Bonus Episode #32- Hospitality Meets Team Zenith - Teamwork, Triangle Formation and Choke Holds

Guests: Emma Sharma, Meghan Ellis Smith, Fernando Odio, Chelsy Rafael, Isabelle White – aka Team Zenith

Host: Phil Street

What’s Inside:

The Edge Hotel School students who beat the Swiss at their own gameFrom cruise ship dreams to CEO goalsThe EM Cup – Europe’s most competitive hospitality battlePublic speaking disasters, bonding breakthroughs, and backstage mind gamesHow Team Zenith went from forgotten intro to unforgettable championsA story of belief, banana-shaped confidence curves, and near-chokehold celebrations

Topics Covered:

How each student found their way to hospitality (spoiler: not one dull route)Why public humiliation at a student conference was actually a blessingWhat it takes to pitch to 500 people and survive a Dragon’s Den Q&AThe intense selection process (TikToks, debates, interviews – they did it all)The Triangle Hands legend and branding brilliance of Team ZenithWhy realistic ideas beat Swiss-level fantasy pitches

Highlight Moments:

“Alex said if we didn’t win, he’d quit his job.” “We told the other teams we had no idea what we were doing. Classic mind games.” “I said we were going to win… but I completely forgot my lines!” “Winning felt amazing. Nearly died from a celebratory hug, but amazing.”

A massive thank you to the Edge Hotel School (And previous guest Adrian Martin) for setting this up. Hospitality Meets sends heartfelt congratulations to Team Zenith for this extraordinary achievement

Enjoy!

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

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Hospitality Meets is a weekly podcast that explores the stories and journeys of people from all walks of life in the hospitality industry. Host Phil Street talks to everyone from founders and chefs to hotel general managers and restaurant managers, as well as engineers, designers, financiers, and even politicians.
Through these conversations, Phil showcases the sheer diversity of opportunity that exists within hospitality, and the fun you can have along the way. He also shares insights into the latest trends and challenges facing the industry, and gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most exciting and innovative businesses in hospitality.
If you're interested in a career in hospitality, or if you're simply curious about the world of hospitality, then Hospitality Meets is the podcast for you. Join Phil for a weekly dose of inspiration, insight, and humor.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

• No. of episodes: 200
• Latest episode: 2025-04-30
• Business Careers Management

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