When people hear the word “hospitality,” they usually think of restaurants, hotels, or maybe a waiter carrying plates through a busy dining room. And sure, I’ve spent years in those environments—bartending, serving, managing, and now running a restaurant. But to me, hospitality is bigger than the walls of a restaurant. It’s a way of life.
Hospitality is about how you treat people. It’s about making them feel seen, valued, and cared for. Whether I’m at work, coaching a team, volunteering at church, or spending time with my family, the heart of it is the same: serve people well.
Lessons From the Floor
I got my start in hospitality almost by accident. Like many people, I took a restaurant job to pay the bills. What I didn’t realize was how much it would shape who I am. Working the floor at places like Hyatt Regency Sacramento or Disneyland Resort taught me to think on my feet, listen closely, and stay calm under pressure.
Serving people night after night, you quickly learn that it’s not just about getting their order right. It’s about reading the room. Some guests want conversation, others want quiet. Some come to celebrate, others to escape. Every table has a story, and if you pay attention, you can make their day better in small but meaningful ways.
Those lessons never left me. Even now as a general manager, I still look at hospitality as more than service—it’s human connection.
Coaching as Hospitality
It might sound strange, but coaching kids in basketball and football was one of the purest forms of hospitality I’ve ever experienced. A coach doesn’t just run plays and yell from the sidelines. A coach serves. You show up early. You stay late. You listen when a kid’s having a tough day. You celebrate small victories that no one else notices.
That’s hospitality—putting others first, investing in their growth, and creating a space where they feel they belong. Just like in a restaurant, it’s not about you—it’s about them.
Family First
Hospitality shows up at home too. Being a dad has taught me more about service than any job ever could. Kids don’t care about titles or resumes. They care about presence. They notice if you’re listening, if you’re patient, if you’re consistent.
Serving my family doesn’t mean spoiling them—it means showing up for them. Helping with schoolwork, making time for trips to the river, coaching from the sidelines, or just sitting down for a meal together. Those small, everyday actions are the kind of hospitality that builds trust and love.
Faith as the Foundation
My faith has always reminded me that hospitality goes deeper than customer service. In church, hospitality is woven into everything we do—welcoming people, serving them, and making sure no one feels like an outsider.
I’ve volunteered at church events, helped with community outreach, and seen firsthand how powerful simple acts of kindness can be. Sometimes hospitality looks like handing someone a plate of food. Sometimes it’s offering a smile or a prayer when they need it most. Faith keeps me grounded in the belief that serving others isn’t optional—it’s the point.
Why It Matters Outside of Work
In today’s world, people are starved for connection. We live behind screens, rush through conversations, and treat busyness like a badge of honor. But hospitality slows us down. It forces us to look people in the eye, to listen, to care.
I think that’s why hospitality resonates so deeply with me—it’s not just about what you do, but about who you are. Whether I’m managing a busy restaurant or talking to a neighbor, I try to ask myself: how can I serve this person right now? Sometimes the answer is big. Most of the time, it’s small. But it always matters.
The Ripple Effect
Hospitality has a ripple effect. When you treat people with kindness, they carry it forward. I’ve seen it in restaurants when a guest leaves happier than they came in. I’ve seen it on the court when a kid who was once shy becomes the loudest encourager for his teammates. I’ve seen it at home when my son repeats back the patience I tried to show him.
Service creates momentum. It builds communities, strengthens families, and changes lives—often without us realizing it.
For me, hospitality is not just a job—it’s a calling. It’s about showing up for people wherever you are, whether you’re carrying trays in a busy dining room, standing on a sideline with a whistle, or sitting at the dinner table with your family.
Serving people well doesn’t require a uniform or a paycheck. It just requires intention. It requires looking at the people around you and asking, “How can I make their day a little better?”
That’s the kind of hospitality that lasts. That’s the kind of hospitality I want to live out—not just in restaurants, but in life.