Gastvrijheid begint in het hart

the Future of Hospitalitybudget, short of people, maybe. Can you give me an example, Mauricio, of how one example of how you do that?

Mauricio SchulerYes. Of course. The best way, believe, is doing the hiring process. Right? We've been we recorded a podcast yesterday about this. So but, basically, a lot of people all of we have a I have a podcast as well. I should say that is I'm moving my journey. Go ahead. Tell me I'm just tell me about that first. What is the name of your podcast

the Future of Hospitalityand why you're doing it? And then we go back to the question of how you help those hotels. So tell me something more about your podcast first. Yes. So so as part of the shimmering journey, we started

Mauricio Schuleractually with a podcast, because we wanted to understand if the problems that we're seeing here with the company, with my our family company was very localized, was just our problem, was a local problem, was a global problem. Right? But at the time, I I didn't have many contacts. I didn't know many people on on LinkedIn. I just did the work at work. Right? So I tried to talk to people, and I couldn't get anyone to talk to me. Honestly, nobody would reply to my message on LinkedIn. That was about 2,000, 20. Okay? Just just, just the start of the pandemic. When that happened, I I was reading, the book from the Carnegie, how how to win friends and influence people. And there was a passage saying that, like, 95% of the time, people only think about themselves.

Mauricio SchulerRight? And you need to make everything about them. And I said, like, alright. So let's craft an email and make this conversation about them. And the way that I thought was like, okay. I will invite them for a podcast because then they will talk about themselves, and I can ask exactly the same questions I would ask, but I will record a podcast. So I've crafted a very beautiful email, actually, and I sent to 20 leaders of the industry, and I got way to replies. 100% reply. Never happened before. I only managed to record podcast with seven of them, but it was, like, really very exciting moment, and I didn't want to do a podcast because I don't like my accent. I have a weird accent.

the Future of HospitalityI'm very aware of how I speak. I make mistakes. No. You don't. That that is what makes you special. That is what make you you.

Mauricio SchulerLike, Will, that uniqueness online only became a reality after COVID, after the pandemic. Right? Before the pandemic, everyone was really aware of what you should post online, and you should say the right thing and not the wrong thing. Like, a lot of things change after the pandemic. But before then, that time, I was really aware. And I didn't want to, but I made a promise, so we decided to post it. And once we had 10 podcasts, we we posted, and then we got recognized by the Global Hospitality Magazine. Two months after we published the first podcast, we were listed in the top 40. And we are really surprised because we never looked at the stats of the podcast because that wasn't the goal. The podcast was just to talk to people. Right?

Mauricio SchulerRight. And

the Future of Hospitalitywhat is the name of the podcast? Sorry for interrupting. What The name of the podcast is the Schillinghub Talking Hospitality

Mauricio SchulerPodcast. Yeah. So it's a long name. Schillinghub, that's company. Schillinghub is our company. Talking hospitality podcast. Okey doke. We now have a 100 episodes, so we we we love what we do. That's how we build all the relationships we have. But going back then, Brian, to the question. Yes. Yes. Back to the question. Repeat that question, please, because I got lost.

the Future of HospitalityOh, no. No. I'll help you. So that's the podcast you started at. After the pandemic, it gave you credibility, gave you exposure, gave you many, many, many contacts, and you love what you do. Now you're helping hotels, independent hotels.

Mauricio SchulerGo ahead. How do you do that? Yeah. Yeah. Sure. So that's that's what we thought. A lot of our guests in the podcast, repeating the mantra about purpose. Right? A hotel should have a purpose to exist, and we totally agree with that. So a hotel to be functional nowadays to hire the right people, you should build a culture around the hotel, a working culture. Right? You should have a purpose. That should have a mission. People should fall in love what you are offering to your guests. Because the moment that your associates fall in love with what you're selling, the guests feel that and everyone gets happier. Right?

