In this episode, Dan sits down with Adrienne Scribner, principal and managing director of hospitality at Baskerville, to unpack what three decades in hotel design has taught her about the unglamorous work that actually makes projects succeed. They dig into why there is no "coordination fairy" waiting to catch your mistakes, how typing specs into a purchasing system in the early '90s built the foundation for her entire career, and why mentoring the next generation means being approachable rather than intimidating.

About the Guest:

Adrienne Scribner is a Principal and Managing Director of Hospitality at Baskervill, bringing more than 20 years of experience across the Maryland, Virginia, and DC design corridor. Her client roster reads like a hospitality hall of fame, including Marriott, Gaylord, Ritz Carlton, and Moxy, and her research driven approach has made her a trusted voice for owners navigating renovations of every scale. Beyond the projects themselves, she has built a reputation as a generous mentor, the kind of leader who would rather answer a question than let someone learn the hard way.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome back to Defining Hospitality

00:58 Meet Adrienne Scribner

01:41 Conference Mentorship Moment

02:52 Why She Stayed in Hotels

04:17 Learning Through Specs

07:16 Hybrid Work and Phone Calls

10:54 Marriott Years and Prototypes

14:11 No Coordination Fairy

17:57 Mentorship and Coachable Talent

31:18 Baskerville Office Footprint

32:30 Hiring Without Relocation

32:47 Why DC Attracts Designers

34:40 DC Cost and Lifestyle Reality

35:01 Sponsor Sustainability Note

35:26 Market Cycle and CapEx Slowdown

38:08 Compressed Schedules and Pauses

39:36 Mentorship Through Project Conflict

40:45 Model Rooms and Risk Management

46:40 Career Lessons From Marriott

49:25 Working With Brand Standards

54:09 Owners Concepts and AI Inspiration

57:14 Research Versus Inspiration Images

59:50 Cross-Pollination Across Verticals

Quote of the Show:

"If you don't know exactly who is going to do the work, it's probably you. You need to find that person." - Adrienne Scribner

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-scribner-265b045/
• Guests Website: https://www.baskervill.com/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

Dan Ryan sat down with Alexa d'Argence, senior interior designer at Ken Fulk Inc., to explore what it really means to design spaces people fall in love with. Alexa pulls back the curtain on KFI's work at the Huntington Hotel in San Francisco and the Beverly Hills Hotel. sharing how a strong concept and cinematic vision guide every decision from the big picture down to the smallest detail. The conversation gets reflective too, touching on why slowing down is sometimes the only way forward, and what it means to truly love the work you do.

About the Guest:

Alexa d'Argence is a Senior Interior Designer at Ken Fulk Inc. in San Francisco. With a background rooted in hospitality and residential design, she has worked on projects ranging from The Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa to the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill, recently featured in Architectural Digest, and is currently deep in the renovation of the Beverly Hills Hotel. A graduate of Cornell and a lifelong lover of hotels, she approaches every project as an act of care, craft, and storytelling.

Chapters:

00:42 Meet Alexa d’Argence

01:45 Sketching Under Pressure

04:02 What Hospitality Means

05:03 Hotels and Childhood Memories

05:59 From Marin to Hospitality Design

07:51 Storytelling and the Movie Mind

13:23 Designing for the Guest

17:22 History Beloved and Future Dreams

28:19 Sketching Together Works

29:08 Hidden Beauty Onsite

32:05 Details Beyond The Spread

33:15 Beloved Places And Memories

34:54 Renovations And Responsibility

36:10 Sustainability Sponsor Break

36:37 Tools Sketches And Renderings

39:40 Puzzling As Design Mindset

44:19 Mentorship Scent And Farewell

Quote of the Show:

"It's a calling, a vocation for me. So there's a lot of love that goes into it. This is a job where you are working long hours, and if you don't love it, you're gonna burn out." - Alexa d'Argence

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexadargence/
• Guests Website: https://www.kenfulk.com/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

This week, Dan Ryan sits down with Alex Kuby, Associate Principal at Dyelot and a lifelong student of how built environments shape human experience. From his early days at HBA in Santa Monica to helping lead a studio through a full brand transformation, Alex has spent his career asking what it really means to make people feel seen, supported, and cared for inside a space. Together, Dan and Alex explore approachable hospitality, the power of integrated services, and what niching down actually looks like when you are doing it from the inside.

About the Guest:

On this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with Alex Kuby, Associate Principal at Dyelot, a hospitality interiors studio bolstered by branding, procurement, and architectural services. Alex has been part of the firm since its days as RDC, helping shape its evolution into a focused, values driven hospitality design practice. When he is not leading visioning workshops or authoring the Dylot blog, he is probably thinking about how a grocery store can double as a neighborhood heartbeat.

