Time waits for no man. LinkedIn kindly reminded me in January that it’s been 15 years since I established JG Collection, social media has its benefits! Speaking of social media I had another déjà vu moment at ILTM Cannes last December together with Steve O’Loughlin when I was recalling some early Facebook images from the show.

I recounted Serge and Sarah Dive wandering into the hotel lobby of The Hempel where I was GM wanting to shoot some images for the brochure of a new show in Cannes. Fast forward to December 2019 and mid-conversation I announced I have some images from the first show in 2006 where I was promptly corrected, ‘John that’s when Facebook began, the show started in 2001!

That said Facebook is practically retro, now it’s all about WhatsApp and WeChat.There is no escaping the impact technology has had on our industry let alone our lives. Whilst many accept its influence, you only need to look to Airbnb, Uber, OTA’s and The Airlines, we find ourselves wrestling with our own dependence. You hear that on average we check our phones at least 58 times per day and on average spend 3 hours and 15 mins a day on our phones. Who here lets the phone dictate their behaviour? Have you tried turning the notifications off or setting the timing so that blue light is dimmed at a certain time to allow you brain to relax?

There is not a wellness article or podcast I know promoting increased use of technology however, I think we can all agree that balance is the key. Digital has changed the way we connect with our guests, creating a twenty-four seven relationship pre and post stay in a world where the guests believe they have many of the travel solutions at their fingertips! It can be enormously helpful and convenient when used meaningfully.

Given what we know and what we, as hoteliers, can influence, what is fundamental within our interactions with clients? What is meaningful and impactful communication? It comes down to quality v’s quantity. For ourselves at JG, human interaction is key and I know it’s a view shared by many partners who, like us, appreciate the value of technology whilst remaining vigilant of balance.

Time my friends passes us all by and whilst we all need to plan for the future, reminisce about the past, let’s also remember our most important time is the present, life is precious enjoy 2020 and what I really hope will be an interesting and meaningful read.

Working Title: Workplace Sustainability with Yoga and JG Collections new Coordinator.

As you know we moved offices and are now located in Moorgate at WeWork, I am thoroughly enjoying all the benefits WeWork has to offer such as yoga, meditation and the interesting talks- not forgetting the free coffee and beer!
I now look forward to Mondays. I didn’t used to. No, I don’t look forward to opening up the inbox any more than you do!  But I do look forward to Monday’s. That is because of yoga. In our WeWork, yoga takes place between 5.30-6.30pm every Monday and that focuses your mind because you know that staying late on a Monday is not an option. Besides, leaving work on time on a Monday sets you up for a productive and balanced week.
I have not always been a fan of yoga, in fact the first time I tried it at the tender age of 18, I positively hated it! Lots of balancing and funny breathing. It was a good 5 years until I came back to it, once I had entered the workplace. Then it was a different story.
Living and working in London is stressful, just getting around is stressful enough, crammed into tubes like sardines with bags and human limbs squeezed against you. Then you get to work and no matter how great your workplace is there are deadlines and phone calls and emails and people wanting things from you. Yoga doesn’t want anything from you and instead of taking your space with a stupidly over sized bag it gives you space. It gives you the space to breathe, to re-connect to yourself and to your body. In yoga, whatever you do in the practice is always enough, it never demands or needs more.
This 1 hour of pure calm and space a week is enough to breathe out a manic Monday and re-focus my mind for the rest of the week. There are some specific poses that I find useful for specific things that might be going on. For example, warrior poses help me to ground myself and remind me of my strength, great for when I’m anxious; it reminds me that I have got this! Positions requiring balance such as the Vrikshasana, or Tree Pose to you and me, are great for sharpening my focus, particularly useful if you have been doing 10 things at once. Just bringing that concentration back, calming a racing mind and stretching out that tension makes for a better week. I would go as far as to say it increases my productivity. I have no scientific knowledge or evidence for this, just my own experience. I know that on the rare weeks when I have missed my 1 hour yoga practice on a Monday night I have felt it in my work, in my body and in my life for the rest of the week.