If an event prof career life is a smorgasbord of hospitality job options, how do you decide what to put on your plate?
We asked an award-winning F&B expert. In this episode of What One Thing? host JT Long, vice president and content director of Smart Meetings, delves into the fascinating world of food and beverage with Thomas Whelan, director of operations for Levy Restaurants.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Whelan shares his journey from his early days in a restaurant to becoming a celebrated expert in large-scale event catering. He offers insights into the logistics of feeding thousands, the importance of creativity and passion in the culinary arts, and how every plate of food can inspire change. Tune in to learn Whelan’s secrets for delivering remarkable dining experiences that leave a lasting impression on event attendees.
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Editor’s note: This interview has been transcribed by Otter.ai and lightly edited.
JT Long: Welcome back to What One Thing? A Smart Meetings podcast that provides you with a shortcut to the top of the events world by asking successful people what made the difference in their lives and careers?
I’m JT Long, vice president and content director of Smart Meetings, and today’s conversation will nourish your mind and imagination when it comes to F&B. Thomas Whelan is director of operations for Levy. He’s been in the industry for more than 20 years and still has a fresh approach to every event. He’s passionate about feeding people and was recently awarded the Smart Speakers Award for his work sharing his insights from stages all over the world. Let’s learn his secrets for wowing at the table. Welcome Thomas, thank you.
Thomas Whelan: Thank you for having me. JT, I’m so excited to be here. I’m really excited for this conversation.
JL: We’re gonna have a great time. So, you started at a restaurant at age 14, went on to be a barista, a line cook and operations jobs. How did you get from there to here?
TW: I actually started at 13 years and nine months. Which now being a manager and a leader for teens, I realize is highly illegal. I saw a new restaurant opening on a beach in South Boston, Massachusetts where I grew up, and I had my mom bring me, and my mom and I walked in, I took out the trash.
She promised the owner to work next to me, to teach me how to work hard, because she’s a very hard worker, and so I started there, and I just, I don’t know how it’s been over 20 years, and I still feel 18 and look it, of course, but it’s just been like a really fun path.
I’ve had such a crazy career in terms of working for what I would consider some of the most iconic companies in food and beverage. Six years at Starbucks, I was with Hard Rock and Hard Rock International for six years, and I’ve been with Levy for almost seven years, and it’s just felt so natural, and I will never do anything else.
JL: It’s addicting, right? Once you start, it’s just you gotta have that fit.
TW: That’s really what happened when I worked at the World Bank for Restaurant Associates for a year, and it was my first time working in conventions. They do an annual convention. There was like 10, 10,000 people would come, and it was my first time doing it for food and beverage. And I will chase that rush for the rest of my career. The first time you look down at a book of BEOs, you’re like, I’m about to feed 10,000 people over 400 events in 24 hours with a team of 30 people. And then at the end of that 17-hour day, you sit down, and you go, what? What just happened? And it was, I will, I will crave that feeling for the rest of my career.
JL: It’s a blur. I think everyone in this industry has a healthy or unhealthy appreciation for that rush of what an event is. And that’s really kind of the difference, even though catering really has tried to deliver a more restaurant quality experience when you’re feeding 1,000, 10,000 people, it’s a whole different scale. You want to talk a little bit about the logistics that go into feeding 10,000 people.
TW: I think that’s what’s so cool about it, because so many people in food and beverage, we start as foodies, or we start as people who, you know, kind of have that mindset from the song of Annie.
You’re never fully dressed without a smile. You just want to always give that kind of service. And then all of a sudden, you work in these large-scale events, and you get to unlock the logistics side of your brain.
You know, you’re thinking of things like the flow. Where are the attendees coming from? You’re working with transportation. You’re working with. You know, the show caller to figure out, are they all leaving at once? We told, we were told they’re not leaving at once, but your call sheet says they’re all leaving at once. And, you know, making those last minute adjustments, and it just becomes so much more than a plate of food.
And to me, like a plate of food is, is just so important, and it’s, you know, I like to tell people that I operate off 50% delusion and 50% spike.
