Silvia Collepardi

I travel around the world to convince people to go on holiday to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauricio Shell to enter new resort into a market. That's the most challenging time. Talk to the right tour operator, pitching the property to the right channels. That is the most challenging part.

That's why you need to create some kind of a marketing strategy to be appealing to people. So the suite is exactly my framework, strategy, unveiling, interaction, technology and um excellence for an island destination.

Every guest that comes to the Maldives, they are looking for something different. They are looking for disconnecting. They are looking to spend quality time with their family.

What would be your advice in terms of navigating it in the business world? if you have the possibility to have um

Hey everyone, welcome to the Be Yourself podcast, the podcast on expressing our true selves. Today my guest is Sylvia Kipardi. She's a founder of hospitality consultancy grow strategies. She helps hotels and luxury resorts elevate on the global scale. So Sylvia, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Sergey. I'm very pleased to be here and looking forward to our conversation so I can share more.

I'm super interested about your industry uh the area of your work. Uh can you just briefly uh tell us about the hospitality industry and what do you do there and how exactly and with what problems do you help these luxury uh institutions like hotels and resorts?

Yeah. Well, hospitality is a marvelous and tourism in general is a marvelous industry to be in uh because obviously allows us to to travel to meet people from all walks of life and from different places in the world. What I do at the moment I bridge um basically the tour operators in Europe with luxury resorts mainly in the Indian Ocean region. So Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauricio Seell. So what I do, I develop the business for for them in um you know in a funny way. The way I summarize what I do, I travel around the world to convince people to go on holiday to this beautiful destination. And that's a bit you know the funny funny part of my of my job.

But the uh the idea is to create that bridge between the um the resorts, the location, the destination and the true operator and obviously their their clients back uh back in Europe. And um and it's you know it's a funny funny job to to do. Obviously uh you have to deliver on your numbers. So that's all that um commercial part and the strategic part that we have to build with the you know with the owners and the GM the commercial team on property. Uh but then it allows me to to travel as I mentioned it's um you know I'm on the road most of most of the time and I'm travel agencies through operator uh all around Europe at the moment.

Okay. So you you mentioned that you work with the uh hotels in Bali uh the Maldes right Sri Lank, Thailand, Italy among other uh countries. So what is this general or maybe common challenge that these hotels face?

Well, the common challenge normally uh it comes when uh you know when a resort has to enter a new market uh either if it's a new new resort. I'm um I love to do preoping and I'm quite specialized on uh on that. So when you have to enter a new market or you have to enter new resort into a market that's the most challenging time. So um helping the resort to build their strategy based on the positioning of the resort. What I need to do is to basically guide the the team and and say these are the tour operator we need to work for this product. These are the markets obviously looking at uh the arrivals into the destination which are the markets that we need to target.

Um so mostly the most challenging part is that is getting it right at the beginning. Um so to do the positioning right talk to the right tour operator pitching the property to the right channels that uh is the most challenging part because if it's not done correctly at the beginning then you need to catch up but that catching up it takes it takes longer and basically erase your eventually competitive advantage you might have uh so that's where I come in um because obviously from my experience my past exper experience I can easily direct the true operators and um sorry the resource towards the right operators that match their uh uh their positioning. So that's I would say the most challenging part you do you have to nail the positioning the strategy in the beginning are you

saying when the when the hotel just uh opens its doors when they're just starting their operations?

Yeah. So that's one uh part of what I do. So if it's a resort is opening, obviously we need to do like plan the pre-opening strategy and then get into the different markets. So that's definitely one one side of the of the business. Then there are obviously resorts that are already open but they want to enter new markets. They might be very strong let's say into the UK but they want to get more share from from Italy. So that's where they call me and once I understand what is the concept of the resort then I know which operator to target which events to um uh to

when you're saying to get more share I'm sorry I'm going to interrupt you sometimes. So when you're saying that they want more British guests right they want more people from Great Britain that's why you need to create some kind of a marketing strategy to to be appealing to people from the UK.

Exactly perfect. You've got it straight away. So that's exactly what I what I do. Uh then I will speak the tour operator. I'll understand what are the marketing activities that they do. Uh where um you know with which tour operator eventually the uh resort should le because not all the tour operator sell all the resort not all you know the distribution channel are not the same for for every resort. So I need to create all of that and then uh create a marketing plan and a budget for for my client saying okay this is where you should go this is how eventually it's going to cost you to attend those events and this is the type of offers for example that we need or you need to maybe improve this set of things this side of your business to get that type of clients. So um that's basically what I what I do.

