Hospitality dreams: Ben Justus at TEDxCornellU

TEDx Talks11 minutes read

The narrator's dream of hospitality started as a pool boy in high school and led to attending the Cornell hotel school, where they now use hospitality to help underprivileged youth in Cambodia break the poverty cycle through training and job opportunities. Through their organization, hundreds of young adults have been trained in hospitality, emphasizing the transformative power of dreams on individuals, families, and communities.

Insights

  • Hospitality is viewed as a holistic lifestyle encompassing skills like empathy and leadership, transcending mere job duties to impact individuals positively.
  • The transformative power of pursuing dreams in hospitality is exemplified through the narrator's journey from a pool boy to founding an organization that empowers underprivileged youth, showcasing the profound impact of dreams on breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering community growth.

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Recent questions

  • What inspired the narrator's dream of hospitality?

    Working at a five-star hotel.

  • How did the narrator's view of hospitality evolve?

    Beyond a job to a lifestyle.

  • Where did the narrator pursue further education in hospitality?

    Cornell Hotel School.

  • How did the narrator's organization in Cambodia start?

    Selling t-shirts to fund the project.

  • What impact did the narrator's organization have on the community?

    Breaking the poverty cycle.

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Summary

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Dreams of Hospitality: From Pool Boy to Philanthropist

  • The narrator's hospitality dream began as a pool boy in high school, leading to a desire to attend the Cornell hotel school.
  • Instead of a typical high school job, the narrator worked at a five-star hotel, starting as a pool boy and learning various positions.
  • Hospitality is seen as a lifestyle beyond a job, offering transferable skills like confidence and leadership based on compassion and selflessness.
  • After years at the Four Seasons, the narrator was accepted to the Cornell Hotel School, where the dream evolved into using hospitality to help others.
  • The narrator started an organization in Cambodia to help underprivileged youth prepare for hospitality jobs, initially selling t-shirts to fund the project.
  • Teaching hospitality classes in Cambodia, the narrator learned about Cambodian hospitality from a cook named Yemm, who survived the Khmer Rouge.
  • The organization expanded to train hundreds of young adults in hospitality, leading to lucrative jobs at top hotels and breaking the poverty cycle.
  • The narrator emphasizes the impact of dreams on individuals, families, and communities, highlighting the success stories of students and the power of dreams.
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