I’m in the delusional space at all times. So, to me, when I’m working a biomedical conference, that plate of food isn’t just there so that someone can get through their keynote lecture or keynote speaker or their general session, but that plate of food is actually going to inspire them to create a bigger change throughout the world.
That plate of food is going to cure cancer. Now, is that wild to think that every plate of food could change the world? No, but do I think a lot of great conversations, networking opportunities have happened over that plate of food that I’ve served then?
In this world of delusion, I’m just always going to want to inspire people to do better and be better, and I’m going to do that one plate at a time.
JL: It’s powerful stuff. And I just want to call out you talk about your combination of delusion and spite. You sent over a photo that is so serious, and yet I know you as this just very funny, friendly, fast, on your toes kind of guy, would you call yourself, like a fine wine? You’re very complex.
TW: I don’t think fine wine is the term. I think in Philadelphia, they call it a city wide, which is like a shot of whiskey and a beer. You know, it’s a little tough to look at it first, you’re like, what’s going on there? That seems like really rough around the edges, but honestly, I’m just here to celebrate people. I just want to celebrate everyone’s wins. My team’s win, you’re a win, everyone’s win. And so I’m as complex as the first shot you’ll take at the night, and I’m as fun as the one in the middle. And sometimes I can be that last one where it’s like, you should probably go home.
JL: We love how complex everyone in the industry is, but you bring some wonderful notes to the conversation. So, I want to say congratulations. You were just named a Smart Meeting Smart Speaker award winner.
TW: Thank you. I was like, shocked and aghast. Thank you.
JL: You said in your description that, if you were a real housewife, your introduction would be, life is a buffet, and I want seconds. What do you want to see more of and in the industry? And what would you be happy to never see again?
TW: I want to see. And this kind of goes back to what we just talked about, doing events for 10,000 people.
I want people to go back to enjoying the menus that they’re curating. Because when you’re thinking about every person, and that seems crazy to be like, how can I think of every person in room of 10,000 but you’re making considerations like, where do we not compromise things to make it more inclusive.
And I don’t mean inclusive that hot button word. I even say inclusion should never be considered hot button word. But, you know, one of my favorite desserts we make now currently is this decadent, delicious chocolate mousse with espresso brittle in it. It is gluten free, and it is vegan, and it is delicious.
Making those changes never compromise the product. And it’s, you know, it’s not free as well. So I want to see people getting back to having fun and getting back to that analyzing and problem solving. You know, I don’t want to be the million person to be. Like events are back. They’ve been back. They, you know, did they go away? Sometimes I think I don’t remember. But like, people are having fun again, which is even more exciting every, almost every event I get when I’m talking to someone brainstorming ideas for what the meal is going to be or what the curated experience. Because that’s even better when it’s an experience and not a meal, and people are saying, I want to have fun again, or people are saying things like, I want to spend money. I’m not going to be ashamed to spend money and get the decadent stuff.
Let’s be decadent, and I love it. I don’t know what that means. I really hope we don’t go back to like, Gatsby parties in the decadence world, but like, you know what I mean? Like, I love it. Like, let’s be decadent, let’s be silly, let’s be fun. What I probably never want to see again, and this could be very niche, is when you go up to a bar at an event and the cocktail napkins are given that swirl, you know, like the twist of the cup. For some reason it seems so dated to me, and it makes me feel like I’m at a conference center attached to a hotel in an airport. In like 1986 I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s just like, it’s just like, fake, excellent. Does that make you know what I mean? Where you’re just like, you know, people are like, Oh, we should swirl it because it shows we’re doing the details.
But then you completely missed half your menu tags. That’s not the detail to focus on. Let’s go back to focusing on the thing at hand, which is creating a remarkable experience. Get back to basics. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It’s, you know, sometimes, I think all of us in this industry, sometimes, most of the times, are probably focusing on the wrong thing to no fault of our own.
You know, it’s like there’s a million, I don’t have to tell anyone listening this, or you there’s a million things, a million different parts of an event, probably a trillion. I can’t count that high. But when you’re trying to do all these things, and you’re not just checking off the bare essentials, which is taking care of your team, taking care of yourself, taking care of your clients, taking care of your guests.
