Defining Hospitality

How do you build hospitality experiences, and lead teams, in a way that’s rooted in authenticity, multicultural awareness, and a clear sense of purpose?

In this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with Anna Peretz, Director of Architecture, Design, and Construction at Sonesta International Hotels, to explore her journey from the USSR to Israel to the U.S., and how resilience, cultural diversity, and a passion for people shaped her approach to hospitality. Together, they unpack the balance between design and business realities, the role of authenticity in leadership, and the importance of mentoring future talent while maintaining personal well-being.

Takeaways:
  • Lead with authenticity. Genuine care builds trust and creates memorable experiences for guests, teams, and partners.
  • Be stubborn about the vision, flexible about the path. Hold your purpose firmly but stay adaptable in how you achieve it.
  • Hire and mentor for values. Prioritize authenticity, curiosity, and passion, not just technical skill, when building and developing teams.
  • Integrate creative and financial thinking. Understanding business fundamentals helps ensure projects deliver real value and avoid costly misalignment.
  • Protect your well-being and relationships. Sustainable leadership requires rest, boundaries, and intentional time for family and personal growth.

Quote of the Show:
“I am going to be stubborn about my vision, but I'm going to be flexible about the way I'm going to get to it.” - Anna Peretz 

Connect with Anna:

Shout Outs:

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

Creators and Guests

Host
Dan Ryan
Host of Defining Hospitality
Producer
Gabby Aloisi

What is Defining Hospitality?

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.

DH - Anna Peretz
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Anna Peretz: [00:00:00] I pause and I ask myself, why is it important? Is it for her or is it for me?

And if it's for me, I let go. 'cause that's not fair. but you always have to ask yourself, why, why? Why are you trying to, you know, to have the company use a specific software? Why are you fighting them to see that? Right. It's like, is it 'cause you wanna prove something for yourself or is it something, 'cause you want the company to grow you have to be authentic with yourself and, and give yourself the answer and be, and be, you know, and be fair to yourself and to the people you work with,

Intro: What I do is inconsequential. Why I do what I do is I get to shorten people's journeys every day. What I love about our hospitality industry is that it's our mission to make people feel cared for while on their journeys. Together we'll explore what hospitality means in the built environment, in business, and in our daily lives.

I'm Dan Ryan, and this is Defining [00:01:00] Hospitality.

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by Berman Fall Hospitality Group, a design-driven furniture manufacturer who specializes in custom case goods and seating for hotel guest rooms.

Dan Ryan: Today's guest is a creative and strategic interior designer. She's a lead GA, certified professional, and a sustainability advocate. She has over 15 years of experience. She's worked with luxury interior design firms, branding agencies, and some of the world's largest hospitality companies.

She was recognized by Hotel and Resort Design South as a future leader of 2025. In my opinion, she is a current and future leader already in 2025. She received her MBA while working, and in between her second and third child, she's the director of architecture, design and construction at Esta International Hotels.

Ladies and gentlemen, Anna Pertz. Welcome Anna. It is so wonderful to have you on and I've been looking [00:02:00] forward to this for a while and especially after our recent call, just kind of catching up and getting on the same page for this. But one of the things that is really amazing about you is just how much you've accomplished all this while building a family, growing your career, getting an MBA.

And it's really interesting how you wound up at Esta because if I look at, I think you're the third or fourth person I've had on from Esta, and what amazes me about Esta is how, if you look at Esta before the pandemic to after the pandemic, I think before the pandemic, uh, my numbers might be wrong here, but 50 hotels, let's call it plus or minus.

And now you probably have 12 to 1500 hotels. Um, and all of that requires. A new brand growing and, and like the whole building out the infrastructure to, I don't know, to, to keep everything [00:03:00] directed towards the North, north star of what Esta is. And something that you said earlier really struck me. 'cause I feel the same way too oftentimes, where if times are slow or we're in like somewhere in a real estate cycle and there's not a lot of things happening, there are still some things, but sometimes I feel like this one U2 song is my favorite.

It's called running to stand still. And I just feel like sometimes I feel like standing still. It just does not sit well with me and I have to do other things. I have to be creative. I have to start another business. I have to start a podcast. There's, I, I think I've just wired, maybe it's my a DD and I really picked that up from you and I want to talk about that and kind of where that comes from in your story.

Arc. Um, but before we do that, what does hospitality mean to you? How are you, how are you drawn to it? How do you define it?

Anna Peretz: So it's interesting, like if you [00:04:00] would've asked me this same question five years ago, my answer would be completely different. Right? It's, it's something that we develop that change as we grow is, is different things happen in life, um, personal, um, and then during our career, everything changing the way we see hospitality.

And today you asked me the question I'll answer. For me, it's really divided into three different sections in a way. So it's all about care. And caring, and I'll explain a second what I mean. Uh, it's about authenticity. And then the third, I, I think point, and I think one of the most important one is memorable.

And if we speak about the care portion of it, it's about hospitality is all about caring about people, right? Either if they're your guest, if you are, if they're your coworkers, if they're your friends, family, anyone that comes, um, into your life. So from the personal, um, lens, I would [00:05:00] say for me, I do care a lot about people.

Like if somebody will call me, I'll answer the phone, I'll call them back. I'll remember what they say, right? What's important for him. For them, it's really, you really care for people. And when you step in a hotel, you want the. The employees to care about you and about your experience. And if we speak about authenticity, uh, and one of you know, very dear for me, uh, because of, I guess because of my different cultural, different, different languages, different cultural, different experience where I live, where I grew, uh, which I'll, uh, talk a little bit more, um, during this podcast, but especially in the luxury segment, it has to be authentic, right?

Like, you can't fake it. The guests that come to the hotel that stay in the luxury segment, they know, they know. They may not know if you use natural marble or Caesar stone, for example, [00:06:00] but they will know if the details are not there and they will even know if the operation is not there. So you have to be really authentic about it.

And then the third, um. Here. Um, that's really defines hospitality for me. It's the memorable experience. So when I walk to a property and even before I walked into the property, that's something I've learned at Marriott, working at Marriot, it's that first experience that starts and begins outside of the property.

That arrival experience is important because it's what you see and it's as you walk into the property is what you see and what you smell. And I can tell you for me, one of my favorite property, uh, it's the addition hotel in Times Square. And the reason for that is that, you know, you come in, it's in the middle of Times [00:07:00] Square, you enter madness, chaos then, right?

Like it's chaos and, and the smell of like the fast food.

Dan Ryan: Captain America dirty

Anna Peretz: Yes.

Dan Ryan: monsters. It's terrible.