Very interesting because well I haven't traveled in a while due to the things that going on in my country obviously I can cannot leave the country but I but but when the borders are finally open I will start uh traveling like crazy and

uh you have this an interesting framework that you say you put your clients into. So it's suit can you tell us a little bit about that and maybe give an example of a client that implemented it beautifully and it worked well for them?

Yeah. So the sweet is uh exactly my framework and the suite is basically states for strategy unveiling uh interaction uh technology and um excellence and um let's say in my experience those are some of the points or the most important points that I've seen um resorts going uh uh going through and um they are like interconnected let's say excellence which is at the end let's say of of the sweet framework is actually what the team has to do like a saleserson cannot build its strategy if the operation team is not going to uh be able to deliver or is not going to is not ready to uh to deliver um so everything is always is always connected.

And um when a resort is either pre-opening stage or it wants to enter a new market normally the strategy what I was you telling you about just one moment one moment ago is what gets most of the attention but then everything else has to fall into place. technology. Does the resort for example has technology in terms of direct connectivity? Um you know nowadays everything is done through systems. So can we target a specific operator through our strategy? Do you have the connectivity? Can we do that?

Do you want to be placed you know be perceived as a luxury resort? Do you provide luxury service? Is your team ready to uh you know to satisfy the need to um proactively care for guests that are booking their luxury uh luxury product. So that's uh you know those are uh you know the uh pieces that we need to like a jigsaw puzzle we need to put together uh to have this old strategy for um for a property.

Um and as I mentioned depending on what the uh priorities are for uh uh the properties then it would be you know not everything is gets done immediately at um at the same time maybe the strategy comes in first then from the strategy okay we notice that we need to work on the operational part so the excellence part which is related to to the dem delivering on on property then you know operator in a specific country needs uh like the technology so can the property implement that. What is going to be the the time frame to implement that and so on. And um unveiling is all about the uh services again on on the property could be uh unveiling a new product as well. When it comes to uh to pre-opening uh anything that on um on a resort is uh is happening. how is that you know subproduct of the resort communicated and um into into the market. Um so you know it's all linked together and um as I mentioned depending on on what my clients need then we would focus we would prioritize uh and then little by little we put everything uh everything together.

From the standpoint of you you mentioned the team should deliver on the property. Are you talking about uh the guest experience? How uh how well everything and and it's interesting for me that you are not using the term luxury too often. Is it like some sort of a specific benchmark that the hotel have wants to get to and it's not easy to get there? Like if you were to define luxury hotels and not luxury, what is what is the difference?

Yeah. So well that's you know there's a big that's a big question. There's a lot of uh um you know there's always a lot of conversation about what is luxury in I think obviously there are there are luxury resorts brands that are perceived as luxury because historically they came in with into into the industry with that very high positioning. Um not sure if I can mention name but you know there are specific properties that are

if you can mention

oh okay so a brand like Mandarin Oriental like the peninsula those are brand that you see the brand and it's 100% is in in the mindset is a luxury brand so it's a perception perception it's a brand yeah the perception obviously the service I mean they have not only the perception but they are positioned in in that luxury segment But then when it comes to location like for example the Maldives uh I'm a specialist in the Maldives. done several openings in in the country. There the perception is the the luxury is completely different because what a guest is looking for when he books a destination like the Maldives when he is looking for luxury is it idea about luxury during their trip might not be the same idea yes of luxury when going to Hong Kong or going to Singapore or going to London.

So when it comes to an island destination, luxury is of course the hardware uh you know you can have that. So the bigger you know your your suite your your villa the more obviously the rate goes up but then every guest that comes to the Maldives they are looking for something different. They are looking for uh disconnecting. They are looking to spend quality time with their family. Uh so that is luxury for them and can the team you know can the team provide all that they need all that the guest need without for example being too uh intrusive. Uh is the service there and it is present and uh can the guests enjoy without you know you are still on a small island but can the team deliver without having uh to be too uh maybe too intrusive because sometime guests want their own space.

Um, you almost have to be invisible. Like you'd have to deliver a like a high quality service but uh not be pushy or just not not feel too invasive. Right.

Exactly. Exactly. And um so that's again when you are in a destination like the Maldis and the luxury idea is completely different. For some guests, you know, luxury in the Maldis could be a very simple island, you know, where they go snorkeling, they want to have the reef, they want to go snorkeling or diving all day long. They don't really matter about the accommodation. A simple accommodation is fine. But maybe the same client when it is in Europe, it would travel to, you know, it would pick uh like um like a more luxurious, let's say luxurious brand. So, it is it is different.

