Ever wonder what makes hospitality leaders so good at thinking on their feet? It’s like boot camp for leadership skills – you get a crash course in everything from HR to crisis management, all while keeping a smile on your face.

Junid Sanchez, an HR leader in hospitality, joins the podcast to share what she’s learned from leading teams in one of the most fast-paced industries around. Her formative career was spent with Wynn Resorts and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, where she led company-wide strategies for the grand openings of these resorts; successfully implementing HR Digital Systems that transform the employee experience and operational efficiency.

In this candid conversation, Junid gets honest about the moments that shaped her leadership style – including some tough feedback that changed everything and a promotion she didn’t get that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She shares practical strategies for connecting with your team, why “marinating” on decisions can be your secret weapon, and how being genuinely curious about your people’s lives changes the whole game.

Whether you’re managing two people or twenty, Junid’s insights will help you build the kind of leadership presence that makes people actually want to work for you. From opening new properties to navigating the chaos of daily operations, Junid breaks down the real skills that separate leaders who thrive from those who stay average.

Key Highlights

• Leadership isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about having the skills to help get the answers through collaboration and bringing different perspectives together.
• Hospitality gives you a leadership crash course – every day brings different scenarios that force you to think faster and make decisions on the fly.
• “Marinate on it” mentality – not every decision needs to be made immediately; taking time to think clearly without emotion often leads to better outcomes.
• The power of genuine connection – asking about what’s happening in your team members’ lives and remembering those “little nuggets” builds real trust.
• Career setbacks teach emotional intelligence – sometimes missing out on a promotion is exactly what you need to develop the maturity for future success.
• Be bold in intimidating situations – speak up in meetings with executives; people need to know what you have to say. 
• Don’t stay stuck in difficult situations – recharge, recalibrate, take a new approach, get creative, and involve others as influencers.
• The ice cream cart story – when leaders have autonomy to show appreciation organically, it creates genuine moments that employees remember.

Links Mentioned

• Connect with Junid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junid-sanchez/
• Join The Made Leader Community by May 30^th at https://bit.ly/MadeLeaderCommunity

Guest Bio

Junid is a seasoned Hospitality HR executive with over 15 years of successful experience in the Las Vegas strip. Her formative career was spent with Wynn Resorts and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, where she led company-wide strategies for the grand openings of these resorts; successfully implementing HR Digital Systems that transform the employee experience and operational efficiency.

She is a passionate individual who has successfully built and mentored robust HR teams, enriching corporate culture and aligning human resources initiatives with overarching business objectives. Junid gives back to the Las Vegas community by sharing her knowledge and experience with students at UNLV, TISOH and other local speaking engagements.

Additionally, she is certified by the Society for Human Resource organization as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), which is a professional certification designed for senior-level HR professionals who primarily work in strategic roles, focusing on developing HR policies, overseeing operations, and aligning HR strategies with organizational goals; essentially, it signifies a high level of expertise in human resource management at a strategic level within an organization.

In her current role, Junid closely aligns with senior executives and leaders to strategically shape the culture of the organization through leadership development; collaborative, flexible and creative continuous improvement connected to business strategy; and a disciplined drive for excellence in Human Resources & Leadership Development.