Anna Peretz: It's like, it's the smell as in like everything's going nuts there. And then you, and then you end even before you enter, they open the door for you and you almost like the, it sucks you in and you sucked in. And the first thing that overwhelms you is the smell.

And then you see their huge glo, right?

They have this, uh, unique, um, feature and you know, you're the addition. 'cause you can smell it and you can see it. And it's memorable because for me, I wanted to take it back home. I wanna remember it when I go home. So I wear L Labo now I wear the perfume because it's, it's, you wanna, you want that [00:08:00] experience to continue with you.

You don't want it to stop. It makes you feel good. 'cause hos for us, hospitality meets us. And best times in life and also in bed times in life, the best times in life is, you know, wedding, honeymoon, getaway, um, and bed times is when you try to, you know, you need to disconnect. You need to heal, you need, you need to see the clean water, the clear water to disconnect and really heal your soul.

So it's, it's it, it's with us in good times and bad times.

Dan Ryan: I love that. Okay. I, I've brought this up before in my podcast. I don't remember when, but I remember when I was in seventh grade, um. A kid in our class passed away. He had an aneurysm while he was rock climbing. Horrible story. So I don't want to go down that bad road. But what really struck me is when we all got together in that, like in the assembly room or the, the [00:09:00] gymnasium, uh, I forgot who, uh, it might've been.

The dean of the middle school got up and spoke and said he he brought up this quote from this movie Starman, which I don't think anyone has ever seen, but it was like an alien comes to earth. And he's basically said this. The alien said, you know, what's amazing about humans is that oftentimes, or every time they're at their best, when they're at their worst, right? And that really struck me. I in such a tragedy. But we all really came together and it o obviously it didn't bring him back, but I, I've seen it many, many times when pe, when people are at their worst. Humanity is at their best. And I, I think we lose sight of that a lot in the news, but I agree that hospitality shouldn't matter you're at your best or at your worst.

Right? Because it's all about, to me anyway, it's about that human connection and that warmth between [00:10:00] people. Um, one of the things I'm really curious about with you, you mentioned, and we didn't dig into it, so I'm actually really excited to hear, but you said that you started your degree late and then you got your MBA late.

Like what was happening? Like, why did you say that? Like tell me, tell me more about that. I'm curious.

Anna Peretz: I'll start from the end. I feel like I'm, I'm always saying it because of who I am. It's really defines who I am, uh, and my past. Um. When I say I'm gonna start at the end, I'm gonna, I'm gonna quote, I'm gonna try quote, um, Isaac, he was the founder of Mango. Um, and he was an immigrant. Uh, he was a Jewish immigrant, a Jewish Turkish, uh, Sephardic Jew.

And he said that success is all about adapting and all about learning. 'cause he never forgot his roots. You [00:11:00] must always think as an immigrant, you always adapt and you always learn. And you know, I read it recently and I was like, oh my God, this is so right. This is who I am.

I'm an immigrant. Yeah.

Dan Ryan: for

one second and just say, I love Hamilton, the, the musical. I went to go see the screening of it with my daughter, and I'm always struck by Ev. I've seen it multiple times and recently I saw it in Central Park that line now, now there's like. Political amplifications about it

Anna Peretz: Yeah.

Dan Ryan: when every, when, when that

line comes up, it's like immigrants, we get the job done and everyone goes crazy. And I totally agree. I think that, know, my parents and grandparents would always tell me about whoever way back came here and worked and did all this, but it's like, as an immigrant, you come, you come to a place and you have to figure it out. Like there's no, it kind of ties into what you were saying [00:12:00] before about, standing still does not necessarily mean that you're going backwards, but sometimes for certain people wired certain ways. definitely feels like you're going backwards. So I just, in that light, I feel like it's a crucible moment where you, you know, you're forced to go forward, but carry on. I just wanted to reminisce about an

excitement in the crowd.

Anna Peretz: So I feel like in my life I always had to bridge the gap, right? 'cause I went, 'cause I came late to the, to the US. I came when I was 20 years old. Um, I went late to school 'cause I had to work and pay for my, um. For my degree. And I, I had, you know, I was here by myself in a way. Um, my parents, and I'll go back.

I, I'll go even to the beginning. Um, my parents, my mom had me when she was about 17 and a half, 18 years old. She, she was married to my father, um, who was from St. [00:13:00] Petersburg. And my mom was from Moldova, so USSR back in the days. And she was, she couldn't wait to get out of her house, right. So she got married.

That's what they used to do. Very young. It still doesn't, I had my kids when I was 30, so I can't even, it doesn't sit with me well. Um, and they got married and back in the USSR, being a Jew was very hard. So they decided to move to Israel. The gates were open either to Israel or to the us. And then as they were in Italy waiting to go to us, the gates were close to us.

US was not accepting anymore. And then, uh, the gate opened up to Israel. So they moved to Israel. Um, they had, I had, they had another, um, another daughter, my sister, my youngest sister. I'm the oldest. know,

Dan Ryan: between your, I'm sorry, but between your mom, you and your sister, you must all look like sisters. Is that, is that fair to say?

Anna Peretz: my mother is the same age as my best [00:14:00] friend. I would say that. yes.

Dan Ryan: Okay,

Anna Peretz: yes. Um, which I wish I had my kids earlier in life so I can, you know, enjoy them longer. But that's another story. And then we moved to Israel. My dad kept learning, learning, studying. Uh, I don't know how many degrees he has by now. Uh, he's an engineer and I still remember to this date.

The construction documentation, the big, big construction documentation on tables rolled. Now I did not think about that. My dad was an engineer until a few years ago. long story short

Dan Ryan: his, uh, they were his like rolled up actual blueprints or drawings

from

his

Anna Peretz: blueprint.

Dan Ryan: Okay.

Anna Peretz: Yes.

yeah, but like big, they used to be very big. And then I even remember, uh, when he just got that big computer, I dunno if you, you probably remember those that we used to cover to protect from Dust. Probably the young audience doesn't even know, uh, what I'm saying here. [00:15:00] And I remember, and I don't know it if it was AutoCAD or what software it was, but he was drafting and I was little and I was playing with his computer and I turned off the computer and I still remember until this day, the trauma experience, 'cause he lost everything he was drafting.

Dan Ryan: Oh, no.

Anna Peretz: Yeah, there was no cloud back in the day, so,

but I can tell you that up until this day, even though I work on cloud, I still try to save. I still still do Control S. Control S.

Dan Ryan: it's really funny. My dad, at one point he had, or the, where he worked, he had a, um, a telex machine, which was even before fax machines. And they said it was like unbreakable. It was this huge like thing that sat, it almost looked like a standup piano, and it had a little typewriter head that would go back and forth.

