Welcome to Defining Hospitality, the podcast focused on highlighting the most influential figures in the hospitality industry. In each episode we provide 1 on 1, in depth interviews with experts in the industry to learn what hospitality means to them. We feature expert advice on working in the industry, behind the scenes looks at some of your favorite brands, and in depth explorations of unique hospitality projects.
Defining Hospitality is hosted by Founder and CEO of Agency 967, Dan Ryan. With over 30 years of experience in hospitality, Dan brings his expertise and passion to each episode as he delves into the latest trends and challenges facing the industry.
Episodes are released every week on Wednesday mornings.
To listen to episodes, visit https://www.defininghospitality.live/ or subscribe to Defining Hospitality wherever you get your podcasts.
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[00:00:25] Dan Ryan: Hello. Welcome everyone. Today's guest is an art and design enthusiast lives out the meaning of hospitality. He's a lifelong friend of mine, former roommate, president at agency 9 6 7 Misha. Bednar welcome me.
[00:00:40] Misha Bedner: Thanks for having me, Dan.
[00:00:42] Dan Ryan: I have so much love and affection and, um, just appreciation for the industry that we're in and, and delivering hospitality to everyone that I just, you know, I just really want to start off with you. Um, how do you define hospitality?
[00:00:57] Misha Bedner: So I've worked in [00:01:00] many aspects of this industry, um, from design purchasing, uh, art consulting.
[00:01:10] Um, and now I'm doing what I'm doing with you on the, on the sales side of things. And, uh, so I should say that hospitality, uh, directly correlates with one of those things, but I'm not good. I'm going to say that hospitality, uh, focuses on serviced. And what do you like,
[00:01:37] Dan Ryan: what do you mean by that, sir?
[00:01:40] Misha Bedner: So, so when you walk into a hotel, um, you know, and I have my wife with me and three screaming kids.
[00:01:50] And typically what I do is I walk over to, and I know you do this too. We, I walk over to every piece of furniture and I flip it over and see who the manufacturer is. And then I have to touch the [00:02:00] fabrics and, you know, and, and feel it out and just see, uh, you know, what it's all about from the design aspect.
[00:02:08] Yeah. But that's not the best part of a hotel experience. The best part is service. It's the people who greet you at the door and it's when you go to the, the front desk and, you know, they have a bright smile and they, and they want to say, uh, you know, they say welcome and all that. What they embody is what that hotel in which they're working in embodies as well.
[00:02:37] Service and I, I'm embarrassed to admit that it's the word service. So I I'm gonna re go back a little. I I've worked with my, my dad for many years when I was at HBA. Yeah. And I saw him give a multitude of, of interviews and he was always asked a [00:03:00] similar question, you know, like, what do you feel about hospitality or what's the main component of hospitality?
[00:03:05] That resonates the most with you. And he would always say, I'm like, dad, dad, you know, the marketing side of me says, dad, dad say design, say design. And he would say service and I'll be like, oh shit. Why, why do you say that? And now after being in this industry for dear God, I think it's 25 years or so now I'm really, since you were born pretty much, pretty much.
[00:03:29] Um, I have to say it's it's service and. W there's two things that are problematic about that is that, uh, you know, having my background, I should say product or, you know, like having comfortable furniture or beautiful fixtures. That's, that's what makes a, a hotel. But sadly, uh, I think I'm just turning into my father and I'm just saying what he's.[00:04:00]
[00:04:00] It's tragic. Totally tragic. Yeah. I can't
[00:04:02] Dan Ryan: wait to have your dad on, on the podcast too. And so like, I hear you saying that you learned that idea of service from your dad, but like when you think about when you're walking into that restaurant, hotel resort, whatever with your wife and the three screaming kids, um, when you pull apart that idea of service, What is that connection that they do to make you feel comfortable?
[00:04:28] Like, do you have any instances of how you feel, you feel comfortable and how you recognize when that the delivery of hospitality?
[00:04:35] Misha Bedner: Sure. So a perfect example. Um, my, my wife, my lovely wife, Jamie and I went on a, uh, stay-cation for our anniversary, uh, a few days back. Uh, and we, we live in Manhattan beach. We went to Santa Monica, which is all of about 20 minutes away.
[00:04:53] And, uh, we stayed at a hotel in, in Santa Monica and we walked [00:05:00] in and the people, uh, who opened the door were like welcome, you know, and big smiles on their faces. So that was, that was the first touch. Um, and the. The joy that was, you know, it could be full joy, but at least they're, they're expressing, uh, a nice emotion that kind of sets the tone for when you're walking into a hotel.
[00:05:26] So we went past the front door, got to the front desk, a gentlemen who's uh, Justin lovely. Justin who's behind the front desk. Oh yeah. I that's how that's how good he was. And he's like, he goes welcome, Mr. And Mrs. Bedner. He goes, wait a second. Today is your 18th anniversary. Isn't it. And I was like, Justin, that is a lovely for you to, to know this, even though, you know, when you sign up for your, uh, when you make your room reservations, you, you say, Hey, any notes on special occasions and things.[00:06:00]
[00:06:00] So he goes, I just want to congratulate you for, uh, tolerating this man. This is what he's saying to Jamie tolerating this man for 18 years, he doesn't even know me, but you know, tongue in cheek, love that kind of that vibe. And he goes, I apologize. You're going to have to sit tight for about 15 minutes, your room.
