Reimagining Your Future: Wil Slickers

Carlos Santana said “there nothing is more contagious than enthusiasm.” Wil Slickers is living proof that he was right. He has carved out his own place in the hospitality landscape through ingenuity, authenticity and transparency. On this episode, we follow along on Wil's entrepreneurial journey beginning with his first gig in the industry. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES Beginning in the hospitality industry Good with people but no job skills Hired at the front desk of a hotel Starting the podcast Wil moved from the original hotel job to Oregon Working in a boutique hotel Had a thirst for learning more abut the industry Inspired by a Tony Robbins and Gary V video on podcasting Started the podcast in 2018 Wil was 25 years old Growth of the podcast Interviewed first guests Acquired sponsors Growth in audience Quit job to pursue the podcast full time End of 2019 The formula for the podcast Other industry podcasts were boring and monotone Short, simple and to the point Gary V type sound Showing authenticity is the key to growth Podcasting is a new exciting medium 900k active podcasts in the world Far fewer than YouTube channels Possible to grow other mediums from the podcast What is a destionationnaire Alternative term to “hospitality provider” Someone wired to create remarkable experiences that are anticipated and shared Destinationnaire awards Using podcasting creatively in hospitality businesses Creating a private podcast for hotel guests Information on the hotel Hisory of the hotel Local amenities Creating a private podcast for staff Creating a private podcast for restaurant patrons Covid19 - have sanitisation conversations in realtime with customers via all of these different mediums Advice for new podcasters Learn something from your guests Focus on being adaptable Learn editing and distribution Engage with your community Put your audience first Create value through multiple media mediums Podcasts create a direct line between industry leaders and the listening audience Podcasts as a service It is scary to put yourself out there Never been a better time to do it Future for Wil Slickers Constant evolution of the podcast concept Doing podcasts interviews himself Starting in real estate and owning hotels Future of hospitality Industry standards will be raised post pandemic Transparency is key to the new generation of hospitality businesses Words to industry Enjoy the down time Be open to new opportunities Say “f***” it and get out of your comfort zone