Mauricio SchulerAnd so we realized that what we were doing is we we are selling happiness at the workplace. We're selling happiness at the workplace. I love how you described that. That's that's it. Selling, that's what we're doing. And how can we do that? So the hardest thing that we we realized was, yes, you can build your culture. You can build your values. You can build all that. But how can you actually engage that with your associates when you're hiring, for example? How can you though, you can tell the HR to say that or you can get the companies that are hiring for you to say that. But is that honest? Do you actually get the feel of working in the hotel? Right? So we started trying to understand what's the best companies, the best culture companies around the world do that we could try to do in hospitality as well. And what they do mainly is well, they do many things. The one thing is a cultural deck. Right? So they have that cultural deck. That's a PowerPoint file that can be downloaded on their website.

Mauricio SchulerAnd, basically, it goes from one to a 100 slides that's explaining how it is the workplace. It works really well with tech companies, startups, and all these new driven companies that Aportas driven companies that are coming about right now in every single segment, every single industry. So we thought it's like, that is a great idea, but for hospitality, we need a little bit more personalization because that's what if I join hospitality, it's because I like people. So if I just put in a PowerPoint, that's not personal. I I don't feel comfortable with this place. So what we're doing is we're inviting purpose driven boteliers, and that that's our niche. I thought that that we talk to them. If you are a a heads on beds accommodation provider, that's okay. That's your business style, but it's it doesn't really fit what we are trying to do.

Mauricio SchulerWe go with the purpose driven hotels, boutique boutique hotels, lifestyle hotels. And we make a kind of an interview like we are doing now, like a podcast. But this hotel director, the the general manager is selling the hotel to me as an employee. Right? And then I turn that into a personalized cultural deck, but it's actually more of a course inside our platform. And we open up, and share with the students and share with, schools so students can actually find purpose driven hotels. They can hear that message of that general manager speaking about the hotel, how it is this hotel, the history of the hotel, the valleys, the culture, what they are trying to achieve. And in that, they can feel that emotion. They can feel that love of the general manager and can have ready theories. That's a place that I want to work or not. At the end, they can just sign the form saying, like, yes. I want to work here. Some hotels put more questions. They want to learn a little bit more about the candidate as well. Some just want an email and contact details. That's all cool.

Mauricio SchulerAnd then at least we feature we we filter, sorry, for cultural fit inside the company. So our, experience says that the more you get people that already know what to expect in the workplace, and as long as that general manager is telling the truth, there will be a highest rate of success and a longer relationship between them. That's just one example.

the Future of HospitalityWow. It sounds amazing because what I hear is it's it's, it's all about authenticity and showing exactly who you are, transparency, what we always wanted. Instead of tech lines and creating an image, you show what really is going on, and that drives the right people to the right places.

Mauricio SchulerExactly. That's exactly what it is. And I think that's one of the things that the hospitality has been doing, wrong lately is by, we are kind of desperate by now to fill up positions, and we are just putting ads and trying to get anyone to fill out positions. But in the end, that doesn't last long. It's a sprint rather than a marathon. And we need to repeat this process every three months because it didn't work out of that person in the probation time. They we change it again. We change it again. With the corporates that they are onboarding 300, 400 people every three, six months, that's okay. They can afford that. It's it's part of the business model. They it's in the accounting already.

Mauricio SchulerHopefully, they are counting on that. But when it comes to independent hoteliers, it's not. It's really expensive. It's really tiring, and it retrains the energy from the general managers or whoever is training this new staff. So the more we can do to get the right people in the right place,

the Future of Hospitalityhappier hospitality will be. That's Wonderful. Sounds exciting and fascinating to me. I think you do a good job there. Wonderful. Congratulations. Now I wanna some know some more about yourself. Yourself. So why did you even start in hospitality? You're a young man. I mean, there are plenty of businesses or or or or professions that why hospitality?

Mauricio SchulerYeah. That's that's a very, very funny story. Go ahead. I I'm actually I graduated back in Brazil. I graduated as a as a sports teacher. Yeah. So I'm a teacher and sports scientist.

the Future of HospitalitySo And you're from Brazil, is it?

