18 Questions With Michelle Smits, Vice President, Marketing Communications and Brand, Hilton Grand Vacations

Michelle Smits is the vice president of marketing communications and brand for Hilton Grand Vacations. She’s also a Women Leading Travel & Hospitality corporate partner member! In this member spotlight, we asked Michelle a series of questions about both her professional role and personal life, including the woman who inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more.

1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently? 
   “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins.
2. What do you love most about the industry? 
   I love that at its core, hospitality is about people. It’s about making people feel special, being part of some of their favorite core memories and furthering connections. Hospitality celebrates the joy of serving others and the fulfillment that comes with making a difference.
3. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
   Leading through uncertainty. Making decisions when the path isn’t clear is both humbling and tough.
4. What are your nonnegotiables when it comes to work-life balance?
   I am an early riser, and love to ground my day with a workout. I find it’s important that I keep promises to myself- otherwise, how can I keep them to anyone else? I also believe in mini recharges during the day to keep me motivated and energized.
5. What woman inspires you right now and why? 
   My grandmother. She just recently passed away at 99 and we’ve spent the last few weeks reminiscing about the unbelievable life she lived. She had an amazing sense of humor, raised 15 children (yes, 15!) and had this incredible ability to be truly present — she always made you feel like you were the most important person in the room and was such an active listener.
6. What is one industry trend you’re closely tracking and why? 
   I’ve always been a huge fan and champion of surprise and delight moments, so I love that the industry is shifting to personalized experience design, which involves tailoring experiences to individual guest needs, going beyond expectations, and building emotional connections. Being able to anticipate preferences and deliver hyper-personalized stays with AI and data analytics is really exciting.
7. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate? 
   I prioritize candidates who demonstrate genuine passion and enthusiasm for their work. If you’re passionate about what you do, we can teach you just about anything.
8. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year? 
   I’ve become more intentional about saying no. It has helped me focus on what truly matters and protect my team’s bandwidth.
9. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 
   “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou. It’s a quote and not necessarily advice, but I remember how much it resonated with me the first time I read it. It guides how I approach feedback, coaching and tough conversations.
10. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    I believe in leading my team by example. I hold myself to the highest standard, lead with integrity, and strive to create an environment where people can show up as their best selves and do their best work. I also believe there is great room for humor in the workplace. I’ve found that humor has helped me build emotional resilience and become a more effective communicator.
11. What’s the most important thing people should know about you? 
    I put the “p” in passion and always trust my gut.
12. What’s a tip you have for productively leading a hybrid team?
    Allocate time for team members to interact beyond routine tasks to help foster stronger relationships and improve workplace dynamics. For instance, my team started a monthly “recess,” where we meet to share stories related to a pre-selected topic. This time together has proven effective in building trust and encouraging more meaningful peer connections. Plus, who doesn’t love recess?
13. Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Why? 
    I will always have a special place for Hawaii — Maui in particular. We try to go once a year to unplug- it’s the only place in the world I truly sleep! The people, the ocean air… it’s a slice of heaven.
14. What do you do to recharge? 
    I do a lot of anywhere/anytime recharges. Deep breathing (including box breathing) and short walks are easy and realistic things for me to integrate into my daily routine.
15. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    For me, there is nothing better than seeing my team succeed. Whether it’s an incredible pitch, a well-deserved promotion, or them seeing something new in themselves, it makes me so proud.
16. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? 
    Understand your individual strengths and recognize that strategies effective for others may not yield the same results for you. It’s important to remain true to yourself and understand your personal brand. And don’t be afraid to invest in yourself, such as learning a new skill and developing proficiency in it, as it could provide value to your career advancement.
17. What gets you up in the morning?
    I love to create, so my work really fulfills me. I love to try new things, stay on top of the latest trends and continue to push our brand.
18. What do you like most about being a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality?
    I love that it’s a community that celebrates women and that they’ve created a safe space to navigate challenges, support one another and grow together.