Send us a text“Avoiding hard conversations doesn’t solve problems. It’s about approaching them with honesty, respect, and a clear focus on finding solutions.” - Mark Lumpkin In this episode of Entrepreneur Encounter, we sit down with Mark Lumpkin, a Sales Director at STR Cribs with over a decade of experience in the short-term rental industry. Having successfully overseen more than 500 rentals, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge about hospitality, from renovations and design to operations. Together, we discuss hiring the right team, identifying green flags in candidates, and navigating tough conversations in high-pressure environments. In this episode, listen for: Hiring the Right People: Hiring is not an exact science. Even with thorough interviews, it’s hard to know if someone is the right fit until they start working. You want to trust your gut during and using a 30-day trial period to assess mutual compatibility. Balancing Employee Boundaries with Business Needs: While respecting employees' personal lives is important, hospitality often requires going above and beyond during emergencies. One soft skill here is the importance of adaptability. Approaching Difficult Conversations: It’s important to address issues promptly. It’s best to deliver bad news in person or over the phone by showing empathy.Whether you’re in the hospitality industry or managing a growing team, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you make confident decisions and foster a collaborative workplace culture.Connect with Mark Lumpkin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lumpkin-84b173142/Email: [email protected]____We’re Dana Johnson and Sara Lowell hosts of Entrepreneur Encounter, a growing and thriving entrepreneur podcast dedicated to soft skills development and we’re so grateful you found us. We started this podcast to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you feel more empowered, thrive, and be fulfilled as you reach your entrepreneur goals. We interview experts and thought leaders so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of yourself you’ve never seen before. Click the Subscribe button to help us spread the love with Entrepreneur Encounter.Support the showWhether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter: Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/3azyca95 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/ Host Sara Lowell: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

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