130 rooms in the heart of NuLu — Louisville's trendiest neighborhood. Moonsong Café. High Stakes Rooftop. A bourbon-inspired lobby installation. Bluetooth shower speakers. Design-forward, wellness-focused, and built for a new kind of traveler. The posting asks for culture-driven F&B leadership with swagger. Here's what that looks like.
See Role Alignment →The Operator
U.S. News #1 Hotel in Iowa. Business of the Year in nine months. 25% RevPAR growth. 40+ associates mentored into management. $1M+ in activation-driven incremental revenue.
I've built the culture and operational identity at lifestyle properties from day one — twice. At The Warrior Hotel (Autograph Collection), I launched three F&B outlets, co-created a 2,000-person community relaunch, and earned #1 Hotel in Iowa within a year. At Hotel Julien Dubuque, Business of the Year in nine months. Both times the job was the same: set the tone, build the team, make the building mean something to the city around it.
Tempo Louisville has Moonsong Café, High Stakes Rooftop, a bourbon lobby installation, and the energy of NuLu right outside the door. First Hospitality's vision — creating value through excellence and an openness to doing things differently — is the operating philosophy I've been building for over a decade. Below is a taste of how I'd approach it.
Role Alignment
First Hospitality is looking for a bold, culture-driven leader who can shape the guest and associate experience from the ground up — revenue, F&B, team development, and a whole lot of presence. Here's how the record lines up.
F&B Leadership
The posting's #1 success factor is strong, accountable F&B leadership. Here's the record.
Relaunched three underperforming F&B outlets — steakhouse, rooftop bar, and bowling lounge. Hired every team, built every menu, established every operational system. Three distinct service cultures under one roof. The rooftop became the city's social anchor. F&B became the hotel's strongest community asset. $200K in auxiliary F&B spend from the community relaunch alone.
Rebuilt the three-meal casual dining restaurant and cocktail lounge. Launched a sold-out murder mystery dinner at 40% profit margins — 100 guests in costume, blue uplighting, period cocktails, and a fully produced theatrical experience. Orchestrated the hotel's first Culinary Olympics — teams competing across prep stations with chef judges. Grew banquet revenue $300K.
The Opportunity
Tempo Louisville has the assets and the neighborhood. These are four engines mapped to the property — each proven at comparable lifestyle properties I've operated.
Monthly programming built around bourbon culture, NuLu's creative energy, and Louisville's calendar. "Barrel & Beat" bourbon cocktail series at High Stakes. "First Friday" rooftop parties tied to NuLu gallery walks. "Derby Season" month-long activation from April into May. Every activation compounds — at properties I've operated, this system generated $1M+ in activation-driven revenue.
NuLu is a neighborhood that runs on insiders. Programs that turn locals into High Stakes regulars and Moonsong morning regulars. First-look invitations to seasonal menus, priority rooftop access, focus groups that shape what the hotel becomes. They fill the café on Tuesdays. They tell every visiting friend to book Tempo. They defend the property because they feel like it's theirs.
Curated packages that bundle Tempo with Louisville — Bourbon Trail tasting tours, Rabbit Hole Distillery experiences, NuLu food walks, rooftop cocktail-making at High Stakes. Corporate retreat packages for teams that want culture, not conference rooms. Derby packages that sell out a year in advance. The rooftop, the neighborhood, the bourbon — differentiators no other Hilton in the market can touch.
Every activation feeds a direct booking machine. Targeted campaigns tied to monthly themes. Social content built around real NuLu experiences. At properties I've operated, this system generated hundreds of thousands in direct booking revenue. For a lifestyle property in a neighborhood this vibrant, owning the direct channel and the social narrative is the fastest path to margin improvement.
The Programming
This is how I'd program Tempo Louisville Tempo Louisville. Twelve months, each built around bourbon culture, NuLu's creative calendar, and the two F&B concepts that anchor this property. Every theme ties a tentpole event, outlet activations, a rooms package, a local partner, and a team recognition moment. Nothing exists in isolation. Each month feeds the next.
Vibe: Wellness meets NuLu. "The Reset" — zero-proof cocktails at Moonsong for Dry January. "Power Down Sundays" wellness programming in the lobby. "Resolution Rooftop" cold-weather High Stakes happy hours with intention-setting cocktails.
Vibe: Bourbon romance. "The Proof" — barrel-aged cocktail Valentine's series at High Stakes. "Anti-Valentine's" single-barrel flights for solo travelers. "Suite Secrets" turndown packages with local chocolate and bourbon pairings.
Vibe: St. Patrick's meets distillery season. "Green & Grain" Irish whiskey vs. bourbon tasting flights. "NuLu Night Market" partnership with neighborhood shops. "Live at Moonsong" acoustic music series every Friday.
