In this inspiring episode of Hotel Moment, host Karen Stephens, CMO of Revinate, sits down with Rachel Humphrey — a connector, storyteller, and leading advocate for women in hospitality leadership. As Co-founder and chair of the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance and Co-founder of the award-winning Personal Stories podcast, Rachel brings unique perspectives on career pivots, authentic leadership, and creating meaningful access across the industry.

What you'll learn:
● Rachel's unconventional journey from 20-year trial lawyer specializing in franchise law to executive leadership at AAHOA 
● Why quitting without another job — though terrifying — became the catalyst for discovering hospitality 
● How fear of failure transformed into a career superpower through curiosity and hard work 
● What AAHOA is: the largest hotel owners association representing nearly 20,000 members and hosting the world's largest hotel owner trade show 
● Why technology vendors should connect with AAHOA to reach decision-makers as margins shrink and efficiency demands increase 
● How hospitality's slow innovation pace creates opportunities for technology education and adoption 
● The power of Personal Stories podcast: creating free access to industry leaders without membership or paywalls 
● Why "no two journeys are the same" in hospitality — and how that diversity of paths creates strength 
● How the hospitality industry itself isn't a career but an industry where any profession (accountant, marketer, lawyer, salesperson) can thrive 
● Why imposter syndrome appears at every career level — and how hearing relatable struggles from C-suite leaders empowers rising talent 
● The Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance: a consortium of 33 organizations collaborating to elevate women into leadership  
● Why "we can no longer accept hearing people say that there are no women in those roles" when expertise exists across every facet 
● The harmful narrative that "advancement of some means demotion of others"—and why it must be dismissed 

Learn why Rachel views her legal career, AAHOA leadership, and current "retirement" work as three distinct chapters, how fear and imposter syndrome became unexpected motivators, and why representation and visibility matter critically for career trajectories.

Rachel will be moderating the Women in Leadership panel at NAVIGATE in Phoenix, April 14-16. Get tickets at revinate.com/navigate 

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[02:41] The terrifying career pivot - Rachel shares her leap from trial lawyer to hospitality: "I did the terrifying move of just going in one day and resigning... I walked away from a practice that I had been at a long time doing exactly what I knew how to do." Without another job lined up, she started exploring, which led to discovering "transferable skills" lawyers bring to association executive roles.

[07:43] Fear as career accelerator - What seems like imposter syndrome became Rachel's superpower: "When I become afraid, I lean into superpowers. I work really hard. I'm really curious. And I have an ability to learn whatever I thought I needed to learn to be successful." This fear-driven curiosity led her to learn every department at AAHOA, which eventually opened the COO opportunity.

[14:46] Why personal stories matter - Rachel explains the Personal Stories podcast mission: "One of the things I love about hospitality is that no two journeys are the same. You and I can have very different paths to leadership and still end up in a place that is very successful and very fulfilling for each of us." The podcast creates free access to leaders, making connections without barriers.

[20:21] The speaker directory revolution - Launching just over a year ago with nearly 2,000 women: "We can no longer accept hearing people say that there are no women in those roles because women have subject matter expertise really across every facet of this industry. And it was really just providing exposure."

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro 
02:41 - From trial lawyer to hospitality leader 
07:43 - Fear as a motivator vs. deterrent 
12:30 - Why technology matters for hotel owners 
14:46 - Personal Stories podcast and connection 
20:21 - Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance 
24:00 - What hospitality needs to accelerate growth 
27:18 - Living the best professional life