Chapters:

00:42 Show Intro and Sponsor

01:04 Meet Alex Kuby

01:31 Shared Roots and Catching Up

03:19 Defining Hospitality

03:58 Approachable Hospitality

05:25 RDC to Dyelot Story

09:34 WELL and Sustainable FF&E

20:59 Capital ROI and Visioning

32:23 Sustainable Sponsor Shoutout

32:41 Design Meets Procurement

35:38 Why Branding Comes First

39:04 Blogging and Brand Transition

41:49 Niching Down the Studio

43:22 Grocery as Community Hub

46:09 Public Spaces and Connection

50:12 Career Advice and Mentorship

53:28 Memory Lane and Farewell

Quote of the Show:

"Hospitality is the humanity in the built environment, that is the way in which we express care and facilitate all of those great high touch point, high emotional engagements that the best hospitality spaces are known for." - Alex Kuby

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akuby/
• Guests Website: https://dyelot.com/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

Dan Ryan talks with Thomas Paterson, founder and lighting designer at Lux Populi, about one of hospitality's most overlooked design disciplines… light. Thomas explains why lighting designers need a seat at the table from day one, not after the drawings are done, and shares his take on how light shapes a space's emotional experience. The conversation covers the gap between the 2% of projects that engage a true lighting specialist and the 30-50% that probably should, what it means to design from the inside out, his unconventional path from Australia to Mexico City, the sustainability case for old-school screw-in bulbs, and why asking the right question at the right moment is the smartest move a lighting designer can make.

About the Guest:

Thomas Paterson is the founder, director, and principal lighting designer at Lux Populi, a Mexico City based lighting design studio. He brings a first principles approach to every project, asking what light can do before how it should look. His portfolio spans luxury resorts, boutique hotels, restaurants, museums, and infrastructure, including 15 years with Sandals Resorts, the Four Seasons Los Cabos, and a landmark tunnel gateway in Sydney. Originally from Australia and formerly based in London, he landed in Mexico City by chance and built one of the industry's most distinctive lighting practices.

Chapters:

00:25 Meet Lighting Designer Thomas

03:09 Hospitality Through Light

06:43 Bring Lighting In Early

10:17 Who Owns The Brief

11:46 Do Projects Hire Lighting

17:23 Lighting As Editing Tool

25:43 Fixing Spaces After Opening

29:09 Why Mexico City

31:53 Mexico City Safety Shift

32:43 Designing the Cocoon

33:17 Contrast and Tone Basics

34:14 Fixing a Brand’s Lighting

35:47 Kelvin Myths Explained

37:38 Infrared and Homogenous LEDs

42:39 Culture and Buying Bulbs

47:37 Sustainability and PoE Lighting

54:53 Future of Lighting Design

Quote of the Show:

"Lighting design is an editing tool. Emphasize, de-emphasize, reveal, conceal." - Thomas Paterson

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpaterson/
• Guests Website: https://luxpopuli.com/New/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

This week, Dan Ryan sits down with Larry Traxler, a 30+ year veteran of architecture and design, former SVP Global Head of Architecture & Design at Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and founder of Traxworks Hospitality Collaborative, to make the case that great hospitality design isn’t about replicating what’s trending, it’s about understanding place, people, and purpose. From breaking ceramic tiles on job sites in Japan to navigating 102 countries and opening 1,000 hotels a year at Hilton, Larry has spent his career building bridges between creative vision and business reality, and now, finally free to say no, he’s going deeper than ever.

About the Guest:
On this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with Larry Traxler, founder of Traxworks Hospitality Collaborative and former SVP Global Head of Architecture and Design at Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Larry has shaped some of the most memorable spaces in global hospitality, one mosaic wall, and one very deliberate hammer swing at a time. When he’s not advising owners on design strategy or racking up passport stamps across his 102nd country, he’s photographing wildlife in his backyard, plotting a month in Africa, and finally, finally, getting to put more into the projects that truly light him up.

Chapters:

00:25 Welcome to Defining Hospitality

01:28 Mentors Safari and Photography

02:53 Backyard Safari and Reps

05:42 Defining Hospitality Through Design

12:09 Traxworks Freedom to Say No

15:13 Jordan Mozer Narrative Craft

22:31 Becoming the Bridge Conductor

30:36 The Clift Deep Dive Details

35:27 Nine Million Miles

36:43 Creativity in the Air

38:27 Hilton Lessons to Trexworks

43:10 Solo Founder Reality

45:13 AI as Creative Toolkit

50:00 Recessions and Resilience

54:04 Hospitality Beyond Hotels

01:00:20 Fighting Design Sameness

01:02:35 Traxworks Freedom and Farewell

Quote of the Show:
“It’s those people that have a fear of the future that get held back. Sometimes you just have to jump off the bridge and leap into those entrepreneurial waters.” - Larry Traxler

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrytraxler/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by BermanFalk https://www.bermanfalk.com/

Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

This week, Dan Ryan sits down with John O'Sullivan, hospitality executive, published poet, painter, and Regional Vice President & General Manager at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, to make the case that great hospitality isn't a service standard, it's a soul practice. A GM at just 25 who started peeling potatoes in a small Irish hotel at 12, John has spent over three decades opening and leading luxury properties across seven countries, building a career on the radical belief that belonging is borderless, failure is just success in progress, and heart intelligence will always outperform artificial intelligence.

