The Talent Jungle presents our featured hotelier, our "chosen one". This feature highlights the talented and devoted professionals in the hotel & hospitality industry and brings out their epxeriences, strengths, background and more...in an effort to build a base of knowledge and connect people together.

Name: Dr. Marc D. Clark

Current company and title: Dr. Marc Clark, President & CEO, author, professional speaker, business consultant, and entrepreneur, M. Douglas Clark & Associates/SmartBizzOnline.com, www.smartbizzonline.com

Would you tell us your hospitality career background?

- 7 years in restaurant operations
- 5 years Director of Human Resources
- 7 years Director of Training-Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn USA
- 7 years American Hotel & Lodging Association (Director of Account Development & Regional Vice President

What inspired you to choose hospitality industry?

It is an industry that allows you to grow professionally and pesonally. It has variety and opportunity.

What was it like to begin your career as a fresh graduate?

I was in the industry for close to 20 years before I earned my advanced degree. I saw the industry changing, requiring more, and wanted to be on the cutting edge, not caught up in the ground swell.

Would you like to share an unforgotable moment when you were student?

Wen I realized that the decision I made to become part of the hospitality was the right one for me.

What did you like the most about your Tourism & Hospitality career?

The opportunities that it provided me to grow and to use my talents and skills. The international travel that I have been involved with (Canada, Mexico, India, Switzerland, Spain, Africa, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Thailand and Taiwan) is priceless. Meeting cultures and making friends and business associates is exciting.

What are the biggest business challenges you face and how do you deal with them?

To stay up with the fast pace challenges happening within the industry and with technology. The industry if forever changing and one cannot stand still. One has to continually re-evaluate their thinking and actions in order to remain competitive. Focusing on continual education is key. Education is a journey not a destination. If you believe yourself to be educated and get off the train, you will find yourself at the wrong station.

What sort of personal development were you engaged in?

Constantly working to expand my network through strong association with people. This is another important key to success. Surrounding yourself with the best and brightest in order to stretch your thinking. Participanting in industry events and staying abreast of trends, concepts, and new ways of thinking. Doing a self evaluation from time to time to measure personal strengths and areas that need improvement. Remaining current on world events and how they will impact my business world. Working at retaining earned industry designations: Certified Hotel Administrator-CHA, Certified Human Resources Executive-CHRE, Certified Hospitality Educator-CHE and Certified Hotel Owner-CHO.

My passion is public speaking and sharing the knowledge that I have gained with over the years. Helping others grow personally is exciting for me. I seek nothing in return, except that one day they sow seeds for others to grow.

Based on your decades-long experience would you like to give any suggestions to newly graduated hotel management students?

Never stop dreaming. Press forward, for anything of value is worth working for. Motivation comes from within. Whether you believe that you will succeed or fail, your are correct. One of those things will come true. So why not be positive? Evaluate your strengths and areas of improvement from time to time and set yourself a plan. Enjoy what you do, for you are giving a day of your life for it.

Remember that you will always have freedom of choice, but what you will never have is the choice to select the consequence of your choice...that you will just have to live with. Remain respectable, professional and humble. Place value on the right things. Come to a place where you like yourself.

If you want to chat I can be reached at drmarc (at) smartbizzonline.com or www.smartbizzonline.com