From Incarcerated to Hotel of the Year: Danny Owen's Remarkable Journey at Country Inn and Suites

Anthony Codispoti (00:01)

Welcome to another edition of the Inspired Stories podcast, where leaders share their experiences so we can learn from their successes and be inspired by how they've overcome adversity. As you listen today, let one idea shape what you do next. My name is Anthony Cotus-Bode and today's guest is Danny Owen, General Manager of the Country Inn and Suites by Radisson in Abingdon, Virginia.

A cozy 79 room property operated by OMA management. Country Inn and Suites is an upper mid-scale hotel brand that believes every traveler deserves a home away from home. Guests start each day with a complimentary hot breakfast. Make your own waffles while you enjoy the free wifi and relax in welcoming shared spaces designed to feel like a living room on the road. Across the Americas more than

450 Country Inn and Suites locations follow the simple rule, treat people like family. Under Danny's leadership, the hotel has earned guest satisfaction scores and repeat business. Danny was named 2019 Ambassador of the Year by Cokley and Williams and was a finalist for Country Inn and Suites General Manager of the Year in 2020. Before stepping into the GM role, he spent over a decade rising through sales, revenue, and front office positions, giving him a

360 degree view of hotel success. Now, before we get into all that good stuff, today's episode is brought to you by my company, Ad Back Benefits Agency. Listen, if you run a business, you are likely stuck in the cycle of rising insurance premiums. You're paying more, but your team, they're getting less. And many people can't afford coverage at all. We do things differently. We offer a solution that provides your hotel employees with unlimited access to doctors, therapists, and prescriptions.

that's always free for them to use. But here's where you really need to pay attention. Unlike every other employee benefit out there, our program puts more money into your company's bank account. As an example, we recently helped a client increase net profits by $900 per employee per year. Results vary, but the consultation is free. See if you qualify today at addbackbenefits.com. All right, back to our guest today, the GM of Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Danny Owen.

Thanks for making the time to share your story today.

Danny Owen (02:23)

Thanks for inviting me.

Anthony Codispoti (02:25)

And a happy birthday to you as we record today on February 16th. Happy birthday, Danny. So honored to share this special day with you. Let's jump in. What was your first experience in the hotel industry? Your first job experience?

Danny Owen (02:29)

Thank you so much. Thank you.

My first job experience was actually right here. ⁓ And I started out ⁓ my journey with this hotel as house person, ⁓ which is someone that takes the trash out, ⁓ sweeps and mops the floors. ⁓

helps guests if they need help with their luggage, those sort of things. And that's where I began. That was about 17 years ago.

Anthony Codispoti (03:14)

Okay. What kind of work had you been doing up until that point?

Danny Owen (03:19)

Up until that point, I was working for myself with doing some general contracting laying ceramic tile was a big part of it would do some roofing, but I got tired of that and my body got tired of it. So another profession was in store. I'll tell you more about that later.

Anthony Codispoti (03:45)

Okay. Okay. All right. We'll

come back to that. So you started at this hotel 17 years ago as a house person. And have you been at this hotel ever since working your way up or did you leave and come back?

Danny Owen (04:01)

No, I've been here ever since. ⁓ The general manager at that time was a big inspiration to me. So when he hired me, I told him, said, you'll not regret it. Just give me an opportunity. And he did. And every time another area came open, I would ask if I could cross train in it.

And he said, I think that's a great idea. So I began cross training in housekeeping. I've cleaned rooms, ⁓ cross trained in maintenance, actually done the breakfast bar ⁓ for seven months by myself.

So I did that and then a position on the front desk came open and I asked him if it would be possible for me to learn that, that I felt like that that would be an area that I would like to be in. And he said, absolutely. And I guess the rest is, as you would say, history.

Anthony Codispoti (05:09)

So have you always had this curious part of your personality, always a desire to learn more? Because not everybody is like that, right? Not everybody would step up and say, some people would just get comfortable in what they're doing and the routine of it. But you seem to be wired a little differently.

Danny Owen (05:26)

Well, I think probably am wired a little differently because I'm not gonna say I'm not ever satisfied with status quo, but I like to, if there's an opportunity for me to improve myself or my standing or my position, I think that's something that everyone should be interested in doing.

I think far too many times people are just content, have a job, go to work, go home, and really give no thought to what else could I do to benefit my company? What else could I do to benefit myself? And I think if more people would think in that mindset, they would see themselves and their career expand.

and improve.