Mauricio SchulerYeah. I'm from South Brazil. That's right. So Brazil. Chinegro. A little town near Porto Alegre. Yeah. So Wonderful. All little little towns. And so I I graduated there. And during my unit times, it got to a point that I needed to develop my English better. I failed one of the disciplines because the articles were all in English, and I was struggling to keep up. I was struggling with the school. And it was a very good university, and I had to fix the English problem very quickly. And I decided to take a gap year and went to New Zealand to learn English. So a lot of people make fun of that that the New Zealand to learn English. Who did you learn with with ships or something? But, anyway, I love that experience. But coming to New Zealand not knowing any English, I could only do what immigrants normally do. Right? I could either go and you build something or I could fall in hospitality.

Mauricio SchulerI end up going to hospitality. I end up in a restaurant. And as I always say, I I came from the back door. So I enter hospitality through the back door, the garbage alley, and literally was the girl with its belly. I like I was like, I remember my first day going there and was to wash dishes. I was a kitchen hand, and I I remember walking with a friend of mine that was a chef in that restaurant. And when we turn, there was this dark street that is all the back doors of all the restaurants, all garbages, smells, stinks. It was horrible. And that was my first experience joining hospitality.

Mauricio SchulerHowever, you didn't run away. No? No. Yes. That's buffet. I loved it. Love it. Not the gaudy jelly. That that thing always, like, gave me a a a thing when I saw it. But the environment, the the the kitchen itself, even though the restaurant was quite stressful that we had, like, their owner was quite stressed person, but the environment was so fast, was so active, and everyone had their own responsibility. And even though I was a kitchen hand, I felt responsible to get the pays on time for the chefs so they can cook, to have everything in place. The first time that someone dropped put a tray with glasses next to me, and I took the glasses from the wrong side and the tray flipped, and I broke 30 glasses. I realized that there is more.

Mauricio SchulerNow that there was more than I expected about washing dishes. But I really liked it. I put the system in place. I am a very systematic person. So I put the system in place, and I became really fast, really, really effective, really fast. And soon enough, my the chef invited me to help him to make salads and just cook with him. And then he goes to my background, like my for my youth. My mom is an extremely good cook. She started cooking when she was nine years old because she's from a family of 14

the Future of Hospitalitysisters and brothers. Hold on. Hold on. Your mom was nine years old when she started to cook. She's a very good cook. She started at nine years old. I mean, how?

Mauricio SchulerYes. How? A necessity. Right? Necessarily, 14 kids, 14 brothers and sisters. She was number four. So when she was nine, she was one of the oldest that could help all the little siblings that were coming. And she loved food, so she decided to help her auntie and her mom to cook. And when she was nine, she could already cook food, and she was comfortable with. That's Bills. Yes. I I believe that in that time, it wasn't something wow. Today, we say, like, that's wow. But Yeah. That I'm probably the the people around her, the neighbors were doing the same. Right? That's Brazil in the fifties.

Mauricio SchulerAnd it's but back so she always cooked, and I always loved her cooking, the smell of it, and how crazy she goes and and transform food in amazing things. So I I always like the cooking, but my grandfather was a very, very special person as he was an accountant, a journalist, but he is the one that's taught me everything about this shivering that we say. Yeah. Schiller in German, that's my surname, and in German means the scholar. Right? So Scholar. The scholar. And he used to say that in Germany in the past, people were named after their profession. So if you are the doctor, you are always the doctor. Yeah. Your surname is the doctor, and your son will be the doctor, and you are actually the doctor. That is a generational thing. And he said, like, no. There is the shoemaker. There is the doctor. There are the people that are working the mules. Now the mueller, you ever probably knows that.

Mauricio SchulerAnd we are the scholar, and scholar is not really a profession. Right? It's it's like I don't he used to say that I don't know why we were the scholar. Now I know, actually. He used to say that I don't know why we're the scholars, but we are. There there is no reason to stop being one. There's no reason to stop learning and and keep that. So he puts that philosophy about to the whole family. Right? But he was a great cook because in his lifelong learning philosophy, one of the things that he wanted to do was to cook for people and to welcome people in the in his place. Right? So your grandfather that that's your grandfather you're talking about. So he was a journalist,

the Future of Hospitalitybut he loved to cook. Yes. And he did that in his free time cooking for people.

