B Tourism: Transforming Hospitality with Legacy Vacation Resorts
Jul 02, 2024
Campfire Consulting
Ever wondered how a vacation resort could change the world? Join us as we sit down with Madison Daum, the dynamic Sustainability and Social Purpose Manager at Legacy Vacation Resorts (LVR), who shares the remarkable transformation of LVR under the visionary leadership of founder Jared Meyers. Discover how credible certifications like B Corp and 1% for the Planet have become the bedrock of their mission, impacting both the company culture and environmental footprint positively. Madison reveals the geographical reach of LVR's resorts across Florida, Nevada, Colorado, and New Jersey, and the meaningful changes these certifications have sparked in the hospitality industry.
Hear about Madison's inspiring journey into sustainability, starting from her academic pursuits to her impactful roles at companies like Amavida Coffee and now LVR. We delve into the synergistic efforts between LVR, Florida for Good, and B Tourism in advocating for responsible travel and community support. Learn how the hospitality industry can be a powerful educator for sustainable practices, from simple acts like reusing towels to bigger initiatives supporting local economies. Tune in to uncover the potential for ethical travel advisory services to foster mindful tourism, all while aiming to instill more responsible travel habits across the globe.
Ever wondered how a vacation resort could change the world? Join us as we sit down with Madison Daum, the dynamic Sustainability and Social Purpose Manager at Legacy Vacation Resorts (LVR), who shares the remarkable transformation of LVR under the visionary leadership of founder Jared Meyers. Discover how credible certifications like B Corp and 1% for the Planet have become the bedrock of their mission, impacting both the company culture and environmental footprint positively. Madison reveals the geographical reach of LVR's resorts across Florida, Nevada, Colorado, and New Jersey, and the meaningful changes these certifications have sparked in the hospitality industry.
Hear about Madison's inspiring journey into sustainability, starting from her academic pursuits to her impactful roles at companies like Amavida Coffee and now LVR. We delve into the synergistic efforts between LVR, Florida for Good, and B Tourism in advocating for responsible travel and community support. Learn how the hospitality industry can be a powerful educator for sustainable practices, from simple acts like reusing towels to bigger initiatives supporting local economies. Tune in to uncover the potential for ethical travel advisory services to foster mindful tourism, all while aiming to instill more responsible travel habits across the globe.
but really that champions team meets monthly and we talk about issues that are going on in our resorts and we also have a topic of the month.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to Responsibly Different, brought to you by Campfire Consulting. In this space, we kindle the stories, insights and dialogues at the heart of conscious consumerism and impactful business practices. Each episode is a journey into the essence of making decisions and investments that nurture positive change. Join our impact strategist, brittany Angelo, as she dives into the narratives of leaders and visionaries who are reshaping what it means to live and work with intention and purpose.
Speaker 3:
As part of this podcast series, campfire collaborated with the Bee Tourism Network to bring to you all our listeners, some exciting conversations exploring the forefront of responsible travel and sustainability in collaboration with industry leaders and innovators in the travel sector. Curious about B Tourism? Well, here's Madison Dom of Legacy Vacation Resorts talking a bit more about what the group does and how they connect through the Bee Tourism Network. If you're curious to learn more about bee tourism or this series, head to the show notes to find some links.
Speaker 1:
The goal of Bee Tourism is to connect individuals and communities, so we really would like to partner with more bee locals so we can highlight and bring up those in the community. Whether they're bee corps or not. They can be 1% for the planet, members or just people who are caring about their impact. But really being able to connect communities globally, that will help extend our reach.