And they, and the people who sold it to him, I don't know who it was, like Xerox or something, they said it was unbreakable. And I, and I remember me, I, [00:16:00] I went into the room where it was in his office when, when he took me to work one day. And then somehow I

Anna Peretz: You broke it.

Dan Ryan: And then was really amazed. He was pissed. But, uh, the, the people from the company were like, no, it's supposed to be unbreakable. I don't actually remember the events happening, but it was, it was a, uh. story he shared, but

Anna Peretz: You still remember it? we

we edit our trauma bag.

Dan Ryan: Oh my God. The trauma bag. I love that I'm gonna, you're giving me so many good things. I feel like this is a good therapy

session for me.

Anna Peretz: that's good. That's good. That's good. I'll tell my therapist that, uh, she's doing great. my parents got divorced because my mom was very young. You know, I mean, that's

that's very, very, uh, natural, I guess. Um, my mom then got, and I'm saying this because this is really weaved who I am, my mom, then we were Jewish, we were, I'm still Jewish. My mom then met her husband, who is an Arabic, uh, Muslim [00:17:00] guy in Israel.

Um, you know, another traumatic experience because we were Jewish and we moved to Israel to be Jewish, and then my mom went and got married to an Arabic Muslim guy,

Dan Ryan: I feel like you're setting up like the, uh, the Israeli West side story right?

now.

Anna Peretz: right? Because that's all, I mean, that's not the only story there. This is what's happening. Uh, right. The second language in Israel is Arabic. I mean, I've learned Arabic in school, um, despite, you know, the war, there is a lot, there is a lot of peace in between because it's the same thing. Um, and then I was exposed to, you know, to the Muslim culture.

And when I say Muslim culture to the colors, to the patterns, to the language, to the foods, the smells, it's like, it's full of everything, right? It's just like, it's this hurricane of colors and then they speak fast and they. [00:18:00] Everything, everything goes from zero to 100 there. And it's just across the street from where I grew up.

Right. It's a village across the city. I grew up so, but still at home with my, with my dad and with my grandma, it was very Jewish. So now you have my dad, you know, all about education. My mom married to a different culture, had four more kids with him, and then to the sweetest part, part of my life was very dear to me.

My grandma's house and my grandma was a Russian Jew who would always, she's still with us, um, who'd always, you know, light the Shabbat candles and teach me all about Judaism. And it was very warm there. And her house was, you know, full of beautiful patterns, but very saddle. And she would put wall, co wall covering every year in new wall covering.

Every year in new sofa, [00:19:00] she'll rearrange everything. She'll renovate her kitchen. And I mean, until this day she does that. And again, when you're a child, you're not even thinking about all of it. And then life happened. I went to boarding school. I have to say boarding school in Israel is not the boarding school in the us.

It's for the other side of, of, uh, people. Um, it wasn't, I wasn't paying for it from my trust. I did not have trust.

Dan Ryan: You trusted your

family is what you have.

Yeah.

Anna Peretz: uh, I trusted myself, I'll say. Then I guess I trusted myself, um, and I was in boarding school. Um, and then, you know, I worked, when I was 16, I started working in a restaurant. Hospitality. Right. And I, I wanted to make sure everything is right, right, for the guests. Like the plate is clean, the service is good, I'm smiling, I'm, I'm all this great person.

And that was my first experience in the hospitality industry. [00:20:00] Um, when I was 20 years old, I moved to the us. My father was already here with his second wife, with my sister. Um, they moved here, um, without me, without my sister. And that's another story. Um, and I moved here and I moved to the city. I moved to New York City.

I had four jobs.

Four jobs. Yes. I lived on the Upper East Side.

Uh.

Dan Ryan: all at once.

Anna Peretz: Yes. So, 'cause I wanted to live by myself. I wanted a dormant building. I wanted a good neighborhood. And I was like, no, I'm gonna make, I'm gonna make it happen. So I had my like nine to five jobs. Uh, and then I had babysitting. I was babysitting after work.

Uh, I had, during the weekend, I was waiting tables in Soho, in Kafe bar. It's no longer there.

Dan Ryan: That place,

Anna Peretz: was so much fun.

Dan Ryan: Yeah.

Anna Peretz: there was like, you, you know, Leonard, [00:21:00] Leonardo, the copper used to be there. It was really, really fun.

And a corner. I think there was like Nike there

now. Very cool place. Um, that was the weekend.

And then I also had, I also did real estate. I got a couple of buildings that I, I was the only one who could rent. Yeah,

Dan Ryan: okay.

Anna Peretz: Spanish, Harlem.

Dan Ryan: Did you ever, like, how did you recharge at that

point?

Anna Peretz: You don't need to recharge when you're in your twenties.

Dan Ryan: I guess you're right.

but I,

I don't know.

Anna Peretz: No, feel like I would need to, and I don't know. I, I feel like I would, that's insane, but insane in the best possible way. I've never. I know if I've ever heard of anyone having four jobs at once living New York City.

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: but that's the only way to do it. Right. I wanted my life, I knew what I wanted, and I, I said, I'm not going to compromise. Like I'm gonna work hard. Right. That immigration voice in my head. You keep adapting, you keep learning, you keep working hard. There is no, you know, you, you ask me do I need to re, [00:22:00] I don't need, I don't remember that I needed to recharge.

I would wake up at 5:00 AM and I'll go to the gym,

Dan Ryan: Oh my

Anna Peretz: but like,

Dan Ryan: Wow.

Anna Peretz: but like, that's what you do. I, yeah. It was very cold at night.

Dan Ryan: How did I not know this about you before? See, This is why I love these podcasts so

much.

Anna Peretz: Yeah.

Dan Ryan: This is awesome. So, okay, but I have a question on all of that and I, I wanna get back to your arc, so I know a couple other people like you our industry and, um, how do you balance. Not just our industry, but also in my life as well.

Not, not many, but a few. Most people are not wired the way you're wired, right? So as you're building a team and people, especially the younger generation, there's this whole work-life balance thing, which I understand, but I also knew that there were countless, all-nighters that I had that I needed to [00:23:00] get done to get things done. Am I doing that? I don't remember when the last time I pulled an all-nighter was maybe, 'cause I'm older and there's really great teams and we're better organized. But you're wired a certain way as you build a team around you. people, unless you select for someone, you want someone wired just like you, but you might work at a different level than the team that you're building around you.

Right? So how do you balance that so that like not. Potential for resentment, et cetera, et cetera.

