you get the job? You said? 

Samantha: Yeah, you will. Um. So at the time, Brett Godfrey, who founded Virgin Blue, he knew that Richard was looking for a new EA and I was only told this recently, actually, but Richard or the role was advertised in the UK and it got leaked to Australia and there were over 2000 people that applied for it.

Saraya: Wow.

Samantha: And. We were a bit cheeky from our [00:12:00] end because Brett said to me, Richard's coming out to Australia. They were doing a big Virgin Blue charity and PR roadshow. And he said, listen, just go and spend the weekend with Richard. Don't tell him that you're interested in working for him. Just see whether you get along, which is a key part in that relationship.

Samantha: Um, and we did and we hit it off. at the end of Richard's couple of days, one of his PR people said to him, you know, Richard Sam would be interesting to come. It'd be interesting to come and work for you. And he looked at me and he said, Oh, you know, would you be prepared to move to Necker Island? And I looked at him and I gave him a kiss on the cheek and I said, yeah, I said, I just had to make sure I liked you first.

Samantha: That was me being like cheeky Sam and that tongue in cheek. And then, you know, I walked back into the office on the Monday and And I can feel that there's this sense of energy that something's kind of happening. And I log into my emails and there's an email from Richard wanting to talk to Stefan, who's my boss.

Samantha: Um, and I kind of assumed that potentially it was for a reference. And within, must have been maybe two or three weeks, I was packing up my life in Brisbane and moving to the [00:13:00] Caribbean. 

Saraya: Unbelievable.

Samantha: And you know, I left school at 16 and I talk about this quite often because I think it's really important, especially for my nephews to understand, you know, people thought because I'd left school at 16 that, you know, I was going to be a failure and I wasn't going to go on to achieve things.

Samantha: But I say, you know, 12 years later. I'm working for one of the most, and probably at the time, the most famous entrepreneurs in the world living on his private Island in the Caribbean. 

Saraya: Yeah.

Samantha: I was 28 years of age.

Saraya: I get that. 

Samantha: You can do anything you want with your life.

Saraya: I moved out home at 15 and I finished year 10 and you know, I did a few certificates

Andrea: not living in the Caribbean, 

Saraya: obviously I stupidly went to Sydney, got the wrong end, but it was the same. Everyone thought she's just going to be a waitress, work in a pub for the rest of her life. 

Samantha: And there's nothing wrong with that. 

Saraya: There is nothing wrong with that. nothing wrong with that. It wasn't going to be me. But yeah, I was 

Andrea: sorry. I don't have a Caribbean island.

Saraya: Yeah. It's rude. You need to up your game.

Samantha: Maybe that's where the next Hotel Etica should be.

Saraya: [00:14:00] Maybe.

Samantha: Um, but it, it was, I was very privileged and I still speak about my experience there because I learned so much from Richard and he's such a great leader. Um, and I think some of my leadership skills now that I have are because of him. 

Andrea: Yeah. It's pretty amazing. Like that. He was such a disruptor, but he's still like one of the possibly like last man standing in terms of super billionaire that has not been, you know, tarnished by. 

Saraya: Well, he's respected. He's very well respected. 

Andrea: But he's kept like, it's, it's really interesting cause he has a, he had a, an extremely high profile and disruptor visible, you know, right in your face. But, but over the last 10 years, it's kept a fairly low profile and he's focusing a lot more and the profile is more on the charity side and on the giving and all of stuff.

Samantha: So Richard, you know, he's always been, you know, he's [00:15:00] respected, but he's also very respectful.

Saraya: Um, my coffee is being delivered. 

Andrea: Let's pause for a second. come in.

Saraya: Come in

Samantha: It was Sophia. Ah.

Saraya: I thought you were my coffee.

Andrea: It says quiet, pleased on the door. Oh. 

Saraya: Hey, but while you're there, can you ask Chris for my coffee? Okay. Thanks. But also you look beautiful. Thank you. Hi! 

Andrea: Hi hi Tali! 

Saraya: Hi Tali! Yeah, I didn't do this because I saw the requirement, but here's your coffee.

Saraya: I did message you going, but yeah. You brought a present. Thank you. 

Andrea: All right. All right. 

Saraya: Sorry, Sam. Welcome to the madness.

Andrea: We're talking, this will be cut, obviously. 

Saraya: Or in the bloopers. It probably won't.

Andrea: Um, so we're talking about Richard. Um, so yeah.

Samantha: So, you know, like, as I was saying, Richard. is very highly respected, but he's also very respectful. Um, and for me personally being involved with Virgin Unite, which is Richard's foundation, was probably one of my highlights of my career with him. Um, I got to spend lots of time, um, with events and things that he was doing with [00:16:00] Virgin Unite, including the elders, which is a fantastic organization. At the time it was headed up by Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Archbishop Tutu.

Saraya: Unbelievable to be in that room.

Samantha: Yeah. And then I think that probably has had some of the biggest impact on me. Because having to have spent time with them in Africa, listening to them, listening to their stories, listening to what they were trying to achieve, and still within the outdoors organization, still trying to achieve it. And that's Resolve. issues without conflict. And, you know, having that exposure, it's, it's, it's unbelievably life changing.

Saraya: Unbelievable.

Andrea: And probably in history, in the lifetime of Richard, there will only be like five or six people that have got that privilege of doing that role like you did.

