G6 Celebrates Black History Month

As we recognize Black History Month, we are proud to celebrate a few of our team members and what the month means to them.

Garrick Davenport – Jr. Systems Engineer

  • What does Black History Month mean to you? I have always seen Black History Month as an opportunity for the world to take a deeper look into our history and our culture as African Americans. There are countless inventions, products and contributions to society that have shaped our modern way of life that originated from African Americans. Due to our painful yet triumphant history in this country that at times is forgotten and overlooked, Black History Month serves as a time of reflection, education, awareness, and celebration.
  • What are your personal values? Faith, Integrity, Honesty, and Perseverance are very important to me, and I teach my children to personify these values and treat everyone with love and kindness.
  • What would you like people to take away from Black History Month? Some things I would like for people to take away from Black History Month would be the historical facts regarding our accomplishments and contributions to society, the many struggles that African Americans have endured to gain equality as well as an awareness that much of our history has been erased. Our heritage is more robust than the information made available via our educational systems and other sources intended for promoting Black History Month.  I encourage us all to take this month and all months to be open to learning about other cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.


Claudette Carroll – Legal Support and Team Lead Claims Representative

  • Who has been your biggest inspiration? Carter Woodson, for his role in establishing Black History Month.
  • Is there anything special about your upbringing or career that has made you who you are today?  I was always taught to always give my best in everything that I do, and to remember that no one can hold me back but MYSELF.
  • What does Black History Month mean to you? Reflection and understanding the stories of past African Americans who have made a difference in our culture.

 

Daphne Willis – Specialist, Communications

  • What are your personal values? Integrity, Individuality, and Kindness.
  • Is there anything special about your upbringing or career that has made you who you are today?  From an early age, I was taught perseverance and to always strive for greatness. I was also taught to not let fear conquer you but to allow it to motivate and give you even more ammunition to achieve your goals. It is this mindset that has allowed me to remain ambitious and live out my dreams.
  • What would you like people to take away from Black History Month? Black History Month is the perfect time to honor and acknowledge how much Black people have sacrificed for this country. It’s important to use this time to shed light on our many contributions and remember the history. I’m grateful for my ancestors who have paved the way for me, and I will continue to make strides for those who come after me. Let’s celebrate Black History every day and not just one month out of the year!

Lindsey Holt – Manager, Marketing

  • Who has been your biggest inspiration? Definitely Michelle Obama. I think she is the epitome of #BlackGirlMagic and I have always aspired to have her confidence and fortitude. 
  • What are your personal values? My biggest personal value is to simply be kind. You never know what a person is going through or where they have been and showing even the smallest level of kindness and respect no matter the person, can go a long way. I always want to leave a first impression of being kind. 
  • Is there anything special about your upbringing or career that has made you who you are today? I contribute a lot of my success from choosing to attend an HBCU. Attending Grambling State University helped me not only figure out who I am but to also be proud of who I am. I was fortunate enough to have a lot of great professors who poured into me, challenged me, and saw my potential and they played a huge role in who I am today.

Aziza Brown – Director, National Sales

  • What does Black History Month mean to you? Black History Month is honoring and celebrating prominent African Americans i.e., Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks who helped pave the way during the Civil Rights Movement to fight for change and justice for all mankind.
  • What would you tell your 18-year-old self about your career journey? Follow your dreams and aspirations even when the journey gets tough along the way. Never give up!
  • Is there anything special about your upbringing or career that has made you who you are today? I was raised by two very strong and successful African American Parents.  They challenged me to be the best me I could be with no regrets. As a very little girl I would see my father speak in political forms; fight and lobby for change in the community where things just didn’t make sense.  My mother’s famous words growing up were “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed” I remember these words to this day and live by them every day. I also instill the same values in my two African American Sons.

G6 Honors 2023 CEO Award Winners

G6 Hospitality recently celebrated the efforts of those who went above and beyond during our 2023 CEO Awards event. These annual awards honor exceptional individuals and teams who have stood out for their efforts and serve as an opportunity for us to recognize those who have been instrumental in moving our Brands forward, while continuously demonstrating our values.

The 2023 Read more

Celebrating Our Female Team Members During Women’s History Month

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Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions of women around the world. This year, we are honoring our female team members at G6 Hospitality that have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to leaving the light on for guests and exemplified this year’s theme of “break the bias,” proving there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

As we worked together to navigate the company during a period of historic hardship for the travel industry, these women played a critical role at G6.While women have made great strides in the hospitality industry, we recognize there is room for more progress to ensure they have a seat at the table. An inclusive workforce is critical in our industry, as we want to reflect the rich diversity of the guests we serve. At G6, we’re committed to gaining and retaining female talent and offering our continuous support as women have shouldered unprecedented burdens over these past few years.

In a recent interview with LODGING Magazine, Chief Legal Officer Ama Romaine discussed the launch of the company’s first Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) report and spoke about G6’s council on diversity, equity, and inclusion, which has helped the leadership team “think about things we need to do, [and] opportunities we need to create to be more diverse both within our company and our ownership base.” Chief Financial Officer Julie Arrowsmith also noted that developing a framework to measure diversity efforts report has “raised awareness and spurred change throughout the organization.”

Throughout the health crisis, we’ve seen women’s impact on business decisions – at G6 and across industries – based on their lived experiences of juggling work and home life demands.

For many years, G6 has sponsored AAHOA and AHLA initiatives to advance women in hospitality and participate in industry events. In addition, we are thrilled to see an increase in our female owners, both first-time franchisees and women who have stepped up to take over an existing family business.

During the same discussion with LODGING Magazine, Chief Development Officer Tina Burnett commented that both asking for and offering help are key in mentoring and developing a diverse workforce. Tina noted that, “it’s [her] job to give [team members] what they need to step outside of what they know, that there are people ready and willing to pull them up.”

During Women’s History Month and well beyond, we work to ensure women are represented and have a voice in our owners’ advisory councils and our young professional councils.

We’re thankful to have allies at G6 that understand the importance of providing opportunities for women to succeed at our company and in this industry. We will continue to uplift the next generation of female leaders and honor those who came before us.

— G6 Hospitality