Catholic Founders #59 Lessons From Running a Hotel Company Through Covid | Rob Hays
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In Today’s Issue:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic - Rob, CEO of Publicly Traded Hotel Brand - Now Investor
* Core Takeaway -
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
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Today’s Topic & Guest:
Rob Hays | Investor & Entrepreneur
This episode is legendary! Why? Because Rob is legendary.
If you’re not familiar with him, he took over as CEO of a publicly traded hotel brand days before COVID. Crazy!
He had to furlough most of the company. And did what he could, little by little, each day to see them through that crisis (of having zero revenue).
Rob has spent a lot of time thinking about how to integrate his faith into what he does. Which makes him a great guest for us. He’s got some incredibly fiery takes.
In this episode, we dive into how that crucible of crisis refined his faith and why he believes professional prestige and mundane tasks are essential components of a founder’s sanctification
Core Lesson:
Professional prestige is a byproduct of excellence. That excellence serves as the "bait" for apostolic influence. Which in turn, gives us more credibility to share our faith (because they see we are good at what we do).
Seeking prestige often feels like an act of pride, yet Rob reframes it as a functional necessity for the personal apostolate. People naturally seek advice and leadership from those who demonstrate mastery in their craft. By striving for excellence as an input, we create the credibility required for others to take our witness seriously.
This perspective shifts the focus from self-glorification to professional stewardship. When we prioritize excellence in our roles as founders, fathers, and husbands, the resulting prestige becomes a tool to wield for the sake of the Gospel and human flourishing. We must remain detached from the output of prestige while remaining fiercely committed to the inputs of excellence and prayer.
(I should probably write more about this in the future)
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
Key Episode References:
* St. Josemaria Escriva Institute
* The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist
* The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist
* Uniformity with God’s Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori
* Time for God by Father Jacques Philippe
* Jeff Bezos on Work-Life Harmony
* Dr. Daniel Tataje - #49 He Beats PE Firm’s With Lower Bids
Bible Passages
* Exodus 12:5 - The Unblemished Lamb
* Matthew 16:24 - Take up your cross
* Matthew 26:34 - Peter’s Denial
* Luke 2:51-52 - The Hidden Life at Nazareth
* Matthew 6:9-13 - The Our Father
Select Quotes:
* “St. Josemaria’s thesis was that he did that to show us that the mundane and the, and both the company of the mundane, ordinary things of life, know, family, living in a little village, going to work every day, but then also work is a part of the salvific plan of God and is part of our own redemption.” — Rob Hays
* “Jesus was a carpenter or blacksmith and doing mundane tasks as God of the universe. That’s completely insane. But that is the example that he gave us.” — Rob Hays
* “Who cares about what someone says who is bad at what they do?” — Rob Hays
* “Prestige, for lack of a better word, is effectively the ‘bait’ for the apostolate.” — Rob Hays
* “If I am in fact excellent at those things, there very well likely will be prestige that comes from it. And that prestige, I can then use for good.” — Rob Hays
* “I always think it’s about priorities rather than balance... that priority is a constant reordering of things.” — Rob Hays
* “Every day, the first several years of my role was the house is burning to the ground.” — Rob Hays
* “I needed to have the tangible list of things that I was gonna do so that I knew that if I accomplished these things today, it was enough.” — Rob Hays
* “If you don’t have this idea of detachment of the outcome and trust that God is in control, I don’t know how you make it through the trials and struggles and failures.” — Rob Hays
* “Holiness is very difficult, if not impossible, without suffering.” — Rob Hays
* “Where the value, the redemptive and salvific value comes is in the love that’s put into it.” — Rob Hays
Key Moments: (outline)
* [00:00] - Intro Hook: Rob discusses the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth and the inherent value found in mundane labor.
* [01:02] - Introduction: Silas welcomes listeners and introduces Rob Hays, former CEO of a major hotel brand.
* [04:05] - Redefining Prestige: Rob explains why seeking professional excellence and prestige serves as a Christian duty.
* [08:20] - Priorities vs. Balance: A discussion on maintaining a “seamless garment” of life through prayer and constant reordering of priorities.
* [10:58] - Leading Through Crisis: Rob shares his experience taking over as CEO during COVID and managing extreme professional anxiety.
* [13:24] - Consecration of the Company: The story of Rob consecrating his business to Our Lady and the Lord while on the brink of bankruptcy.
* [17:02] - Detachment and Trust: Why entrepreneurs must trust God with outcomes and view professional struggles as hidden blessings.
* [19:19] - Happiness and Sanctity: Exploring the necessity of the Cross and suffering in the life of a Catholic leader.
* [21:50] - Sanctifying the Mundane: How the hidden life of Jesus serves as the model for finding salvific value in daily administrative tasks.
* [26:27] - Practical Reminders: Rob’s tactics for keeping faith front and center, including using a pocket crucifix and praying for others during difficult tasks.
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
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