Speaker 3:
In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Madison Dom of Legacy Vacation Resorts, also referred to as LVR. Throughout our conversation, madison is the Sustainability and Social Purpose Manager at LVR and a key member of the Social Purpose Champions Team. As you will hear, madison is deeply committed to promoting sustainable practices within the travel industry. This conversation with Madison left a lasting impression on me, offering invaluable insights into the ways resorts can contribute to responsible tourism. I hope you find it as enlightening as I did. Enjoy the episode. Welcome everybody to Responsibly Different. I am so excited to have Madison on today with us from Legacy Vacation Resorts. Hi Madison, hi Brittany, how are you doing today? Oh, I'm so good. The sun is shining, it is a great spring day, so I'm here to have a blast with you. Okay, madison, so you are from Legacy Vacation Resorts and maybe there are some people on the podcast that don't actually know what Legacy Vacation Resorts is, so can you quickly share, maybe, what makes Legacy Vacation Resorts different from other hotels?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, of course. So Legacy Vacation Resorts we really love having B Corp as a core value. We have quite a few different locations in about four different states, but what really sets us apart are our values and our commitments to the environment, as well as our shareholders?
Speaker 3:
And am I correct in thinking that you're based in Florida but you have multiple hotels in multiple states?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, we have about four different hotels in Florida, one over in Nevada, one in Colorado and another in New Jersey. So all spread out, all in destination locations, you could say.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, key on that destination location. Yeah, so when people are looking for their next hotel to stay with, they should make sure that maybe it's a location that you all are located in. So I know that you're newer to legacy vacation resorts and, for everybody listening, there might be times where Madison or I refer to legacy as LVR. Lvr just means Legacy Vacation Resort. So, knowing that you're newer to LVR and I know that you weren't a part of Legacy becoming a 1% or a B Corp member, I'm wondering if you can maybe just share what's the impact that being a part of these communities has had on you. What are you involved in? That maybe makes these certifications special to you and special to Legacy?
Speaker 1:
Good question, I think where I'd like to start is with how our founders, Jared, really made the decision to leave regular business behind and look towards better business. This was around 10 years ago. That shift and we really well. Jared really wanted to focus on directing business towards the greater good, and when he looked into this, he found that the most credible businesses were either certified B corporations or down the line 1% for the planet members. This is due to quite a few different reasons, but mostly the different view on business and those really rigorous verification of their business practices. In my experience, Legacy or LBR isn't my first B Corp. I began working with Amavita Coffee and did numerous environmental projects that included offsetting carbon footprint, but really just wanting to be proud of the company that I worked with and knowing that any of our work or just my company in general was making a good impact on the world, and so I know personally I've tried to keep that, along with all of my schooling or just internships, but I find that legacy does really good on that aspect.
Speaker 3:
I love that you've been in the B Corp community for as long as you have and I think that your experience with multiple B Corps adds a lot to your role now and into legacy. I know for myself. I've seen, I've seen so many things from B Corp to B Corp and I think one of the benefits that I think about like that reigns true with this community is just sharing of best practices, and I think that being a B Corp and being a B Corp in specifically like the marketing world, I see different marketing companies sharing best practices. Do you feel like within the B Corp world in the hospitality industry? Do you see people sharing best practices?
Speaker 1:
Yes, definitely. I think that's one of the really beautiful things about the B Corp community is the willingness to share all the highs and the lows and really, if you ask for help it will be given. I mean, if you have any questions or are looking to do some work with other B Corps as well, there's a B Corp for everything. So, relying on your community in all aspects it's one of the best things. I mean, you and I got to connect at the B Corp retreat and just having that community is so good and being able to share business practices that have worked and haven't worked. Sometimes you're the guinea pig, sometimes you're following, but we're all moving forward together.
Speaker 3:
I love that, yeah, okay, so now maybe we can take that like idea of moving forward together and being the guinea pig and sharing best practices. And I'm wondering if you can share a little bit more about what your role as sustainability manager looks like at a hotel. And I mean, I'm specifically interested to know what previous experiences do you have that you feel are really helping you in this new role?