Anna Peretz: It's a daily challenge then

Dan Ryan: is that why you have a

therapist?

Anna Peretz: Um, yes. yes.

It's, it's

to the, you know, to really have somebody say, it's okay, it's normal because,

Dan Ryan: Mm-hmm.

Anna Peretz: you know, I'm gonna speak about authenticity, right? I work in a corporate. In a corporate, you've gotta have that poker face. That's, that's what the [00:24:00] all about. Corporate America is in many ways.

But then I come with all my spices and I say, why do we, and I was, I wanna learn about people. I want people to learn about me. And then, you know, it's very, it's, it's hard, right? Because like, people want this and I want this, and like we, it's hard to meet.

So I had to drop myself to a point where people can digest me better.

However, I'm not giving up to what, who I am and what I am. I'm not,

Dan Ryan: Well, I, oh, I'm not,

saying

that you should ever, and I don't know, I would, I would never sacrifice who I am. Um, but I also think that having that drive and the vi it's, I think what it really is is a super clear vision of the future

state.

Anna Peretz: Yeah, vision.

Dan Ryan: And it's hard to

get there,

that's what drives me. And I also think that that super clear vision of the future state also like to use an airplane as a [00:25:00] metaphor that I think is the, the air speed that allows for lift for the whole team, for everyone

around me, my

peer group.

Anna Peretz: It is about,

and I always say this recently, I am going to be stubborn about my vision,

Dan Ryan: Hmm,

Anna Peretz: but I'm gonna be flexible about the way I'm gonna get to it.

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: And that's, that's, that's all it takes, right? That's all it takes for your team, for who you are for, you know, I work at Esta, which, um, I came from Marriot, which was very calm and, you know, very structured.

And then I got this opportunity with Esta, which I'm very thankful for, and we had to build a lot. And we still building

Dan Ryan: Yeah.

Anna Peretz: you said.

Dan Ryan: to go from 90 or 50 hotels to, I don't know what the count is now. It's over a thousand plus or minus, but like I can't imagine how you build the scaffolding around around that and like have it [00:26:00] make

sense. But it seems to

be

working.

Anna Peretz: But it's not only that we had back in the days about 200 or so manage hotel that they own and and manage, and then they broke into the franchise commu, uh, business. And that was completely different. Sister. Right?

Uh, they always fight. They, they fight about the same things. The sa the goal is the same, but

Dan Ryan: Stepsister,

Anna Peretz: the, the, the

stepsister.

Okay.

Um,

Dan Ryan: same family,

Anna Peretz: same family. I don't know. My kids fight like it's the end of the world about everything, but. You know, I think it's, it's really understanding and it goes back to the immigration, um, mantra in my head. You have to adapt, you have to learn, you have to, you know, you have to stand clear about your vision.

You have to be flexible. And sesa is all about flexible, friendly, And fast.

almost like, yeah.

Dan Ryan: the three

Anna Peretz: yeah.

Dan Ryan: a

Anna Peretz: Yes, But it's amazing. 'cause before I took this job, I didn't even know it, but [00:27:00] this is who I am. I'm very flexible, I'm very friendly and I'm very fast. So it's was almost like, you know, it was a match from heaven in a way.

Dan Ryan: Wow.

Anna Peretz: Yeah.

Dan Ryan: So, okay. Another thing, working with many visionary designers and architects, I, so you're changing my thinking here because would say that I've encountered, I call them uncompromising

visionaries,

right?

Anna Peretz: Okay.

Dan Ryan: projects. And

I respect the vision and where they want to go, they're uncompromising and how to get there.

And when you throw a schedule on that, it increases the odds of the wheels coming off the bus, because I believe that there's a lot of ways to get to that vision, but you have to be open, like you're saying that your flex, that flexible part, I think is missing from a lot of uncompromising visionaries. I think uncompromising visionaries get so much done and they, they kind of, I don't [00:28:00] know, like reshape the paradigm or move the paradigm, but I find with many of them, they're missing flexibility, which makes their teams, the projects, their clients.

It just makes things harder than it needs to be. did you, how can you be so uncompromising in your vision? Like, how hard was it, or what did you do to get, to build that flexibility in? Because that could also, like, as you're building a team and working with a team, that could also put off a lot of people

too.

Anna Peretz: So I failed, and then I build it again, and then I fail, and then I build it again. Um, you try, you try every day. I heard a lot of nos,

uh, in my life, which supposed to discourage you, but that's actually encourage me. Um, you know, I'm hiring, we are hiring now, um, and our team is small, so the dynamics are very important.

Like there are some things you can teach. You can teach some skills, [00:29:00] but there are a lot of things that you can teach. And I think I've interviewed several people. Uh, we haven't, you know, made the decision yet. But I think one of the things that's really important for me is the person has to be authentic.

'cause that you can change,

you can change, you can, you can teach somebody. It's just, it's impossible. And I've, I've been interviewing and so far the most favorite person is the, that person who is very authentic, who you can see has the, the excitement for a hospitality who you, you know, you are like, you'll throw something at and it's gonna work hard.

It's gonna make it happen. Maybe he'll fail. He's, but he is gonna make it happen. I think like as, as a leader, you have to give the tools and the guidance and then let somebody else to do it.

So

you'll bring, and I don't know how you say it in English, but you'll bring [00:30:00] the horse to the lake, but you, you are not gonna make the horse drink the water, right?

All you, you can, you can only do I, I don't know what's the proper, uh,

Dan Ryan: I don't know. I just used that term this weekend and I was like, wait a minute. You bring the horse to the water, but what does that mean? Because, oh, and I guess it has to be

thirsty if it

wants to drink,

Anna Peretz: it has, it has to want to drink like it has to, you can make it, you can make it drink, but you can bring it there. So, and I think that's, that's really, you know, when we influence younger generation, when we, um, when we help those younger designers, it's important to give them the tools. It's important to show them the right way to support them, but you can do the job for them.

Dan Ryan: True. So, okay, but as you're interviewing, how do you screen for that? always, I, to me or the way I would do it, and I've done it, is I, it takes me a really long time to get, or it took me, now I'm very clear on what [00:31:00] my values are personally and as a, as a company. But all about asking people questions about, tell me at a time when you adapted and what you improved.

Tell me about a time when, uh, you had to say what you mean and do what you say. Tell me about a time when you were tenacious. Tell me at a time when you were organized. And then I can ask questions around my values and kind of dig in. And usually it's pretty clear when someone's not in alignment with my values by asking them around my values

and kind of digging

in.