Saraya: He has one of my, um, favorite, favorite quotes and I've, I've heard you present it, um, when we were on our road show. Um, do you know which one I'm talking about? 

Samantha: Maybe about the, um, How you treat people.[00:17:00] 

Saraya: Yeah. Yeah. It's my favorite. You want to say it? 

Samantha: If you look after your staff, they will look after your guests, um, or something along those lines. Yeah. It's true. You know, he says, if you, if you look, if you look after your people, then they'll look after the people that basically bring money to businesses. Um, and it's so true.

Saraya: You need to look after your people and I feel, yeah.

Samantha: How can you not? If the, if the goal is just solely money alone, 

Saraya: take note, Andrea,

Samantha: he looks after his people. 

Saraya: He does. He does definitely look after his people.

Samantha: But yes, it was wonderful to be a part of the Virgin Unite element of Richard's world.

Samantha: And I think that's why I still now love getting involved in philanthropic ideas. You know, obviously being here with Hotel Etico is just amazing.

Saraya: And it sure beats anything you've ever done before. 

Samantha: Absolutely. But I think for us, you know, I feel so lucky that I met you guys. What a year? No, not even a year ago. Eight months ago maybe? Nine months ago.

Saraya: That was a wild ride. Yeah. How did we meet?

Andrea: Yeah.

Saraya: What was your first impression? Actually, don't answer me. First impression of [00:18:00] me.

Samantha: I fell in love with you immediately. I love your energy. I think when we first met, we were on a roadshow for Destination New South Wales.

Saraya: That was a great roadshow.

Samantha: It was. And it was interesting because going to regional parts of New South Wales and delivering our individual roadshows. content on our individual topics. It was a case of, okay, what are we doing and how are we going to help those regional, regional areas within New South Wales when it comes to being an employer of choice.

Samantha: But when I met Saraya for the first time, um, she was this fireball of pocket energy and I'm like, who is this? 

Saraya: Yeah, that was in Queanbeyan. 

Samantha: Who is this lady who just plunked her bum next to me and just started talking to me like I've known you for a year. Um, and I was like, sorry, what was your name? Because I didn't recognize you from your profile pictures. So I apologize. 

Saraya: That's all right. I mean, is that a good thing? Maybe I'm not better.

Samantha: Well, yes, you do. You're amazing and gorgeous. 

Saraya: And that was a month, six week long,

Samantha: seven weeks, seven weeks, every week [00:19:00] together. It was great. I had. So much fun. Tamworth was the best. I, 

Andrea: I got that 

Saraya: they were all, yeah, you came to Tamworth, so maybe that's why it was the best.

Andrea: Aha 

Saraya: ah how many brownie points did that get me? 

Andrea: Cause she didn't have to drive. 

Saraya: I did drive. I drove the entire time. 

Andrea: Did you? 

Saraya: Yeah. You sat there on your laptop.

IMG_6605: Do you not you not agree 

Samantha: that It was a relationship that just, and I, this is what I love about life.

Samantha: You never know who you're going to meet and you never know which, where it's going to lead. And obviously if I hadn't met you and hadn't been so interested in what you guys are doing here at Hotel Etico and thankfully that you're interested in my journey and what I now do or what has been part of my journey, um, you know, we're here, we are having a conversation 

Andrea: and we'll talk a little bit later about what you've been doing with us. Um, I just want to go back to. The Richard Branson bit working for him. What did you love the most? What do you hate the most? 

Saraya: Ooh, that's a great question. 

Andrea: That [00:20:00] you can tell. 

Samantha: Oh, listen. Oh, listen. Do I say I love flying on private jets and sitting in business class? Of course I do.

Saraya: I've never been in business.

Samantha: But that's not why I loved it. Um. I think probably because it was so daunting at the time. When I got the role with Richard, and I still pinch myself now when I talk about it, I go, I was 28 years of age, and I'm packing my life up and moving to work for Sir Richard Branson on his private island based in the Caribbean.

Samantha: And, um, I was petrified. I was, I was absolutely petrified. And you know, and then 

Saraya: the best things in life come from those that scare the absolute crap out of you.

Samantha: But it was, I had no hesitation when they offered me the job. I had no hesitation in saying yes. Um, and I think learning from him probably is one of the best bits.

Samantha: Yes, of course, going and flying all over the world and meeting all these amazing people, but actually being day to day with Richard and just seeing how he works and how he. Talks to people and the questions he asks and how he 

Saraya: treats everybody

Samantha: [00:21:00] how he treats people And you know, I think you know I know I'm a good human being but seeing somebody who has such great wealth and who has such great Responsibility and he always says with great wealth comes great responsibility there are people who are very wealthy who are assholes, um, and Richard isn't.

Samantha: And I think that was the best bit about my life. My time with him was being able to see him in action and, you know, become friends. We'd have so much fun. Richard loves to play, be a practical joker. Um, you know, he does lots of crazy, funny things. That's Richard while doing lots of really, really good things.

Andrea: And what did you hate the most?

Samantha: What did I hate the most? Oh, do you know what? Probably personally, the biggest thing that I found at times frustrating was living on Necker. It took my independence away from me because it wasn't like you're living in central Sydney where you can just pop to the shops and go to the supermarket and buy food or you know what I need time out so I'm going to jump up, jump in my car and drive down to the beach.

Samantha: That, you couldn't do that on Necker. 

