For those who have not yet had the introduction, Chip Conley is the CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, which claims to be America’s second largest boutique hotel company. Chip Conley is a different kind of CEO, having written a book titled, “The Rebel Rules: Daring to Be Yourself in Business,” along with two other business books.
Chip Conley also keeps a blog called “Musings,” which I recently discovered and enjoy perusing. On this blog, you can read his take on all things leadership. What makes the postings especially entertaining is Chip’s blend of business savvy CEO with “hakunah mattata” California surfer. In one breath, he discusses the strategic missteps of Four Seasons; in the next, he raves about Bhutan’s concept of “Gross National Happiness.”
In the most recent blog post, Chip ponders why a recent survey found that entrepreneurs are loved, yet CEOs are hated. An interesting question, considering that one frequently grows out of the other. And a relevant question, since the hospitality industry has many of each, and the guest experience at Marriott is decidedly different from the guest experience at Joie de Vivre. Whether better or worse probably depends on whether you ask the business traveler who paid for his honeymoon with Marriott Rewards points accumulated on the road, or the guest who cannot help but be amused that Hotel Phoenix, the self-proclaimed “rock ’n roll hotel,” supports a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of repeated exposure to loud noises.
Read his blog here.