Anna Peretz: But you see, you are asking them a very structured question. And they're already prepared to come and answer those questions. I mean, some, some companies ask the BA star questions, right? Situation. Um, I don't remember the rest. DAR but very structured. So yeah, I'll ask a couple of those questions, but what [00:32:00] I really wanna hear is when I'm touching them and I'm asking them, what does hospitality mean to you?

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: What does, what do you know about esta? What excites you? Why do you wanna come work for us? And, and you ask the question and you let them speak. You listen,

Dan Ryan: yes, I agree. So that's where I let them speak. I used to interview people and I would talk a lot. This is not in podcast interviews, but in regular interviews, uh, like job interviews and I would wind up talking to try and sell them on working with me. Then I read this book and met this guy, it's called Who, and his name

is Jeff Smart,

and

he's

amazing.

Anna Peretz: oh.

Dan Ryan: But, uh,

it's a wonderful book. I'll, I'll put the link in the, in the thing here, um, in the show notes. But he said, and I, and there's this other book called Top Grading that he was involved in as well. I believe I got that story right. But there's a torque question and oh, now I'd be, I think I'm giving away the secret, but [00:33:00] basically, um, after talking about all those things, then it's like, hey, um, who is your manager at whatever position?

How do you spell their name? And then it's like, torque is threat of reference check, right? So then I'm like, okay, so I heard everything that you say when I talk to Allison, whatever. Um, what will she say? Like, how will she say, um, that you exhibited these things? These, these values, and then you can see a shift and it's that moment where you see the shift, where you know that they're preppa, that, that it was just a prepared canned answer, or they're speaking from their heart and they really mean it, and they, they have empathy towards their former manager or even sometimes

current manager.

Anna Peretz: Yeah, you wanna, you wanna touch people, right? Our hospitality is all, is about touching people. Um, and I think that the person I, I'm like that. I'll ask a personal question. I'm, I'm not gonna ask, are you married? You have [00:34:00] kids. But I'll ask something. I'll, I, I wanna touch them in a way so that they give me the truth.

Then now, I don't know if it works or not. It just, it's, it's a mirror of who I am, right? That's who I am. I'm authentic. I wanna ask a question. I wanna say something personal so that usually somebody else gives something personal and then there is like this click that starts. I know that it's many times very hard in corporate America because this is not how the usual, the traditional way, but that's who I am and that's my spice.

That's what I bring. That's the difference. You know, I, I, uh, interviewed, uh, at Marriot with Lori Walling, um, greatly during our industry. And she was, when she interviewed me, I knew I got a job. 'cause she said something around you are the spice. We're, we're, we're looking to add to our, to all our spices. Um, and you know, and I remember it, and I appreciate [00:35:00] it because I wanna work where the people, where my team sees me

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: and appreciate the spice I am.

If I open my wings and it's, it's, it's, for some people, it's distracting. They can't see, I'm not gonna close my wings. I'm gonna move to another team where I can, where I can spread my wings in a way.

And I want the, and I want the people to come works for. For our team to do the same. I want 'em to spread the wings.

I, I want, I want them to, I'll say something that many people don't like now. Uh, I want 'em to unlock their, their potential, um, because that's something I strive every day for myself. I'm not standing in place. I should be standing in place and rest a little bit

Dan Ryan: Sometimes it's okay.

Anna Peretz: sometimes. It's

okay. Yeah, I know.

Dan Ryan: It took me a while to figure that

Anna Peretz: Yeah, I know I should.

Yeah, it's, yeah. I should print it and put.

Sponsor: Hey, everybody. We've been doing this podcast for over three years now, and one of the themes that consistently comes up [00:36:00] is sustainability, and I'm just really proud to announce that our sponsor, Berman Fall Hospitality Group is the first within our hospitality industry to switch to sustainable and recyclable packaging, eliminating the use of styrofoam.

Please check out their impact page in the show notes for more info.

Dan Ryan: So, one thing I wanna say as far as, um, that's been really helpful for me and I'm, I'm curious how you see that. So you've established that you have this kind of uncompromising vision, a north star where you want to get to, how you want the team, and then there's a gap between. Others and you, it could be other stakeholders, it could be team members, it could be uh, employees, it could be clients, it could be owners, it could be franchisees. Um, one of the useful things that I found is the, this idea of compartmentalization the sense that, okay, I know where I want to get to. have a whole list [00:37:00] of things with each person I'm speaking with, but it's oftentimes you, you can't get everything done. So I find a parking lot where you capture all of those ideas, but then having a system about not letting those just wind up in a desk drawer, how do you those out and make sure that you're not letting them go because you have to capture the ideas, but compartmentalize them so that you can ultimately get to your journey. How, how have you found that compartmentalization can help

you?

Anna Peretz: so I went to school, I went to Marymount. I got my first interior design degree. I knew that I wanted to do, um, hospitality before I started, before I got my degree. And while I was in school, I worked for Restoration Hardware. That was luxury, um, residential. And then I, I've done luxury residential before.

I went to [00:38:00] school for many, many years. And then I knew that I, I knew that I wanna do this hospitality segment because that's a goal I put for myself. But I knew that there is a way to get to it. So I said, okay, I'll get to it. Let me learn the skills I need to get to there. Right? So

I have never put it in a parking lot.

I just. Work towards it while working, while doing what I need to do. It's, it shouldn't be waiting. It should be a goal. You should have a plan to get to that, to there. You shouldn't be fear because it's, it's another thing you add to your plate. It's just, it's there, it's in the background. I don't put things in parking lots.

If you put par things in parking lots, you never go back to that parking lot because they're in the first, they're, they're almost in the first level, but you're already in the fourth level. You're not gonna go to the first level. You, you only wanna look up and go next to the next one. So they go with me, right? They're, I keep them on my train

Dan Ryan: [00:39:00] Hmm.

Anna Peretz: and I'm not afraid of time.

You know, I have something printed here in my office then, um, that I printed for my husband, right? Bef, 'cause my husband is similar like me, but on steroids probably. Um, um, I printed this saying here and I have it here in my office. In my home office, it says, uh, never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.

The time will pass anyway. And it's, you know, it's, it's, it's a big thing I printed for my husband. 'cause he went back in the, in the days he went to get he wanted to get a law degree.

Um, and he's like, am I, should I do it? Should I not do it? You know, he was still in school. I remember when we had our first child and I'm like, yeah.

And I printed this for him and I printed this for him and for me. 'cause I really wanted to get an MBA and [00:40:00] of course I was like, this is not the right time to get an MBA. I mean, I just, COVID happened and I just got pregnant with my second child. BA, but I said, I have no fear. I trust myself. You know, you said who?