Andrea: Is there a town? No there's no town. 

Samantha: Not on Necker. It's a villa, it's like it's [00:22:00] a It's 74 acres, Necker Island is the size, and then you can get the boat over to Virgin Gorda or Tortola. But again, you're relying on somebody else to drive the boat over for you. You have, you have a staff boat that takes you over to Tortola and other parts, but again, you're relying on other people. So I think for me personally, 

Saraya: yeah, you're very independent. 

Samantha: I am very independent.

Saraya: Very independent.

Samantha: I struggled with that sometimes, but I don't think that I could, I could put my hand on my heart and say there was nothing I hated

Andrea: So you never thought, I want to quit?

Samantha: No, and the only reason why I did leave Richard was because I'd realised that there were a number of chapters to my book of life of Samantha Cox and I'd come to the end of that chapter.

Andrea: Which you're writing. Are you writing a book about your story?

Samantha: It's called The First Forty, 40 years of my life. And Richard is in it from the sense that it talks about my journey when I worked for Richard, but it's not about Richard. 

Saraya: I can't wait to read that book. 

Samantha: No, because I'm not telling him. It's my story. It's not Richard's story. 

Saraya: I I think you, there's probably books about Richard's story, but I'm more interested in your story. 

Samantha: Well, and Richard, the Richard [00:23:00] will be a small part of my book because he's only been

Andrea: And are you writing or you've got a ghostwriter?

Samantha: I have a ghostwriter helping me. Yep. Um, I've got a number of diaries that we're using my diary notes from for many, many years, but I've got a lovely lady who's supporting me with that.

Saraya: Unbelievable. I can't wait for that book. 

Andrea: It will be in this library.

Saraya: It will be in this library. I will be at your Sydney book sale and I want that signed. I will be there front and centre. Unbelievable. 

Andrea: So

Saraya: can I just ask one question?

Samantha: Yes.

Saraya: Is business class really, it's all clacked up to because we've had many.

Samantha: Okay. I'll show you down the street. Yes. 

Andrea: Yeah. I mean, she probably didn't even fly business class. She was like, like private jetting. So different, but

Samantha: yeah, it's, what you travel as much as we did. It was a necessity because I had to see that. 

Saraya: I remember when you had your bad back. 

Andrea: Yeah, there's no comparison.

Andrea: It's one of the,

Saraya: I'll add it to my list

Andrea: because you know, you can do, you can upgrade lots of things in life and you know, the car. But [00:24:00] the car trip in my bomb of a car,

Saraya: oh my god, I can't.

Andrea: it's still a car trip, but 

Saraya: there is no, your car wouldn't make it 

Andrea: It shakes as much as a formula one.

Saraya: Like that's not a good thing

Andrea: But yeah, I think the difference that business must be

Andrea: I'm adding it to my first class, but now we've got that, so, um, add it to your bucket. Yeah. Yeah. Um, no, that's a waste of money. I think that's what somebody business class is not a waste of money. That's what I mean. I mean, as expensive as it is,

Saraya: it's not that expensive.

Andrea: Yeah. Very, very expensive. Okay. Let's move on to the two following topics. First of all, leadership, Um, because I think that was generally the area that you were talking about in your road tour together. Is that right? Whether it's leadership or people, so 

Samantha: my, when we did destination New South Wales, I was speaking about being an employer of choice from a guest experience perspective, and what that looks like both internally and externally, which is [00:25:00] similar to what we've been doing a little bit here at Hotel Etico.

Andrea: So leadership's got nothing to do with it, but let's talk about leadership.

Saraya: I want to ask you a question, what makes a great leader?

Andrea: Hmm. 

Samantha: For me personally, and I think after leading teams, you know, I had a big team when I moved to America after working for Richard, I worked for Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos and I was their director of VIP guest services and I had a team of about 45 people.

Samantha: And for me, that leadership element, especially coming from an EA working for Richard and having no team to then all of a sudden find myself with team members, I had to learn a lot. And one of those big pieces is lead by example. And I'm a big believer. It may be a bit old fashioned. It may not be the trendiest thing to say nowadays when it, when people talk about leadership, but for me, it's lead by example, don't expect your team members to do things that you're not prepared to do yourself and show them how to do things.

Samantha: You know, I remember the first few team members I bought on board with hard rock hotels and casinos, and we would do room checks in the hotels before our VIPs arrived. And when we'd have New team members on board, you know, I'll be on [00:26:00] my hands and knees looking under beds, you know, making sure that, you know, everything was set in the room.

Samantha: And I remember one team member said to me, Sam, why do you do that when you've got staff to do that for you? And I'm like, because that's part of my role. If I'm not prepared to get down on my hands and knees to check under the bed, to make sure that everything's clean and perfect underneath that, why would I expect you guys to do that?

Samantha: So I think that leadership piece for me personally is lead by example, you know, have really clear and honest communication, especially in the working world as leaders. I feel that. you know, having honest, clear communication. We're not children anymore, but you know, we're adults working in the adult world. So let's be adults.

Samantha: Let's have clear and honest communication. And that should be part of a leadership, um, skill. You have to be able to have clear and honest communication. Sometimes it's hard communication or it needs to be constructive, but it has to be clear communication. 

Andrea: Saraya, what do you think is the best um, trait of a leader?