Anthony Codispoti (06:25)

So you got a chance to learn each of the different components of how a hot hotel operates. You actually took on these roles. How many years ago was it that the GM position became available to you?

Danny Owen (06:40)

That would have been about seven years ago. I was the assistant general manager before that ⁓ and the GM that hired me, his name was George, fantastic guy, very knowledgeable, ⁓ taught me a lot. ⁓ He had decided to retire and

Previous to that, was being sent around a lot of locations around the country, Carson City, Nevada.

in North Carolina, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, different areas for the management company assisting other properties that were either struggling or were without a GM. And I would go in and be the interim GM until they got somebody hired and put in there. ⁓ So that was a lot of it. And then,

That would have been about seven years ago when I had stopped doing that for a while. My wife hated, I was gone all the time and kind of put a damper on your family life, being traveling a lot like that. And the physician came open and he recommended me for the physician that I had a...

a regional manager for the company that we were with at that time. And he had been with me at one of the locations, I think it was in Mount Pleasant. And he said, there's nobody that we would prefer to have there than you. You know the property, you've been there, you know what it takes. ⁓ So we would like to have you take the management position.

Anthony Codispoti (08:41)

You know, what's interesting to me is even before you became the GM there, they were having you travel around the country to be an interim GM at properties that were missing somebody or maybe just struggling. So clearly they saw a ton of value in your skills and your leadership ability even before you had taken on that GM role because they sent you in as a fixer.

Danny Owen (09:04)

Well, I don't like to toot bone horn, I do agree that, you know, they I think they saw something in me, the drive that I have, that I had, that I still have to make things better to. I'm always looking for ways to improve. How can I improve ⁓ my guest satisfaction scores? How can I improve the property overall? ⁓ What?

is there that I can reach and do and put into place to make things better. And I think they did see that was part of my drive. I was also Rookie of the Year Sales Director too, by the way. So that was in 2000 and...

Anthony Codispoti (09:55)

Which year was that?

Danny Owen (10:04)

16.

Anthony Codispoti (10:06)

Well, and one accolade that we didn't mention in the intro that just came to my attention, this is back in 2021 when you were part of Coakley, a group of maybe 350 hotels. You guys out of all 350 were named Hotel of the Year. How did that happen?

Danny Owen (10:07)

So, hmm.

Mm-hmm.

We were absolutely.

by the grace of God and a lot of hard work, determination. We had ⁓ exceeded our goals on our budget and things just, I don't know, just one of those years when everything just seemed to fall into place. Just ⁓ an amazing time that we were able to, to.

Excel as a hotel and you know had a great team and that's one thing that you know when they asked me to speak ⁓ it was over 500 people present and said you know we'd like for you to tell your story I said okay sure I will ⁓ and and was able to you know tell them you know it's not it's not me it wasn't ever me

It was the team that I have in place, the people that look out, that take care of me. I'll put it like that. They take care of not only the guests, but they look after me. They know what I expect. And as crazy as it may seem, they like to go above and beyond and show me what they can do. And I like that. I appreciate that.

That led us, like I said, all of our goals were met and exceeded. Our satisfaction scores were through the roof. ⁓ And we were just honored to be, actually our first year with the Hotel Equities Management Company, our first year to win that title. And we were just beside ourselves. I mean, so delighted.

Anthony Codispoti (12:22)

Yeah,

that's awesome. Now I understand, you know, you've also gone through some challenging transitions, right? Like you guys have changed flags, which is just industry lingo that says you went from one brand to another, which happens. And you've changed hands in terms of management companies. Having kind of been through those transitions, what are some things

Danny Owen (12:42)

Mm-hmm.

Anthony Codispoti (12:48)

First of all, that were challenges to get through them. And then how did you deal with them? What were some of your coping mechanisms?

Danny Owen (12:55)

Well, as far as the branding and changing the flag, was probably, I'm going to say that was the most difficult part. ⁓ Having to learn a complete new system ⁓ as far as the computer, you know.

before we were ⁓ using a system called Opera. ⁓ And I had been in that system for years and years and I could navigate and do basically anything that anybody else could do. ⁓ And we didn't even have to call for support. They would just call me and say, hey, I'm not able to fix this. you? And I'll, yeah, I was a support. ⁓

Anthony Codispoti (13:39)

You were the support.

