Dig In: How to Put Magic and Leaderships in a Hospitality Program and in Life with Taylor Scott, Founder of Lead with Hospitality

·58 min·5 clips

Taylor Scott reveals how 20 years at Disney and Las Vegas resorts taught him to put magic into leadership and hospitality.

Adam Yee introduces Taylor Scott, a bestselling author and consultant with 20 years of experience at Disney Parks, Gaylord Hotels, Wynn Resort, and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Scott discusses his educational path through Florida Southern College and Cornell Hotel School. He recounts starting his career via the Walt Disney World College Program, where he learned Disney's emphasis on storytelling and emotional connection. Scott defines the difference between service and hospitality, citing Will Guidara's analogy. He explains Jonathan Haidt's psychological model of the logical rider and emotional elephant to illustrate why feelings drive action. Scott provides tactical advice for hospitality workers: be curious, show empathy, share knowledge of people, process, and product, and live personal values. He addresses managing difficult employees or guests by 'meeting them on their step' to rebuild trust. Scott discusses nurturing talent through personalized conversations about individual goals and strengths. He shares open-ended questions leaders can use to understand team challenges. When faced with pushback about unsupportive environments, Scott recommends Carol Dweck's growth mindset and the coffee bean parable about impacting your surroundings. His company's mission is to transform jobs into meaningful work through leadership and team development. Scott has trained over 4000 leaders at a major airline. He promotes his books, including the new fable 'Give Hospitality,' which supports Maui wildfire recovery. The episode concludes with Adam's reflection on the power of curiosity in interviews and life.

As heard by us

Taylor Scott turns curiosity and empathy into practical lessons for more thoughtful hospitality.

Taylor Scott treats hospitality as a matter of paying close attention to people. Drawing on 20 years with Disney, Gaylord, Wynn, and the Cosmopolitan, he shows how empathy and curiosity shape everyday service.

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Why you'd press play

You'll learn why meaningful service starts before you recommend the beer.

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