De kracht van jezelf zijn

the Future of Hospitalityyou you know, as customers and from industry. So, yeah, nice nice, time in my career, being very fortunate. Yeah. You've been you worked at various brands, and that's why how you was able to network and to connect with a lot of people in the industry. So let me ask you about Ally. What excites you the most about your current role at Ally?

Cesar WurmWell, it's an amazing company for a couple of reasons. I think the offering, which is really a membership based global sales organization. So for the most part, you have independent or unbranded or soft brand hotels and even brand hotels that see the value for our services to join, right, organization. And then we really provide we see ourselves as an extension of their sales team, meaning that we understand, hey, what winning looks like for a hotel and then how we can contribute, especially as of now for their groups and meetings business. We're providing or soon going to be launching new service, so that's more to come

the Future of Hospitalityto What service is that? If I may interrupt you, what service is because I really like that you're an extension of the hotels on the sales side. So what is the service?

Cesar WurmExactly. So we have a very good stronghold on the groups and meetings side of things, right? So now we're gonna help and assist hotels with the luxury leisure segment, which there is a big opportunity. So to your point, it's like, okay. We've been over, you know, almost forty years. Right, the company has been around supporting hotels with the groups and meetings. And then we're seeing, hey, there is an opportunity for our current members on how to continue to evolve and drive additional value. So that's where this service is coming. And to your point, it's really an extension of this service, right? We want them to see us as part of their sales team. So if it's a business that we bring or they see, hey, can you help us close a business?

Cesar WurmRight? We're in this together. And the end of the day, it's about driving revenue. So if we are able to drive revenue, the value proposition is there. And that's pretty much the business model.

the Future of HospitalityRight. How do you see LHAI's mission, as you mentioned it, aligning with your personal and professional values?

Cesar WurmYes. That was a big reason as to my move. I think, you know, you can probably relate as you go in life, you you you grow a lot, you change, you evolve, your experiences shape, your values as you change. And at this point in my career, I wanted to make sure that I can use all the experience and use all the connections that have built to our conversation over the years, but also applying a place where there is good culture, where, you know, of course, business results and profit is important. Right? That's why we do what we do. Everyone needs money to to survive. But then I also do it in the right way, you know, do in a way that that matters, from an ethics perspective.

Cesar WurmSo for example, at Au High, we just don't want to have a volume of members, right? That's not what drives us. It's like, okay, is it the right partnership? Does it you know, do we bring value to each other? How do we complement? And a lot of times, we have conversations with people that are wonderful, wonderful product, but it's just not the right fit. Right? We don't feel that we can really make a difference. And then, you know, from the CEO, Mike Dominguez, to my boss, Ashley, comes down that that's okay. We just, you know, have that transparent conversation, and I really embrace that, you know, the transparency, that shared vision, that aligns a lot with how I see life and how I like to carry myself.

the Future of HospitalityI hear you. I hear you. That brings me to the to the next subject, which is off off subject kinda, but it's intertwined with your with your personality and with your job. You've been open, publicly open about your journey to sobriety. Yes. How has that shaped your leadership style? Can you tell us maybe go deep dive a little deeper into that?

Cesar WurmYes. Yes. I over the especially over the last, almost three years, I've been very open. Prior to that, not much. I I didn't share a lot about my journey.

the Future of HospitalityWhy not? Sorry for interrupting because I wanna know why. Yeah. Because of shame. It was a growing it was a growing thing. You needed to get to the point.

Cesar WurmExactly. Yeah. It was it was a journey. Right? Just like my experience with sobriety and a lot of things in life, it's not a linear progress. And, also, usually, things takes time. It's rare in life that we have a flip of switch and things are are working. So you're exactly right. It was a part of my own journey to process, you know, how I carried myself for the years, how I struggle understanding why and how I got where I got. And then also, I had a lot of bias. I think like everyone else, right, you have a lot of judgment. And I always had a very negative connotation with addiction.