And um and again the most important thing is always to uh have very clear what are the unique selling points of the property. So as a sales team and also the operational team you really know we really know what is why a guest should choose us and not you know another uh another resort in the maldi you know when you look at a website or a brochure they all look fantastic they're all beautiful islands. So how as a client how do you choose one and not the other. So that's where also the sweet framework comes in because it helps the resort to understand what are okay our real USP despite the hardware what is that we do differently and what is that we need to push out there more so that the operator the travel agents and then finally the the final guest perceive us as different from the others and perceive us as the best choice for them.

So that's um you know what I need to do and that's how I would say luxury is actually build the luxurious experience is built in the maldis is about that you know what emotion does the guest want to feel and can I do I cut for that emotion or maybe do I cut for a different emotion you know in with some of the clients I work for um they have within their portfolio resorts that are um like small islands, obviously natural islands already extremely beautiful, but with soft entertainment. So there we get a type of clients, maybe it's couples mostly or group of friends, even solo travelers, um, other resorts within the same portfolio which are full of activities. We get groups, we get, you know, group of friends traveling together and we get families. We uh, you know, we have teenagers going to the water park or, you know, to the go-kart. And so very uh very different but within the same portfolio. So the idea of the sweet framework is how we identify all like the stronger selling point and how do we put it out there and how do we build the strategy so that you know we can sell basically to the right client uh at the right moment in the right place.

So you've been doing this for 20 years is that correct?

Yeah.

Okay. So that's quite a run and I what uh fascinated me is that you you use the term uh cultural connector or global connector. So can you tell me a little bit like uh if you always wanted to um be a person who who's got dealings all around the world and what does it mean for you to be a cultural connector?

Yeah. So that's a very you know uh interesting question because um by personality I tend to be very shy and an introvert. So when I started to work I knew I wanted to travel. Uh so that was my my thing. I was like I I want to travel. I want to live abroad. I don't want to I'm Italian but I was like I want to I want to see other countries. And um but I was extremely shy. So I had to work a lot on my personality to uh to fit into the role of a sales manager for hotel. I was working, you know, I started in Italy as um as a marketing coordinator for a hotel group in Italy. And I was looking my colleagues, you know, they were sales manager, they were traveling around the world, they were um able to interact with anyone. And I was this, you know, little creature hiding from everybody. And um but then I really wanted to be like them or, you know, that was very uh inspiring for me. So I had to push myself a lot. I had to you know work on my uh I would say on my speaking skills. So I used to for example to rehearsal in front of the mirror before events just to you know to get that confidence.

So yeah you know for me has been really um um like a journey in many different ways and um and then one day I decided that it was enough to to be in Italy. Again I wanted to travel. So it was a again a life-changing moment and I was you know looking at going to Dubai for work but this offer for the Maldives came in. So I left the I left Italy. I went to the Maldis for the first time and I only came back to Italy last year. So I've been traveling you know and exploring the world for uh you know for 15 years now. And um you know Maldis was a revelation for me and it helped me in many different ways obviously work-wise but also again personalitywise to um to build myself into a senior uh you know serial commercial person and um I lived in Thailand, I lived in Bali, I lived in Malaysia and you know even when you are in the Maldives you are on this small island but you might have 20 25 different nationalities the work into the island. So for me being in an island where there were like let's say 400 400 of us as a team members plus guest but I was exposed to to the world because my my colleagues were coming from 20 25 different countries.

Clients were coming as well from all around the world. So that was uh you know an eyeopener for me and it was like a breakthrough into into the world somehow coming from uh from Italy and it came only later in you know probably most recently that I realized actually you know I do connect people and I love to connect with people. So the um being a global connector is something I realized I became like most recently I would say well I was doing you know did some work on my personal branding so there's uh obviously work that you have to do on that side and I was like oh wow I never looked at myself that way but actually that's what what I do as well you know I connect business- wise operators with uh you know with resorts but also within the company I can connect people from coming from different uh you know different countries. Um so it was definitely not something that I had in mind 20 years ago but it's something that I grew up into and and I can really feel it's uh it's me. I can speak with a tour operator from China and you know tour operator from from the US or with people from all over the world and I can you know somehow create those connection either for business or uh you know for uh for life so it's something that I somehow became but there was definitely not there uh you know when when I started my my career journey.

So, so what languages do you use in your in your work?

