Live from IMEX America in Las Vegas, Bart sits down with Kevin Brown — Senior Manager of Go-to-Market and Editorial Strategies at Alliants. From an unexpected encounter with a hotel CEO to building a career on creativity, Kevin shares how gut checks, human connection, and breaking norms have shaped his professional journey and his philosophy on hospitality.

Major Takeaways /Learnings

• Gut Checks Lead to Growth: Kevin’s career pivots from music industry to hospitality were guided bylistening to instinct and embracing change, not rigid plans.
• Creativity Is a Muscle: His early years experimenting with acting, painting, writing, and failingforward built resilience and problem-solving skills.
• No One Succeeds in Isolation: Great ideas emerge through collaboration and challenging conventional thinking.
• Redefining Roles: At Alliants, Kevin’s hybrid position was created around his strengths and passions a model for modern organizations.
• Connection Through Better Questions: Asking meaningful questions like “What makes you come alive?” creates deeper, faster rapport.
• Technology as an Enabler: Alliants builds tools that reduce admin tasks and increase time for real guestconnection blending context with hospitality.
• Trust as ROI: Hospitality success is built on human trust more than on loyalty points or amenities.
• Happiness as a Metric: Kevin champions measuring “Happiness Per Employee” as a driver of service excellence.
• Competitive Socialization: Shared experiences (like F1 racing simulators) can teach workplace lessons oncollaboration, patience, and communication.

Memorable Quotes

• “Failure’s only a failure if you don’t learn anything fromit.” — Kevin Brown
• “It’s not about your idea. It’s about the best idea — andthat comes from collaboration.”
• “Most people don’t put people first… but they should.”
• “Technology should give time back to humans, not take itaway.”
• “Ask better questions, and you’ll build betterconnections.”

Why It Matters / How to Use It

• For Leaders: Create roles around people’s passions, not just job descriptions.
• For Teams: Lead conversations with curiosity and connection not titles or logos.
• For Hospitality Pros: Use tech to build context, not walls. Every second saved on admin is a secondgained for real service.
• For Event & Sales Teams: Break formalities, ask meaningful questions, and connect on a human level.
• For Organizations: Measure and prioritize employee happiness to elevate guest experience.
• For Culture Builders: Gamified experiences (like F1 Arcade) can double as learning labs for communication and teamwork.

Resources and Links:

Bart Berkey: MostPeopleDont.com | LinkedIn

This inspiring conversation with Denise dives into her extraordinary 40+ year career in the travel industry, her rebirth into health and wellness, and her daily commitment to walking 10 miles—over 1,172 consecutive days. From surviving trauma to creating three thriving businesses, Denise shares her journey of resilience, self-belief, and intentional living. Her story beautifully weaves together entrepreneurship, personal health, and a mindset of awe.

Major Takeaways / Learnings:

• Believe in yourself first. Denise built her career from hardship by cultivating a positive mindset and surrounding herself with mentors.
• Look in the mirror. A daily ritual of affirmations (“I love you. You are strong. You are worthy.”) became a cornerstone of her confidence.
• Health is wealth. Her transformation began with honest self-assessment, journaling eating habits, drinking more water, prioritizing rest, and adding movement back into her life.
• Start small, stay consistent. What began as short walks turned into over 1,000 consecutive days of 10-mile walks.
• Excuses are non-negotiable. Rain or shine, she shows up for herself.
• Travel + wellness = awe. She helps clients create experiences that light them up from the inside—not just trips for social media.
• Overcome trauma through connection. Faith, therapy, nature, and community helped her rebuild and thrive.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Your health is your wealth. Don’t wait until it’s too late to pour into yourself.”
• “I was looking in the mirror, but I wasn’t seeing myself.”
• “Movement is key to life, to the brain, to how you think and feel.”
• “Walking is non-negotiable. Excuses are non-negotiable.”
• “Some climb the mountain to see the world; others climb it to be seen by the world.”

Why It Matters / How to Use It:

Denise’s story is a masterclass in intentional living: starting small, anchoring in personal rituals, and committing to yourself daily. Entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone feeling stuck can use her example to reset their habits—focusing on health, gratitude, and purpose. It’s a reminder that awe isn’t found on a screen; it’s found in how you live each day.

Connect with Denise:

Instagram: thehealthy_traveler

Email: TripPro@verizon.net

Special note: Denise embodies the spirit of “Most People Don’t… But YOU Do.” She doesn’t just talk about mindset and movement—she lives it.

In this debut episode of the new For All the Marbles series, sponsored by Marblism, Bart sits down with Doug Baarman—Senior Vice President of ConferenceDirect and founder of Team Baarman. Doug shares his journey from corporate leadership at Marriott International to becoming an entrepreneur. This conversation dives into the why behind his leap, the playbook he’s built to help others succeed, and the mindset required to build a fulfilling business—and life.

Major Takeaways / Learnings

1. Do It for the Right Reasons

• Doug left corporate not to chase money but to build a better lifestyle for his family.
• A strong personal “why” provides the fuel to get through uncertainty, long nights, and hard choices.

2. Entrepreneurship Is About Structure, Not Just Passion

• Doug admits he “jumped out of the airplane without a parachute”, but later developed a playbook to guide others.
• His blueprint focuses on:
• Covering basic expenses first
• Reaching income replacement level
• Scaling strategically with support

3. Mindset Over Perks

• Transitioning from corporate luxury (black cars, first-class travel, five-star treatment) to scrappy startup mode requires humility and clarity of purpose.
• If you’re in it for perks, it won’t last.

4. Surround Yourself with Support

• Success requires partners, family support, mentors, accountability buddies, and people who believe in your mission.

• Entrepreneurs may start alone but thrive when they build the right circle.

5. Learn Relentlessly

• Doug constantly listens to podcasts, calls industry peers, and learns from others.
• “Why wouldn’t I learn from those who went down the road before me?”

6. Activity Drives Outcomes

• Many entrepreneurs fail not from lack of talent but lack of action.
• Doug emphasizes outreach, storytelling, and sharing your value openly—even casually at a coffee shop.
• “If people don’t know what you do, they can’t work with you.”

7. Ego Down, Curiosity Up

• Hire people smarter than you.
• Keep your ego in check and your willingness to learn high.

Memorable Quotes

• “I wasn’t chasing money. I was chasing a lifestyle.” – DougBaarman
• “If you’re mad at your boss, that’s not a good reason to become an entrepreneur.” – Doug Baarman
• “It’s simple, but it’s not easy. You just have to do the work.” – Doug Baarman
• “If people don’t know what you do, they can’t hire you.” –Bart Berkey

• “Entrepreneurs don’t do it alone. They have a support team.” – Doug Baarman

Why It Matters / How to Use It

• For aspiring entrepreneurs: Don’t leap without knowing your why. Lifestyle and purpose beat chasing dollars.
• For leaders transitioning from corporate: Be prepared to start small, do more with less, and find joy in the hustle.
• For growing teams: Build structure early. A clear playbook accelerates trust and scalability.
• For everyone: Share what you do with the world—confidence, not arrogance, builds opportunities.

For everyone: Share what you do with the world—confidence, not arrogance, builds opportunities.