Hospitality the Sacred Duty - Colleen Rafferty - Defining Hospitality

Hospitality has ancient roots, and this week's guest traces her own path in the industry back to something surprising: a master's degree in philosophy. What started as bartending to pay for grad school became a full blown philosophy of service, one built on presence, reciprocity, and treating every guest interaction as its own small act of care. From building a team that turned an old motel into a two Michelin Key destination to launching a groundbreaking childcare pilot for hospitality workers, this conversation covers what it really takes to scale a business without losing the soul that made it special in the first place. Colleen Rafferty is the President of Tourists, an award winning hotel in North Adams, Massachusetts that has earned two Michelin Keys and national recognition from outlets like Vanity Fair. She rose through the ranks from guest experience manager to the top leadership seat, helping build a culture so strong that her own team members have collectively logged 40 years of tenure at a hotel that has only been open eight. Beyond the hotel, Colleen is leading a new pilot childcare program funded by the state of Massachusetts in partnership with the Governor's Office, built specifically for hospitality workers whose schedules don't run Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Chapters: 00:00 Housekeeping Meltdown 00:36 Podcast Mission Intro 01:09 Meet Colleen Rafferty 01:50 Berkshires Festival Vibes 03:32 Defining Hospitality Xenia 06:35 Philosophy to Hospitality 13:57 Tourists Growth Michelin Keys 19:28 Scaling Culture and Structure 26:58 Childcare Pilot for Workers 33:02 Funding and Coalition 33:47 Red Tape Worries 35:23 Pilot Program Unknowns 36:10 Universal Pre-K Lessons 37:14 Michelin Inspector Details 38:10 Sing for Your Slumber 41:01 Tourists Expansion Plans 44:11 Scaling Without Losing Magic 48:28 Mentors and Gratitude Quote of the Show:  "This isn't really about you. This is about this moment and what the space can provide and what the guest is looking for." - Colleen Rafferty Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: - Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub\_confirmation=1 - Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ - Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-rafferty-88603072/ - Guests Website: https://www.touristswelcome.com/ - Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/ 🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386 - Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419 - Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/