Speaker 1:
Yeah. So with Legacy we have quite a few different environmental and social projects going on. So, for example, all of our resorts in Florida have solar. We're still in the process of turning those on, but that's a really big, really big process. And the company that we're working with, optimus it's their first big client too, so we're both learning together. We also do a lot of work in the B Corp community with our employees. We really encourage a lot of volunteering events and just really focusing on our overall impact, not just environment.
Speaker 1:
In my previous experience I was able to work on offsetting carbon footprints and plastic footprints, and so I feel like that's definitely helped me on the data side Just being able to, you know, look at that Excel sheet and dig into it. I also in my schooling I was able to join the Business for Good Lab at the University of Florida. That's with Dr Kristen Joyce. She is amazing. She just won Instructor of the Year for B Academics. So in my schooling I was able to put my hands on the B Corp assessment and really see the impact, and that was pretty impactful. Just moving throughout school also helped me ask the questions of why don't we do this, why don't we take our shareholders into account, and so that just was the norm for me.
Speaker 3:
Cool. I'm also curious, and I think because I know you on a personal level, I know this about you. But, um, you knew Jared before you got this job at Legacy. So I'm wondering if you can share a little bit of what led you to Legacy. But also, like, have you been like watching what Legacy has been doing, and was it always like your dream to become an employee there? Or was it just like the job showed up? You kind of knew Jared and you were like it can't be that bad working there. So like I'm just wondering, like, like what was the process for you to end up at Legacy?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so, kind of, like you said, I had met Jared before.
Speaker 1:
So I was working with my previous B Corp on the Vita Coffee while I was in high school and I ended up going to the B Corp retreat in New Orleans I believe that was 2018.
Speaker 1:
I'm not quite sure Met them at the beginning of their B Corp journey and just kind of had my eye on Jared because I understood that he was doing a lot more with legislature as well. I went through all my schooling and I was able to travel for a little bit, and so that's really what sparked my interest in travel, you know, being able to see how the world treats the world, how people, how different people put emphasis on community or the environment, and so I was really curious to learn more about that and wanted to work in the tourism hospitality space, even though both of my degrees were more on the business side. After arriving back after my travels, I had Jared reach out to me. Actually, he was talking with my old boss, dan Bailey, and it kind of came up that they were looking up for a sustainability person and most of the projects that I had worked on had a little bit of parallel, had a little bit of parallel, so I decided to apply and it's been great so far.
Speaker 3:
Wow. I think it's cool when references or referrals kind of work out like that, and then it's a great fit. Obviously you're doing a stellar job at Legacy, so I'm sure that that's a cool kind of story to tell, all right. So I want to next kind of talk about the idea of, like, your sustainability team. So I think the first question is like do you have a sustainability team? And where I would love for you to go, as you answer this is like if you do or don't have a sustainability team, how is sustainability part of the culture at Legacy Vacation Resorts, and is it any one person's job Well, I know it's your job Is it anybody else's job to incorporate sustainability into the daily tasks? Or is it just the culture is so sustainably minded that everybody cares about sustainability?
Speaker 1:
So at Legacy we do have somewhat of a green team. We call them the Social Purpose Champions Team. This is comprised of quite a few different people, at least one person from all of our resorts, across many different departments so housekeeping, security, corporate, you name it. We normally rotate all the members about each quarter or every half year, depending on how we're doing. But really that champions team meets monthly and we talk about issues that are going on in our resort and we also have a topic of the month, so talking about how there's easy ways to make changes in your own lives but also highlight how we may not be doing well in one area of the resort or how something is working that we changed. Mostly this is to help educate and really give those members ideas and information to bring back to their team, so that really helps encourage the adoption of sustainability into our culture. That really helps encourage the adoption of sustainability into our culture.
Speaker 1:
We also have social purpose audits for all of our resorts. What that entails is going into one of our rooms and seeing how many low flow faucets do we have, how many energy efficient appliances do we have. We kind of see where we're at and see what percentage of the way we are towards doing well in those in that aspect. But social purpose champions team, we just were able to reignite it after after a little bit of a break, so it's good to see everyone. But this is really where we can hear back, because it's it's really easy to hear from the top hey, we need solar panels. But being able to bring it to a ground level and say this is how it's changing, this is how you can help that, that's that's, I think, where people can do better on storytelling or just education, really seeing how individuals can make an impact.