Then like you’re gonna don’t focus on swirling a napkin. People are fine taking a napkin that hasn’t been swirled, I promise you. And if you find someone who’s not fine, send them away. I will talk them through it.
JT: No more swirls. Okay. Well, I want to play a little game with you. Yeah, I want to do a lightning round. Okay, so I’m just gonna name off some things, and you’re gonna tell me how you feel and how we can make them better. You ready?
TW: Yes.
JT: Cheese boards.
TW: I love cheese. I’m never going to say no to cheese but consider are a different grazing board, if you’re just looking for a grazing board, if you can do like a whipped ricotta baba ghanoush, incorporate some Mediterranean flavors. Make it a little jazzier.
If it’s a holiday spice, some of those nuts, you know, make it a little fun, or make it more complex. People are into global flavors. Again, we saw it right after the pandemic, and then it’s just really coming back. Get them spicy. Get them jazzy. Everybody eats it no matter what.
JL: Love it. Gluten free and vegan meals.
TW: Most of your menu can be gluten free. If you have a really talented chef and a really excited group of individuals who can work on vegan meals, should be meals.
Vegan meals are just it’s just an entree choice. We do events all the time where we sometimes forget to offer the vegan item as silent and we’ll have to make, like, 60% more, because it’s a real, sustainable meal. It has a considered protein. It’s just not impossible beef, which there’s nothing wrong with it, or, you know, pasta with butter noodles, you know, it’s a real hearty meal. Have fun. Be creative at culinary arts. That’s what it is. It’s an art form. Use that. I’m not an artist. Use your knife like a paintbrush. That’s it.
JT: You are a true artisan. Okay, so to-go boxes
TW: Oh, I mean, do you mean like the box lunch, or do you mean, like, giving to go boxes for people to leave with food?
JT: People want a lot of grab and go…
TW: I love it, but I also love creative ways of doing it, grab and go.
I love I’m a I’m gonna always be a sucker for, like, a carrot and a hummus. I know it’s basic. I eat basic. I don’t pretend not to, but like, Give me something that’s hearty quick I can eat with one hand, because either I’m gonna have my phone in my one hand or I’m gonna have a coffee in my other hand.
So, I want something easy to go. I love a good dipper. I want it to be compostable so I don’t feel bad about leaving it somewhere and be like, Oh, someone’s gonna have to come find this in the hall. And local, if you have a lot of people coming in, I love when people reach out to local snacks, local favorites, because sometimes at like, big conferences and conventions, we forget they won’t ever get to experience anything other than a convention center, hotel, sometimes in the airport.
JT: So how about buffets? We wrote a lot about, oh, the buffet is gone during covid. It came back with a vengeance.
TW: I’m gonna be the contrarian, which, shocker, it never went anywhere.
I feel like we were getting it was just weird part of the world where we’re trying to do all these things, be correct and be great. But like, the one thing about people working food and beverage, when it comes to health and safety and sanitation is we do it every day. We live and breathe this. You know, a buffet is always going to be compliant in the highest you know, health and sanitation standards. Buffets are good, especially a good spread. Give me two salads, a couple side, I’m a big side guy. So, I want a couple sides, a meat or no meat, whatever you want it to be. I want to make my own adventure. You might see it as a beautiful chicken, starch and vegetable meal. I might see it as like a bowl we’re mixing it all together. And I love create you get to your guests.
Love to create their own adventure. And what I really love is when people talk to the guests from the table, you know, you go up to the table, there’s information on the chef or the team, or the different places, the sustainability practices of where you got those things. I will love buffets forever.
JT: And labeling is everything, whether it’s a buffet, all of it, it’s storytelling, right?
TW: It is. You can tell people how they can eat safely. You can tell people that, hey, we’re using local farmers. I remember when I started really digging into, like, sustainability, which was probably way too late. I’ll be honest about it, but I was like, I didn’t realize almost everything I needed is grown in New Jersey. What a farming destination. It’s surprising.