Mauricio SchulerSo and that is okay. Go ahead. Yeah. And and and this is not my mom's dad. That's my father's dad. Okay? Just to separate because my mom looks like me, dark skin, very very Brazilian. My bad side is very German. So they're all blonde blue eyes and and and this that's the thing. I'm I'm the the the black sheep litter. Silly. And we're he he had that passion for hospitality. Right? He used to cook three times a week to receive people at home. And when we get there, it would be an experience every single time. He always knew what everyone likes to drink and eat. He always put his best silverware. He always put the best cloths.

Mauricio SchulerWhen we arrive to to lunch, even if it's a weekday, there were a table with snacks, a little a pirate, a little wine, or our tea, our traditional tea, Shimaho. But the whole experience was set, and he always set the table named places where we would sit down. He would tell his stories about the dish that he was cooking. If it's a French dish, he would tell a story about friends related or not to the dish, but he would always share a little piece of information plus his new word of the day. My grandfather always read a word every day in the dictionary, and he would use that word five times on the day, and he would explain during the lunch what is the word and the meaning of it. Right? So really learning where it was a awesome environment.

Mauricio SchulerAnd he always left also an empty plate on the table. And when we sat down and we realized that was an empty plate, we'll ask who who who is missing? Who are missing here? And he's so like, nobody. I just don't know who may knock the door. So he was always ready for that next person. And that taught me he told me once, like, Mauricio, like, there is this hotels, hospitality, the hotel industry used to call. They they earn they profit on hospitality. But being hospitable, it's not part of the it's not bill doesn't belong to the industry. It's a human treat. So you can always be hospitable. You can always welcome people at home and be like a hotel. You don't need a hotel. No. Hospitality

the Future of Hospitalityis this is this is a good example of what I always believe myself is being hospitable. It is an innate desire to care and look after people and make them feel warm and welcome, in your home, wherever that is, but, it's not necessarily, just for the hospitality business because in the hospitality industry, it's more about service. And but if you add that in a desire that you want to make the best do the best for your guests,

Mauricio Schulerthen you're talking about hospitality, and that's what I'm hearing in your grandfather's story. Yes. Yes. It's it he used to say, like, hospitality comes from the heart. Right? It's it's a feeling. It's something that you do. You do because you want. You do because you care. Right? Hospitality industry managed to get that frame into a business. Right? So, okay, I'm having people that needs to stay here because they are traveling by horse, I don't know, crossing, and they're gonna they are gold diggers, and they need to stay somewhere. Let's go back to the eighteen hundreds. Yeah. And they need to stay here. So in the beginning, it was just they need to stay here. And with time, with more businesses opening, they start to realize that if I treat them well, if I give them food, if I welcome them, if I make the beds, if they have a clean whatever it is, if they have a shower. As the industry evolved, we start to spoil people rotten. That's my friend, Naja, love this one. Spoil people rotten.

the Future of HospitalitySpoil people rotten. I like that expression as well. Yeah.

Mauricio SchulerSo, like, you coffee. That's why so much, and you do so much for them that you can charge more and more for that experience. But the real hospitality experience can be done by anyone anywhere. Right? And and this is what he used to do, and it was really, really inspiring. So once I was back there in New Zealand, when I was back there in the kitchen, and the chef start to invite me to cook, I wanted to make the best possible looking dish even though I didn't know much about it because that's what it is being hospitable. That's what being serviced. Right? So I want to bake the best dish, the best salad, and everything. I learned really quickly how to be in the kitchen, got a job in the Muleford Track, which is a magical place. I don't know if you know it, but Newfork Sound is a world known place in New Zealand where the mountains come directly from the sea.

Mauricio SchulerAnd there is a walking track that you can do. That's a four bay tracking that you cross the Fireland National Park, and you've aimed in the Newfoundland yeah. And in Newfoundland. I got a job, and that's a very funny story because I didn't speak English that well yet. So I applied for a cook job in this place. And because nobody wanted to work in this place, I got the job. And nobody wanted to work on this place because you have a six months contract and you go by helicopter, and you need to stay six weeks inside the forest with no communication with the outside world. No Internet, no telephone, no television, nothing. It's just work, your team around you, and the walkers, that's the trackers that are coming. They come in the afternoon. They stay for the evening. We serve them lodges. Very nice. Very five star, like, five star five star service, but in the middle of nowhere. And they in the morning, they had the breakfast, and they leave for the next lodge. And I didn't understand that. Right? To be the interview. So I got the job.