Mostly English, mostly uh English. Then it depends because um for some of my clients, for example, I have to uh develop the Spanish market. So, obviously, I will use a bit of Spanish, Italian, if I have to deal with uh my Italian business partners, but mostly English would be would be the one. But then what I always like to do wherever I go, you know, you learn some words just to break the ice at the beginning or something that uh, you know, makes you feel connected a little bit with the with the culture and because I'm, you know, I'm a traveler basically when whenever I travel somewhere new, I just want to be with the locals, you know. So I ask my colleagues or my team member if we go to India, if we go to China, I just want to go to the local place. I don't want to see Europeans. So I just want to you know immerse myself in what is uh you know the um the local culture as much as I can. You know business trips are always very short but as much as I can I just want to uh you know deep dive into into the culture into the food into you know the entertainment. So if you go to Japan you go for car okay if you go to India you try the you know the fire pan or whatever. So that's something that I do enjoy a lot and I try to you know find time even when I'm on my business trip but a little bit I need to get that um you know local local flavor.

Yeah. Well you have to have such a high energy to do all that. So I'm guessing that you're an extrovert and you and you kind of get excited when you're in presence of other people uh other different people, right? So you're you're you like like to be around a lot of people and but you said you were introvert in the beginning, right?

Well, not always. I made myself an extrovert but I'm an introvert. That's where um you know at some point I need my me time as well. So for me to have that two hours in the morning for example or I need I need that me time as well that I'm on my own I'm doing my things I'm uh I don't talk to anybody eventually but then when I'm there I'm on the road then I'm in in the middle of the action. If there is no action I try to create the action but then I you know I retreat as well. So it's uh um you know it's both ways.

I had Chris Do on my show and and he called him said himself a loud introvert. So basically when you need you can be

I can relate to that. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Um can you elaborate a little bit more on uh the personal brand that you created and especially as a woman running business what are some lessons that you learned along the way?

Yeah. So, um, as I mentioned before, I I've done and I'm still doing some work on my personal brand. It's a never never ending work basically because our personal brand evolves um constantly. Uh, but because I was working in the corporate world before and I was uh um you know obviously I was doing um a lot for for the company. I was in a senior very senior position. So I had a team, a very big team and at some point I felt that you know I'm doing um so much for the company and I love what I'm doing but where am I you know I was like if tomorrow I want to leave the company for whatever reason or you know I want to leave the country or I want to change the industry where is um whatever I'm doing where is it going and that's where I started to speak with a coach and u I was like I need to get myself out you

It's it's okay to obviously to to work for the company, have the brands and be behind also behind the team and make sure that the team

you you you hired a business coach, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it was more of a personal personal branding coach and um that help me anyway that helped me first with my personal branding. So from that you know that idea that no not that idea that feeling that I was like there's something missing in what I'm I'm doing so much but you know where am I? it was that kind of question. Um so from there we decided okay let's uh let's create I creating my website I was like I want to have somehow of a platform where it's it's me whatever I'm doing whatever I'm developing for the business you know any PR article or uh anything is going to be in one platform so I have it for uh you know for myself if I need it in the future I will use it. So that was the first step.

And uh and then a few months later basically things you know life took different uh twist and and then the website that was born from um more of a personal need. It actually became the base of um let's say not my business but it was a way for me to start to start my business um because I got into a job that didn't work. So I was like, "Oh my god." From going corporate and I had this, you know, beautiful massive titles and um um you know responsibility to okay this is not working you know I'm leaving. So I was jobless and then summer came and I was like okay let's uh you know let's take summer let's wait some some time and because I had the website I was like okay actually I I've got the website already. I've got my experience. I can pitch myself, you know, I'm a saleserson. I can, you know, I can position resorts all around the world. I can definitely do something, you know, with my with myself. And that's where uh I started.

So, obviously, I had to um change a website a little bit. Uh I was also already using LinkedIn quite a um quite a lot. So, I just became more um organized even because you know having bit more time. So you you you can get your uh schedule on uh on your post done um done properly. Um so that was the uh evolution and then that's it. And then um I started as I mentioned I started to pitch myself obviously uh because of my previous role people know me as well. So I was contacted by some business owner they were like Sylvia are you starting to you know to to representing and can you can you work for us? Can you do something for us? And that's how it started. And um yeah, but it was uh again probably starting like my own business is something that I had in my head. You know, it was always somehow there in the back of my head that you know I should do something mine. Uh but then until let's say the universe pushed me to do it, I was still holding on to the corporate world. So I think you know at times uh you know there are times to um to do certain steps and mine came basically last year and since then it's uh it's been it's been a fun journey and um satisfying one I have to say.

So your uh firm your consultancy firm for how how long does it exist?

So my consultant is actually uh it's been since September. So it's not long but it's new. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So um but because of my obviously of my expertise and my experience my past experience then it has been quite easy to uh to set it up and I've got clients obviously that as I mentioned are mainly in the Indian Ocean because that's where most of my uh career has um has been developed and yeah and it's going um it's going very well um great you know I'm building my portfolio and it's um again been successful I would say since uh considering the time that I started the company.

