Each month NACE New England showcases individuals from our chapter in order for fellow members and followers to get to know how amazing our diversity in membership really is along with the qualities and characteristics of those members. Please meet the members highlighted this past August! Meet Ashley Kirouac, Event Sales Manager at Hyatt Regency Cambridge - What did you study in school? I went to Northeastern where I studied Psychology & Sociology. Northeastern offers a very nice co-op program and my 2nd year I received a co-op job from the Justice Resource Institute, in their Developmental Disabilities Division. From there I worked my way up through their ladder eventually running one of their group homes in Waltham, and on the side I did wait staffing through Event Temps and served at venues as small as a backyard party to as large as huge collegiate graduation events along with everything in between. It was that 2nd job where I found my passion in events. 2 years later I completely flip flopped careers and have pushed myself to get to where I am today. - What would people be surprised to know about you? I like to do the scary stuff that other people don’t like to. I’ve been skydiving and would go again, but just recently I went “Over the Edge” for the Special Olympics. Raising $1,300.00 myself, and $175,000+ in total for the event of a two-day span, I then celebrated by rappelling the 220+ feet from the roof of Hyatt Regency Boston. As my two rappelling neighbors were scared, I looked down and waved to the crowd and then bounced off the wall a bit (a little scary when my short legs barely made it back to the wall), and then decided to go as fast down the wall as possible for fun. It was an amazing rush that lasted all day! - What one word would your best friends use to describe you? Loyal. - What qualities make your business/company distinctive? At Hyatt Regency Cambridge we care about people so that they can be their best. Yes, we have ballrooms with stunning Boston Skyline views along the Charles River, but when it comes down to it, we try to dive deep into every detail from the first guest that arrives until the last guest departs from our Hotel, with a fabulous wedding in between! For example, our food is phenomenal and our Chef always makes an appearance at our tastings. One time, Chef heard that a certain starch was chosen for the wedding guests but (let’s say) the groom really preferred another option. Come wedding day, that delicious potato dauphinoise was a surprise on his plate adding another delighter to his day. We try to be proactive and think about how we can improve upon our guest’s experiences, even if it is just in the slightest way. And not just with wedding guests of course, but all guests! - What qualities do you most admire in your colleagues? Our jobs are not easy – we work long hours, weekends, and usually are working when everyone else is enjoying themselves on a holiday or long weekend. I really admire the dedication that I see in my colleagues, and the passion that drives them to work the hours and with the quality of work that they do. They push me to be a better person every day, to work hard and keep pushing and they remind me that it will all be worth it. And when I see the happiness in my couples’ eyes on their wedding day, I know that it has been. - What kind of projects would you love to work on? I love to organize and make things new and pretty – to take something broken and reinvent the wheel for it. For example, when I started at Hyatt Regency Cambridge I took a look at our collateral for weddings, and how we positioned our proposals to our potential clients and realized we could do better – so I changed it! I always love to have a hand in what we do to market weddings at our Hotel, I think that is the driving force to get our potential couples in the door and then I take it from there! Meet Jennifer Sepulveda, Catering Sales Manager at the Harvard Club - What did you study in school? I studied hospitality management at Bryant College for two years before entering the business full time. - What would people be surprised to know about you? I would say most people are surprised to find out that I am from Scotland, born in Greenock. I traveled quite a bit before the age of five. My family lived in Canada (twice) and Australia before landing in America, Miami. - What one word would your best friends use to describe you? That’s a tough one – probably thoughtful. - What qualities make your business/company distinctive? The Harvard Club of Boston is one of a kind – very unique, classic. - What qualities do you most admire in your colleagues? I admire my colleagues dedication to their positions. - What kind of projects would you love to work on? I have always loved art and in particular photography. I would very much enjoy having time to work on this and see where it leads. Meet Maricruz Polito, Bridal Hair Designer at Maricruz Hairstyles - What did you study in school? After high school, I studied Cosmetology in Mexico and graduated. In 2000, I moved to the US. Applied to Blaine Beauty School here in Boston. I dove head first in learning terminologies and honed my skills practicing the language. - What would people be surprised to know about you? At one point in time I saw myself as an architect or an engineer of some sort and started a Electromechanical Engineering program at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. I realized my love for cosmetology was deeper than I thought and returned to architecting/engineering hair designs ever stronger. - What one word would your best friends use to describe you? Adventurous! I love to experience life as much as possible. I feel, one that possesses adventure often may have many growth spurts. Being adventurous encompasses courage and the mind set to step out of one’s comfort zone and make things happen. - What qualities make your business/company distinctive? I pride myself on quality, attention and detail I offer to my brides. I’m able to design what my brides envision and make it come alive. From the first inquiry, to the first trial all possible options and three hairstyles that I offer enables me to ensure satisfaction. I prefer the brides see the hairstyles on themselves rather than looking at hair pictures the day of. Together we can make a more informed decision on which hairstyle to choose for their day. I want to feel that they feel 100% sure they love and feel comfortable with the hair style they choose. - What qualities do you most admire in your colleagues? I admire most is respect, creativity and patience. I understand that I’m not going to please all clients all the time. Some clients are difficult and hard to please, some ask for astronomical reductions in my prices others have day to day stress. I admire how people express the work of others in a positive light. It empowers hairstylists and lends itself well to the art of the developing business owners. I love following people in my line of business. I admire them and see them as source of inspiration to do well rather than competition. - What kind of projects would you love to work on? I truly love and enjoy my brides. I look to continue working with brides as often as I can and continue to grow and learn from them. As always, my love and passion lies with other professionals, collaborating in photo shoots, bridal shows and events that are featured in major Bridal Magazine covers. We at NACE would love to hear from you. In the comments below, let us know if you have any thoughts on highlighted members from August. Thank you for sharing!
1 Comment
4/25/2018 05:55:02 am
This is something really good to do if you want to have your employees be loyal to you. You have to make them feel appreciated by recognizing their hard work and awarding them for it. I know that they working 8 hours a day or even more than will always be something not easy to do that is why we need to make sure that we will make these workers feel more motivated in doing their jobs. I am sure that they will be able to do their jobs better than before.
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Ashley Kirouac has been an Event Sales Manager at Hyatt Regency Cambridge for three years, primarily selling and planning weddings along with other social events. She won Manager of the Year and was one of 100 Hyatt Hyachievers in Event Sales & Planning for 2016. A NACE member for 1 year, Ashley is now a proud Social Media Committee Member for NACE and enjoys blogging by uncovering knowledge and experiences from other NACE members. When not working she enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family. Contact Ashley with ideas for upcoming blog posts! Archives
February 2018
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