But you know where I’m in Philadelphia now. There’s so much local produce that we can go to and then increasing who we’re working with, you know, access to smaller, independent companies and getting them involved and telling their story. You know, we did a local coffee that was ground, roasted, sold and farmed in Massachusetts and in Africa, all by women. And so when you went up to the coffee station, you got to learn about this remarkable company. You’re like, this isn’t just a cup of coffee. I am impacting someone. So, it makes it fun, and it makes people, I want everyone to be involved in everything.
JT: How do you feel about chicken?
TW: Fry it and I want it.
Fried Chicken is my favorite thing in the world.
Chicken transcends class. Chicken transcends everything. What I want to do with chicken right now is we’re roulading a lot so we can get some different flavors in it, presenting it in a different way. Because chicken is as powerful and important as you’re going to see it on 90% of the meals you eat, right? You. Can have fun with it. So, we’re doing a lot of roulades you know, we’re doing all sorts of stuffing. You know, we’re doing it in any way that we can to make it a little bit different and make it a little more special and unique. But if it’s for me fry it give me every continent in the world. I don’t need a napkin. I’ll get it later and let me go to town.
JT: The days of the rubber chicken are behind us. Yeah, okay, so how about action stations.
TW: Deception. That’s what I say. Because some action there’s, like, the different levels of action stations, right?
There’s the carving station where you’re just, you know, going up to a chef and you’re getting a slice. But then there’s action stations, you know? My favorite one that we’re doing is where I’m in Philadelphia. So, we obviously have to do a cheese steak, right? And everyone does a cheesesteak. So how do you do it different? So we do it with locally sourced cheeses, peppers, onions. We offer three different cuts of meat. We put it in that an Amoroso roll, sorry, Philly, and then we set it on fire. And that’s the action. We torch it, and we do that fresh, hot, melted action. And that is our action. And then we do, like pastas and all different things, we’re looking at making things action as more of experiential stations, right? Bringing the experience.
What I’ve loved, I feel like, over the last year or so, is less people are taking photos of the pretty dish to post on social media, and they’re taking photos of the experience they’re having with the food.
Instead of being zoned in on the plate, we’re zoning out looking all around us for the first time, which I love, and really going, I get to eat this socialist food. But look at the show I get. That is the action station everyone should be doing.
JT: Your heard it first. Add fire.
TW: As long as your fire Marshall says its fine.
JT: How do you feel about dessert?
TW: I don’t have a sweet tooth personally, but desserts have been a really hot button issue with lately.
People want them. I feel like when we’re doing tastings and talking about menus, lately, I’m spending more time talking about desserts or that sweet treat than I am talking about anything else, like, the first thing I referenced today, when I was talking about a gluten free vegan option, was a dessert, and that’s because it’s so front of mind.
We are doing a ton of seasonal desserts now, ton of new flavors. We’re getting, like requests for baklava, which is like, I love baklava. You go to, like, a Greek deli, I’m getting every baklava I can find. So, it’s fun. Also, like, one of our most well-known items currently is bread pudding. So, we soak it for 24 hours and we make it and it’s really fun. And there’s an action to it, of course, you know, we’ll scoop ice cream and we’ll dress it up live for you.
But like, desserts are not to be forgotten. I think you can win a lot of your attendees over with a banging PM dessert break. Give them that chocolate. Give them some caffeine. Chocolate and caffeine, you’re good to go.
JL: It’s like that kiss at the end.
TW: I mean, I thought the fanciest thing in the world growing up was the concept that someone would put an Andy’s mint on my pillow if I went to a real fancy hotel.
And, you know, the hardest part of growing up is realizing an Andy’s Mint is 12 cents, and you were just deprived. But you know, how do you keep that going for your attendees, every day, they’ll remember it.
JL: I want to talk about cocktail receptions. What is a better way to network people, rather than just rolling in a cart of liquor and saying: go at it?