[00:06:18] Isn't ready because I'm going to upgrade you to a suite. And we're like, Ugh, Justin, really? And he goes, yes. Uh, so he goes, "go upstairs. The drink's on us. You have to go to the upstairs bar. I'll I'll get you whatever you want to get. Uh, and then come back down here. We'll get your room ready. You'll it'll be ready in 15 minutes."
[00:06:39] So we go up the elevator after 15 minutes and we go up there and there's a handwritten note by Justin. I know he just scribbled out, uh, while we were in our little, uh, uh, respite for 15 minutes. I mean, just it's things like that. It's, it's, uh, it's service. And I remember, I remember stuff like that [00:07:00] much more than, oh, the, you know, there's a Egyptian cotton sheets, you know, that's all fine and good, but it's the experience it's about the people you meet.
[00:07:11] It's about the conversations you have. It's not about a bedroom. Right.
[00:07:16] Dan Ryan: Well, and it's so great and amazing that you're sharing that because I also feel like, okay, the people totally make that. And the connection between the people. And then, you know, if it's all packaged in a, in a beautifully built environment, you know, I feel like it resonates that much more with me.
[00:07:37] I love how you recognize that it's those little personal touches that are really, really make the difference. So like, when you think about, okay, that's your experience walking in there, but when people come to your home or come into your office, like, what are the ways that you approach each of those connections to make [00:08:00] them feel comfortable?
[00:08:01] Misha Bedner: Uh, typically I apply them with alcohol.
[00:08:06] Dan Ryan: Oh, God. Okay. And then what if they're spending
[00:08:08] Misha Bedner: the night, uh, less alcohol. Good, but it's, you know, depending upon, you know, if someone's coming to my home and, uh, usually I try to single out what is important to them to make them comfortable. And that's something that you do with friends at your home, or, um, Customers who come to your office or people who work at a hotel, they do for their, uh, their patrons.
[00:08:42] It's just all about singling out, what is, what makes them comfortable and how you give that to them.
[00:08:51] Dan Ryan: And then where do you think you learned that?
[00:08:55] Misha Bedner: Uh,
[00:08:59] I [00:09:00] know you, you just have to surround yourself with, with good people, like-minded people and, uh, you, they have to have the same value structure as you, um, and you learn it from them. And I, I, I honestly think we're blessed to be in this, this industry because there's so many people who do that or. Uh, feel that way or, um, provide, uh, that kind of service to people.
[00:09:35] Dan Ryan: I know you brought up that guy, Justin, the who, who sounds amazing. And someday I hope I'll be able to stay there, but, um, if you could think of the ways that you deliver hospitality and define it within your home or business, and you rather than speaking generally, like, are there specific individuals that you.
[00:09:57] I don't know, tie, tie your experience back to so that like [00:10:00] we can get a
[00:10:00] Misha Bedner: feeling of it. Well, I mean, I'd have to bring pops back into the fold. Uh, you know, he's been at the forefront of this industry, uh, since the 1960s, he and Howard Hersch, um, you know, they. I mean, if you want to talk about defining the hospitality design industry, as we know it now, I mean, my dad is, you know, the ideal person to talk to.
[00:10:30] So I learned a lot from him. Um, and that's, you know, I was kicking and screaming. I didn't want to be involved in, in hotel design or, uh, everything that was, um, You know, part and parcel with that. I, you know, I wanted to do screenwriting and, you know, I was a history and art history major in my, my thesis at UCLA was the society and how [00:11:00] they correlate with the mafia.
[00:11:02] I mean, all these things don't really correspond with, uh, with a job. So, um, I kinda got pulled into the fold by my dad and he taught me a whole bunch of stuff. This is stuff that's not even the design end of things. This is more of the marketing and BD stuff. You know, he goes, "if a client invites you to do karaoke, god dammit, you go out and do karaoke," you know? Or if they want to go, uh, out on the town and, and do shots of soju you, you, you gotta do it. Because that's part of it. That makes them comfortable. That will put you in their good graces and then the design part's going to be easy. Yeah. So much
[00:11:52] Dan Ryan: of it as again, I think in that connection, it's also creating a shared experience, right? Because [00:12:00] everything that we do every day from my experience is like, you know, it's so tactical that you're doing this and this, but when you can really create
[00:12:06] a
[00:12:06] Misha Bedner: shared experience,
[00:12:09] Dan Ryan: That'd be kind of a super memorable, I mean, that's, that's amazing.
[00:12:12] So yeah, never turned down the shot of Sue Jo. Uh, so are so
[00:12:20] Misha Bedner: true. So that's it it's been too long. Yeah.
[00:12:25] Dan Ryan: Oh my gosh. Oh, it's been way too long for karaoke too. I can't wait for that. Um, so, you know, speaking about Justin, the best experience, like if you were to go into. Like, do you remember your worst experience of half of hospitality?
[00:12:40] Misha Bedner: Yes. So, um, again, I have three kids, um, and Jamie and I brought all of the kids down to, I think it was Oceanside for a soccer tournament and we rolled up late to this hotel. It was about [00:13:00] nine 30 at night, and I'm not going to say what hotel it was, but. Uh, we walked in and we made, we made reservations and they're like, oh, you know what?