Danny Owen (13:43)

changing over to another platform that was ⁓ probably the most challenging part. Having to learn, teaching an old dog new tricks, so to speak. Having to learn that system, be prepared on it. Learning their new, everybody has their brand standards. Every hotel, every brand.

having to ⁓ learn and adhere to their brand standards, which were similar in a lot of ways, but in some ways that they were different. So having to make changes in that, changes in ⁓ ordering, who we order from, and the things that we were, supplies that we get in, making those changes, you know, that's all challenging within itself.

when you've been used to doing something ⁓ the same way for years and years and then ⁓ being thrown into something that was totally out of my wheelhouse at that point. I'd never been with the Choice brand. I didn't know a lot about it, ⁓ but ⁓ it was a ⁓ difficult transition. And honestly, we're still

working some kinks out of that. I'm not gonna say choice made us feel like the redheaded stepchild, but in some ways they did. We went to a conference and we weren't really mentioned a whole lot, the new brand the first year. So I was kind of let down by that, but they have since come around and they are pushing the brand.

pushing ⁓ as far as new builds and ⁓ taking on ⁓ existing properties that are looking to change flags. So they're expanding, ⁓ growing ⁓ every year, every day, just expanding and doing a lot with the brand. I'm happy to be in the brand now. ⁓ It was a transition of sorts that.

I wasn't expecting, ⁓ you know, they made the announcement and it's like, here, you don't have a choice in this, you're gonna be a choice property now, so here you are. This is what we're gonna do. yeah, yeah.

Anthony Codispoti (16:20)

Yeah, you become really comfortable in the previous brand. I mean,

you had started from the ground up, you learned all the different parts of the operation and the sort of the framework, the lattice throughout all of it was, you know, the prior brand. And now you've got to change that all the infrastructure, who you're ordering from the software that you're using. That's a lot to take on. Those are a lot of changes. And how long has it been since that transition took place?

Danny Owen (16:40)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

That would have been when we did the choice by Radisson maybe three years ago, four years ago, I'm gonna say. And like I said, it's still a work in progress for us.

Anthony Codispoti (16:59)

Okay.

Danny Owen (17:06)

you know, having to change. A lot of the things were similar, but a lot were different that we've had to adjust to. And that's fine, I understand that. know, every ⁓ brand has its own ⁓ thing going and.

But we're settled into it now. We're working it and it's working for us and ⁓ we do like the brand. ⁓ We've got a, I think we have an excellent product here ⁓ for. ⁓

Anthony Codispoti (17:43)

Tell us about that product, Danny. What

is it that sets country and suites apart?

Danny Owen (17:48)

Well, I can't really say about the country in the Swedes. I can tell you about our hotel, what sets us apart. Right here in Abingdon, Virginia, you know, a little town in southwest Virginia that hosts the Creeper Trail, that hosts the State Theater for the state of Virginia. Tourism is a big, big, huge part of our traffic that we get through here.

Anthony Codispoti (17:52)

Let's do that. Yeah, right there in Abingdon, Virginia. Tell us about it.

Danny Owen (18:17)

And then of course, we're right on Interstate 81. So we have a lot of transient coming off the interstate, getting a room. I think what separates us from ⁓ the pack has always been our customer service. ⁓ And I'm a big, big, big ⁓ on customer service. ⁓ I found, you know,

through the years working my way through every department. And I think every general manager should do that. I think they should get hands on, get in there and see ⁓ what your housekeeper is having to deal with, what your maintenance is going through, what the breakfast folks are having to deal with. I think if they would do that, and then you'll have a better understanding of your hotel, for one.

And then you have a better understanding of your guest. I have also, I have found that guests, when they stay at a hotel, their first impression when they come in that front door is the most important. And then the second most important is as they leave. People like to be acknowledged.

People like to be talked to and seen. Of course, you'll get that occasional one that doesn't want to say anything and here, just give me my key, I want to go to the room. But for the most part, a guest that has felt comfortable coming in, has felt at home, has been greeted with a smile and a.

the smell of warm fresh baked cookies, which goes through the hotel every afternoon. That guest will overlook.

a small thing that might have been not exactly right in the room. ⁓ They will over...

Anthony Codispoti (20:29)

You guys really

go out of your way to create this home away from home experience.

Danny Owen (20:32)

Yeah,

you have to. mean, if you won't otherwise you're just a hotel. And I mean, and we are just a hotel, but we want to be more than a hotel. Because we understand that people are traveling and they may have been on the road for eight, 10 hours.