Speaker 3:
Can we talk about the logistics of the social purpose team? And I'm wondering, like is this something that people get nominated to be on? Can they volunteer themselves to be on it? And then I guess, like, are they getting reimbursed for their time to be on this team or like, is it worked in as part of their job, or is it like something they volunteer for after hours?
Speaker 1:
So far. What has happened is we have had whoever the current social purpose champion is, we've had them either nominate someone else, either at the resort or in their department, and we've reached out and said can you do this on top of your work schedule? Because as of right now, it's only about two to three hours commitment a month. So we have our meeting once a month where we talk about all these things and kind of have an open floor. I also set up one-on-ones to see if we are on track or if they have any ideas that they'd like to bring to those larger meetings. Otherwise, a lot of times it is research on their end. So looking for volunteer events, figuring out what they like at their resort in the communication aspect, or if they have an idea of we need to do better on recycling. Here's an idea that we can work on.
Speaker 3:
That's cool, yeah. So it's like no ideas too small. Every idea is like open on the table. That's, that's cool, okay. So let's talk about, maybe, like one of your sustainability projects that you're super excited about, that like you're passionate about right now, and I'm wondering, like, can you walk us through like projects that you're super excited about, that like you're passionate about right now, and I'm wondering, like, can you walk us through like, what was, what's the key initiatives of the project? And like, maybe, what are you excited to be implementing about this project? Um, and then, like, on the back end, like I'm curious, like, if it's solar panels, like what's the benefit that legacy is seeing around? Like the environmental impact of solar panels, which, like I think we all know. But like, let's spell it out for our listeners. If it's something super cool like that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, of course, solar panels is actually exactly what I had in mind. Cool, exactly what I had in mind Cool. So we have quite a few commitments as a company to become net zero by 2030. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, net zero, that's completely reducing your carbon emissions by a certain timeline, either through renewable energy certificates or through just reduction in general. So we have that commitment with quite a few different companies.
Speaker 1:
So, in order to hit that, we've personally set a goal of reducing our electricity usage by 10% since our 2018 baseline. We have actually already hit that. We've reduced it by over 20%, in part due to our solar commitments. In our Florida locations, we have solar in every single one. Technically, only two were able to measure their production. The other two have just been set up and we're able to see how that's going. But overall, not only does that help us reduce our footprint, but solar panels are something that's very visible, so for our customers, we're able to see them make comments and say, oh, it's really great that we're staying with a green company, or just gives them the opportunity to ask questions and say, oh, are you guys really sustainable, or something, and that's where we can talk.
Speaker 3:
So that last little part like totally hits the nail on the head for me, where it's like you mentioned like low flow faucets, and it's like sure you can say, like you switch over everything to low flow faucets and like maybe somebody might notice that like the speed at which the water is coming out is a little bit slower, but like maybe somebody might notice that like the speed at which the water is coming out is a little bit slower, but like if you have solar panels on the roof, like people are going to see them and they're going to be like oh wow, like legacy is really walking the talk and I think that like that's really cool from the consumer point of view, like the changes that legacy is making is like front and center and very visible, and I think that that probably goes a really long way with your customers. And so you mentioned 2018 as your baseline and I'm just wondering can you talk a little bit about like why is it important to have a baseline and why 2018?
Speaker 1:
2018 was where we first committed to the B Corp cause and that's kind of where we decided to flip the way we do business and so figuring out our goals from there. Obviously, we needed to give ourselves time in order to make these changes, just because we aren't one building where we have seven different locations and it takes time. But having that baseline for everyone is really important because you can't say that you reduce. You have to know where you're at and, honestly, sometimes that's the hardest part seeing where you're at and where you need to go. And I think with the impact assessment, that really kind of lit a fire under us and really wanted us to commit and say it publicly and stay on that commitment. So having that baseline is really important to see over time, because you can have a baseline and want to reduce it year after year, but I mean, we saw it with COVID Sometimes things don't go the way we plan it. So having that and giving it time to kind of reset to the average is really important.