[00:13:12] We walk up to the front desk. Oh, you know, we, I don't think we can honor your reservation. You're about four hours later than you were expected to be here. And we're like, well, where do you want us to go? It's in the middle of the night. Uh, we have no other options and, uh, You know, they're like, yeah, well, God, there's this one room.
[00:13:34] It's not, it's not a suite. It has one bed. And, uh, we can maybe hole you up in that space. You know, it's just not everything is, is vivid in my mind, but it was a textbook the law it's when you walk up to the, the, the front desk. Uh, the lady behind the desk, everything was a textbook of what not to do and how to [00:14:00] just thoroughly piss off your customer from, you know, like, no, there was no greeting.
[00:14:05] There was no, um, you know, no respect for the fact that I had, I was holding onto two kids and a screaming one behind me and Jamie was upset and, uh, and they weren't providing the service. Anything that I needed. So that was, that was a miserable experience. Then we got into the room and Jamie's like, what?
[00:14:28] There's like bloodstains on the walls. And there's like empty bottles behind the bed. And I mean, we were hoping for some type of, you know, design, uh, save that would happen once we rolled up into the room. But.
[00:14:43] Dan Ryan: Oh, my gosh. I love that idea of the design team. And then like, so oftentimes I find that from those really negative experiences, it teaches me so much.
[00:14:51] So like if you learned something from that, w what, what, what have you learned from
[00:14:55] Misha Bedner: that experience? Uh, it, it just, [00:15:00] It showed the difference between how to make, if even if it's a good situation you're in or a bad situation, it's the way that people approach it. It's how you can save that situation.
[00:15:16] It's something that you and I talk about all the time, um, in that, you know, sometimes shit hits the fan and it's something that's typically out of our control or it's something that, that you are, I didn't initiate, but it's how you approach it. If you, if you calm the customer and you find a solution. And everyone is on the same page as to how to address the fix.
[00:15:46] You're fine. But if you say, if there's a problem and you go, oh, it's not my fault. I shouldn't be involved in this figured out yourself. Uh, and you don't take ownership of it. [00:16:00] That's, that's a, that's a different approach that I hopefully you and I don't subscribe to.
[00:16:05] Dan Ryan: Yeah. I feel like that's, you know, Oftentimes from my experiences, when, when I'm in a situation like you just described, it's often when the person who's delivering a service or delivering, trying to deliver the hospitality is relying on policy.
[00:16:21] Right? Right. It's like, how do I follow this playbook? And it becomes very automatic, but you're not really, you're missing the forest for the trees. If you will. Like you're, they're not seeing you. And then if you think about when you're away from home, cause obviously, you know, we travel a lot and you know, when we're all at home, we all feel really comfortable at home, but how do you make yourself feel comfortable when you're not.
[00:16:44] Misha Bedner: Meaning when I'm in a different city or, yeah. When you're anywhere
[00:16:48] Dan Ryan: outside of home, usually probably spending an evening somewhere. Like how do you make yourself comfortable? What are the things that you do to deliver hospitality to yourself?
[00:16:58] Misha Bedner: Oh, I, [00:17:00] Dan, I don't ever think about myself. I have to think about everyone else all the time.
[00:17:05] Um, uh, it's always good. Uh, Acclimated to the place in which you're going, which is sometimes problematic. I mean, so when I was doing, uh, business development for HBA and I was on planes, you know, every three or four weeks, uh, and sometimes I'd jump on a plane to go to say, Dolly on China. It'd be, you know, 16, 17, 18 hour flight on economy.
[00:17:36] And I show up there, have a meeting for four hours. And then jump back on a plane and head back and you know, that that's, it's terrible because you're doing, uh, you're traveling more than you're actually meeting with the people you need to meet with. Um, and you're also not getting any downtime in the place in which you're visiting.
[00:17:57] So what I always [00:18:00] try to do is something. Uh, culturally specific to the place in which I'm going to. So if I'm going to go to, you know, use Dolly on again, so, you know, go hit up a museum or something. If I have an hour or go to some street cuisine kind of place and do that, or just doing, doing something that's intrinsically that spot that you can't do anywhere else.
[00:18:28] Um, and it's hard to do that.
[00:18:31] Dan Ryan: Yeah. If you were to think about like an experience like that that might stand out to you that you remember the
[00:18:36] Misha Bedner: most? Uh, I remember going on a business trip to India and I had two hours to kill.
[00:18:48] And I went to, uh, the, the national museum there, the, uh, gallery there. And [00:19:00] oddly, I think I was the only person in this is a massive museum, you know, in case in some old Victorian style building. And I think I was the only person there and, uh, which is fantastic. I love to appreciate art. And just kind of, you know, stare at paintings or taking, uh, pieces of art at my leisure.
[00:19:25] And, um, it was great. It was, it was something I wouldn't be able to see anywhere else. Uh, and it was a nice calming moment of an hour or hour and a half before I had to meet with a client. You know, that was all chaos. So you need calming moments to mix in with, with the craziness of what we do once in a while.
[00:19:50] Yeah.