You, I trust myself. I can do it. And so I went for it and I said, what's the worst that can happen? Like, what's the outcome?

And for me, failing has no, and I think that's like the Soviet Union Union thinking. It's like, you gotta go, go, go. We don't quit. We don't fail. We, you know, I, I told my daughter, uh, I took her Saturday to gymnastics and then I, I enrolled her also for tumbling 'cause I want her to advance.

And she was crying 'cause it was hurting. Her body was hurting. And my, my, my brain was fighting with me. 'cause I wa I, I told her it's okay to cry. You can take a break, but we [00:41:00] don't quit. We are the Parrots family. We don't quit now, it's a lie because the Parrots family will take a break. My Soviet Union family in my head will not quit.

So I had to like, you know, come calm her down and real, and, and, and stop and you know, and walk with her outside. 'cause she was really tired. But I don't quit. I don't stop. I'm not afraid of things. I, you know, I, I always keep, keep going, keep going, keep going. But it does get to a point where you have to rest for a second because I, I never, you know, I keep telling my husband, we've done so much and we still doing, 'cause we have so much in front of us, we never stop to appreciate

Dan Ryan: Yeah, that's a hard thing. It's a really hard thing. Um, and it's something I always could get better at, and I try, I, I try that, um, I wanna go back to the dream. Never give up on a

dream

Anna Peretz: just because of the time it's gonna take to accomplish it.

Dan Ryan: I've shared this [00:42:00] a couple times, but I remember, I don't know when it was like 27, 20 17, 20 18, I did this vision board. And then, uh, was just a really tough business time, dark time. And I just remember finding the vision board and just ripping it up. I'm like, this is never gonna happen. It was very traumatic. And then, uh. God, this business group I'm in, they, they said in like 20, 21 or two, Hey, and I took a picture of it.

They're like, Hey, can you just like pull it out? Like pull out that vision board, like let's just all look at it. And then, uh, I looked at it and I'd since left New York City, moved to Connecticut, had bees all, it was like my life became that vision board. It was insane. And that was a dream. And it, I, I didn't give up on it, but I wasn't like actively, that was the other thing.

I wasn't like actively it. It, it just kind of happened [00:43:00] because like I knew that, that my, in my truest sense of self, that where this next step was for me. And it, I mean, it's pretty awesome. And I, again, going back to that uncompromising visionary idea, um. You have to have the vision first and, and any, you don't have to be an uncompromising visionary to have a vision, but you do kind of have to work and future cast what you want that dream to be right.

Whether it's tearing out pictures from a magazine or writing it. Um, I think that that's a really incredible exercise that everyone should take a moment and kind of that idea of pausing and appreciating where you are and, and just taking a moment for that, but also like having the, putting the work in to get clear on where you want to go and not, not so much for the sake of where you want to get to for the sake of getting there, but it's really thinking about your kind of true, authentic,[00:44:00]

whatever you wanna call it, self. And then how does that play forward into the future? Because it's

not so much about, money or

things,

Anna Peretz: No,

Dan Ryan: think it's

Anna Peretz: not.

Dan Ryan: learning this more as I'm getting

older,

Anna Peretz: Mm-hmm.

Dan Ryan: knew this.

Earlier, but I guess that's why youth is wasted on the young, but really like, who is my real self and how do I just try and stay in my real self all the time, and then think about my real self and what that

future

looks like.

Anna Peretz: You know, you said, um, you need to want it. It's not, you really need to want it, you need to be authentic with yourself. You mentioned that and say, what do I want?

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: And also question I've been asking myself many, many times lately, why I want it, right when I fight, when I fight with my daughter to, to dress, to, to, to put on the pink dress, another black dress, I. I pause [00:45:00] and I ask myself, why is it important? Is it for her or is it for me?

And if it's for me, I let go. 'cause that's not fair. Um, but you always have to ask yourself, why, why? Why are you trying to, you know, to have the company use a specific software? Why are you fighting them to see that? Right. It's like, is it 'cause you wanna prove something for yourself or is it something, 'cause you want the company to grow and it's, you have to be authentic with yourself and, and give yourself the answer and be, and be, you know, and be fair to yourself and to the people you work with,

I think.

Dan Ryan: Well, I also

on the why, I think.

that's another really important thing, and I'll put a link in there, but there's this, this guy named Simon Sinek. He did this TED Talk, don't know, 10 years ago or more,

where it was like, start with

why,

Anna Peretz: Mm-hmm.

Dan Ryan: you don't buy Apple computers

because

Anna Peretz: yeah.

Dan Ryan: a better processor,

right?

Anna Peretz: I love that podcast. That's when I started to ask him the why. [00:46:00] That's exactly that podcast.

Dan Ryan: you buy Apple computers because. All the people involved with it think different. Right? That's their why. And I remember going through, uh, like a deep dive. It took months to figure out my why. But my why was really, it's all about shortening other people's journeys, which I say in this, but also making sure, which doesn't say, I don't think I say in the intro, I forgot I stopped listening to the intro.

'cause it's like I've heard it so much, but it's, uh, making sure that they're cared for their journey. Right. And that journey could be anything. It could be making custom furniture. It could be having them over, it could be going on a road trip. It could be just having a, a meal with someone. it's really about making sure that they're cared for and obsessing over that.

And that's, that's my why. But it wasn't, it didn't come up right away. I had to just journal and journal and journal and I created like a playoff bracket of all the things that really light me

up.

And I

had

Anna Peretz: Mm-hmm.

Dan Ryan: each other [00:47:00] to the

finals and it was really about. Making sure that others are cared for on their journeys.

So it's really, it's awesome and it's something that I think all of us need to consider. And now, so, and I have a question. You have this unrelenting kind of work ethic, uncompromising vision. If a young girl's listening to this conversation between you and I, what's the first step that they should take as far as clarifying all that and, and like

getting their

Anna Peretz: have to they have to dare, they have to believe in themself. And I know this, everybody's saying it, but they really have to believe in themself. Um, if I were, if I was to speak with myself 20 years ago, I would give myself a gift and I'll give myself the book, led them, um, which I recently read.

It didn't teach me anything new, right. But it just kind of said, huh, that's right. [00:48:00] I would give myself my 20 years old that book, and I will concentrate on me and not on them.

Because as we, you know, as we, as we kind of grow and try to climb, we always think about how think how people are thinking about us, how they're seeing us, how, and that's not, that's important, but not really important because if you are, you know, collecting back into yourself and you are authentic.

'cause you know, when we were preparing for this podcast, you say, just be yourself. We have to be ourself to be the best of ourself.

