In the most recent Women Leading Travel & Hospitality report, Game Changers, we asked women entrepreneurs in the travel and hospitality industry a series of questions about starting and running a business. They provided honest and actionable answers. One of those questions was, “What tips do you have for building a great team to run a brand new business?” Here are some of their responses:

“Hire people with different skill sets than you. Each one of us has unique talents and gifts, and we need to lean into our own strengths while also leaning on those who have strengths in different areas. And while this feels obvious, it can be hard to let go of control and ego and acknowledge that someone else can handle it better.” —Alexis Bowen, Co-Founder, Elsewhere

“Leading by example is something I’ve always believed in being a positive motivation for others. If you can bring together a team (mine is fully remote) to create a family, people will believe in your vision and are willing to work as hard as you to see your collective efforts come alive.” — Sally Bunnell, CEO and Founder, NaviSavi

“We’re really focused on building a team based on attitude and ability over direct industry experience. Our most successful receptionists never worked a day at a hotel before joining our team. Instead, they were proven “people” people who we recognized had the EQ and intelligence to do the job brilliantly. Another very important aspect to creating a well-functioning team is always keeping an eye towards diversity. We approach hospitality a little differently than traditional hotels, and that’s really infused by the unique fabric of our team. We strive for diversity in every sense of the word — background, thought, approach to life. This shared open-mindedness binds our team, leads to innovation, and allows us to continually adapt to create a safe and welcoming environment for our guests.” — Lee Gonzalez, Founder, L&L Hospitality

“I would do what I didn’t do and jump in sooner. I don’t like the word “should,” but there comes a time when you have to realize you’ve done all you can do alone and you need the help of others who have different skill sets and new ideas. At that point, whether it’s one, two or in my case five years into the company, it’s time to look for that person that can ideally bring more to the table than you can. At a senior level, I look for people better than me in many ways — better at closing deals, better at thinking outside the box, who can speak about the company as if it were their own, who are strong enough to take on the risk with me, and who I see as an equal at all times.” — Harsha L’Acqua, CEO, Saira Hospitality

“We’ve had a remote team from places around the world and we’ve kept the same team together since day one. There are four things that have proven successful:

  • We’ve created an environment that’s friendly and filled with camaraderie. Everyone looks forward to a little socializing before we get down to business.
  • Providing flexibility to the team when they need it.
  • Motivation comes through the belief that the product and travel is fun, which makes the work fun.
  • As a startup, I believe strongly in running a tight ship.

Simple things such as using tools to organize projects, payroll is always met, meetings are consistent and on time … these are taken for granted in large companies, but aren’t always the norm in small startups.” — Kim Bennett, Founder and CEO, AtlasGuru

Download the full Game Changers report here.