Insight From the C-Suite: Jyoti Sarolia, President and CEO, Ellis Hospitality Group

As part of a new, members-only series, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is asking industry executives about their professional journeys, mentorship, how they stay up-to-date on the latest technology and trends, how they take care of themselves, and so much more. This week, insight comes from Jyoti Sarolia, president and CEO, Ellis Hospitality Group.

Can you share a specific instance where you successfully navigated a major change or challenge, highlighting the key lessons learned and how they shaped your leadership approach?
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., I had to be positive, resourceful and proactive. Banks were inundated with PPP loan applications so deciding which banks would be most attentive to expeditiously processing my applications was important. I leveraged my relationships with our existing lenders and remained proactive with them in terms of ensuring the applications they received from me were fully complete to facilitate their expeditious processing. We were also resourceful and positive in terms of reaching out to the various government agencies for potential rooms for those needing to be quarantined along with finding the necessary grant/aid support to allow our business to survive during what was a very challenging time. I also successfully navigated a major change when I took on the role of chairing a franchise advisory council. I was the first female to hold the position. One key lesson I learned from this experience was the importance of communication between franchisors and franchisees. As the chair, I had to ensure that both sides sought to understand the other and engaged constructively to achieve positive outcomes for both.

How have mentorship and sponsorship played a role in your professional development, and how do you actively engage in cultivating talent within your organization?
Mentorship has been invaluable to me throughout my career. I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to others in areas where I’ve needed professional development. These individuals have been sounding boards for me as it relates to various ideas I’ve had on growing and evolving our business Sponsorship, on the other hand, has been instrumental in opening doors and creating opportunities for me. My sponsors continue to make important industry connections for me and are advocates in assisting me to serve on some boards, such as the AHLA Foundation board as well as the IFA board. In terms of actively engaging in cultivating talent within our organization, there are several essential behaviors to achieve this. First is recognition and appreciation for your team. Second is investing in your team’s professional and personal advancement, especially in terms of continuing education opportunities. Third is growing your business so that your team has opportunities for growth within your organization. Lastly, but most importantly, is having a company culture that embraces the aforementioned behaviors.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life harmony, and what strategies do you employ to prioritize your well-being amidst high-level responsibilities? How do you ensure your team does the same?
Boundaries are very important in terms of creating downtime for yourself. Be present when with your family, learn to say no and delegate when possible. I’m also aware that this is a constant balancing act. The perfect balance is hard, if not impossible to obtain. You just have to be accepting of yourself as much as possible. I try to be a role model to my team in terms of work-life balance. I also tell them it’s OK to be off-balance at times, and when they are to be accepting of the same. In addition, I plan activities with our team, such as hiking, and I enjoy volunteer work. This allows time away from work, positively impacts our communities, and further emphasizes work-life balance.

How do you stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies, and what role does continuous learning play in your ongoing personal and professional development?
Continuing learning is extremely important to me. Like most people, work and life is consuming and I’m not regularly in a classroom setting. As such, I have to be purposeful in creating opportunities for myself for continuous learning and ongoing professional development. This occurs in several areas for me, one of which is through my mentor and sponsorship relationships and the exchanges that occur. This also occurs through volunteering within my industry, meeting others, attending conferences, and just being determined that I’m engaged in not just my own business, but within my industry as a whole.

Are you a C-suite woman executive in travel and hospitality? We’d love to feature you! Reach us at wlt@skift.com.