Vibe: Spring in NuLu. "First Friday" rooftop afterparties for gallery walks. "Artist in Residence" rotating local muralists in the lobby. "Bloom & Barrel" seasonal cocktail menu launch at High Stakes. Patio season opens.
Vibe: The biggest month in Louisville. "Derby at Tempo" — week-long programming from hat contests to mint julep masterclasses. "High Stakes Derby Party" rooftop watch event. Themed room packages. The entire city is the activation — Tempo just needs to be the afterparty.
Vibe: Peak season kickoff. "Solstice Sessions" — longest-day sunset hike + High Stakes afterparty. "Summit Series" curated high-peak adventure packages with local guides. Father's Day "Peak & Pour" — hike, craft beer flight, fire pit.
Vibe: Peak summer. "Fourth on the Roof" — High Stakes fireworks viewing party. Frozen bourbon slushies at Moonsong. "NuLu Block Party" neighborhood partnership. Waterfront Wednesday concert shuttle packages.
Vibe: Bourbon Heritage Month. "Bourbon Trail Basecamp" — Tempo as the home base for distillery tours. "Barrel Pick" exclusive single-barrel selection event at High Stakes. Louisville Bats baseball packages. "Proof Party" end-of-month bourbon gala.
Vibe: Football + harvest. U of L Cardinals game-day packages. "Tailgate at High Stakes" rooftop watch parties. Farm-to-table fall menu launch at Moonsong. "NuLu Harvest" local vendor pop-up in the lobby.
Vibe: Haunted bourbon country. "Ghost of the Barrel" smoked cocktail series at High Stakes. "NuLu Haunted Walk" neighborhood partnership. "The Masquerade" — costume-mandatory rooftop Halloween party. Spooky season meets Southern gothic.
Vibe: Gratitude season. Thanksgiving feast at Moonsong with local farm ingredients. "Drinksgiving" — biggest Wednesday night of the year at High Stakes. "Light Up Louisville" holiday kickoff packages. Small-group Friendsgiving buyouts.
Vibe: Holiday magic. "Glow at The Tempo" — lobby holiday décor, hot cocoa station, carolers. "Ski & Celebrate" Christmas week packages. New Year's Eve at High Stakes with midnight toast and NuLu fireworks. The mountain comes alive.
The System
Signature monthly event
Moonsong Café, High Stakes Rooftop
Themed package or add-on
Local collaboration
Content moment
Team recognition
In Production Now
This isn't theoretical. Right now I'm executing a year-long programming calendar at Hotel Julien Dubuque built on the same system outlined above.
When the nation's semiquincentennial presented a once-in-250-years opportunity, I didn't wait for a directive. I built a full-year programming calendar — twelve themed months, each anchored by a community partnership and supported by dozens of activations across F&B, events, and guest experience.
The result: a dozen new community partnerships forged in a single year, dozens of new activations that didn't exist before, and a property that went from hosting events to being the cultural anchor of its city.
The Execution
Two months from the America 250 campaign at Hotel Julien Dubuque. Room promos, daily F&B specials, tentpole events, spa tie-ins, recurring series — every month a complete system, not a single event.
February: Love & Freedom
March: Prohibition & Progress
Proof of Work
In 2024, I took the helm at Hotel Julien Dubuque — Iowa's oldest hotel — while simultaneously retained as a strategic consultant for a $250M portfolio across four properties: The Warrior, Hotel St. Louis, Hotel Blackhawk, and The Current Iowa.
The Team: Transitioned from day-to-day operations to coaching General Managers across the portfolio, serving as a liaison between ownership and staff, building the culture infrastructure that would sustain without me in the building.
The Guest: 22 precinct-wide activations designed to manufacture demand rather than capture it — experiences that gave guests a reason to come back before they'd left.
The Friction: Bridged the gap between ownership and operations across 900,000 sq ft of combined real estate — finalizing budgets, protecting partnerships, clearing the path for four leadership teams to execute.
The Asset: 6% TRevPAR increase across the consulting portfolio. Simultaneously drove Hotel Julien to “Business of the Year” status.
The Warrior Hotel was a restored icon — Marriott's Autograph Collection, stunning architecture. The opportunity was to turn it into a benchmark.
The Team: Every department aligned around one shared goal. Culture and performance moved together — not as competing priorities, but as the same thing.
The Guest: Guest satisfaction rose 20 points. Recovery programs transformed feedback into loyalty. Guests didn't just return — they advocated.
The Friction: Labor forecasting tied to occupancy. Menu engineering balancing quality with cost. Systems that let people do their best work without fighting the operation.
The Asset: RevPAR lifted 25%. RGI increased 19.6%. Named Top Hotel in Iowa by U.S. News & World Report — 2024 and 2025.
