I have been actively and consistently writing/journaling ever since receiving my first diary at age 7. When I got my first “real” job out of college, I started a dedicated journal to collect my thoughts and notes and have done so with every venture since. Over the course of my nearly-thirty-year career, I’ve filled over 40 "work" journals dedicated to recording the challenges, lessons, and questions I’ve tackled on the job. Most recently over the course of the last 10+ years, I’ve developed several general business and short-term rental revenue management philosophies (a fancy word for opinions, I suppose), and the time seemed ripe to try to share some of these thoughts... And so here we are! I claim no real authority, nor do I claim to have any answers; in fact, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear that you disagree with a lot of what you may read in my future blog posts – but I’m not putting it out into the universe to try to convince anyone of anything and I’m certainly not confident that I’m right about any of it. But I have seen and experienced a lot over the past decade or so at the intersection of revenue management and hospitality – perhaps some of my ramblings here may spark a thought or two that you enjoy entertaining.
So why REVZEN? Ancient schools of philosophy and world religions (particularly Eastern) have fascinated me for years. I find that many of their tenets and principles are rife with a depth of wisdom that has been and continues to be useful and relevant to me in my daily work and personal life. When I was thinking about a business name that would encompass my thoughts, beliefs, and objectives, REVZEN checked all the boxes (hat tip: Jordan Locke of RevPARTY who coined it). Now, I don’t practice Buddhism, nor do I suggest you attain “Revenue Enlightenment” via meditation only (though I do certainly encourage the practice), but I think there are parallels that can be easily drawn between some of the main principles of Zen and successful business practices, à la holistic revenue management. You will find a smattering of those correlations in the posts that follow.
I’ve always been somewhat of an enigma; I’m wired in a way that baffles those who try to place me in “either/or” categories. Am I creative or analytical? Artistic or scientific? Imaginative or technical? While admittedly confounding at times, the answer to each of those queries is, “Yes.” From the time I was a young child, I had my feet firmly planted in two, often divergent worlds. As I grew, my educational and vocational paths continued to perplex many folks - even though they made perfect, balanced sense to me. In Zen, “balance” is not a static state, but an ongoing process of adjustment and refinement. In my early career, I soaked up the artistic, the musical, the imaginative. In later years, I found the analytical and technical calling to me… And (for now) I’ve struck a balance that honors all parts of who I am and how I’m designed.
Speaking of design, the REVZEN logo was designed by my "Lily Sister," Jenikah Joy of sooogoodstudios. Both Jenikah and I spent our earliest days as residents of the White Lily Orphanage in Daegu, South Korea. Over the years many of us "Lilies" have (re)connected and become chosen brothers and sisters bound by a common origin and consequently, some similar life experiences. I am honored that she accepted the offer to design the logo for this deeply personal venture of mine. The logo itself consists of an Enso circle, derived from Zen Buddhism with "Zen" as the centerpiece written in beautiful, Korean (Hangul) calligraphy.
You’ll find that my upcoming posts are largely a collection of some of the lessons I’ve learned (or am learning), the quandaries I’ve faced (or am facing), and the approaches I have taken with them. They are not meant to be tactical or some sort of "how-to" guide. There is not a single answer; there is not a single way. Enlightenment is not found along a well-beaten path. But my hope is that my observations, sentiments, and inquiries might help you along yours.
-Sarah
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