Saraya: Um, I agree. I think you should lead by example. Like you'll often see us too, leading by example on the floor. Um, I wrote an article on LinkedIn the other [00:27:00] day about leading with empathy. Mm-hmm. That it is not a flaw. Um, I think that there's a perception that if you lead with empathy, you are weak. Mm-hmm

Saraya: Um, and I think it's an absolute privilege to lead with empathy. Mm. I really do. I would like to read my article. 

Samantha: Yeah. and I would like to see more women. leading. And, you know, I think like I said, I'm 45 back in when I first started the working world, you know, you know, men were bosses and no tears and tough, tough, tough, tough, tough.

Samantha: And gradually I'd like to see happen quickly, uh, uh, quicker, but you know, women with empathy and, and it's okay to

Saraya: And men.

Samantha: And men, but to let your guard down and not to have all the answers. I know, yeah. Um, yeah. But to have that empathy, I agree with you. There isn't enough of it and it's not a weakness. It's actually a strength. 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Saraya: So, and I think another thing is to like admit your flaws. So like I learn. The most here by my team, giving me honest feedback, um, I need to be prepared to take that [00:28:00] feedback. And sometimes I struggle with it because I'm a very reactive person. Andrea, don't comment on that, but I can be very reactive.

Saraya: I react and then go crap. Um, I'm aware of it. It's one of my flaws. Um, people around me are aware of it. So they know if I react, I'm just processing and you know, um, but yeah, I'm very reactive and it's. of my flaws. I'm trying really hard not to be reactive, but, um, yeah, I think feedback and again, honest communication.

Saraya: Like I learned the most from feedback. I often ask my team for feedback. 

Samantha: It's important. 

Andrea: I think it's something. I think, I mean, there's so many things that one can say. 

Saraya: Well, what's yours? What do you think is the most important?

Andrea: Those two definitely. Um, then there's probably like a dozen or 20 words that to me go important, um, associated with, uh, leadership, but authenticity.

Andrea: Um, Um, even though sometimes in a leadership role, I think we spoke a little bit about in our other episode, like it's hard to be authentic or fully transparent when you can't [00:29:00] commercial decisions or legal matters. 

Saraya: I struggle with that.

Andrea: Um, but. Yeah. You need to strive for authenticity. Um, I wear my heart on my sleeve, so yeah.

Andrea: Um, openness, um, vulnerability, yes, definitely vulnerability and vision is definitely critical. And then it also like good business sense, good, like there's, there's a lot, like it's just bloody huge. 

Saraya: You can never be a perfect leader, I think. And I think that that's. Brilliant. Mm-hmm. Uh, I, I never, I Okay. On this podcast, Andrea and I, um, put a lot of shit on each other.

Saraya: But you are a great leader.

Andrea: Yeah. You said it before. You need to stop saying it. 

Saraya: Okay. But you are. 

Andrea: Our head will become too big, otherwise 

Saraya: it's already huge.

Andrea: I, I think I've come a long way. I mean, I've, I've, as I said, I've always been in, um, fairly important roles and, but I've never. Being as comfortable in my role as I am in this role.

Samantha: Yeah. Yeah.

Andrea: And I think it's just a result of the book. Mm-hmm . The first 54 [00:30:00] instead of the first 40. 

Samantha: Yeah. The first 40.

Andrea: Um, so yeah. Um, I think all those are essential traits of, of, of a leader. 

Samantha: And I think as leaders you are always learning and you, and you should be always learning. 

Saraya: Absolutely. 

Samantha: Um, you know, we don't have all the answers. Yeah. We don't know everything. And, you know, having amazing teams around you to support you. You know, I could never have done my role in America without my amazing team. Um, you know, 

Andrea: a leader by itself is a person is not, 

Samantha: you know, they, they, they were, my team were, and they were with me probably most of them for the whole six years I was in the U S um, and their loyalty was amazing.

Samantha: My loyalty to them was, um, but I think I, yeah, there's no way I could have done my role without them. 

Saraya: Do you agree? Um, that leadership is lonely. 

Samantha: It can be at times. 

Saraya: Yeah,

Samantha: it can be at times. Um, I was lucky. With the other leadership teams within Hard Rock and they were very supportive and they were very open and, you know, we had an open working [00:31:00] space and it made it easier to get support.

Samantha: But at times it was lonely, especially when you kind of close your eyes in bed at night and go, wow, tomorrow's another day. And, you know, there's challenges for anybody about it. yeah. Yeah. 

Saraya: Mm-hmm

Andrea: Okay, so let's move on instead on to the topic that you covered in your road tour with Destination New South Wales and then what you sort of started working with us on. So customer service, guest experience, um, 

Saraya: Well, first of all, what was your first impression of Hotel Etiquette when you walked in the door? Very first time you came to visit? 

Samantha: Very first time I came to visit, I pulled in and I thought, wow, what a beautiful building. I walked through the doors, and I'm going to be brutally honest.

Saraya: I know.

Samantha: And when I walked down the beautiful corridor that takes you to the main dining room, I thought it was untidy.

Saraya: Hmm.

Samantha: And it's funny because from that very first time I walked in to see it to now it's changed so much. And I don't know whether I'm [00:32:00] hoping maybe some of the sessions that we've had over the last four months, think people have been listening and it's just those small little details. But now I go, it's set.

Samantha: It looks ready for guests. Um, the rooms have always been beautiful. Um, the staff have always been great, but my first visual impression was, Oh, it looks a bit untidy. Yeah. 