Cesar WurmRight? Because it's not something that you're proud of. It's not something that you you make good decisions or you carry yourself the best, right, way that you could. So it took me a lot of understanding that journey.

the Future of HospitalityWhat was the turning point? Because I'm listening very carefully. What was the turning point? You said three years ago. Yes. It's the learning curve. It's a it's a it's a journey. And at some point, you hit that spot that you said, you know what? F it. I'm going to share it. Right? Yes. What was that turning point? Or what do you remember? I want to feel it. I to understand. I

Cesar Wurmthis conversation. Yes. There was there was a there was a couple of turning points, and I'll boil down to kind of two buckets. One was my wife, Laura, relating to me that's like, say, hey. You know, you, in your journey of recovery, you found the person that was there for you and open up to you that you could relate and embrace it. So she said, you should do that same to others. So that was really resonated with me. So that was one piece. And then the other piece is as on the journey of acceptance of my journey and then opening up a little bit to people that I knew, I start observing and feeling that the more I shared, the more I opened up, the more I got back. Meaning, not only from an acceptance and understanding from others, but also they reciprocated with their own share. Right? So usually, the more vulnerable you are when you're vulnerable about something in your life, more often than others, you're gonna get that back. Right? Because they people feel safe. They say, wow. You know, this person brought down their walls.

Cesar WurmI feel comfortable to do the same. And then I start realizing, even though I knew that addiction is very prevalent, I was kind of shocked to see that almost everyone can relate in a very in an inner circle perspective. So everyone has either a family member that is being impacted or a close friend or know of someone. So that was really an moment for me, which then building everything that I said, wow. If I can help people sharing my journey and help understand a little bit better, help someone shorten their struggle with addiction or understand addiction better or if they're supporting someone, get a little bit of understand behind.

Cesar WurmWhy not? Right? If if I if I wanna see change in bias, in acceptance, it has to start with people like me. Be the change yourself first.

the Future of HospitalityI hear you. Oh, I can tell stories myself, but this is about you so I could I totally resonate with everything you're you're saying. Thank you for sharing. You have a website even where you're sharing your story. What is the what is the address of the website of the URL? Oh, it's it's my name. It's caesarworm.com. Okay. Yeah. Perfect. Yeah. Perfect. So people can go there. I do some blogs.

Cesar WurmYou know, I have some videos that I put on YouTube channel. And I and I mix a little bit, right, because I I self publish a book that's, you know, all about the sobriety journey. And I wanna and I want to be very conscious about, sharing in a way where people can be open to what I'm sharing, right? Meaning that I don't want to shove things down people's throat because everyone has their journey. Everyone has a different level of acceptance. So my goal is not to preach to anyone. I had my journey. What worked for me may not work for others. So I just want to kind of share what I felt

the Future of Hospitalityabout my journey and then let people decide. Right? They can take whatever they need. Yeah. Yeah. They can take from that whatever they need. And I think I think that's really good, and I applaud you for that. So mental health. This is a mental health thing. That's and but mental health and diversity, equality, and inclusion are important to you. How do you advocate for those in the workplace?

Cesar WurmYes. Well, yes, it's very important. I think that as part of even my recovery journey or in life in general, know, when reflecting back, I could really see the difference between having privilege versus not. Right? So for example, you and I, you know, we are white, and, you know, I don't know your background, but, you know, being from The Netherlands

the Future of HospitalityI come I come from The Netherlands. My parents were farmers, lived through the war. So I was brought up in a very conservative religion religious environment. And and I was a as a child, I already knew I was gay. But I had to lock myself up in the closet, and I came out at 34. So that is, in a nutshell, my story. Yeah. But that's why I can I can relate to what you just said? It's something totally different, but it is when you're not living from your true self, when you're not aligned with your higher self as I like to to to call it, then you cannot be there for yourself or for others. So that's why I'm so happy to hear your story. Go ahead. Yeah.

Cesar WurmYeah. It's a it's a great transition, and and that really helped me as as I was looking back on first when I started, you know, my first leadership role. I got fairly early in my career. And to your point, I was trying to fit in in a model that what I thought people wanted to see from me, right, and and not really be my true self. Meaning, you know, that I was like, oh, or they're gonna think that, you know, too much of this or too much of that. And and to your point, you start whenever you're not fully you're living your full potential, being your true self, you start compromising and that end up hurting you and performance in many ways.