Mauricio SchulerAnd I love that I learned English there. I I learned how really how to cook there. I made amazing friends. I've How did sorry for interrupting.

the Future of HospitalityHow did those because these are tourists, hikers that we're talking about going into the into into the woods for six weeks. You were there to cook for them? No. No. No. Not for six weeks. So they do a four day tracking. Okay. These are four day track that try the and and three hut during the way. Or Right. Right. Right. Right. So you were stationed there for six weeks,

Mauricio Schulerbut the tourists or the the the trackers came for, like, four days to do their thing. Yeah. And one day they would stay one day one night on each lodge. Right? So they would have 18 kilometers walk. They they would come to a lodge. So they stay in the lodge, and we serve them. And how did they re

the Future of Hospitalityhow how did they respond to your your cooking, your presentation? Because that is what we're talking about. You're being hospitable.

Mauricio SchulerSo yeah. Like, in in that place, I think, there was not much of a presentation. Right? Like, in this place was about was about speed. Alright? We have 50 walkers coming, 50 trackers that they come for dinner, and they sit and you need to serve everything at the same time. So it's more like a functional thing. And it's you the cook just cooks and actually who plates everything are the guides that are there helping. Right? So we have the guides and the cleaners of the hotel. So we it's scene work, but the cook just cooks because we need to make food for 50 people. And we just we are just cooking. They are plating. So but the thing is they have a three three course meal in the middle of a canyon, right, in the middle of nowhere.

Mauricio SchulerSo they are very happy with anything really because it it rains 224 a year in this place. So they are always wet. They are always, you know, tired, and they have this warm thing. It's it's it's super cool. I I really advise anyone that if you can go to New Zealand, do this walking track. It's absolutely amazing. Alright. But doctor Tug, yeah, the the the hospitality bug got you there. So six months, I would get away. I would stay six months in it. I went back to Brazil, finished my studies, and decided that I didn't want to stay in Brazil anymore. I'm a surfer. I wanted to surf, and hospitality allows you to travel and work, and that is something that I didn't know before. Right? So I got myself a ticket to Australia, enrolled in a shack school, and I did my shack school, so became a professional chef in Australia where I could surf every time and started working there. I worked with a celebrity chef for some time.

Mauricio SchulerI left because

the Future of HospitalityWho is the celebrity chef? I'll go go back pedal a little bit. So you went from New Zealand to Australia. You went to chef school, and you worked with a celebrity chef. Who was that?

Mauricio SchulerMiguel Maestro. So Miguel Maestro is a Spanish Spanish chef. Was very good learning. We have a massive kitchen, 500 seats restaurant. We we started where we were 17 chefs, I believe, on a Saturday evening. So very big service, tapas food. So I was learning great chefs working with me. I was really a beginner. Yeah. Like, do fryers and salads and dessert. Like, the first one to arrive, the last one to leave, you know, cleaning everything, doing doing the hard work. And and it was an amazing experience, but I had to leave at some point. He the well, the payment wasn't great. He just tripled my hours, no payment. So I decided that, okay. It's nice to with you. It's a celebrity. We own TV, blah blah blah, but I need money.

Mauricio SchulerI need to leave as well. And I but I became a chef then. I went to a cafe, a ward of cafe, and I worked there for six years. We got the best cafe in Sydney for three years in a row. But easy life. Right? And all that what I could do is always and what that's what I'd like to tell people. What I never lost, regardless where I was, it's the smile. Right? I I wouldn't stop my smile. I there was nothing that could kill my energy. Alright? So I would get there, and I would smile to customers. I would smile to my team because I realized that when you do that, you open a door without any communication. Right? You just people feel comfortable to talk to you, to share with you, to say something that maybe the food is not good. And then they will come to you and actually say that's not good because you're smiling, it they don't feel threatened by giving you negative feedback. And when you are open to receive negative feedback, you actually grow. You can actually learn things, and you can actually expand and go forth. Beautifully said. Beautifully said. The smile is opening doors. It's an opening door. And the smile is coming from within. Yeah. That's that was my father advice when I was going to New Zealand for that first overseas trip alone without speaking English.

