190 | Handshake Deal Robbery

Donte Johnson is a hospitality veteran with a 20+ year career of transforming hotel experiences through cultural integration and community connection. Now GM at Thompson Atlanta Buckhead, he’s known for blending operational excellence with authentic local engagement. Jason Bass is a serial entrepreneur turned hotel innovator, bringing his background in fashion, spirits, and tech to a new role as Director of Culture and Impact. Together, they co-authored The Impact Hospitality Handbook, diving into passion-powered hospitality, purposeful partnerships, and people-first playbooks.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🧾 What happens when you toss the traditional org chart and ask, “If we didn’t know how to run a hotel, how would we do it?”

🎽 Why letting hotel staff choose their uniforms might be the most empowering—and stylish—move you can make.

📈 How community-focused strategies drove hard business results, from full staffing to 3 billion impressions.

🍵 What organic tea, local DJs, and free meeting spaces have to do with redefining hospitality.

💼 How not to onboard a consultant.