They want that comfort feeling when they come in. And that's what we provide here. We go out of our way. We will do whatever is necessary. ⁓ Bad weather, ⁓ we were without power for several hours. myself, other members of my team came in. We made sure that...

people had flashlights where they could see, made sure that everything that we could possibly do, even without power that we could provide for them was provided to let them know, hey, we're here for you. We care. We understand that this is not a good situation, but we're going to make the best out of it. And we want you to make the best out of it and be able to ⁓ even going as far as ⁓ feeding them. People couldn't get out in their

vehicle. So I'll go out to, we have a Walmart not far from us, go out to Walmart, get get sandwich meats and bread and bring it back and let everybody pick sandwiches and and chips ⁓ and things, drinks, ⁓ you know, with no power you can't get a drink out of machine. So you know we we we try to we try to be that hotel that steps above what anybody else will offer to do and that's

That's what sets us apart. That's why our scores have always been great scores. I think one of the models is great hotel guest love. That's us. We have so much repeat business. I've got people that are here that came in and met me 12 years ago, 15 years ago.

And when they come back, they'll say, is Danny still here? Yeah, they remember me. And that's the thing that is most important to me is leaving that lasting, that good impression. You can leave a good one or you can leave a bad one. ⁓ So we want to be sure which one you choose to leave.

Anthony Codispoti (22:50)

They remember you. You left an impression. Yeah.

Which one are you going to choose to leave? Yeah. And what I love

about this story is that, you know, I'm hearing you guys step up in these crises situations to do whatever you can to make the best out of a bad situation. on a regular, like daily basis, I'm hearing, you know, these aren't cookies in a, you know, prepackaged plastic bag. These are you're making them fresh on the spot.

Danny Owen (23:29)

Yeah, fresh baked. mean, we do it behind the desk. mean, and you can, the minute you walk in the door ⁓ from ⁓ check-in time, three o'clock, we start preparing the cookies. So when guests walk in the door, they smell that fresh cookies. And then they're like, man, that smells so good. Well, that's who we are. We had a, the hurricane affected a lot of the area here.

of the last one that came through and it, one of the little small towns called Damascus, Virginia was almost just washed away. It was horrible, the things that we were watching and seeing. And just a little quick story. I had a bus that came through. We do a lot of bus groups.

and they've been coming with us for years, ever since I had started in the hotel as far as on the front desk. And I knew the owners, they knew me, they had came through and when they stopped on their first stop in, all my team was here preparing a big dinner in the kitchen, bringing food in.

So the victim of the hurricane that didn't have power, didn't have, had lost, a lot of them lost everything they had. We were feeding them. We had a big meal prepared for them and the people on the bus came in ⁓ and I'll throw it out here, friendly tours, ⁓ an awesome bunch of folks. ⁓ They saw what we were doing and when they left, ⁓

They went to Nashville, I think they had to stop as they were doing and then they stopped with us coming back. So when they came back, Vicki got off the bus and she ran inside just smiling, just so happy. She said, you're not gonna believe this. And I said, what's that? She said, we took up a donation on the bus that the folks wanted to give to help because they saw what you were doing for the people.

they took up a donation, she said, and we were gonna match it, but we don't have enough cash to match it. So we're gonna have to write you a check. So.

They had taken up and when everything was said and done, they presented a check. I had the mayor of Damascus, the mayor of Abingdon, met here with the tour bus group and had pictures made with them. They presented the town of Damascus with $3,000 to help.

And it all started because they saw what we were willing to do to help others. I had one room set out of, ⁓ put out an order and offered it ⁓ free showers.

to families that had no water, had nowhere, but just needed some place to shower. And man, that thing was used, my God, I don't know how many times. And I had one person that stayed to clean behind them. Families, three to five people in a family, families coming in, taking advantage of it. And they're like, we can't believe you're doing this for us. And I'm like, this is who we are.

This is definitely who we are. We help. We want to help. We want to be that hotel that you remember that did something no other hotel did. A lot of hotels, not mentioning any names, jacked their rates up because availability is going down. People without places, we never did. We never did. Well.

Anthony Codispoti (27:31)

You kept your rates the same. Supply,

demand, the...