Andrea: So the rooms are always spot on. Absolutely. 

Saraya: It was the brochures and, and there's just lots of stuff. 

Andrea: But I think there's a chance that you walk into the restaurant room and say it's 10 o'clock in the morning or 9 o'clock in the morning and it's either after breakfast or in between breakfast and dinner. And the tables are all the place before. So, but we forget that there are guests that are using the place. And so that

Samantha: since then, and that wasn't my overall impression. If I was being real, if I was being very critical, that would be it. Um, but if my overall impression, it's like, you've got a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, [00:33:00] beautiful, beautiful, beautiful hotel. And, you know, having the tour around and seeing the different rooms and sitting in the library, it's gorgeous and it's beautiful. It's old and it's got history and it's got stories behind it. Um, so my overall impression was beautiful if I was picking pieces from a guest experience journey. 

Saraya: Which is what we brought you here to do. So leading into what you're doing with us currently. 

Andrea: Because today Is the last session, actually, for

Samantha: Yes

Saraya: I'm very sad.

Samantha: For 2024. Maybe there are other things in 2025.

Andrea: We started earlier this year. And, um, so yeah, what, what have you covered in general terms? 

Samantha: So I think when we first met, um, when we were doing our destination, New South Wales roadshow, I was presenting on, um, the guest experience and what that looks like and evolving that to then Hotelectico after Saraya reached out saying, Sam, could you come and do some training with our team? I built over the last five sessions, today being our fifth and final session. What does that guest experience look like? Um, and we've [00:34:00] covered everything from purely from what does that guest experience looks like, but then to how do the teams internally work together? How do we communicate? What does that look like?

Samantha: How do we collaborate together?

Saraya: Yeah. Do we have everything we need to be able to give that guest the guest experience that they deserve? Yeah. 

Samantha: And I think a lot of people, when I talk about me and getting involved in internal. Guest experience being your staff and your team members, and then external people get confused.

Samantha: They're like, oh, isn't one thing, one thing and the other. The other. But it's like if you don't have your internal guest experience and training correct, that absolutely has a hundred percent a knock on effect to your guest experience. They go hand in hand, and I'm really passionate about it because. If you're going to spend $250 on, on a night in a beautiful hotel, you want value for money, especially nowadays when people can't afford to do it because of the cost of living crisis.

Samantha: Um, and I think if you give your team members the tools and the powers to be able to deliver that guest experience, which hopefully we've covered lots of that in the last five sessions, [00:35:00] it empowers them to be able to go, okay, well, I'm now part of something that. Um, and then we'll look at the outcome and, you know, for businesses, 99 percent of the time, it's that revenue.

Samantha: What revenue are you bringing? 

Saraya: Yes. 

Samantha: But if you can get these other pieces, right, that revenue normally will then drive an increase and we've direct, 

Andrea: we've involved in the training every single person within the business. 

Saraya: That's what I said to you. And when I reached out to her, I said, this is going to be slightly different to something that you've ever done before.

Saraya: Um, and we will look at having you train the trainees too. So I can't wait for that one. Um, but. The staff that we have, they're not necessarily all hospitality and they're not all necessary, um, disability. So in the thing that makes us unique is that everybody works across everything, everything. So I remember that conversation, you're like, Oh, I love a challenge.

Samantha: And I think, you know, I admire your team members here. because they do wear two hats, you know, they are the support worker for the trainees and then they're having to work behind the bar or they're having to work in [00:36:00] reception on when guests arrive and check people into rooms. And, you know, Michael last night who runs the restaurant, you know, he checked me into my room last night, which was a great experience.

Samantha: But I just admire what you're doing here. And the fact that you're even open to, uh, Improving and developing your team members skills. Wow. You know, wow. Um, and I think hopefully, um, they will have taken things away from it and we'll be able to implement them. 

Saraya: I have so many notes in all of my books. Yeah.

Andrea: Given the engagement that we saw, uh, and Saraya and I sort of Um, split, um, ourselves between the morning and afternoon sessions, um, so that we would sort of work with different people and that, yeah, it seems like the interaction was pretty amazing. 

Saraya: We've heard great feedback from

Andrea: lots of content, lots of, um, team building, kind of experience. We did the, uh. Spaghetti and marshmallows.

Saraya: I missed that one.

Samantha: We did.

Andrea: Yeah, you missed that one. Um, 

Saraya: but you know what I really loved is the Chinese whispers one. 

Andrea: Yeah,

Samantha: well, it's actually called, um, 

Saraya: what's [00:37:00] it called? 

Andrea: Politically Incorrect.

Samantha: It is Echo Chamber.

Saraya: Echo Chamber.

Samantha: And we may be doing Echo Chamber later again today because we talk about active listening and what that actually means. And I think, hopefully, hopefully people are really starting to hear active listening over the last five sessions are actually thinking about what that means. So it means actively listening

Saraya: for me. Um, you make us do takeaways after everything and what you've learned and how you're going to implement them, which is amazing because you actually hold us accountable for it. Um, so some of the things that I chose to work on was one smile more, which I think I do smile. Um, but like when I walk around the hotel, like I don't necessarily, um, eye contact with people, which is, I think is really, really important. Um, but then it was active listening. Cause I have squirrel where I just get distracted by anything and I'm gone, which is why I like when I'm doing the podcast, I don't have my watch on. Cause if it buzzes, I'm like, Oh, Hey, I'll just read this email. But active listening is so important. [00:38:00] So important. Um, I'm starting to really realize that and I'm not that bad at it. 