Dan Ryan: Well, I'll also say just be yourself and then I said, know you won't have a problem with

that.

Anna Peretz: And I remember that when you said it, and I'm like, ha, does he see me as someone that, you know, it's, it's you, you just mentioned. But I was like, okay, then it, it, it works.

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: It works. Then people see who you are because you are just being yourself. You're not trying to, you know, to put those, those walls

Dan Ryan: I, I,

wanna just [00:49:00] a, a, a couple minutes here to think about like the growth trajectory of Esta,

just

bringing

it back to,

Anna Peretz: Yep.

Dan Ryan: To the, the,

vocation, if you will. But, and going with that idea of flexible, friendly, and fast, right? How do you, like, how has your entire career and all the different vocations that you have, and all the different companies and everywhere that you've worked, how are you taking that life-work experience and

applying it to

the

team you're building and where you want to go, and what's the biggest hurdle from a design and construction perspective that you and your teams are currently

facing?

Anna Peretz: So, you know, everybody's facing the same thing right now. Fi financing is very, um, difficult to get if you ever get to it. Um, ROI [00:50:00] is a big, big, big, big, um, name right now. Owners are not renovating unless they have a return on investment. They're not renovating just because the brand said that's how it should be.

Um, esta is competing with other big people, people with other big companies, uh, out there. And I think that what we bring in Esta is that we bring that flexibility, but we're not just saying it. Right. A lot of com you know, a lot of companies will say we're flexible. Yeah. We really lead by it. And it goes back to the sustainability, because when we enter a property, the way that we are piping a property is by its condition.

So if the case goods are in good condition, we're not gonna ask them to renovate and get new, new, get new case goods just because they've been there for 14 or 15 years. We're gonna look at the colors. We're gonna, you know, we're gonna, we're gonna, [00:51:00] we're gonna ask to change if it's outdated, but if the condition is good, clean it, wrap it, you know, do some lipstick, renovation, and open as a esta brand.

Um, and it's not, I have to say it's not because we don't care about our guests. We, we do care a lot about our guests, about how we are being seen, but we also, because we are owners ourself, we also care about the owners. We, we see it from that lens. And I think that's something that really, um, distinct ourself from other companies is like we are owners and operators ourself.

So when we speak with our owners, we are in the same, we're wearing the same shoes they're wearing. And naturally that's such a, you know, it creates the, the, that connection so easy, uh, when we speak, because we're not just saying we're flexible, we are friendly, we're fast. No, we understand what it takes to make money at the end of the day.

Um, and our owners appreciate it. And I see it, I see it [00:52:00] when I speak with the owners. I see, you know, when I send a review, for example, I get a, I get a, um, DD from an ownership group. Our comments are making sense to them. We're not just writing them, you know, structure. It's not a robot writing. We say, we recommend this because then you'll make this.

So we explain. Why we are asking for things and then we say, listen, we're open to hear. What if you think differently? Because you know the best, you know the best your guests, you know the best your property, you know the best, the market you're in. So it's almost, it's almost like, um, we're collaborating with them and it's not brand versus franchising.

Dan Ryan: So I have a que and I I, as you're sharing that, as far as dealing with different stakeholders, whether it's ownership groups, franchisees, but, and showing this ROI, I don't know very many designers or architects who got their MBA, is the Master of Business [00:53:00] Administration. as you learned everything that you learned in your MBA, what was the biggest surprise for you as a designer at heart? Right? What did you like? What was the biggest change

in

your

thinking?

Anna Peretz: so I'm mentoring this girl now who just started her career and she's a mirror of my, myself, youngest myself. And one of the things she said, she's, and she told me, she said, you know, I don't understand who pays for what, how the money comes. Like, I don't understand that. Like, are you're day charging by hour by project?

And I, and I, and I listened to her as she speaks and it's like, it throws me back, like 18 years ago, 15 years ago. And I say, you know, I was asking the exact same question when I walked into my first hospitality firm. And I said, I don't understand who pays for this, who pays for me to go on Pinterest and, and add nice pictures to the mood board.

And for me to be the best of me, things needs to make sense. If [00:54:00] something doesn't make sense, if I can't understand it, I can't go with it. And in order for. The design and the construction to make sense. The, it it had to be like logically correct.

Dan Ryan: developing like a real,

a

a

real estate asset that's

in

the

Anna Peretz: it's

Dan Ryan: hospitality segment.

Anna Peretz: yeah, like how do you get to it? Who pays for what, what's the stages, what's the end? Why would, why would Sonesta, you know, um, be a franchiser? Like all of that, I needed to understand who makes what money and what stage, who's responsible for what stage, how does a company works, and that's why I went to get my MBA

Dan Ryan: So, okay. But then you started when you were pregnant with your second child and finished after your third

child

was

born.

Anna Peretz: Yep.

Dan Ryan: So

at

what point during that, how, how was it

years, how many years?

Anna Peretz: Year and a half,

two years.

Dan Ryan: Wow. Okay. So during that two years, as you're doing [00:55:00] all the other things you're supposed to be doing and you are doing, at what point in getting your MBA did li Like, was there a light bulb moment that process of your, of studying and getting your MBA that don't know, like your mind or said, ah, this, now it makes sense, it clicks.

Anna Peretz: Um, yes, I took a few classes that's related to finance, which I hate. Um, my husband would say You are financially disaster. Uh, that's why he, you know, he's in charge of finance. Um, and I looked at his Excel sheet, which I hate so much 'cause that's fighting with my designer and creative half of my brain and.

You know, just the numbers made sense. You know, like, this is the profit, this is how much you expense, this is, you know, contagious. Like, everything made sense, like the return on investment, like it just made [00:56:00] sense on the number, the numbers. And I said, okay, now I understand what it takes to build this hotel, to build a business.

Um, and that was the point. That was kind of like the, the puzzle piece that was, was missing, um, that was missing also to that 20 years old girl who juststarting her career in our hospitality industry.

Dan Ryan: So fi so it was really like leaning into. The thing which you did not like, which were the Excel spreadsheets, then forcing yourself to understand them because then it was, it, I don't know. I'm think thinking it's

the

Rubik's Cube solve, then

you

could

Anna Peretz: Yeah. you have to solve the pieces in order to see the entire picture. Um, you know, and I was lucky enough to do it because I know one of the things we're that's really challenging coming from, you know, at Esta working with designers or [00:57:00] at other company, is that they don't get the budget portion.

Dan Ryan: Hmm.

Anna Peretz: They're so good in the design and the process and you know, develop something so nice and think about the guests, but they don't think about the owner.