Danny Owen (27:34)

I went

just a little bit lower than what our normal rights were. If you come in and tell me that you were here because you lost your home, you were here because you had no power, we gave them a discount on top of the regular rate. Because to me, I'm an ordained minister as well, by the way. To me, you never go wrong.

by doing something right. And I felt like that was the thing to do. And my owners then, was Cokley Williams, they were so honored and so proud of what my team did. And a lot of what they did without even telling me they were gonna do it. That's just... ⁓

Anthony Codispoti (28:09)

You're a-

Danny Owen (28:25)

It's a different mindset and culture in Southwest Virginia than it is in a lot of other places, like New York, DC, your big areas. We're country. I mean, we're just a country as can be. And we're not ashamed of it. I mean, there's nothing wrong with being country. ⁓ We were country when...

Anthony Codispoti (28:42)

You're a-

Danny, you're a Santa Claus

in crisis situations.

Danny Owen (28:53)

We were country when country wasn't cool.

Anthony Codispoti (28:57)

⁓ I love that story on so many levels. That's great. You were the living example for this is what you do. And then other people see that and then they want to turn around and give back the $3,000 or stick around to clean, help clean those showers that people were using. That's amazing.

Danny Owen (29:15)

Yeah.

And they stuck around, the employees did, and they weren't on the clock. They just did it on their own. And they've always amazed me at how above and beyond that they would go ⁓ for our guests. And I'm just so happy and so pleased with them. And I'm happy to be a part of what we do here.

Anthony Codispoti (29:21)

Mm.

Tell us a little bit more about Abingdon, because you're saying that ⁓ tourism is a huge part of the community and what drives guests to your hotel. You mentioned, I think it's the Creeper Trail. What is that? What else is there to do around there?

Danny Owen (29:46)

Yeah.

Yeah, it's

the creeper trail is a 34 mile hiking biking trail from the second highest peak in Virginia down into the town of Abingdon. It's beautiful. ⁓ People come from all over the country to. ⁓

to hike and bike that trail. And it is, it's absolutely breathtaking. The views, the hurricane did a lot of damage. We've got crews in there now that are still here trying to repair the damage that it did.

It's still not back 100%. They're still working on it, but it's a beautiful hiking, biking trail. The State Theater of Virginia, the Barter Theater is also here in town and it's a big draw. As I was saying earlier, some of the big name individuals performed at

the Barter Theater here in town. And some of them got their start, Ernest Borg-Nine, ⁓ Gregory Peck, you know, some big names that have been here. ⁓ We have ⁓ some of the best food. know, this avenue has been chosen, best small food has been in the top.

think we won it one year and second one year. We've been in the top four or five every year ⁓ as long as I can remember. We have the ⁓ Crooked Roads ⁓ Music Festival ⁓ that goes on. There's so many different activities and things that happen in and around within a ⁓ 15 minute drive of Hagington. ⁓

20-25 minutes from the Bristol Motor Speedway. So that's how far southwest we are. We're right on the Virginia line, 19 miles from the Virginia state line, Tennessee state line.

Anthony Codispoti (32:00)

Okay.

Yeah, I want to go back to your team for a moment, Danny, because you're talking about some of the things that the team did on their own without even telling you, know, following your examples, certainly. And, you know, some of the employees sticking around off the clock to help clean the shower facilities that people were using. What's your approach to attracting and retaining good team members in an industry where there's traditionally pretty high turnover?

Danny Owen (32:36)

There is, you know, unfortunately, you know, we have, we don't have, I'm not gonna say a high turnover here. ⁓ We have some that have, my head housekeeper has been here 25 years. ⁓ And I've got some housekeepers that have been here seven, eight, nine, 10 years that stay with us. ⁓

As far as how we retain them, ⁓ I think you just have to treat them like you would want to be treated. ⁓ And that's what we do. The golden rule, do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. ⁓ We try to be fair. pay a, you know, for the area, we pay a good wage. ⁓

I like to do things for my team. I feed them usually once or twice a month, just out of my own pocket, just buy lunch for everybody.

during housekeeping week, we'll have games and prizes. We have a Christmas party every year for our employees. And we have giveaways that my head housekeeper and usually a couple of housekeepers go out and our local businesses and restaurants will donate door prizes. you know, we do things for them, make them feel like we are a family here.

really are. We, you know, if they ⁓ have a problem or have a concern or something, they know my door is always open. Come and see me. You know, maybe if you just need somebody to talk to, come and see me. I might not be able to help you. Maybe I can, maybe I can't.