Samantha: It, and it takes effort, and I think because of the team members, the support workers who are also then talking to the trainees, that's something that they can work with them.

Saraya: Yeah.

Samantha: it's important and it's not always easy to do. 

Andrea: Yeah, yeah. And so we did, I think, five sessions, including this coming one every three weeks, three or four weeks, uh, that gave us the opportunity to implement some of the takeaways and the learnings and the little improvements. And it's all been about incremental improvements, which is what we like to do, uh, which is what we like to do, right? It's part of what we do. 

Saraya: The continuous improvement. Absolutely. Absolutely. 

Andrea: One little step at a time. And so can you think of like four or five examples that you've seen us doing

Saraya: or implemented

Andrea: in between sessions? 

Samantha: absolutely. And I love coming back here because I'm like, Oh, what, what they've done differently or what's happening.

Andrea: And some of the people listening will say, Jesus, this is a hotel and they don't have this. They did.

Saraya: It's a 15 room hotel.

Andrea: [00:39:00] We are a unique place and we don't just focus on the one thing. 

Saraya: And so it's also the little things that you miss.

Andrea: Yeah. 

Samantha: And I've been to some of the best hotels in the world or some of the most expensive hotels and they don't do some of these things.

Samantha: And as we spoke about last session, when we were talking about going above and beyond, it doesn't have to be hugely expensive, you know, from the first session, from my first time walking in here to now my fifth session here, one of the things I said was how do guests know when the bar is open? Mm. open? Because there were no opening times and so just seeing a beautiful chalkboard propped up on an easel and have the bar times, perfect.

Samantha: You're now communicating to your guests. 

Andrea: Plus on top of that we've sort of communicated to all the staff because the interaction, the touch points are multiple. Everyone should know when they're talking. 

Samantha: Which is fabulous because there's nothing worse if you've driven three hours and you're looking forward to a nice drink.

Saraya: And you know, we did, we did, they do, we do let them know when they're doing the tour, [00:40:00] but verbal communication and actually being able to just go and look at it. Absolutely. 

Samantha: Um, I also had, um, when we spoke about when guests arrive and what the guest arrival experience looked like, um, and not having the reception open and not having times.

Samantha: So it was wonderful to see now that the times are on the door. And if, It's quieter and a team member has to be in the restaurant on the desk. You've now also got a little chalkboard saying, please head towards the dining room where you'll be meeted, which again, it's just that piece of communication, which I think really helps the guest experience.

Samantha: So that's a tick. I like that. I also saw in, um, reception, a beautiful jug of water. So you can offer an arrival. Refreshing beverage to your guests when they arrive 

Andrea: Which is like flavored water,

Samantha: Yeah, which is beautiful. It doesn't have to be overly expensive. It doesn't need to be champagne, but just having iced flavored water on arrival.

Samantha: Perfect. Easily done. Um, small detail, but the one that [00:41:00] people go, Oh, that's nice. Yeah. Love, love, love, love. And I know I put this on my Samantha Cox international Instagram page yesterday, but I love the fact that you now put on the bed, which trainee has made up your room. So walking in there, having a beautiful hotel, Etico postcard with a little, you know, your bed, your room was made up by Zoe.

Samantha: I think that really brings that connection of, What you do here with your trainees and I now have a name that I can say, Oh, I'd like to say thank you to Zoe or are you Zoe? Can I introduce myself? So I think that piece considering what you do here is so special. And I really, really like to see that yesterday.

Samantha: And I know that was something we discussed in one of our last training sessions.

Andrea: Yeah.

Saraya: Um, let's, um, um, there's one sitting right there.

Samantha: Oh, yes. Yes. 

Saraya: Which we will get a photo. 

Samantha: Yes, we will.

Saraya: I think you had way too much fun making them, to be honest.

Samantha: It's a photo frame.

Saraya: It's a photo frame. Yes. 

Samantha: Again, there's easier ways.

Samantha: We spoke about [00:42:00] marketing, um, Hotel Etico, which you could do in house, but through your guests and that is, you know, is there a place where they can have their photos? So it's great to see that Andre has ordered a great little photo frame that people could have their photos, which has got their brand and their hashtags on.

Samantha: Um, and it's then creating memorable moments. They're hopefully then putting that. their socials.

Andrea: Yeah. 

Samantha: So in a social enterprise like here where you don't have a huge marketing budget, you're letting your guests do it for you, which is brilliant. And again, it adds value to their guest experience because they've then got memories as well.

Andrea: Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Great. 

Saraya: Brilliant. Yeah. The takeaways and, um, the things that you, and you don't, you know, people come and go say a critic, but like change that, change that you don't do it like that, you come in and you observe and you take in what's around you and you just suggest things, um, the way you train is, you know, Unbelievable. You're very engaging.

Samantha: Thank you. And I think it's important. I can come into any business and say, well, that needs to be changed. You shouldn't do this and walk out again. [00:43:00] But that's not how it works. I think if you involve your team and get their ideas, have a conversation around it, have discussion, see what's practical, what's not practical, then, then, then you have that engagement and that staff engagement, which is so important because you need them to be engaged to be on board. And that's what we've done over the last five sessions.