About the Guest:
On this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with John O'Sullivan, Regional Vice President and General Manager at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita in Mexico. With 31 years at Four Seasons and properties across Cairo, Bali, Jakarta, and beyond, John has spent his career quietly proving that the most powerful management tool isn't a system, it's sincerity. When he's not leading a team of more than 1,000 warriors, he's painting, publishing poetry, or stealing cookies from his director of rooms' office. He moves through the world the same way he runs his hotel, with curiosity, warmth, and zero interest in being the most important person in the room.

Chapters:

00:35 Meet John O Sullivan

02:25 Defining Hospitality And Belonging

03:06 From Ireland To GM At 25

04:18 Making Room For Others

10:30 Mentors And Ripple Effects

16:22 Travel Memories And Magic Details

20:56 Why Punta Mita Wins

26:21 Creativity Process And Failure

34:02 Potato Peeler Origins

34:34 Curiosity Becomes Calling

37:06 Heart Intelligence Hospitality

38:13 Creativity Fuels Positivity

39:14 Recharging Through Adventure

41:56 Fun as Leadership

42:56 Vulnerability and Forgiveness

47:46 Egypt Opening Hope Story

54:33 Future of Authentic Luxury

Quote of the Show:
"Hospitality is the almost sacred act of seeing another human being and saying, without words, that you authentically belong here." - John O’Sullivan

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-o-sullivan-6719551/
• Guests Website: https://www.fourseasons.com/puntamita/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

This week, Dan Ryan sits down with David Shove-Brown, architect, design leader, educator, and partner at //3877, to make the case that the most powerful thing you can put on your business card isn't a title, it's a philosophy. A firm co-founder who launched his practice in the middle of a recession with a newborn at home and a best friend from college as his only business partner, David has spent 15 years proving that relationships aren't a strategy, they're the whole game. David isn't just building great spaces. He's building a firm, a community, and a life worth writing about.

About the Guest:
On this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with David Shove-Brown, partner at //3877, an architecture and design firm based in DC and New York. David has spent 15 years building a practice and a reputation, on the belief that relationships come before business. Whether he's mentoring students at trade shows, swapping proposals with competitors, or just holding the door for a stranger, he moves through the world the same way he runs his firm, like every person in the room matters.

Chapters:
00:51 Meet David

02:04 NEWH Mentorship Moment

03:53 Defining Hospitality

04:43 Community Over Competition

08:46 Networking Roots and Values

13:01 Relationship Building That Lasts

17:45 Balance Family and Firm

27:24 Design in the Public Interest

31:18 Losing a Mentor

32:46 Succession and Letting Go

33:56 Mentoring Through Mistakes

36:19 How to Find Mentors

38:01 Learning From Students

40:11 Community and Collisions

42:25 Craving Certainty Forward

48:25 Startup Stories and Growth

50:07 Looking Ahead and Wrap

Quote of the Show:

"Networking always had this underlying idea of sales, we flipped it. For us, it's really relationship building." - David Shove-Brown

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsb3877/
• David’s Company’s Website: https://www.3877.design/
• Dan Ryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

This week, Dan Ryan sits down with Christine McGinnis, Director of Design at Wave Design Consultants, to make the case that the most powerful tool a designer can carry isn't a software subscription or a portfolio, it's a passport and a willingness to ask why. A Canadian kid who got locked in a Tiffany's display window in Hong Kong and never really looked back, Christine has spent over two decades designing across Asia, North America, and now the Canary Islands, chasing a single throughline openness. From restoring a termite-eaten 19th century Bangkok landmark to drawing her first full set of plans in Spanish, she isn't just designing spaces, she's designing a life.

About the Guest:
On this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with Christine McGinnis, Director of Design at Wave Design Consultants, a Canadian born, world traveling hospitality designer who logged her first miles in the Starwood design lab before most people knew that lab existed. Christine has spent 20 plus years designing hotels and restaurants across Asia, Europe, and Africa not by following the work, but by following the question. And the question, in her case, is always the same one… why?

Chapters:
00:38 Meet Christine McGinnis

01:15 Journey Westward

03:15 Early Career Plans

04:09 Generations And Nomads

05:46 Starwood Innovation Lab

14:31 Openness Defines Hospitality

20:38 Spain Projects And Asking Why

26:03 Design Fatigue and Surprise

27:26 Waldorf Respite After 9/11

29:13 Hospitality Alchemy From the Heart

30:30 Design vs Service That Brings Guests Back

31:32 Aloft Seminyak Bali Success

33:48 Being Present Wherever You Land

35:31 Just Go Travel Advice

39:48 Resurgence of Analog Connection

Quote of the Show:
"People come to your joint once for the design, but they come back for the service and how you made them feel." - Christine McGinnis

Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.

Links:

• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1
• Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• Christine’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemcginnis/
• Wave Design’s Website: https://www.wave.global/
• Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/

🏨✨ 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:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/