[00:19:50] Dan Ryan: Okay. So a couple of things are resonating there. Like one it's almost like you created this calm respite, like an eye of a storm, [00:20:00] if you will. That was not intentional. But again, you got out of your. You could have been waiting anywhere for that meeting to have him for two hours, you got herself out of that potentially comfortable place to have a new experience.
[00:20:11] And then you were inspired and calmed and connected. So, and it's also like I'm hearing this just from knowing you and I guess it's unfair interview cause
[00:20:21] Misha Bedner: I know him so well, but like,
[00:20:23] Dan Ryan: um, this whole idea of how we find ourselves doing what we're doing and surrounded by these people. So incredibly talented creating these really beautiful spaces.
[00:20:37] And I know, you know, with your dad designing hotels and you know, but there's this deep appreciation for things of beauty and art and aesthetic. Like, tell me more about that. Like where, where do you, if you were to kind of trace that back into your. Like DNA or upbringing or from whoever, like where does that come from and how, how did it become?
[00:20:59] So pat and I [00:21:00] mean, it's everything from the IC, from furniture to museums, to, um, artwork, to music, to everything, to comic books, even it's always like, you're super visual. And like, where does that come from?
[00:21:15] Misha Bedner: I think it stems back to family. So my grandmother, uh, you are Mila measure Nova. She was, uh, she's a famous Czech artist.
[00:21:26] And, you know, I grew up watching her, uh, paint and, and do what she did and her, uh, Her gift is something that, um, you know, I have tons of her paintings around my, my home as do all of our relatives. Um, so I think from seeing, seeing her, our work from a young age, uh, that really inspired me and then obviously comics.
[00:21:55] Dan Ryan: Just kind of bringing it back to like making comfortable creating that space. [00:22:00] Like when you're watching your, when you were watching your grandmother create art as a young age, like, what did it feel like in that studio or in that moment? Like, like how did you feel and like what, what did you pay attention to?
[00:22:12] Misha Bedner: You know, finally I like paint a picture of that. Sure. So, um, she would have her studio and she would have. You know, of all the four seasons piping in the background, uh, you know, the, the blinds would be rolled up. She didn't want to have to, she didn't want to have too much light and, you know, just the gentle art of mixing paint and applying it to canvas that in itself.
[00:22:39] Like, I don't know, you know, some people want. Bob Ross videos and they they've, it's a calming 32 minutes of just like, uh, because it's, uh, it's a, it's a soothing and calming ritual. And, and if you can do that and produce something beautiful, [00:23:00] there's nothing better than. So my, my grandmother would, would do stuff like that.
[00:23:05] And I just remember sitting there watching, going, I wish I could do something like that. So, you know, I would draw and paint. Um, you know, uh, I actually, uh, I went to, uh, I was getting my master's. This is when I was roommates with you up in San Francisco. Um, in some type of art form is a computer animator.
[00:23:29] Uh, but you know, art and design and beautiful things have been a part of my life. And I guess everybody's life, uh, forever. So I just, I love to see beautiful things. I love to see beautiful things created. I love the process. I love the people who create beautiful things. Um, and I just, I'm blessed to be part of what we do.[00:24:00]
[00:24:00] Dan Ryan: Yeah, it's amazing when you like the whole, I idea of looking at someone when they're creating a work of art work for me, even sometimes just, I have friends who are just really awesome at building financial models and it sounds really weird, but just watching them like wizards on Excel and just the gentle tapping of the keys and their focus, it's all, it really is like watching a Bob Ross.
[00:24:26] Painting being, being made. It's this, there's something so relaxing and there's this whole trend right now. Like we're not right now. It's been for a while. Just people like opening people, opening gifts are opening boxes of things and there's something so,
[00:24:40] Misha Bedner: so peaceful about what is ASM are isn't there a term for it?
[00:24:44] I think it's that ASM our stuff. It gets into your, uh,
[00:24:48] Dan Ryan: somewhere in your brain. And I dunno, it's like goosebump delivering. I'm just wondering like, yeah. The whole idea of like bringing it back to just creating these [00:25:00] shared experiences. Like, could you think of that genius that your grandmother had, that you were captivated by and like, bring it back to the guy who you checked into that hotel with like, is there some kind of a thread that ties it all together?
[00:25:17] Misha Bedner: Well, I think the process let's just take a specific example.
[00:25:22] The process of a hotel coming into being is so many people working, designing, and coming together and combining their forces to make something beautiful. I think it's spectacular. And there's people who are involved on the design side, and if you look over their shoulder and they're space planning a guestroom, or they're putting together, or they're drawing out what a light fixture that's gonna fit next to the [00:26:00] bed. You know, all those million different little facets of how a hotel comes together. That's that's so beautiful to me. I mean, the sad thing is, is that that's like 2% of how a hotel comes together. All that fun design, all the sexy stuff. It's such a small little thing in the whole big picture.
[00:26:25] But, you know, I think you could say that about any industry, you know, if you watch a, uh, an incredible movie, you're like, wow, that was such a.
[00:26:34] Such an incredible movie. That must have been so fun to produce, you know what? It probably wasn't, but it's all about the end product. So the end product for, for me on that particular instance, when we went to that hotel in Santa Monica is that there was a beautiful shell of a hotel and it was filled with these beautiful people who made my one day [00:27:00] Jamie's and my anniversary.
