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Jamie Malloy, CMP, CHSL, Executive Director of Sales at Bellagio, HSMAI Sales Advisory Board Member
I facilitated a recent HSMAI Sales Advisory Board meeting on a topic I’m passionate about, wellness. We began with a simple wellness self-assessment that covered five domains including emotional wellness, mental clarity, physical wellness, connection and belonging, and joy and fulfillment. This sparked candid reflection about how leaders care for themselves and their teams.
5 Takeaways from the Conversation
- Mental clarity is often the lowest score.
Several leaders admitted they overschedule, struggle to use stress-management tools they already have and rarely take breaks. As one participant put it: “My biggest enemy is my calendar.” - Belonging is fragile but powerful.
People often stay for the community you create. That’s a compliment and a responsibility, especially when you’re also making tough calls and when teams face turnover or change. - Joy and fulfillment can’t be an afterthought.
Leaders noted their teams often lack hope or purpose outside of work. Small rituals like starting meetings with coloring, ending with kudos, or sharing “one thing that went right” shifted energy and strengthened morale. - Physical wellness is the easiest lever and the easiest to ignore.
Hydration, exercise, and sleep repeatedly surfaced. Some leaders use reminders to drink water, others step out for midday workouts, and many admitted that sleep is neglected but critical. - Saying no and letting go of perfection.
Women especially shared the challenge of overcommitting and offering excuses instead of a simple “no.” Others highlighted the importance of delegation and accepting that tasks done differently are not necessarily wrong.
Micro-Practices to Try
From the discussion, here are small, practical steps leaders are taking or encouraging on their teams:
- Take intentional breaks. Even 15 minutes to walk, read, or stretch resets energy.
- Protect personal space. Schedule evenings off before or after busy days to recharge.
- Bring play into work. Coloring, kudos rounds, or sharing small wins boost joy.
- Prioritize basics. Sleep, hydration, and movement are foundational to energy and clarity.
- Model boundaries. Say “no” without long explanations and encourage others to do the same.
- Normalize wellness check-ins. Ask about emotional or physical well-being in 1:1s, not just work tasks.
- Lead by example. Use wellness spaces or breaks yourself so teams see it as acceptable.
The conversation closed with a reminder: leaders set the tone. “Our physical bodies are always telling us how we’re doing emotionally,” one noted. By showing vulnerability, protecting wellness, and celebrating small moments, leaders not only care for themselves but also create safer, healthier spaces for their teams to thrive.
Assessment:
Questions to consider:
- Insights from the Assessment – did any domain surprise you?
- Where did you score the lowest, and what small shift could make a difference?
- What are you noticing from your teams around stress, burnout, disengagement?
- How do you see your own wellness directly impacting your team’s wellness and morale?
- Have you started to weave mental health into your one-on-ones? How can we embed “wellness check-ins” more?
- What resources, outside of the norm, are you offering?
- If you had to introduce one new wellness initiative this year that supports both leaders and staff, what would it be?
Reem Alaqili is a fourth-year international student studying hospitality management at The Pennsylvania State University. She serves as president of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) and as secretary of Penn State’s HSMAI Collegiate Chapter, where she first stepped into leadership as public relations chair. Reem has completed two internships with Marriott Vacations Worldwide, gaining front desk experience while shadowing sales operations and strengthening her expertise in guest service and sales. Passionate about hospitality sales and marketing, she has actively pursued leadership, service, and professional development opportunities to grow her skills. She aspires to build a career in hospitality sales and marketing, bringing an international perspective and a strong drive for success to the industry.
Margaret Thompson recently graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration, concentrating in event management and marketing. She will begin pursuing a master’s degree in global hospitality management at New York University this fall. During her undergraduate career, Margaret built a strong foundation in event planning, marketing strategy, and hospitality leadership, which she now looks forward to expanding through graduate study. A dedicated member of HSMAI, she is eager to continue her involvement with the organization and to build a successful career in hospitality leadership.
Juliette van der Ham is a fourth-year student at Hotel Management School Maastricht, currently completing her final internship in asset management at Wasl Hospitality in Dubai. Her first internship took her to The Reykjavik Edition in Iceland, where she gained hands-on operational experience as a housekeeping supervisor. Juliette pursued a minor in strategic revenue and real estate management and completed a consultancy project focused on acquisition and development for a white-label operator. She has earned WSET and STR certifications and participated in the Excellence Program, later serving as external coordinator for multiple editions. In 2024, she joined the HSMAI Europe Student Council and was honored to serve as chair before relocating. She also competed in the Young Hospitality Summit, a global platform that encourages innovation. Passionate about the strategic side of hospitality, Juliette is dedicated to initiatives that foster collaboration, growth, and lifelong learning as she prepares to begin her career.
Libby Worden, from Toronto, Canada, is a fourth-year hospitality and tourism management student at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-president of the Ted Rogers Sales Club. She recently completed an internship with HVS in Montreal, where she gained hands-on experience in hotel consulting and valuation. Libby has also worked in hotels across Canada and led her sales team to international recognition, including becoming the first Canadian team to win Overall University Champion at the International Collegiate Sales Competition in Florida. Passionate about hospitality, sales, and hotel real estate, she is committed to bridging the gap between academia and industry while pursuing a career in the field.