Cesar WurmSo I think to to answer your question, realizing that from my career, knowing that you have some minority groups, right, that may not feel as comfortable about voicing things or they don't feel, for example, Hispanics, right? A lot of them or people that English is their second language, sometimes they just don't speak as much because they may be conscious about their accent or whatever the case may be. So I think just always very conscious to create a safe space where people can be themselves, can be their true selves. So they're not holding back. They're not showing their full potential. So I think whenever I have the opportunity to do that, I try to do in a conscious way because I know that personally that hurt me, emotionally many ways. Right? And and I think, hey. If I can help someone feel safe so they can have that awesome feeling when you're just embracing your full self, then what's the magic happens? And then when that happens for every person in a team, in an organization, the sky is the limit.

Cesar WurmRight? So much potential.

the Future of HospitalityAnd we need that more now more than ever in this changing the landscape. So I'm glad we have this conversation because indeed, you need to be there for others, and that is how we all can grow and move forward. Yes. Thank you for that. Go back to to your to your position as the senior vice president for LHI. What's the key to building a high performing sales team in today's hospitality landscapes?

Cesar WurmYeah. I think it's along the lines of what we're talking about. I think that for any job, having a basic or a good level of a skill set, of course, is very important. Right? So you gotta be able to ensure that your team has a good foundation on what's needed to perform at a high level for whatever role they're performing.

the Future of HospitalityMhmm.

Cesar WurmSo that's that's one piece. But then also, and I think this piece is more important, is to ensure that you can help unlock the full potential of each person. And I think the only way you well, I don't know if it's the only way, but to me, how I go about doing that is really connecting with people. I think at the end of the day, we're all people. We all have feelings, and I think it's very important that you take the time to connect with people, understand each other through conversations that we're having. Yeah. So we really know what ticks people because for some people, it may be money, some people may be time with family, some people's recognition.

Cesar WurmAnd I think as you start understanding what helps drives each person, how they want to be treated, engaged, and you as a leader can help support that environment, you start really creating that unstoppable machine. And I think that's the last point, and then I'll I'll move on. But I think that the hardest part is that a lot of times we're just so focused on the task. Right? What needs to be done? And we're also busy. Everyone is doing two, three jobs at once that we, you know, lose that time to connect. And doesn't have to be long. It can be fifteen minutes, but those are so important to ensure that that's possible and allows for that environment.

the Future of HospitalityMhmm. Yeah. Instead of pushing and pursuing and pushing and pushing, it's time to stand back sometimes and just be present. Yes. Just be present and take it from there because that is the best way to start shining. I I fully agree.

Cesar WurmYeah. And One add. I think I think you're exactly right because the one thing that I think is important for leaders to do is paint the vision. Right? So it's making sure that everyone knows, okay, where we're going, why and understand that North Star. And because to your point, I've had awesome leaders and not so great leaders in my life. And when I reflect back, the ones that motivated me the most is exactly the ones that you're telling that's like just pushing you every day. And it's like, listen. I I believe most people, they don't need to be pushed. Right? They just need to know where they're going and be supported to get there. Because most people, when they wake up in the morning, they don't say, hey. How can I make the least at my job and pass by? Right? People wanna be proud of what they do. They wanna do an amazing job. They wanna be great at what they do. So, you you know, very few people need that whip to keep you going. It's like, you know, just help them get there and let them thrive. Yep.

the Future of HospitalityLovely. What trends are you seeing in the meetings and event space that planners should watch?

Cesar WurmYeah. Well, it's I think, really, besides the constant evolution from content delivery and evolvement on the traditional groups and meetings perspective that we see like any other business, I think really now as you're seeing a bit the challenge from uncertainty from the policies side of things, right? So I think that can be a little bit unnerving for many planners. And I think it's just important to know that the foundation of our business, the foundation of most companies, their balance sheet and even from a personal finance side, it's pretty healthy in The United States. So I think that we can continue to move forward with caution. I think just plan for some flexibility, especially when it comes to the attrition side, just because of internationally that may your attendees may drop a little bit more. But as people are not going out as much outbound, you know, your domestic attendance may grow. So I think it's just being thoughtful about, you know, what your business looks like, where your people, attendees are coming from, and and and move forward with that. Right? I don't think there's a lot of reason, to to change what we're doing. It's just being conscious of what to watch out for and just make smart business decisions to keep moving forward.

the Future of HospitalitySo hearing all this, how do you stay grounded and oh, there we have the word again, present while juggling and demanding career career and family life?