[00:27:03] And it's, it's the conjoining of all of those forces coming together that made this fantastic experience. Yeah,
[00:27:12] Dan Ryan: it's really just amazing. Cause I, I would this whole pandemic that we've all been through and like, I really miss being able to go into as many firms offices as we used to all go into and seeing.
[00:27:26] All right. So I'm having a meeting, I'm talking about a project and then, but like in those times between. Just seeing those super talented people like layer, textures, and textiles, and wouldn't finishes and to create that beautiful space where all these really incredibly caring people exist and just the, the sheer intensity of the con it's like the concentration that they have and the thoughtfulness and the intentionality of layering it all together.[00:28:00]
[00:28:00] And thinking about how, at some 0.2 years in the future, whenever that might be that you and your wife or someone else are in there having that experience, like how does that whole piece speak to them? And it's like, you think about that from the projects that we're working on. Okay. But then also like how we have our apartments and how we have our, our homes and you know, how do we welcome.
[00:28:27] People it's just so thoughtful. It's not just a, yeah. Okay. We get a drink and have a dinner and have a meal, but it's also, that's warm sense of, uh, of a hearth and home.
[00:28:38] Misha Bedner: Agreed. Yeah, no, and again, I was using a hotel as a specific example, but I think just the way we live on a daily basis, it should be intentional in that.
[00:28:53] You know, um, you know, if we're gonna, if I'm going to be making breakfast for my kids, it [00:29:00] should be well laid out and, you know, forks and knives should be there. And, uh, you know, orange juice should be orange juice should be poured up to this level and, uh, bacon should be. Because Jimmy wants crispy bacon and Mila wants kind of, you know, not so crispy bacon and this person wants this type of egg.
[00:29:20] So you know this again, I diverging, but I think we should live life the way that, uh, intentionally and with beauty, the way that we design hotels.
[00:29:34] Dan Ryan: Yeah. And I, you know, as, as we get older, I just feel. Life gets so busy, time gets so fast. It starts moving by so quickly. And I find that, you know, in thinking about to slow things down, one of the things that I've learned is just being the moments when I'm super intentional about things.
[00:29:55] And I really work at it a lot and it's a real challenge for me, but yeah. [00:30:00] I'm really committed to just being way more mindful just in day-to-day practice and whether it's setting up or cooking the kids breakfast or having a, a well-run meeting or just expressing gratitude in many different ways. Like just that whole idea of like time.
[00:30:21] I mean, time doesn't really slow down. Focusing really closely on that moment and that experience, which I think ties upon ties back to that guy, Justin, as well. Like he, he spelled it all out. He really took the time to, to connect with you on that level. And then like, what are other ways? And that's really interesting.
[00:30:40] So like, as far as making people feel comfortable through just being super mindful, like, are there any other experiences you can think of
[00:30:49] Misha Bedner: in that room? You mean, like being deliberate on, uh, just how you, uh,[00:31:00]
[00:31:06] I mean, nothing's really coming to mind, to be honest. I mean, in the whole design, in what we do on a daily basis
[00:31:12] Dan Ryan: or design life in general, just like I love the idea of being able to interplay a sense of mindfulness into delivering hospitality and just it's all about like, being super intentional,
[00:31:26] Misha Bedner: right.
[00:31:28] Well, just in
[00:31:29] Dan Ryan: the space, in the interaction, in the connection.
[00:31:32] Misha Bedner: I mean, w w look, when I, when I go call on designers or purchasing agents, uh, I'm not calling on designers and purchasing agents for the most part. I mean, you and I have been in this industry for so long.
[00:31:46] We're calling on our friends and. Uh, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm blessed because I, you know, I get to work with my best friend and, um, and I get to work with tons [00:32:00] of other great friends. Um, and these are people that I would hang out with, um, outside of work. And these are people that I, at some point in my life, I exclusively only hung out with, you know, hospitals.
[00:32:14] People are designed. People are purchasing people. Yeah. Um, but so when I call on them, I, you know, I am mindful that they, each of those people, uh, they, they different things resonate with them. So if I'm calling on a certain person and I know, um, you know, at 11 o'clock on a Wednesday, they get kinda antsy at work and they need a pick me up, you know, bring, uh, you know, something from.
[00:32:44] Creation cold pressed Juicery to get them, you know, get them going again. You know, if I know one of them just had a child and, uh, I w I did this once. I, I, I brought a designer, a powder [00:33:00] blue blanket. Then found out that her child was a girl, but you know, sometimes you mess up, but it's just, it's the attempt, um, to, to kind of pick out those little things that, uh, make your relationship specific with them and, uh, make an above and beyond this whole thing.
[00:33:18] Like, oh, Hey, I'm calling you, do you have any projects you're working on that I can bid on? You know, that's, that's the kind of mundane part of what we do. You know, I was thinking
[00:33:28] Dan Ryan: about. You know, I don't know what it was that as you were just talking, but it made me think of maybe it was about the food and delivering food or something.
[00:33:37] But I go back to the first time that I met you. You were a waiter at the firehouse, you know, Monica, I think you were 18. I was starting up at, uh, SC. You were, you were going to start in the spring or something at UCLA and. I've actually never, I've had a lot of different jobs. [00:34:00] I've never waited tables, but like, if you could think about, you know, from all the things that we're talking about right now, what did you learn from working at the firehouse in Santa
[00:34:10] Misha Bedner: Monica?