TW: That’s a tough one, because I feel like when you start trying to figure out how to get people to network. You’ve already lost it. Because if you create an authentic space that inspires them to be there and stay there, you know, if you can, which, during this summer, who knows if f you can. It’s so hot, get them outside. You know, mix it up a little.
I love when there’s a conversation piece at the bar. I love a signature drink. And I mean, any form of signature drink. I saw once in Columbus; they were doing a create your own seltzer bar. So, they were carbonating the water, and then you could add different flavors to it. So everyone’s got around there, what flavor you getting, what flavor you getting? And you know, seltzer over the last 15 years has become it. You know, no one was drinking fizzy water 15 years ago, or no one I knew.
Maybe I was in the wrong circles then, but now, it’s like a very like, you know, I had an actual hour-long meeting today about what new seltzers we’d be bringing in next year to diversify our mix. You could also choose the wood to smoke your drink. And so, you have people standing around engaging in something naturally, authentically. And it’s experiential in a way, where instead of being shy of me going like, hi, JT on Thomas, I work in food, I’d be like, hey, girl, what Wood did you choose? This is crazy, right? And then we have a chuckle, and if you start laughing with each other, the rest of it is going to be perfection.
JT: And what about those mocktails, the zero proof and not high sugar? What’s happening with those?
TW: So, I refuse to call zero proof beverages a trend, because it’s not a trend, and it’s the same way people probably called vegan meals a trend many years ago. It is the new way wellness, and which, like, I’m obsessed with, I’m a huge fan girl the industry.
I’m just gonna say right now, like I was, I’ve been like watching the Caesars wellness roll out from across the country like I think it’s phenomenal.
Wellness is important. And even if you’re not looking at zero proof, one of the biggest things right now is even the non-zero proof are low ABV, because, again, it’s more inclusive to everyone.
It’s the burning heat of July, August, right now. Like get a good spritz going. People love us.
I will tell you, if you have not, go try an amaro spritz. You want an amaro is, I think, the flavor of the year, an Aperol, a Hugo, Saint Germain. You know, go get a spritz. They’re low in ABV, and also they’re easy to create zero proof. An Aperol Spritz, for example, I’m doing something soon where we’re using nonalcoholic Aperol. It’s through liar.
We’re making it zero proof, so everyone gets to be a part of it. Signature drinks are people are loving them again, which I love because I have two bookshelves in my office, two main bookshelves. One are cookbooks that I love and inspire me, mainly because of pretty photos. I like photos over words sometimes. And then I collect cocktail menus from every cocktail bar that I’ve been to in the world. I ask them, Hey, can I keep this? And usually, if you ask, they let you have it and see what people are doing.
And you look through all of the things they’re doing, you can realize this can easily be done inclusively. You’re just going to be a little more inventive having a zero proof cocktail impacts no one, but it celebrates everyone absolutely.
JT: So let’s, let’s really talk about that price of a gallon of coffee. What’s going on with that?
TW: Wow, it’s really a litmus test on: are you a meeting winner in the convention world? You know when you ask someone how much is a gallon of coffee? Coffee has changed as well. I don’t know one conference as an attendee that I have walked into without my own coffee.
I almost don’t need coffee anymore at conferences, although I love when it’s there when I do want it, I’m like, oh, thank God. I love it.
But depending on what market you’re in, depending on what city you’re in, the prices are high. The prices, some of the prices will shock you, and why?
JL: Why is that?
TW: This is just my opinion. Someone’s driving up the cost somewhere. I worked somewhere that our price of coffee, and this is a couple years ago, was $69 a gallon, which is gonna be shocking to some people in two ways. Either you didn’t know and you’re like, that’s so expensive, or you’re a planner and you’re like, that’s all? We were on the same block as another place that was $139.
JL: I’ve heard 200.
TW: Oh, I ask around because I don’t have that rate currently. We don’t do by the gallon where we’re at right now.
There’s a lot of things that I can assume are true about it. One is a lot of convention centers have union team members. They’re paid equitably, and they’re paid with living wages, like a really great rate, and usually the people preparing those things aren’t in gratuity-based positions, so they need that. That impacts it.