Speaker 3:
Beautifully said. I love that. Okay, so a little bit switching gears here. I want to talk about your involvement in B-Tourism, but also the partnership that Legacy has with Florida for Good. Can you describe for our listeners, I guess, like I'm going to say, the relationship triangle of Legacy Vacation Resorts, florida for Good and B Tourism? How are these things connected and, like, how are you all working towards the same goal and what is that goal that you're working towards?
Speaker 1:
Of course, as you know, Legacy is a hotel that kind of inherently falls under B-tourism hospitality travel while Florida for Good is our local kind of B-local. For Florida, B-tourism at its center is all about connecting people to communities and so being able to strengthen those local communities is really important just in general. But having that connection, that collaboration helps further just the reach. So within B-tourism, while we do have only travel companies or only hotels, that a lot of times other bee corps can fit into that realm in really interesting ways that you might not think. So we've talked about um in the bee tourism realm. We've talked about creating travel itineraries. So I think you might have brought it up in our meeting where B-Labs did a great job of creating a city guide for Vancouver. So we'd like to do something in the future similar to that, but for B-locals, for bee locals, because while some bee locals have a lot of support and a lot of bee corps, not everyone has that support or just visibility. So working together to combine those efforts is really important.
Speaker 3:
It's like a responsible way to visit communities is, I think, another way of like thinking about the B-Tourism group. Like B-Tourism accounts for, like you said, travel industries, hospitality, but also the local culture of the place you're visiting, I think. I think what I've seen that's really cool about be tourism is your group is just educating individuals and companies on how, how to be a more respectful traveler. I guess I would also say I like that you want to hire me coming out we're cool, I swear's much, much warmer than Maine.
Speaker 3:
So, yeah, I do think it's just important to highlight that B-Tourism is one of the many networks that B-Lab supports. Legacy Vacation Resorts is just a member of B-Tourism, but B-Tourism falls under Florida for Good. Is that correct?
Speaker 1:
It doesn't necessarily fall under Florida for Good. We work pretty hand in hand. So Lauren and Winnie are really big promoters of both. I think B-Tourism somewhat originated in florida and then obviously we've grown with all of our partners so there's a little aspect in that. But they are separate. We we do work closely with them just because, like we said, b tourism wants to work with more locals yeah, this is kind of jumping off the point nice, okay.
Speaker 3:
So I'm curious because I know you've done quite a bit of travel, um, and I know that you're in the hospitality industry because you're passionate about this and I know that you care a lot about sustainability and responsible travel. So, from your point of view and this could be like as Madison or as Legacy's sustainability manager but I'm just wondering, like, what opportunities do you see for the hospitality industry as a whole to become more sustainable and more responsible, like if you had a magic, like time traveler skill, like in five years, what do you hope the industry is doing that maybe they're currently not doing?
Speaker 1:
I think tourism in general has a really big opportunity to educate their customers. A lot of times when we're traveling we're open to new experiences and learning. So I think that's step one being able to really connect our customers with a different way of thinking. We've seen it in some hotels where it says if you don't want us to wash this towel, hang it up and reuse it. That's one way we're being green. This towel, hang it up and reuse it. That's one way we're being green. That's one way of not just minimizing their impact but also helping their customers really really just be more mindful in their day-to-day lives.