So um for all all the uh ladies uh w women listening or watching this uh what would be your advice in terms of uh navigating it uh in the business world or even maybe when is the time to try to start your own business?

Well, one thing uh for example that I only found out, you know, again later in um in life, definitely if you have the possibility to have um a coach um a business coach earlier in in your life or when you are pivoting, you know, when you are changing from a role to another, that's extremely important because especially when you are in the corporate world, when when you are, you know, climbing the ladder in the corporate world, dynamics exchange and not always women, not always we know exactly, we always tend to think that okay we do the job, we are good at what we do, recognition will come. No, no, not always. So to have somebody that can guide you into into that um pivoting into that change of uh how you need to change as well to uh you know to eventually to keep growing that I think it's very important when you're stepping into more senior role it's something that I've learned you know um directly and I found myself you know out of place because there were certain things that I should have done that I didn't even know I should have done, you know.

So, so if somebody would have told me Zia this is how okay doing you know being in your role and doing the job but this is also you need to advocate for yourself you need to uh you know to push yourself out there in a different way not only being in in the job that maybe would have helped me in a different way in the corporate world. Uh so that's one thing. So definitely invest on yourself always all the time. it can be now you know there are podcasts there's a lot of sources books um but I think having a coach really helps you because sometimes we need apart from you know the book and the podcast we really need to uh to talk to somebody someone that um knows us a bit better so it's I think that part is really important because it also the person can show you things about you that you do not realize like for example being a global connector I never seen myself like that but because I was talking to my coach. That's how it came out, you know.

Uh and like this there are obviously other things that a coach that has worked with other business women um you know it could um it could allight about um about you. So that's definitely one and and then when the right step as I mentioned um I think at some point it comes somehow it comes naturally. uh if for me it was always uh somehow in my mind one day I want to have something my I want to be independent you know um and then it it happened you know the choice I made took me where I am now so that's um I think there's no like right moment okay you do it at this age because that's you know you need to feel it uh something that is also important obviously when you want to start to be independent you you need to have some uh um financial security for yourself because obviously the business might not work immediately or your clients might not come you know from day one.

Something one of my coach told me is like you are very excited when you start your own business but you know the world out there doesn't really mind you know the world is will go on even without your business eventually. So you need to be ready to to wait for eventually few months before uh you know you uh you land your first client and and then from there as well you need to learn with the client. Um so it takes time. So you need to have that you know financial security for yourself that makes you think okay maybe 6 months one year I can anyway I can I can manage in case uh you know no clients come. Obviously it you know it doesn't take that long. uh but you need that uh you know need that backup for your own um um how do you say your own serenity so that you can work on on the business as I mentioned for me linkadine is a big platform I'm still growing on it uh I need time to uh you know to to create my my post to speak I have somebody that helps me um you know with my marketing side of things or uh so I need to sit with the person I need to you know to discuss I need to also strategize for for myself.

Um so that's you know I would say are the three things probably that I would um I would tell especially a woman because for for women in you know in the corporate world in the business world is a bit more uh complicated. So yeah, get your uh get your coach, get your um you know your books, your podcast and think of yourself as somehow as a product for me something that has always been in my mind. My know how my personality and that's where the personal branding also comes in my personality. this is the product that I can sell you know what I can do it can be applied in many different industry in different ways so that's you know whatever I know nobody can take take it away from me so whatever I was I've done I've always invested on myself because I am somehow you know be rough to say but I am a product so how can I pitch myself so that I you know I can continue developing my business. I can grow. I can keep doing things that I love and being paid to do that.

Yeah. Well, that's great to hear your story, the story of someone who's passionate and in love with what you do. I wish more people were like you.

any final message as we uh finish the conversation? Any final message for the viewers?

Well, if I would say, you know, be yourself. That's uh that's basically a strong strong point. As I mentioned, we all have our qualities. We are all unique. So, to invest on that uniqueness instead of trying to constantly fit in. If something feel off then it's off just, you know, move on, move away. And uh and I think what I love about your podcast is that you know that be yourself and then being yourself will take you where you need to where you need to be and obviously you have to build on that. You have to build your expertise you know you have your passion you have to invest on your passion. Uh but definitely that you know be yourself and then build your world around what you are and what you what you love. It's something that can that can be done. It takes time, it takes years, it takes efforts. It doesn't come overnight, but it can be done. So, yeah, be yourself. I would say it's my

Yeah. my final message. Thank you, Sylvia. I had a great chat with you.

Thank you so much. Thank you again.