Great Guest Experiences Start With Employee Wellbeing - Emily Johnson, Joli Barfield, and Kristi Ellingsworth

In this episode, Emily Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Elevate Hospitality Collective, brings together Joli Barfield, Corporate Director of Human Resources, and Kristi Ellingsworth, Director of Hospitality, both at Dartcor Enterprises, to explore why great guest experiences begin long before a guest arrives.

Drawing on experience across hotels, restaurants, HR and operations, they explain why employee wellbeing is more than a benefits program. It's a leadership and operational practice that shapes everything that matters in hospitality. You'll hear why so many guest-facing wellness initiatives fall short, how Dartcor is building employee wellbeing into daily operations, and practical ideas leaders can apply through manager development, pre-shift meetings, and simple tools for handling pressure on the ground.

If you're looking to build stronger teams, reduce burnout, and create better guest -- and employee -- experiences, this conversation offers a practical framework for where to start.

Learn more:

• Why the guest experience breaks before reaching the guest, and how to fix it (Emily Johnson in HOTELS Magazine)
• Nervous System Regulation in Hospitality: A Commercial Playbook for Hoteliers
• The Yield of Calm: The ROI of Mental Health in Hospitality
• Elevate Hospitality Collective on Substack
• BLS JOLTS quits rates by industry

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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands