The best advice I ever received starting a new job is to do nothing your entire first month but listen and learn. You may be tempted to come in and quickly impart all of your knowledge, excitement, energy and ideas but there is no better way to make uninformed choices and start your journey off on the wrong foot. I’ve never enjoyed utilizing a piece of advice more; listening to team members, superiors, learning company values, focusing on needs, wants and suggestions and in general gaining an understanding of exactly how things work. Nothing allows you to better curate successful solutions.
There is no difference then when we bring a Carolina Experience property into a new community; it only works if we take the time to listen. To local business owners and community members, to residents, travelers and local government. There is so much to learn and hear.
Our brand and its values don’t change from place to place, but we certainly are able to better utilize our resources and build a future in each community with greater confidence once we learn about their needs and priorities.
Community is so important to us; our properties that we spend so much time lovingly building or restoring, painstakingly decorating, appointing and upfitting to our brand standards – they are nothing without the communities they reside in. The people and histories, the growth and new industry, the sites and experiences, these are the things that matter, the things our guests are coming to experience and will leave remembering. We are so grateful to be part of every community we are in, and we have picked some great ones. This journey has allowed our team to meet the best people, try the best food (and wine!) , go to some amazing places and see some amazing things. We can’t overstate how grateful and humbled we are to be welcomed as we have been, to be supported and lifted up by these amazing communities.
Our promise is that we will never stop listening or caring, our ears will stay open for how we can always be better stewards and where we can fill a need, give back, or just be part of an amazing support system.