We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liz Wagner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Liz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

I was consulting for a hotel, and we received a call requesting 100 rooms for tomorrow night and it was someone from a record label, there was a tour on the road. One of my team members asked where they just randomly calling hotels for each city and they replied yes. Once she hung up she turned to me and said, you should be booking their rooms, do you know how much money that is? I immediately got on the phone and called Cash Money Records in New Orleans, I pitched the admin who in turn put one of the CEO’s on the phone, we chatted and he agreed to allow me to start booking their rooms. Two days later I received a call from the office stating that they need rooms for Superbowl. I looked at the phone because Superbowl was 6 days away and they needed 18 rooms. Of course everything for miles was sold out, Tampa was not a big hotel city back then. With much prayer and determination, I found them 4 star accommodations within 36 hours and they remained faithful clients until shortly after Katrina, when they were not performing and traveling like the previous 5 years. I handled their hotels for personal and business for the entire label. I established a relationship with the Tour Manager for that tour and Cash Money’s tour manager and every artist that they worked with or new, were referred to me and became clients- Uncle Luke, Lil Jon, E40, Lil Kim, OutKast, Pitbull, Kanye, and the list grew and continues to grow, 25 years later!

Liz, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I began a career in hospitality in 1983 at the Front Desk and retired in 2019 as Regional Vice President of Sales &Marketing, overseeing 27 hotels on the East coast and Mid west. In 1999, I was a Regional Director and the job ended without warning due to corporate downsizing. We were given a great package and I had hotel owners calling me asking me if they could pay me to come fix their hotels like I was doing, I said absolutely, and that began my consulting career. I consulted for hotels , helping them identify revenue streams, where they were leaving money on the table, deployment, sales & marketing and any operational challenges that they faced in their hotels. I also assisted with Due Diligence projects for prospective hotel purchases. This was my focus until the Cash Money opportunity. I then began to do both, booking hotel rooms for entertainers and consulting for hotel owners.

In 2006, one of my clients came to me and said, we are purchasing 12 more hotels and want you to join our team, I did and stayed with them until I retired, which I did so that I could pursue my company full time. Over those 13 years, I juggled my job and my passion, of being The Hotel Lady. I trademarked the name in 2020.

I am most proud of personally doing all of this as a single mother first, and for my son becoming a very successful entrepreneur/investor. Professionally, I am proud because throughout my corporate career, I was always the only African American female in my roles. There were a few males in Food & Beverage and Housekeeping, but not on the Sales or other operational positions. Thankfully today, we are well represented, now more females than males.

Aside from my corporate climb up the ladder, I am also proud that I was hired to develop and open a hotel in Monrovia, Liberia. When they asked for help, I said I could make it happen. I had never single handedly opened a hotel from the brick and mortor, but I knew I could do it. I built a team of the best individuals I know in the business that would know what I didnt know. I organized them as departments within a hotel- I had the chef design his ideal kitchen and restaurant and handle menus, I hired a designer to assist with room decor and public spaces, Housekeeping for ordering amenities, linens, supplies, etc. I had every area covered. I handled all sales, marketing, rates, and hiring all employees. This was the perfect plan, and in 18 months the 68 room hotel was completed and ready to open. I visited about 3 times during the process for a couple of weeks at a time, weekly calls with the builder and my clients, whom were all local. The challenging part was learning about shipping overseas, the clients wanted everything from the USA. I shopped and shipped for a year!

One the entertainment side, I am proud to still be booking rooms and being well respected. What my clients get from me is dedication, 30 years of hotel experience (I can make things happen that a lot of travel agents cant) I deliver what my clients want and need, and trust me they are all very different from brand of hotels, locations, room requirements, etc. I am available to them when they are on the road, and booking hotels are one less thing they do not have to worry about, i take of everything and my team advances the hotel just before arrival to ensure its all in place.

My corporate and association clients will simply say, we want a meeting in Madison, WI, give me the specs, I find the hotel, make recommendations, negotiate and handle the contract. If our services are needed on property, we are able to accommodate that request as well. We know how to get things done and are great liasions because my entire team are former hotel associates.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Corporate America taught to manage people as individuals, what’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander. Everyone is different and you have to reach them where they are, no one size fits all. People are motivated by different things and processes, and if you want success for everyone, that is how to do it. I am also a Certified Gallup Strengths Coach and the Strengths assessments, helps individuals identify where their zone of genius lies, what are their innate abilities, who their are at their core. You cant teach someone to be empathic, and you cant teach someone to have a great personality, if you have it or you dont. Do you have a shy, quiet person, greeting your customers, or do you put that bubbly, friendly person to greet your customers?

Place people within their skill set, it takes a well rounded team to be successful, you cannot have all Indians and no Chief. You need a Relationship person, a go to person, an influencer, who is the strategic person too figure things out. I think mismatching people in their roles is definitely harmful to your business.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My experience and ability to deliver what I commit to. I get you the best deal possible based upon your needs. I will never tell someone with a $99 budget that I can get them in the Ritz Carlton, but they will get the best hotel within their budget, I have negotiating skills when it comes to hotel contracts. I would rather turn down a client then under deliver, and I have. It I cant guarantee that you will be satisfied with the hotel options, I will respectfully decline. I cannot put my name and reputation on a product that I would not stay at. When there is an issue with the hotel, billing, points etc, I am there to help resolve that as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thehotellady.com
• Instagram: @hotelladyliz
• Facebook: Hotelladyliz
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/liz-wagner-thehotellady and linkedin.com/in/liz-wagner-CHSP (this one is for consulting)
• Twitter: @TheHotel Lady

Image Credits
Sonia Meadow Photography Sara Hanna Photography