Cesar WurmYeah. That's not easy. It's it's a it's a daily, daily battle. Right? And and I struggle with that because to your point, it's it's very demanding. I think everyone may experience similar things where you can keep working for hours and hours and never catch up. So I think it's just being very thoughtful on how to prioritize things, you know, really understand what's truly crucial to help the success of the entity, the team, and and yourself. And then ensure that you create one thing that I'm very conscious, I try to create daily habits that helps me to stay at my best. And for example, what that means is doing small short little things that I know that I'll have time, I can always make time for, that gives me that little ability to step back and put perspective.

Cesar WurmSo for example, every morning when I wake up, I do a twelve minute meditation. Right? It's a positive affirmation exercise. So it helps me, okay, start the day with a clear mindset. I do cold plunge for four minutes. Right? You can do that for four minutes and then try to, you know, walk or workout or do something to to keep moving. Because that was something that really helped me the beginning of my sobriety, and it helps to kind of put things into perspective.

the Future of HospitalityYeah. Know thyself, grow thyself. Yeah. Alright. You've worked with many well known brands as you mentioned. What have been some of your biggest lessons along the way?

Cesar WurmWell, quite a few. I think, I think number one is the foundational things that are important in any business to help people thrive is really crucial to be successful. Right? A lot of times, we focus on the new and shiny thing or how to make something, like, super unique or and, you know, 80% of your success gonna be done on the foundational items. Right? It's like, hey. Do you have the right team? Are you helping them be at their best? Do you know, you know, the essence of your business and what's needed to win? And that's one thing that has been interesting. Doesn't matter if it's a small company, a large company.

Cesar WurmAt the end of the day, that's how is how you win Yeah. In my opinion. And then the the other part is really, I think and that speaks a little bit to to the kind of data constant change type of thing. I think it's just being really open minded and being able to react fast because things in life can change quickly, you know, either in business, personal. So how do you keep yourself on track to deliver on your plan, but open minded enough and agile enough to adjust and as things comes because, you know, rarely anything goes exactly as planned. And you also can't plan for every possible scenario. You're right. You're gonna go crazy.

Cesar WurmSo we I think just kind of be open minded. You stay nimble to adapt and adjust. And, you know, take

the Future of Hospitalitytake life serious, but not too serious. Right? I think that I always say that. I always say the same thing. Take don't take life too serious. Take yourself very serious, but don't take life too serious. I love it. Yeah.

Cesar WurmYou know, we're all trying our best, and I think be kind to people. Yeah. To your to your point. Right? We especially nowadays, there's so much tension between people. If people don't see eye to eye on a in in a thought or, you know, something immediate is like, oh, he or she is a bad person. No. Just people have different backgrounds. Right? They have different experience, different fears, different goals, and that impacts everyone. So I think just being understand and kind can can go a long way. Be kind and understanding. And even if you don't agree, just

the Future of Hospitalityrespect one another. And that is what it should be. Thank you for that. My last question for you would be, what message or insight do you hope that listeners take away from your story?

Cesar WurmWell, that anything is possible. Think that one thing that is important to to know is that, you know, how crazy it is that each and every one of us are unique. Right? I think there's, whatever, 7,000,000,000 people or don't know how many people in the globe, and everyone is different.

the Future of HospitalityEveryone is different. It makes it also very beautiful. All that all that those different people. Yeah. That variety, that diversity, that is makes it

Cesar WurmIt is wonderful. And exciting. Yeah. It is wonderful. Right? So everyone is special. Everyone is unique. So, use your strengths. Rely on your strengths. Embrace it. Embrace your uniqueness because what is unique to you is what really makes you special. So don't hold anything back. Don't be ashamed. And also, I think it's important to know if and when someone is in a tough spot, can be health, mental, anything. Sometimes it's so hard to see the light, to see that there is hope. And there is always hope. There is always a way out. Right? It's not always easy, but there is always a way out. So, also, don't be afraid of reaching out to someone you trust, someone you respect, to get help, and, you know, embrace each other, the the the journey of life.

the Future of HospitalityWonderful. Don't be embarrassed. Swallow your pride. Reach out and move forward. Yes, sir.

Cesar WurmLikewise. Yes, honored, really enjoyed it. Thank you for the opportunity. It's been a pleasure.