IT SHOULD ALL BEGIN WITH CURIOSITY
I spent many years working for a foodservice design company that specialized in college and university dining centers. One of my most memorable moments in this role was representing my company as part of a design-build team in the short list interview at a Colorado university. A short memoir by Valerie Renee, MCPC Like most of these presentations, we spent the bulk of our time explaining our respective expertise and outlining all the reasons we were the right team for the job. We wrapped up with the predictable, “Do you have any questions?” Silence. After a few awkward moments, I asked if I could pose a question to them instead. They eagerly said yes. I don’t remember exactly what I asked, only that it was a question specific to the university and the project - something that showed genuine curiosity about what mattered to them. That single question completely changed the mood in the room. What followed was real dialogue between the university team and the design-build group. The rest of our allotted time was spent in conversation, not presentation. As we walked out of the building, the architect was practically giddy. He told me he’d presented to that team many times and had never seen them so engaged. One individual in particular was usually cold and contentious, and that day he had been warm, open, and conversational. We didn’t win the project.
Valerie Renee Keynote Speaker & Professional Coach
But that day was still a win for me.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but that moment was my first real experience of driving connection through curiosity. One thoughtful question focused on understanding something important to someone else shifted the entire dynamic. It invited people into conversation and helped them to feel seen and heard.
And in hindsight, it’s how we should have led the presentation all along.
Hospitality News / LI Edition / August 2026 / Page 37
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