Mauricio SchulerAnd he came to me as I was leaving, shaking a little bit, as I was leaving to the airplane, he just hold me and said, like, Mauricio, you have a very beautiful smile. Just keep it open. Keep it open, and you see those will open. Don't worry about it. You're right. And Perry is working. He's absolutely right. No. It's it's it was a good I I tell everyone the same. So I think that should work with everyone. They said it's just a recipe. Yeah. Lovely. I love it. Yes. And from there, Arjun, I I actually Australia, I had to change I had to leave the hospitality for visa purposes.

Mauricio SchulerRight? Like, in Australia, it's very hard to stay. And I was there around for four or five years. And if I wanted to stay longer, I had to change to my profession, and my profession was in sports. So I got a job back into sports, teaching football for very little kids. And it was an amazing experience as well. Was actually what set me in my journey probably today because I was working as a franchise, was starting, and I was part of standardizing the coaching training because we are growing very fast. So when we started, we were eight coaches. By the time I will I left, we were 36 already. So I had to create systems to train these coaches. I was a business manager. I I I was hired as a business manager.

Mauricio SchulerAnd it it taught me a lot about standards, and it taught me a lot a lot about how to train people, how important is the onboarding, how important is the interview, how important is the first test, how important it is if that person is a cultural fit. Sometimes we would have early learning educators with a massive curriculum, like, that worked everywhere, and our kids were 18 to seven. Right? So they are very, very young. But if they were not happy, loud, and expressive, they would lose the class because it was very different than early learning. It's football. So we need to control them running, right, at the same time. But imagine 18, two years olds running together without hitting heads.

Mauricio SchulerIt's it's it's it was something that I start to realize that it was a lot more important, the person that we are hiring rather than the experience that they had. Right? Then we create, like, how to onboard them and all and all the system, we create systems. So how to when they get paid more, when they achieve milestones. We create a system for everything. When they become the lead coach, when they can train new people, and everything, there was a little bump in their hourly rate. Right? And that system taught me a lot. And then I had a problem with my visa, again, Australia. So they made a massive mess with that was very known in Australia was the new prime minister came and completely changed the list of professions that should could stay. And my pro se my profession was removed from the list when I was already in application for my permanent residency.

Mauricio SchulerAnd I was in the limbo, so they said to wait. And I I was like, I don't have the patience to wait for what you guys will decide of my life. So we gave up and we moved to Prague. Yeah. We moved to Prague. My wife In idea. Czech Republic. Exactly. My wife is from here. Yeah. So I met in 2015 with Clara, lovely, lovely Czech girl. I fell completely in love in 2010 on Valentine's Day. Very funny story. I first thing I said to her, I I'm horrible with women. First thing I told her was I didn't know what to say, I said, well, to marry me before I knew her, babe.

Mauricio SchulerWhat did she say? Yes. But, you know, I was just, no. It took to to to actually gain trust again. Anyway, so we came here, and her father has a hotel class, as I said, in a casino. And while I was waiting the bureaucracy to be allowed to work in Europe, I really dived in to learn about hospitality, their business, and how everything, all that baggage that I carry from my life could fit into their business. Right? Then I start work with them in 2018. With marketing, they wanted to balance the direct booking with the OTA bookings. They were very dependent on OTAs. And I came with a lot of energy, a lot of ideas, and a lot of suggestions on the human side of the product. Right? Like, there was, in my opinion, that time, there was a lack of desire from the people to be there. Right? And I wanted to address that. But, of course, that wasn't received really well.

Mauricio SchulerLet's say this way. So I failed completely on that project. It was a a total a total failure. To date, I have relationship problems with some of them because they they took personally my feedback. And I said, look. It's not about you. It's about the environment. Just how we can do better.

the Future of HospitalityIt's about learning, about improving. But, I think that is why it didn't work because there was too much ego involved probably instead of focusing what the real purpose is. And you saw that purpose, and even though they were the boss, they didn't see it. So kudos for you.