The Warrior Hotel reopened in 2020 — mid-pandemic — and spent two years without a community identity. No local following. No neighborhood connection. When I arrived as AGM in 2022, the building was beautiful. The relationship with its city was nonexistent.
The Team: Gave the team ownership of the relaunch. Every department hosted their own ribbon cutting — spa, restaurant, rooftop bar. The team became the face of the property.
The Guest: We didn't ask how do we get guests? We asked how do we become part of this place? Six weeks of community events turned opening weekend into opening season.
The Friction: Removed every barrier to community access. No gatekeeping, no VIP-only events. Open doors. Free tours. The hotel belonged to the city before it belonged to travelers.
The Asset: 2,000+ people walked through the property in six weeks. Five local press stories. City council began hosting delegations. Community buy-in became the foundation for every dollar that came after.
Activations compound when they're systematic. Not a wine dinner here, a holiday party there — a tiered calendar where each event feeds the next.
The Team: Gave the team creative ownership over their signature events. When housekeeping designs the holiday party and the bar team creates the cocktail series, they're invested in the outcome — not executing someone else's idea.
The Guest: Three tiers: signature series (weekly recurring), tentpole moments (monthly), and anchor events (seasonal). Guests returned not because we asked them to — but because they knew what was coming next.
The Friction: Built repeatable systems — templates, vendor relationships, marketing cadences — so every activation didn't start from scratch. The system ran itself.
The Asset: $1M+ in activation-driven revenue from 2022–present. Shifted perception from we're here if you need us to you need to be here for this.
Hospitality's retention crisis isn't about pay. It's about meaning. People leave because they don't feel seen, don't see a future, and don't believe their work matters.
The Team: Built the crucible. Multi-layered recognition — monthly, weekly, daily. Career pathing infrastructure. High-potential identification. Mentorship tracks. An environment where people fall in love with the challenge of becoming who they're capable of being.
The Guest: Stable teams mean consistent service. Consistency is what high-net-worth guests notice first — and it's the thing that can't be faked.
The Friction: Removed the obstacles that make people leave — unclear expectations, invisible growth paths, leaders who don't listen. Poured into the cup so the cup could pour into the guest.
The Asset: 40+ associates mentored to management. 24% leadership retention increase. Engagement scores jumped 27 points.
Leadership Philosophy
A lifestyle hotel is only as good as the culture behind it. That culture starts with how you build the team, how you treat the guest, how you show up every day, and how you protect the asset.
The first hires at a new property define everything. Not just their skills — their energy, their standards, their belief in what the place can become. I've done this twice: built entire hotel teams from scratch, hired every department head, set the tone before the first guest walked in. At Tempo, the team is the brand. Moonsong's barista sets the morning tone. High Stakes' bartender sets the night. Every hire is a casting decision.
NuLu is full of great restaurants, bars, and boutiques. The guest can get bourbon and a rooftop view anywhere in Louisville. What they can't get anywhere else is the feeling that this hotel was built for them — that the journey from Moonsong to High Stakes to their room feels intentional, energetic, and distinctly Tempo. That's what separates a lifestyle hotel from a nice hotel with a rooftop.
At a launch property, the GM is the brand until the brand can speak for itself. That means being on the floor, in the restaurant, on the rooftop, in the neighborhood — visible, present, setting the energy every single day. The posting says "lead with presence, purpose, and a healthy dose of hospitality swagger." That's not a line on a job description. That's the job.
I treat every property as if it were my own. Every idea is built around profitability first. Profitability builds trust with ownership. Trust earns continued investment. And continued investment is how a good hotel becomes a great one. First Hospitality and Hilton invested in Tempo for a reason — the GM's job is to prove them right every quarter.
Build the team that sets the energy. Let the energy define the guest experience. Let the experience drive profitability. Let the profitability earn ownership's trust. That's the sequence — and it's the sequence I've executed at every property I've led.
Lead with Heart
Award-winning teams don't happen by accident. They happen when leaders invest in the employee experience with the same bespoke intention they bring to the guest experience. People who feel genuinely developed, challenged, and valued don't just deliver luxury — they embody it.
Every team member keeps a structured gratitude journal — a daily practice that shifts mindset from task completion to ownership and purpose. It sounds simple. It's transformative. Teams that practice gratitude operate with more patience, more empathy, and more resilience under pressure. The guest feels the difference even if they can't name it.
A structured mentorship program built on curriculum that mirrors high-end MBA programs — leadership development, financial literacy, strategic thinking, and communication. Every associate has a development pathway that extends beyond their current role. The message: we're not just investing in your performance here. We're investing in who you're becoming.
No two team members get the same development plan because no two people have the same ambitions. Individualized growth tracks designed around each person's goals, strengths, and areas of opportunity.
Create value through excellence.
An openness to doing things differently.
That's the job.