They think they think about the owner, but you give them a budget and they're never stay within the budget because they don't understand the budget.

They know it's a number. Um, and one of the things that would be really beneficial, especially where we're moving, um, into kind of our, for our industry moving into with a lot of struggle with financing, is that if a has, if a, if a design firm gets somebody that does de estimates the finance, the budget structure and the company doesn't, and the, you know, the project doesn't get to a point where they need to do a heavy VE because when you get to the value value engineer portion, and I've seen it, the project would die

because the asset management would say, this is too expensive for [00:58:00] us.

That's an issue. I mean,

Dan Ryan: Well, I also think that at some point, ownership groups currently are gonna have to come to grips with

their

asset

values,

Anna Peretz: yeah.

Dan Ryan: Point, like I feel like everything's been artificially propped up since COVID. So that, I don't know, like role of capitalism hasn't gotten to work through

its

system and

flush everything out

Anna Peretz: Mm-hmm.

Dan Ryan: it to the

point where people can buy and, and buy and sell and minimize risk, but maximize returns and, you know, find that like nice where it all comes together. Um, how long have you been at ESA now?

Anna Peretz: this is my third year.

Dan Ryan: Third

Anna Peretz: I started my third year in the summer. Yeah.

Dan Ryan: So as you your third year under your belt and now you're looking to the future as you're building teams and dealing with [00:59:00] these thousand hotels, like what's exciting you most in all of that?

Anna Peretz: Seeing the company succeed, right, because you're part of the story. So it's so, you know, you mentioned balance before. It's a hard work. You are not working 40 hours a week. You are always working, you are traveling, you are, you are answering emails, you're doing some presentations that you are always thinking about work.

Um, because you are building right? You, you are building. There's no structure that's already exists. You're building the structure, you're changing. I always say, whatever I told you yesterday may change today because. That's because we're flexible, because we adjust, as, you know, as the company moves, we, we move with, with the company, right?

It's like a d and you have to keep up. It's like driving in New York City, you have to go fast. If you go slow, you get hit. Um, and that's a lot of work then. And, and you [01:00:00] know, it's a lot of balance because I also,

I also have a family. I have three kids. I have three little kids. I have, um, I always say that to people.

I'm like, I have my career. I have my kids and it's a lot of work with 'em now. And I also, I'm also a wife to a Jewish man.

Dan Ryan: Yeah. You can't forget the wife part. The, the oftentimes, I think, you know, lose sight of the couple at the, at the head of it all. Right? And it's really hard. There's so many other requirements.

So how do you navigate that?

Anna Peretz: I start, I start there. That's my priority. My husband is my priority. Um, you know, he's an entrepreneur, he is a businessman. He's a CEO and a funder of his company. And he's always going, going, going, but I make sure once a week we stop Saturday night. It's our date night. Whether we go and get something local, whether we go and get something more [01:01:00] fancy, it's our time.

It's our time in the, in the car, it's our time in the restaurant, it's our time together where we speak, where we, you know, where we look at each other. 'cause I don't see my husband all the time, um, because the days are crazy. Um, and I stop and I listen to him, and I look at him and he does the same to me.

If you don't, if you don't invest in your relationship, then don't be surprised that during your forties it's not gonna work. And then you start all this, you know, blaming games and you have to give to get

Dan Ryan: it reminded me of a, you said earlier in the conversation when you were talking about your mom, your mom and dad divorcing, you're like,

Anna Peretz: They went to separate, yeah, they went to

separate hat.

Dan Ryan: you know, it's common. That's what happens. But I, I

didn't

wanna, I have this really great joke I tell all the time, but do you know what the leading, cause

I more,

I think in the United

States anyway,

Anna Peretz: Yeah.

Dan Ryan: of

[01:02:00] marriages end

up in divorce Do you know what the

leading cause

of divorce is?

Anna Peretz: What is it now? I'm very curious.

Dan Ryan: Marriage?

Anna Peretz: right. Because it's hard. it's

it's a full-time job. You know, I, I wasn't joking, saying I'm also a Jewish wife

because every Friday

Dan Ryan: Mm-hmm.

Anna Peretz: Eve. There will be a table set in my dining room where we all gonna sit for shop at dinner, we're gonna pray and we're gonna eat the food that I made. Now ask me when, between Thursday and Friday I did it.

Some days it's very early on Friday. Some days it's very late on Thursday. Some days it's 4:00 PM on a Friday, 5:00 PM on a Friday. But you make it happen because you choose to do it right? You choose to, you choose your partner, you choose to, to, to give them, um, to keep watering them. You can dry out those areas and expect something to come out of it,

right? It's like you have, and then same thing with your career and you, and with work [01:03:00]

I and some days, you know, I, you, you started with saying. That I keep saying, you can do it all. You can do it all, but you can do it all in the same time. So some days I given I given my work 70% and then I'm giving my personal life 30%.

And some days are, it's, it's, it's it's it's the other way. That's the balance. That's the dance you have to do.

Dan Ryan: We only have so many hours in each day,

and

it's how

we choose to

prioritize

what we're

working on.

And I agree, it is

like an accordion every day or more like a scale that ba or a Seesaw, right? Because you, you only have so much. Um, but with that, I love the idea of you because of the, in this conversation, one of the great con the great images you painted were, it was going to your grandmother's house and she would like the candles.

And I just got that feeling of warmth. And then I just got it again at the end here your Shabbat dinner and the candles and the [01:04:00] feeling of warmth. uh, so I think with that, I will say Shabbat shalom. And then, but I've loved this conversation so much, Anna, and if people wanted to learn more about you

or

esa, what's a great way

for them

to get in touch and learn more?

Anna Peretz: Yeah, they, they can contact me on LinkedIn.

Dan Ryan: We'll put it in the notes. We'll also, uh, put in some esta information as well. And, um, I really, I do so many of these conversations and it's, don't know, uh, many of them, not a lot, but many of them are very therapeutic for, well, they're, I'm all curious about all of them, but this is like a good therapy session for me.

So really

appreciate this

and I know all of our

listeners do.

But Thank you Anna, for being here.

Anna Peretz: Thank you for inviting me.

Dan Ryan: And I would wanna thank all of our listeners and watchers. Without you, we wouldn't be here every week interviewing awesome people like Anna, and hearing her story and being inspired by it, and [01:05:00] also learning that not moving forward and standing still does not mean you're moving backwards.

So that's, I think that's a tension I need to work on with myself. So I thank you. I thank the listeners. Don't forget to like and subscribe and pass it on if you think someone could benefit from this. We'll catch you next time.