I’ve also experienced, personally, the caliber of coffee is drastically changed. You can’t get a 20 cent, 60-gallon bag of coffee poured in a machine and go anymore.
You need that fair trade, locally sourced. And the more words I can use to describe a bag of coffee, you can just add $1 so and like, the taste buds are different.
What I love now, instead of coffee breaks, is bringing in baristas and really, really focusing on that and making that like a key focal point.
I don’t know if the coffee bubble will ever burst. I can tell you where I am. We’re looking with binoculars, being like, how eyes can it go? I don’t think coffee should be determining where you’re going, and if the coffee is the determinator, I would take a step back and consider your attendees and consider is this really what they want?
Because that could just be one speed bump or one hurdle in getting into the door of a great facility that has something else for you.
My senior year of high school, I won most talkative, and I’ve never given the crown down.
I think one of the highest honors. And I don’t know if I’ll ever top this was during 2021 I was asked by the Massachusetts State House to represent the event professionals and the state of the industry in Massachusetts when I was the president of the Live Events coalition Massachusetts, live events coalition there.
And so I will never take that moment of representing my entire industry. It felt like, and that the weight of what they’re going through on my shoulders. Covid was a remarkable time for me, because I got to experience something I never we all did. But I was at the Boston Convention Center, and we converted into what was considered, and is considered one of the best, like pop up hospitals. And we had four days to make the food and beverage plan, and I got to use all of the skill set that I’ve honed in planning and food logistics to actually impact my community.
We don’t think as meeting planners, as vendors, as that will have those opportunities you see like you see the doctors, unless you’re looking at, like, World, world central kitchen, and the chefs going out, and they’re remarkable. But like, you don’t think, like, the skill set I’ve created in what is ultimately could be considered a silly job catering, like you’re just, you know, making, you know, like you’re just throwing food at these fancy parties, you know, outsiders perspective, I think it was where it was, was it one of the, one of the prior podcasts, it might have been, it might have been Neen. Itt was like the illusion of, like, how fabulous this career is. And then he got back into, like, the 17-hour game, you know, like, but to think from an outsider perspective, my friends don’t truly who are in the industry.
They don’t know what I do. You know what I understand. You do parties, right? I get texts all this time that says I was at a convention today and I walked 12,000 steps. That’s crazy. And I said, did you do a half day? You know? So, like for me to have be able to do something where I could impact the people around me that wouldn’t be in that bubble with us in our lovely, amazing industry was super cool, and I will never forget it.
JL: You’re on the board at LGBT meeting planners Association. Is this industry doing enough to welcome and support everyone? And what can we do individually and collectively better?
TW: I think the most important thing that we could all do in life to be better as a human. A very holistic approach is to hold the door open for someone who doesn’t look like you, to come up right behind you.
You can hold the door open for as many people. That’s what my career has become now is like: How can I inspire and save and teach them not to work like me and teach and you know what I mean? The next generation to be better at the things that I’m not good at, which are largely self-care. But that’s our generation. That’s my generation. Like, we’re like the no, 18 hours a day is fine. I’ll go on vacation in 26.
But f we really all want to impact the world to be better anyway, it would be to hold the door open for somebody doesn’t look like you. I had a remarkable experience when I was at Hard Rock in DC where we had J1 students. So, we did three seasons with J1 students. One of the seasons was Philippines and Thailand. One of them was Eastern Europe, and then one of them was South America. So, every year I would have 16 to 40 international students who want to work in hospitality come to America and learn American hospitality.
Which can be a blessing and a curse. That’s the first time I’ve ever had to teach a class about like you. You have to smile. We show teeth here. And you know, it’s also the first classroom, like some people will be rude to you, you know? And in that I realized, like, I look at these children. They were babies. When I met them, they were 18, I could smell the family dinners with their mom off of them as they’re in this big city, executive chefs in Dubai, all you know, running hospitality programs in Macau. And am I delusional enough to think that I had some part of that? Yes, because that’s what inspires me.