[00:34:11] Oh, so I have to say I was never more exhausted at the end of the day and working, you know, an eight hour shift at, at the firehouse. So I was, I believe I was 17 at the time,
[00:34:27] Dan Ryan: by the way, for those of you on a firehouse, it's not like a requirement work. It's the, it's a restaurant in Santa Monica on like rose, Maine, or something like that, where rose and rain.
[00:34:38] And was it an old
[00:34:39] Misha Bedner: converted firehouse, correct? Correct. It was an old converted, converted firehouse. Yeah. I'm sure Meesha
[00:34:45] Dan Ryan: will tell, but like, I just remember, I think gold jammer, there was some big bodybuilding gym across the street, so like all these guys would come in there. And eat a lot. So maybe your exhaustion was from carrying all that heavy, just max calories that they were [00:35:00] meeting or connecting with them and saw their legs.
[00:35:03] But like, tell me about that exhaustion.
[00:35:05] Misha Bedner: Well, so, uh, you're correct. So, um, it was in between Gold's gym and power gym and all the other major gyms that are down there in Venice beach. So you'd get all the. Professional bodybuilders who, you know, they couldn't fit through the front door. They'd have to go in sideways because it was so bold Jean and they're fully bumped.
[00:35:28] So that that's the only way they can get in. And, uh, so I think, you know, half of them are probably souped up on some kind of drugs. So they're very, they're very aggressive and they're like, you know, I need my body build a breakfast right now. You know, I, I said, I said, I only wanted a. Uh, pasta on the side, you know, just kind of just that kind of, uh, environment, you know, it's uh, so that, that in itself would retire [00:36:00] you out and plus just racing back and forth from, from table to table, would, would, would, uh, SAP the strength, but I also, I was always on cappuccino and a coffee and latte duty.
[00:36:14] So I w I would be the one in between jumping back and forth. I would have to make these, uh, uh, these coffee drinks, which is ironic because I don't drink coffee. I'm just, I'm just naturally wired like this. Um, and, uh, but they would say, let me should make it. He makes a great caffeine. And to this day, I've never had a caffeine late, but I evidently I make a decent one.
[00:36:37] And
[00:36:38] Dan Ryan: then as far as like creating memorable experiences or connecting, or that sense of mindfulness or just attention when you're working at each table, like, what were some of the things that you would do or where did you learn them from?
[00:36:52] Misha Bedner: So you have regulars who come. So if you see them, uh, and they're about to get seated, you [00:37:00] already plugged in their order.
[00:37:02] Uh, so by the time they get seated, the meal comes, you know, three minutes after they, they sit their rump down, which, you know, just little things like that. You just have to be aware. You have to be specific and mindful about individuals, what that particular individual needs. And, um, If and people pick up on that, they they know go, oh, thank you.
[00:37:28] You knew that I needed a decaf today because it's a Tuesday. And you know, I have that big, I have that big workout session tomorrow, or I, you know, it's the legs or is it a
[00:37:40] Dan Ryan: fact day?
[00:37:41] Misha Bedner: One of them, this is one of those days.
[00:37:45] Dan Ryan: And then like many people they want to sit down and re regroup. But I'd want to sit there and chill out and then order, but people really like getting, having their food waiting there right.
[00:37:57] As they sit there.
[00:37:58] Misha Bedner: Yeah. I mean, [00:38:00] some of these people would come in every day for two meals or three meals a day. And we had, well, because we had a specific menu, uh, typically for the bodybuilders, um, all the build, the breakfast pocket. Did the launch party build the dinner. And all those, uh, those people would come in and it would just be automatic, you know, like, oh, flex is in town right now.
[00:38:27] Tuesday flex Wheeler. Yeah. Why do I even know that? But do you know that I have no idea. Uh, so his leg
[00:38:37] Dan Ryan: was his, maybe I remember seeing him there once or his leg, I think was like, as big as my waist or something
[00:38:43] Misha Bedner: crazy like that. Yeah. They were. Huge individuals, you know, and, you know, I weigh about a lot at the time when I was 17 or 18 years old, I weighed about 155 pounds and six foot two.
[00:38:56] So I was a rail and, uh, and these guys would come [00:39:00] in and they're like six foot three and 290 pounds. So, um, yeah. So if you have any like,
[00:39:07] Dan Ryan: super memorable, like, well, like what was the most insane. Experience serving those guys.
[00:39:17] Misha Bedner: So am I allowed to call out like actors by name or, um, I don't know. Famous actor comes in.
[00:39:24] Uh, he doesn't want to be recognized. He rides a motorcycle. He comes in with his helmet on and sits down at the, at the counter and orders. Coca Cola or something like that. And when the, when I give him the Coca-Cola, he lifts his visor up and drinks it through the helmet and then puts it down again and puts the visor down and he's doing this so he doesn't get recognized, but just that action right there is going to make everyone look at him.
