Hospitality Means Bringing People Together – Building Diverse Teams with Trent Selbrede

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Trent Selbrede returns to the Leadership with Heart Podcast to talk about leadership and what that means in the hospitality world. Trent is the General Manager of Marriott International, and he discusses what the hospitality world went through during the pandemic, what they’ve learned, what they are doing the same, and what they are doing differently. 2022 was his hotel’s best year, and in this podcast, he shares some of the knowledge he’s acquired from his episode from a couple of years ago to now. Much of that is becoming more of a leader with ‘Heart.’ Take a listen.
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Key Takeaways
  • This is Trent’s second episode, you can listen to his other episode here
  • Trent Selbrede became a hotel General Manager at the age of 20
  • He is the General Manager of Marriott International
  • He enjoys building diverse teams and leading them to be their best versions
  • He believes his main role is taking care of his employees
  • Trent believes in servant leadership, focusing on his employees
  • He strives to be present every single day for all 65 of his associates

Trent Selbrede’s Bio

Trent Selbrede became a hotel General Manager at the age of 20 after eight months in the business. He remains a hospitality professional and currently works with a phenomenal team at the Residence Inn by Marriott in San Diego, CA. He is also the Chairperson of the Marriott Champions for Rady Children’s Golf Tournament which raises over $120k per year for the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

Trent’s ‘why’ is rooted in his wife, 2 daughters, and 2 adopted black lab mixes. In his spare time, Trent enjoys home improvement projects, mountain biking, and extensive community service.

People call Trent when they are stuck in the mud of best practices, checklists, and broken cultures. He’s not a magician, but he is incredibly resourceful and can make magic happen.

The Listening Guide

Create a listening culture that elevates the employee experience with The Listening Guide.

Through this guide, Heather uncovers how you can ensure those you lead feel heard by taking 3 approaches to listening inside an organization.

  • Understand why listening is the key to employee engagement
  • Learn how the Cycle of Listening contributes to strong workplace relationships
  • Get a practical framework for creating a listening culture that is bidirectional, responsive, and supportive

Download it here.


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Becoming Unshakeable Podcast

With Heather R. Younger

Becoming Unshakable is the podcast for leaders, creators, and changemakers who know TRUE LEADERSHIP starts from within.

Each episode explores what it takes to lead with resilience, compassion, and purpose while staying human through it all.

Through candid conversations with executives, frontline leaders, coaches, and everyday heroes, Heather uncovers the real stories behind growth, compassion, setbacks, and transformation.

From navigating change to creating emotionally safe cultures, Becoming Unshakable reveals what it really takes to create leaders—and organizations—that can’t be shaken.

Hi, I'm Heather

I've been through every type of
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
you can think of.

Layoffs, reorgs, mergers, acquisitions and major technology shifts. More than 20 years leading teams through high-stakes situations where results mattered, people depended on me, and decisions couldn't wait.

Those years taught me how to lead. But they also showed me the hidden cost of always being the one who holds it all together.

During our second reorg in less than a year, I walked out of a meeting with no say in what was happening, just marching orders. When my team asked how the meeting went, I should have said, “Give me 15 minutes to process this.” But I didn't. Instead, I let them absorb every ounce of my frustration.

Then I saw their faces.

The people who looked to me for stability had just watched me unravel. What was that teaching them about their ability to handle the pressure?

That moment changed how I saw my role as a leader. Leading teams isn't only about grit or resilience. It's about how your presence builds the trust your team needs to function when things get hard.

Today, I help organizations build unshakable leaders, teams, and cultures. Because when leaders become the calm teams can count on, organizations don't just survive change, they come out strong enough to handle what’s next.

Heather Sitting
Heather_Younger_The_Cycle_of_Active_Listening_Guide

The Cycle of Active Listening

Create a listening culture that elevates the workplace experience for everyone.

Through this guide, uncover how to ensure those in your care at work feel heard and valued, resulting in increased loyalty and satisfaction.

  • Understand why listening is the key to improved engagement
  • Learn how the Cycle of Active Listening contributes to strong workplace relationships
  • Get a practical framework for creating a listening culture that is bidirectional, responsive, and supportive

Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488

Contact
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Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488

Contact
Contact

I'm really interested in...

(select all that apply)*

I can be reached at...

Additional Comments