Andrea: I think we were talking about it. I think the other day with, uh, Christmas drinks with, um, holiday drinks with, um, uh, industry partners. I think there was a conversation like most hotels. provide the same service, the same facilities, you know, there's comfortable rooms, there's food, there's, so like there's, which is an essential, like you can't go below that, right? So, but that's a given. So how do you differentiate yourself? And there's all sorts of different ways. Obviously our most unique differentiating element is the fact that we are a social enterprise. We, we're training environment. There's a great atmosphere and so on. Um, and [00:44:00] Other hotels would struggle in in finding their uniqueness.

Andrea: So you got you got the W that

Saraya: That's pretty unique. Have you seen that building? 

Samantha: It's very narrow. Yeah. Yeah.

Saraya: Sorry. 

Andrea: They point.

Saraya: The look just, if looks could kill, I hope the camera's still on.

Andrea: Well, they focus on design and innovation and diversity and inclusion and different use of words. And so they're just.

Andrea: Yeah. That's awesome. And You were that right. So you definitely have a unique experience there. Uh, but you also still need to have all the standard stuff. Then you've got the more formal said fullerton that, you know, you walk in and you feel like you are in this sort of, almost like 

Saraya: New York style 

Andrea: thing where, you know, everything works, um, uh, perfectly. There's elegance and all those other things, but, um, so for us, you know, like we need to provide those memories and I mean. To me, the most [00:45:00] important thing is we need to get all the basic right, which we still have a lot of way to go, a long way to go. But then it's all about the conversations. Like last night we were sitting here having dinner in the bar.

Andrea: How many people approached us sort of saying, are you, do you do this? So can I tell you this? Can I tell you that? Like how amazing are those conversations? 

Saraya: But you still, we don't want people to come to us just because of, you know, Um, because we, we run a fantastic training program, 

Andrea: Thye recognise the amzing thing that we've done, 

Saraya: but our quality and standards, we want people to come back. We need to compete. We need to be competitive. We want people to come here because our beds are very comfortable, but better sleep. But, you know, our pillows are great. Like we need to provide a service at a standard and we don't expect people because people come here for a training program. They'll come here once. Yeah.

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Saraya: They'll never come back again.

Andrea: Yeah.

Samantha: Like it's. But I think you, you from September to where we are now in December, [00:46:00] I see that you've definitely grown and by just implementing small but impactful changes. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. No, I agree. I agree. The other great thing is that it's a collective effort.

Saraya: Yeah. It was a team effort. 

Andrea: And that was, I think the most important thing because, cause you know, you're not going to be here forever, do training or suggesting things. So now there's an energy and there's people finding.

Saraya: Ways to improve.

Andrea: It used to be very dependent on us, you know, asking us instead now I just walk into a room and say, Oh, that's new. I didn't see that before. 

Samantha: That's great. That's, you know, that goes back to empowering your staff to to be be able to do things, knowing that they're trusted in doing them. And I think that again, it goes back to the staff engagement piece. You've then got your team members engaged because yes, leaders, you lead the business, but they're able to.

Samantha: Lead within their own, you know, small teams to be able to do things that have an impact on the guest experience and then on them. 

Andrea: I feel like basically [00:47:00] when our Ready for us to literally pull away and focus on the next site

Saraya: I agree, I have a little bit of FOMO, but I also like to empower people 

Andrea: the Staff here know what they're doing.

Samantha: And one other thing, and you've heard me say it this way too. Every session is that consistency piece. Let's make sure with, if we're going to make small changes and that we know that they work, let's be consistent with them. 

Saraya: You either be consistently shit or you be consistently good. 

Andrea: But at the same time, it's interesting because it's a fine line between the consistency and the repetition and you know, you know what you're going to get. And the uniqueness and the quirkiness. And I think there's an amazing value in the quirkiness of hotel Etico. It's just what you want. You know, like if you, if you go to, you don't want like a McDonald's experience where it's always the same, identical. 

Saraya: It's definitely not always the same. Sometimes I get a cheeseburger that's [00:48:00] cold. Sometimes I get a cheeseburger that's hot. It's just never the same. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. So, um, so I think we need to be careful not to lose our soul in, in, in, uh, Seeking perfection. 

Samantha: Yep. I think, and I don't, I don't even think that perfection's needed. 

Saraya: No.

Samantha: Because perfection can mean so much and put a lot of pressure.

Andrea: Yeah. 

Samantha: Be your beautiful hotel Ko. Be different. Be unique. 

Andrea: I saw a video online this morning actually as I was waking up from Jelena Dokic.

Samantha: Mm-hmm.

Andrea: I know a former tennis player who's gone through a lot of challenges with her father and, and um, and she's saying that she's perfectly imperfect. And I think we are perfectly imperfect.

Saraya: Yeah, I mean, I say that I'm perfect all the time, but I'm definitely not, I'm definitely imperfect. 

Andrea: I think there's great value in being perfectly imperfect. 

Saraya: Yeah, I think so too. Absolutely. And I think it's just like, I think from a guest perspective, if, if somebody stuffs up, just own it. 

Samantha: Yeah. 

Saraya: Like it's, it's so simple. It sounds so simple. 

Andrea: That's, that's one of our values.

Saraya: yes. [00:49:00] Yes. Um, I am gonna be the fun police and 

Andrea: yeah. We're, we are going to wrap up. 