Mauricio SchulerYeah. It's I think that is a a bit of a personality trait on, for me. I'm open to receive negative feedback because I know that from now, I know what I can do to improve that. Right? And some people prefer to live in a fantasy that everything is perfect. So it's it's I I believe that I just came with too much energy. The Australian way of doing business, I was there for ten years. I don't know if you've been to Australia, but in Australia, they just they are doers. Right? They just go there and they do it. They smile. They fail, and they laugh. Right? And and I came with that energy.

Mauricio SchulerIt was a cultural shock. I learned a lot from that as well. I'm still learning a lot from the cultures and how I can better build relationships around, let's put this way. Right? But because of this failure, then the pandemic hit, of course, and our business went to a halt. And then I realized that, I I had a baby by then, a a two year old, baby.

the Future of HospitalityAnd what is the name of your baby? Because Lily, a doll there in the pure air is just in the corner here. Yes. What's the name of your baby? Lily Sofia. Lily Sofia. Lily Sofia.

Mauricio SchulerYou have and I realized that I put everything in the hands of my wife's family, their business and everything. We were all dependent on their business. And when the business came to a halt, I realized that I that was very dangerous. Even though I was comfortable, but was dangerous, it was just out of my comfort zone. I normally like to be more in charge of what I'm going to do if if something goes wrong. And in that case, I realized that I didn't have control. I was in a country that I didn't speak the language. I was working for the company that didn't share the same values I carry with me.

Mauricio SchulerAnd if things went wrong because the way that they did business, it would drag me down also. Right? So I I realized that even it's it's I'm it's not a critic to I'm very grateful for everything. I just realized that I should use my time to share my values because I have a young daughter who needed to learn who her father was. Right? And that's why I went to the mission to bring what I learned at home from my grandfather, from my mom, from my father, that lifelong learning is the this life's goal. Right? If we remove the futility of life, if we remove the the shiny cars, the jewelry, and everything that you want to show people that you don't like that you have, What's what is left is what you experience in your life and how you inspire people around you with that. Right? That's all that it is life about in the end of the day. Right? Once you're dead, you don't take it back, but your legacy stays. Whatever you share with people stays.

the Future of HospitalityAnd I want They remember how you make them feel.

Mauricio SchulerExactly. Exactly. And I wanted my daughter to experience that, but I didn't have my family to support that. That's a culture from my family that we live in. My wife's family doesn't have the same type of culture. So, like, how could I do that? And I thought, wow. I will put everything on a business. So I will create a business because even if my doctor, for some reason in the future, stops talking to me or stop you know, at some point decide that she doesn't like me anymore,

the Future of HospitalityI have a lot of people that I can share that. And at some point in life, she will come back to the teaching. Right? Even if I'm From it from it. Because just like you live with your granddad and your mom, you want to have the same experience with your with your daughter. Yes. Schiller values make that,

Mauricio Schulervery much a a mission. Right? And that's how Schillering came about. So Schillering really means being the learning the the religion I call earlier for life. Right? So it's lifelong learning in its core. And all we do, everything that we do, it's always focused on, how can we, make people happy in hospitality through learning because I believe that the learning part is probably the equation that a lot of people miss out. Right?

the Future of HospitalityInteresting. I love your story. I could I'm I'm I'm listening and thinking you could put this in a course and teach people. Maybe I I'm giving you an idea. Maybe you're already doing it. I don't know. But at this age, you could you could be very inspiring to young people who don't know what to do because the core values that you just mentioned are core values that are transferable to any industry.

Mauricio SchulerGreat idea, Okay.

the Future of HospitalityI'm I should not give away too much. No. No. No. Honestly, this is this is this is who you are, and you are radiating that energy. So beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing that story. So what is your next step?

Mauricio SchulerOh, our next steps. I am in a journey. Right? So Yeah. What we're doing now, we prepared a platform. I've been preparing a platform since 2022. I failed the first project. We tried to code ourselves, supply ourselves. You know? Hire a team to code, or to build a minimal viable product, her MVP, as people say. But in the end, it was two and not enough VP, as I like to say. So meaning that not very viable product. So I had to restrategize how we would do it, but now we have the right tools in place. So we built we built are building. Yeah. That's a process. We're building a community of consultants that are the pro purpose driven consultants for hospitality in many areas. So it can be from hiring. It can be for branding. It can be for technology.