[00:39:56] So. Yeah. [00:40:00] Wow. I, he, he played an astronaut I'm sure at one point or another, but, um, but yeah, different strokes for different folks. You have, uh,
[00:40:12] Dan Ryan: like going back to some of the bodybuilder guys, or if they got annoyed or kind of some roid rage or
[00:40:19] whatever, how would you diffuse the situation? Like, or was there a specific instance where.
[00:40:25] You didn't bring egg whites and you brought them the whole ag in too many hours. That's when they lost their mind on you. And like, how do you, how do
[00:40:31] Misha Bedner: you walk that out? And this, this kind of coincides with what we're doing now. And I guess, with any business is that if you did something wrong, it's so much easier to admit it, say you're sorry, and fix it. Then to say, "oh, well you said this." They don't care. Your customer doesn't care what they said. They care about you fixing the problem. [00:41:00] And you and I, we always talk about: S#%&$ going to happen. It's all about how you fix it. And that's kind of the same situation was at the Firehouse with the bodybuilders and it's the same situation with our customers and clients on the hotel side.
[00:41:22] Dan Ryan: And then, okay. So that's super funny. I totally forgot about all those bodybuilders.
[00:41:28] Misha Bedner: I'll tell you who that actor is after we click off. Okay. Okay.
[00:41:33] Dan Ryan: I'll put it in the write. So, uh, and then working at their, like, how did the, how did you learn to wait tables and deliver service that.
[00:41:42] Was it just like, Hey, here's a tray, a and a pad go. Or like, who are your kind of mentors and taught you what you did there.
[00:41:49] Misha Bedner: So do you get thrown into the fire and you kind of just learn by watching the other waiters? So it was a, it's a, uh, I had [00:42:00] my cousins worked there prior to me working there and yeah.
[00:42:04] Oopsie and being, being, and Chichi. And I don't make these names up. And, uh, they all work there and I learned from watching them and, uh, you know, they were, uh, stuff happened and they, they had a smiling face and said, sorry about that. We'll fix it. And they fixed it. And, uh, that carried over to me and that.
[00:42:29] Yeah, and they're
[00:42:30] Dan Ryan: beautiful. They're all much more beautiful than you. So I'm sure that that would go a lot longer
[00:42:34] Misha Bedner: than yours. Um,
[00:42:38] Dan Ryan: I miss all that, so, um, okay. So kind of switching here. So like that's your, you learn where we are now. Like now looking kind of forward from here. We are in June coming out of this pandemic and kind of looking forward, like what's keeping you up at night right
[00:42:54] Misha Bedner: now.
[00:42:58] So [00:43:00] what's great. What's happening now is that people want stuff and that's, that's a dramatic change from just six months to a year ago. Um, and that makes me feel better. I think things are getting back on track quicker than I am. And why did it, why do people want stuff?
[00:43:19] Dan Ryan: Because other people,
[00:43:20] Misha Bedner: I think they're ready.
[00:43:21] I think they're like, let's talk next are happening. Yeah. It's slowly trickling back, but people are like, let's get, try to get back to normal and, or get back to some semblance of normal. And, uh, but what's keeping me up at night is that, and this is across the board for, you know, most of our lines are, you know, at least my lines here on the, on the west coast is that we don't have the raw materials readily available to provide them the product that.
[00:43:55] Yeah. Um, so what used to be a six week lead time is now a [00:44:00] 24 week lead time. And that's, as you can understand, would make various people, um, not so happy. So I, all I want to do is, is make our customers happy. And it's hard to do that when there's this bottleneck in the supply chain.
[00:44:21] Dan Ryan: As you're experiencing that.
[00:44:22] And we're having these conversations every day. Um, like what's some advice that you could offer to anyone who wants to learn
[00:44:30] Misha Bedner: from you in the whole grand scheme of things, or just specific. Yeah. It's like in this,
[00:44:37] Dan Ryan: in this thing, that's keeping you up, like not being able to deliver, like how do you handle that?
[00:44:42] How do you, how do you act like Justin in those situations? And not like the lady at the bloodstain hotel room.
[00:44:54] Misha Bedner: Um, where's the, where's the
[00:44:56] Dan Ryan: HSA and all that. Where are you
[00:44:58] Misha Bedner: spectrum? No, I, [00:45:00] so I, all I could say is, you know, Keep calm and persevere because, uh, things right now are so much better than they were six months ago. And things six months, things six months ago were so much better than six months prior to that.
[00:45:16] So we're on this trajectory to go onward and upward. And I just, I, I just want, I want to implore people to be patient and it will all happen. In a timeframe in which we all wanted to. Right. Yeah. Another
[00:45:37] Dan Ryan: thing I wanted to bring up in that, um, you know, through the pandemic, we know so many people who've lost their jobs and looking for new things.
[00:45:46] And as things are picking up, like, what are you seeing now? Cause I I'm seeing like, people need to hire, people need to do this. So like what are you seeing out there in California
[00:45:56] Misha Bedner: right now? Well, um, [00:46:00] there's a lot of people. Jumping from one firm to the next. Um, I think people are always looking for the next best thing or, you know, the grass is always greener, that kind of vibe.
[00:46:15] Uh, but yeah, which, to be honest, I don't know if that's any different than, uh, any other time in our industry. Because I think just design. They, they want to, they want to work on fantastic projects and they want to be, uh, they want to have the best product on their projects and they want to work with the best people.
