Have you ever looked back and realized that a single moment—an early career inspiration story—ended up setting the course for your life? For me, that moment happened during a childhood vacation to Florida.
Growing up, my parents didn’t have the means to travel much. But every so often, my grandparents would fly my younger brother and me down to visit them just outside of Orlando. One year, they took us to Daytona Beach, where we stayed at a Holiday Inn — the very first hotel I had ever stepped foot in.
I was instantly mesmerized: the grand lobby, the uniformity of the front desk staff, the elegant restaurants, the sparkling pool with its stylish lounge chairs — even the excitement of being able to drive onto the beach in my grandfather’s 1980 Buick Regal. Everything felt magical.
One day, a kind front desk clerk invited me behind the counter to see how it all worked. I was in awe. I turned to my grandfather and declared, “I’m going to work at a hotel someday.”
He smiled and said, “Bethy, I bet you will.”
Years passed, and life moved on. I had forgotten about that childhood promise until I found myself working as a housekeeper at a local hotel during my teenage years. It wasn’t glamorous work, and truthfully, I didn’t love it. But during a conversation with my grandfather, he reminded me of those magical stays at the Holiday Inn — and something inside me lit up again.
Not long after, I became a Front Desk Agent at another hotel — and I felt it: that same sense of wonder and belonging I had felt as a little girl.
Every time I walk through a hotel lobby — whether grand or modest — I still catch a glimpse of that little girl marveling at the magic of it all.
And I think, “Bethy, you did it.”
It’s incredible how one small memory can spark a lifelong passion — and shape the path you were meant to take.
What early memory shaped your career choice?
I’d love to hear your story — feel free to share it in the comments!