Speaker 1:
I think in my personal travels it was really interesting to see how different communities place value on different sustainability or social responsibility topics. There are some places that value community kind of over everything, so being able to put a really high value on that. Other places had environment in mind. It's their home and they took a lot of pride in it, so being able to speak towards that. I think tourism does get a bad rap just because, with travel itself, all the emissions, with staying the carbon footprints, so working towards limiting those or reducing those, we're working on it too. We're not perfect Nobody is but really just taking a step and connecting people, communities and companies to a better way of life.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, Couldn't agree more with what you're saying and I think the hospitality industry, like you're saying, has such a strong ability to educate consumers and I'm really excited to see this like responsible shift to the industry and I think we're going to see a lot of improvement in the next few years. So I'm glad that you're like ahead of the curve and you're you're really making that change.
Speaker 1:
One thing that's also really interesting is with let's use travel advisory companies as an example.
Speaker 1:
Let's use travel advisory companies as an example. They have the opportunity to choose a destination and one choose a green way of getting there, to partnering with local either local guides or just local areas to help bring up that local economy, as well as making sure any excursions, let's say, involving animals, making sure that those are just truly ethical. So there's a lot of power in that, because people just go with the easiest thing or the cheapest thing. So being able to say you could do this, or here's another aspect that might be more impactful on your vacation. There's also the part of vacationing where you are. So I can't tell you how many times I can go down a street where I live and I'll say, oh, I didn't realize this was here. This is really cool. I just participated in a cleanup yesterday and I found a refill market that I didn't know was there and I've been looking for one. So that's a really fun way of traveling where you are and being mindful when you travel.
Speaker 3:
Mm, hmm, mm, hmm. Yeah, the idea of like getting on a plane to call something a vacation should be like a way of the past, like like you should be able to vacation right in your backyard, and I think like lifting that up and making that cool again is also important.
Speaker 1:
That's why. That's why the locals have so much power, just to highlight really cool things. I mean, I'm sure you've been somewhere where like, okay, what can I do in Kissimmee on a Thursday and just having those ideas pop up or just encouraging people to try new things?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, yeah, all right, and I think my final question for you, madison, is knowing that both of us are a little bit newer in our careers and we're still kind of getting our footing underneath us. We definitely have a lot of listeners that are in a similar boat. They're trying to figure out what do they want to do with their lives. For that listener who's just starting to pursue a career in sustainability, I'm wondering what advice would you offer them to keep encouraging them to go forward with a sustainability career?
Speaker 1:
I think my biggest piece of advice would be to stay curious. Sustainability is still something new and it's always evolving, but making sure that you find an area that's really inspiring to you is going to make your life so much easier in the long run. I think that a lot of people may choose one topic and just stick with it because they've stuck with it, but don't be afraid to bounce ideas. A lot of older professionals are very open to talk to you if you have any questions. I know when I was looking for my career, I would call people and ask them what do you like about your job, what do you hate about your job, what's something that you're working on that's a little bit frustrating, or what's something that you should be doing?
Speaker 1:
If you're very interested in a specific area, you could say if you were me, what would you be doing? But a lot of people want to help you. Everyone wants to help you. I know I tried to get hands-on experience. I know it can be frustrating for younger people who don't have any experience. So it's just asking the question, because if the person that you have in mind doesn't have an opportunity, odds are they know someone who may. So stay curious, stay positive. So stay curious, stay positive, just be.
Speaker 3:
I love that. That's so good. Yeah, stay curious, stay positive, keep going. So love that. Well, thank you, madison, so much for sharing every piece of wisdom that you did today. This is super exciting to get to talk to you, learn more about legacy and your role and everything that you're doing with B-Tourism, I think that's really cool.
Speaker 1:
So thank you so much. Awesome, Thank you.
Speaker 2:
Brittany, thank you for joining us on Responsibly Different a Campfire Consulting Initiative. We hope today's conversation has sparked new ideas and inspired action towards purposeful leadership and sustainable choices For insights and strategies that elevate your brand story in a meaningful way. Visit us at campfireconsulting. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share, as every interaction helps spread the warmth of responsible living. Until next time, keep the fire of curiosity alive and embrace the power of being responsibly different.