[00:46:40] And sometimes, you know, maybe it's no fault of their own or maybe it is their fault, but they're, they're stranded on working on projects where they're not getting the gratification that they need. So they think. Going to another firm will fix that. And that's not always the case. So I think [00:47:00] any, the advice that I would give, uh, would be, you know, stick through with whom you, uh, with the company in which you're with learn as much as you can and then move on.
[00:47:12] Dan Ryan: Okay. And then, like, as you're seeing it out there, as things are kind of coming back to life, what's your biggest challenge or need right now?
[00:47:20] Misha Bedner: Uh, I, I. Duplicate, uh, myself and our staff and just have our tendrils out in more spots than, than we do right now. Uh, you know, we can only be in so many spots at one time.
[00:47:40] So I, I just want to have everyone, uh, be serviced to the degree in which they need to be. It's hard to do that. It's hard to do
[00:47:50] Dan Ryan: that now. Like, I wouldn't want me in there in your office right now until we know what's going on because everyone is like, you know, still [00:48:00] shell-shocked from at least in California and the New York area, uh, you know, other places, it doesn't matter.
[00:48:06] Um, it's just like, yeah, come on in. It's fine. Let's party. Um, which is fine. I just want to make sure everyone feels comfortable. Um, so then, you know, thinking about, okay, so that's like where we are now. Looking into the future. Like what's exciting you most about the future?
[00:48:26] Misha Bedner: Uh, I think that, uh, we're going to have a Rawkus next year in a good way next year.
[00:48:35] And the following year, I think there's going to be so much pent up, uh, desire and demand for, uh, getting everything back to normal that, uh, this cold spell that we've had is gonna break. And it's going to be a great roller coaster ride. And I think that's just going to be good for everyone. That's going to be good for people who do what you and I do for [00:49:00] designers, purchasing agents, owners, operators, and everyone in between.
[00:49:04] So I'm, I'm very optimistic about the future for our industry. Okay. So, uh,
[00:49:12] Dan Ryan: you know, thinking about. I always say, like, what I do is inconsequential, but why I do what I do is I get to shorten people's journeys. So yeah. You as a
[00:49:25] Misha Bedner: 46 year old Misha. Yeah, it sounds so weird. If you could
[00:49:31] Dan Ryan: teleport yourself back into that, um, into the firehouse and.
[00:49:38] As your 46 year old self and you see you're 19 or 18 or 17 year old self, like what, what do you tell yourself back then? What piece of advice could you
[00:49:46] Misha Bedner: give yourself? Uh, I would say, and this is I'm sure this is a common thing that, that people say it was, uh, I would say take more risks, take more out.
[00:49:57] Yeah, because, you know, [00:50:00] say it doesn't come to fruition. Okay. Move onto the next thing, you know? Um, and I've, I've traditionally been very risk adverse and I let people, you know, guide me and direct me to what I need to do and where I need to be, you know, specifically my wife, but, you know, uh, I wish that I, um, and I mean, I've done it.
[00:50:30] Great things. And I have the best friends and I have the greatest family and I've traveled all over the world. I, you know, I can't say that I've had any, uh, horrific snafoos in my life, but, you know, adding that element or that ingredient of more risk and getting out of my comfort zone, I wish I did that more often.
[00:50:55] And, uh, and. More often. [00:51:00]
[00:51:00] Dan Ryan: Cool. Yeah. Risk is always a tough thing. Right? Growth happens when we're all uncomfortable. And uh, you know, I feel like I've had a hand in elbowing you out of, uh, out of a comfort zone a couple of times.
[00:51:16] Misha Bedner: Yes. Oh,
[00:51:20] Dan Ryan: that's fun. We should do a whole show on that. So, you know, we're kind of wrapping up here now.
[00:51:26] Um, I guess one last question when you're, when you're away and you're, and you're, you're away from home and you're all these other places, like what kind of food do you crave the most?
[00:51:38] Misha Bedner: So I, if I could have, uh, three meals a day, it would be Mexican and which is crazy because as we all know the bulk of Mexican food, Uh, each dish has the same exact ingredients just in different, uh, amounts for, for each dish.
[00:51:58] So, um, [00:52:00] I, I do love if I was stranded on an island and I had one, uh, thing to eat, it would be, uh, it would be a burrito,
[00:52:09] Dan Ryan: breakfast, lunch in there. So you do a breakfast burrito, lunch, Frito,
[00:52:13] Misha Bedner: and a dinner. Bring it up. Well, I'd probably do breakfast burrito. Bodybuilder lunch and then, oh,
[00:52:21] Dan Ryan: your body builder lunch back into that.
[00:52:23] Right. I love that. Oh, okay. So, uh, where
[00:52:26] Misha Bedner: can people find you? Uh, so they can find us at, uh, we're agency 9, 6, 7, so they can go to, uh, nine, six, seven.com and that's spelled out and. Six S E V E n.com. And uh, if you want to get me specifically, it's Meesha at nine six, seven.com. Spell out.
[00:52:51] Dan Ryan: Uh, so Hey, thank you very much. Uh, You said where people can reach you to learn more. That's pretty much it, everyone. Uh, if you [00:53:00] learn something today or just laugh, tell someone about the podcast. Thank you everyone. And we will see you next time.
[00:53:07]