Why “Beautiful Friction” Is Shaping the Future of Hospitality Leadership | “Meet in the Lobby”

Welcome back to Meet in the Lobby, the hospitality podcast from Avendra International—where hospitality meets innovation. In this episode, hosts Dorien Murphy and Melissa McCormack sit down with Christin Marvin, Founder of Columbine Hospitality (https://www.columbinehospitality.com/) , to explore what leadership truly looks like in today’s hospitality landscape—and how operators can move beyond daily firefighting to build scalable, sustainable businesses. From personal stories about why people fall in love with the industry to a deeper conversation on culture, workforce evolution, and operational excellence, this episode highlights what it takes to lead high-performing teams across kitchens, restaurants, and multi-unit operations. Christin shares her journey from starting on the line at 15 to opening 13 restaurants and supporting growth across nearly 50 locations—along with the lessons she’s learned along the way. The conversation dives into the importance of hiring for values, building intentional systems, and creating the kind of culture that allows leaders to step back and focus on growth. Christin also introduces the concept of “beautiful friction,” describing how a new generation of hospitality professionals is challenging the industry to be better—and why that’s a positive force for change. Along the way, the group explores what it takes for hotel restaurants to become true destinations, the role of employee experience in driving guest satisfaction, and why the strongest operators are those who invest equally in people and performance. Get Christin's book, "Multi-Unit Mastery: How to Simplify Operations, Maximize Profits and Lead with Confidence," for free, here: https://irfbook.com/ ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome back + why we love hospitality 02:45 Guest introduction: Christin Marvin, Columbine Hospitality 06:10 Kristen’s journey from the line to leadership 09:15 Building leadership frameworks: hiring, values, and systems 13:00 Workforce shifts + the rise of “beautiful friction” 15:20 Elevating hotel restaurants into destination experiences 🎙️ About Meet in the Lobby Produced by Avendra International, Meet in the Lobby brings together operators, industry experts, and hospitality leaders to explore the trends, tools, and real-world strategies shaping the future of hospitality. 👉 Visit www.avendra.com or scan the QR code on screen. Follow Avendra International on LinkedIn for the latest hospitality insights and trends:   / avendra-llc   Listen to Meet in the Lobby on: Avendra.com: https://www.avendra.com/en/us/resourc... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5foDUau... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...