I think they either learn something that they did not want to ever see again in hospitality, or they saw something that made them want to stay. And so that was the first chance I ever saw. I might not come from the same place as you, literally, I probably do not speak the same native language as you, literally. You probably are looking at me like: what is this? But I can at least make you love this, and I get to do that now. I talk at BU School of Hospitality, and talk about why I love the hospitality industry and food and beverage as a whole. And I just hope that we can open doors for them as well. Hold the door open.
JL: Tell me what’s your next goal?
TW: It’s booking travel more than two weeks in advance.
I think my next thing is to mentor someone to replace them. Mentorship is my big thing is equity and creating, you know, spaces where everyone feels like they have the tools to be successful, I just want to build as at this point, at, you know, 38 years young, I want to focus the next 40 years of my career in making someone love food and beverage or love hospitality or love meetings and events as much as me, because if I can get one more person hooked, that’s one more, you know. One more you know, one more person you want to work alongside.
JL: The reason we had you on the podcast in the first place is called What One Thing? we want to know, your secret sauce, what has made you so successful, and how can our community of meeting profs apply that same spice to their lives and careers?
TW: It is such a good question.
I think the most important thing that I would pass on to anyone is to know your value. And I do not mean that in a fancy, fun way. I mean, like, if this were the game of Sims, you need to know how much you cost, and never back down Because once you put yourself on sale, you can never get your full value back.
I think so often, whenever I interview people for even, like, entry level positions, hourly or salary. I don’t ever ask people, like, how much? How much is it gonna be?
I say what is the proper compensation for you to be happy in your role here? That’s, that’s what I asked. And I always hear people give this range where they’re like, I’ll do, I’ll do, like, $50 or 50,000 as a simple range like, oh, I don’t know 50 to 55 if you ask me how much it costs to come work for you, how much it costs for me to leave my cat every day, I know the dollars and the cents. And the reason is that because I know the value I bring.
I look at the comps of what other people are getting paid, and too many people in our industry are underpaid because they undervalue what they do. What’s really remarkable about our industry is the barrier of entry, and this kind of goes to all of like the planning world in order to call yourself a meeting planner. What do you need to do?
Exactly. No one wants to say it. But it’s really like, you just have to say you’re a meeting planner. And we have wonderful certifications. We have wonderful you can look at someone’s experience.
In order to call yourself a wedding planner, it’s the same, like our barrier of entry is really slow. But also, what’s so incredible about our industry Is the miles you put into this career, physically, working and lifting are more valuable than whether you went to the best university in the world.
Now, that university experience that you know, analytical experience, all that you can get that and you can they’ll teach you how to put value on yourself. But so many people, I feel like, and especially younger people, don’t realize like you need to know the number, and you need to just like in the game of The Sims.
I think there was a commercial when I was younger where it was a bank and they put all their numbers. I encourage everyone who has ever been on my team know your number, because at the end of the day, if you know your value, you’re gonna know what to do to be successful. You’re gonna know when you’re not being treated fairly or correctly or valued. I’ve worked for only a few companies, even at my age, which now I think it’d be shocking for you, because I know you’ve been with Smart Meetings as well. It’s like people leave a job after a year or two now, and that’s like, fine.
In my brain, I’m like, what is it? The reason I stay usually, is because I’m compensated. I feel valued, and I because I know what my value is. And it’s not like I want to be treated well. I want to be paid well. I want to experience life, and I want you to know that I know what I’m worth. That’s the sauce. The sauce is literally $1 sign, and I know I want to be or just love everyone world peace, but like, honestly, what I’m going to tell everyone for the rest of my life is know your number, because people want to pay you less.
And if you, if you say, I’m worth $100 and you give 100% you’re not gonna have issues in life, or you shouldn’t. If you do, you need to really evaluate that. If you work at your value, you know your number. You know what that number means to you in terms of x what you’re going to export and give. Your life will be so much better.
JT: Very sage advice. So thank you, Thomas, so much for spending this time with us.
TW: It’s been so fun. Yes, Thank you. I do this all day.
JL: We could too. I also want to thank all of our listeners for spending the time with us.
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