Mauricio SchulerRight? With you can be purpose driven and in a whole scope of hospitality. So we are finding these all these consultants and inviting them to our platform on our website so they build their own profiles, put their specialties. And we can always point to hoteliers, independent hoteliers. Look, Kai. If you are struggling with boarding, if you're struggling with finding your purpose, if are struggling with hiring people that you want, please talk to our community here. They can help you. And now in March, we're gonna launch our platform, really. So it's a learning platform, a learning platform where but I told you the consultants will be the hoteliers will be able to put their culture back there.

the Future of HospitalityWhat's the name of the platform?

Mauricio SchulerIt's learnreef.schilling.com.

the Future of HospitalitySay it again. Learnreef.schilling.com. Learnwreath.schuler.com.

Mauricio SchulerOkey dokey. Thank you. And and, yes, and so we are bringing that. The hotels can also bring the SOPs, and we can turn into courses as well for onboarding. And at the same time, we are turning our podcasts that our podcast is really focusing education, and we are turning the podcasts into courses inside the platform for leadership, for technology purchase, for everything so people can also learn things. And we are partnering up with some certified institutions as well to help the employees with their learning and development as well.

the Future of HospitalityOh my god. Sounds like you're growing and you're on your mission.

Mauricio SchulerSounds amazing. Oh, yeah. Papa and Agilent, one thing that we did with our platform with thechillain.com for consultancies, podcasts. Right? Hospitality podcasts. There are popping so many podcasts, and I love podcasts because I think that it's a great way to share knowledge, up to date knowledge, to get people to learn, to get young minds to be inspired. And it's not a boring thing. You know? Like, there there is a conversation, so it's a lot more dynamic. That is hard to find hospitality podcast because they are scattered in different channels. And one thing that we've done, and I may invite you to do that as well, is we created a a community parts on our website where anyone can post their podcasts, and we can automate that so in a way that you don't have to do anything. It's just we put our ISS there.

Mauricio SchulerAnd anyone that visits our website can then listen to your podcast, find your podcast, and you can create a profile and find more about what you do as well. Amazing. Yeah. That's wonderful. I think that is amazing, actually.

the Future of HospitalityThink I said, I mean, I could talk for hours with you, but, we are already talking almost for an hour. But I love your mission, and I love your your the the vision that you have. Yeah. I have to say that I love it too. Yep. And I I can tell you're radiating it. Mauricio, if, I think this is it, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Is there one little question? Do you have an advice for young people who want to enter the hospitality industry?

Mauricio SchulerI do. I do. Go ahead. I believe that hospitality is, probably the best industry for young people who wants to adventure themselves around the world in a safe environment. Okay? So if you are if you have that adventure mindset, you want to leave adventure because I think that the young people now, they want to be adventurous, but at the same time, they don't know what it means to be adventurous because there are so much inside their devices. But if you want to see the world, if you want to actually live in The Maldives and see how it is the live in Maldives, then you want to go to Cuba, and then you want to go to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Europe, America, Canada, and actually work, do your living, make friends, and meet amazing people, hospitality is the place to be because your teams will be hospitality people. You will find a lot of amazing people that you carry in your heart for your life, and you can really explore the world. So I really suggest and this is one thing that I want to inspire hospitality to change the mindset as well, that let the young people travel and experience life six months and make a job for the first ten years of their career that then just settle down once they are 30, 35.

Mauricio SchulerAnd then we create a career for them, but let them experience. Everyone will win. Every hotel will win if they have a young person that's been traveling for ten years, meeting different cultures and everything for ten years because this is part of the contract. You know? I under if I'm a good employer and I let them go, they will come back at some point. So it's not about holding them dear and doing everything you can for a career that starts at 20 years old, but do the best you can for them to remind, to remember you once they want to set away.

the Future of HospitalityMauricio, thank you. Wise words, thank you for being on a podcast.

Mauricio SchulerThanks, AJ. Thank you so much for inviting me. It was a pleasure to be here. Thank you so much.