Saraya: We are gonna wrap up because I could sit here and talk to Sam forever and I would um, but we will have to, 

Andrea: but our camera won't. cope because 

Samantha: And we have training session 

Saraya: and we do have a training session I did just wanna, um. Samantha Cox International is your business, which we haven't mentioned. So. Whoever wants to go and find you, find you and you won't be sorry. Um, but you don't just do guest experience training. You do leadership coaching. You are a uh, unbelievably empowering woman and you do a lot of different things.

Saraya: So. I just wanted to give you a little shout out. So people need to contact you.

Andrea: How do people contact you?

Samantha: So my head says Samantha Cox international, my website, um, there's a contact page there. I've also on Instagram, um, Samantha Cox international on Insta and Facebook. Um, so you can find me there. And if anybody's interested and some of the things that you LinkedIn as well under Samantha Cox.

Saraya: Some of the things that you do, [00:50:00] such as the leadership coaching, um, you do quite a lot of consulting for businesses. Um, you do training. What else besides everything do you do? What don't you do is probably the question.

Andrea: Privately? No, it's not as in privately, it's in your private life.

Saraya: If somebody needed help with something, what would they go to you for?

Samantha: Very much. That guest experience, but not just that guest experience. It's really hard. It's, it's, it's about training. It's about coaching. You know, I've got a couple of people that I coach, um, who are very successful business people who just come to me and say, Sam, you know, I just need to kind of offload.

Samantha: What are your thoughts? And I need to take outside the business. Um, I love working with hotels and not just hotels, but anybody within the tourism and hospitality industry and, and Okay. Going, what is your business doing well when it comes to a guest experience? And if you're brave enough to go, okay, what can we do better?

Samantha: Let's explore that together. And I can help you with that. Um, [00:51:00] and. You know, just, I like having fun. 

Saraya: You are fun.

Andrea: I think it's the power of your positivity that sort of makes you. 

Saraya: Yeah. 

Samantha: I think life is very serious at times. And one thing that Richard Branson taught me was let's have that serious, but have the fun with it. Um, so, you know, let's not take things so seriously. 

Andrea: Yes. Yes. You were having fun with me yesterday. 

Saraya: What did I do?

Andrea: Plastering photos online about 

Samantha: Oh, your happy birthday photo! 

Saraya: Did you see the Hulk? 

Samantha: I know. 

Saraya: It's brilliant. Um, we actually, we've got, we've got plenty more that will never come out of the vault.

Saraya: We put your head on so many different things and we made them animated. Yeah, like 

Andrea: I want to see them! 

Saraya: Hell no!

Samantha: Bit busy at work yesterday. 

Saraya: This is why I keep nicknames from you and I keep the dancing animated things. Because you know, someday it's just going to come back and 

Andrea: Okay.

Saraya: I'm just going to post it and you're not even going to know. Have fun with it. You know, you take it like a champ if somebody, um, and I think a lot of people realize that I'm the one that's posting it, but you take it like a champ because [00:52:00] you are a very serious man and you can have really difficult conversations, but you're also quite funny and fun. You know, 

Samantha: happy birthday for yesterday.

Samantha: Yes. Um, but I think I've really thoroughly enjoyed the last, um, Um, I've been a fan of yours for the last five, four months coming up here. I've loved getting to know you better. Both of you. Um, I always laugh. I always drive back down the mountain and I normally phone my mom and my cup is full. Um, I love what I do with you guys.

Samantha: I hope that we can do more in 2025. 

Saraya: Absolutely.

Samantha: So thank you for having me.

Saraya: You're very welcome. 

Andrea: Okay. 

Saraya: Where we feel privileged. There was one other thing. Um, Um, that I wanted to mention, we were talking in the car earlier about pet peeves, um, you and I have the same pet peeve, um, chewing gum, Andrea, the other day I yelled at him so hard.

Andrea: I was doing it on purpose. 

Saraya: I know, but I hate people chewing, chewing gum near me. Um, and. I think it's disrespectful. I hate it. It's disgusting. Um, but Andrea has now taken it upon himself [00:53:00] to, um, not to chew, not to chew gum or to chew, chew gum to annoy.

Samantha: Well, my team members in American youth. They were chewing gum in front of me.

Samantha: They would be going home for the day. Yeah. So if anybody's listening and you chew gum at work, please don't chew gum. 

Saraya: You shouldn't chew gum at work. 

Samantha: Do not chew gum. Yeah. 

Saraya: Don't chew gum in general. 

Andrea: Okay. Sam, Samantha, Samantha Cox.

Samantha: Yes.

Andrea: Thank you. 

Saraya: Just Sam. 

Samantha: Just Sam. 

Andrea: Thank you for being part of this chat. Uh, we've enjoyed.

Andrea: The last few months with you and I'm sure the future will be bright together as well. Thank you for being a guest with us. 

Saraya: Thank you for everything that you've done, not just being a guest, but everything that you've done for us.

Samantha: Thank you for having me. Like I said, it's been so much fun. Um, and I can't wait to see and do more with you guys in 2025.

Andrea: Thank you. Same here. And as for us, Saraya, let's keep making room for all 

Saraya: and keep fighting for inclusion. 

People on this episode

Head Shot

Andrea Comastri

Host
Head Shot

Saraya O'Connell

Co-host
Head Shot

Samantha Cox

Guest