But I do have two ears that listen, and I can listen twice as much as I can talk. having that mindset with your employees that, know, doing special things for them, making them feel important, you know, having an employee of the month, having an employee of the year.

you know, doing different things and activities with them. You know, we have an outdoor pool, having a pool party with them, just doing things that other hotels in the area don't do. Some of the other hotels probably pay a little better. ⁓ Some of your larger, ⁓ more upscale brands, but they can't keep the help like we do. ⁓

I get a call from them quite often and, hey, you don't have any applications that you can turn me on to, you? But, you know, it's just, I love my team. Yeah, you you gotta have a good work environment. You know, I don't, don't.

Anthony Codispoti (35:45)

you create a pretty special place to work.

Danny Owen (35:53)

want anybody arguing. don't want any, you know, of course, people are human. You're going to have people that don't always agree on everything. But, you know, for the most part, it's just, we try to have a great atmosphere to work in. And we want them, you know, I want my employees to know that I really care about them.

Anthony Codispoti (35:59)

Sure.

Yeah, and it's it's evident in everything that you're saying and all the examples that you gave there. And I think, you know, as you talk about the ways that you try to support your employees, hey, come talk to me. You know, I've got two ears. I can, you know, listen twice as well as I can talk. ⁓ I think you've got a lot of good life experiences that you're probably able to draw from in supporting people. And I'd be curious to hear about particularly big challenge that you've had to overcome in your life, Danny, and how you did that.

Danny Owen (36:45)

Well...

⁓ putting it out there just being open and being vulnerable as one might say. Before I started work here, I had been working for myself but I had made some bad choices in life and wound up being incarcerated. ⁓ Had a drug problem.

wound up spending about a year and a half behind bars.

During that time, of course it gives you a lot of time to think and reflect when you're there. ⁓ I had, ⁓ just to be honest, I had changed my, felt like I was changing my life. ⁓ I gave my heart over to the Lord and.

continued to pray while I was in there that God would put me somewhere that he wanted me to be when I got out. I walked to my first interview here because this was my first job after being incarcerated. I walked to it and sat down with the general manager and the head housekeeper and

basically was in tears. I said, I know, you know my history. I'm not holding anything back. I'm letting you know upfront what I've been through and where I've been, but I'm not that person now. If you would just give me an opportunity, just give me a chance to prove myself. That's all I'm asking.

And I promise you, I won't let you down. That was 17 years ago. The lady that hired me, the head housekeeper for house person position, now works for me. And we have a great working relationship. ⁓ I have a...

There is a or there was a program where convicted felons that were out on basically a work release type program. And I signed us up and we use them. I said, know, everybody deserves a second chance. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you've been or what you've done. You deserve a second chance.

And so many, and some of them are still here today ⁓ that we hired. Because I understand where they've been. They might have been incarcerated or they were incarcerated. I understand where they've been. I understand the struggles of trying to find a job with a felony on your record. ⁓ It's not easy. ⁓

So being able to understand them and their struggles ⁓ and share with them where I had been and what I came through and how I made a determination to put my mind to it and take where I felt like God had placed me and use that to grow myself because I needed growth. I needed...

I needed the experience, I needed the people, a support system around me, and I did, and I had that. My wife and I have been married 34 years, so we've been through a lot, thick and thin, through good and bad. I always tell her, said, I would never have blamed you had you left me, but.

Anthony Codispoti (41:03)

Pick and thin.

Danny Owen (41:13)

She said, no, she said, I would never leave you. And we're still together. ⁓ August the 13th will be 35 years. where I came from and the adversities that I faced ⁓ coming out from being incarcerated, somebody giving me that first initial opportunity and ⁓

You know, when I started as house person, I never dreamed that it would be a career for me. It was, I've got to have a job. I've got to get back into society. want to be a ⁓ working member of society that ⁓ people will see where I've been and know where I came from and know the path that I'm on now. ⁓

I have a Facebook page that I had posted on there. ⁓

The Washington County, our Chamber of Commerce had asked me to do the invocation and opening for the chamber, and I have a chamber breakfast every once a month. It asked me to do the invocation and opening prayer and offer the chamber breakfast. And I made a post, I said, know,

17, 18 years ago, my biggest contribution to Washington County was being an inmate. And today I had the honor and privilege of opening the Chamber of Commerce breakfast with an invocation and a prayer. ⁓ So, you know, it's been an amazing journey for me. ⁓ It's been very eye-opening. ⁓

this industry, I absolutely love it. I don't know, it was, like I said, I had asked God to place me somewhere and I always felt like he did and I felt like this was the place he wanted me and I'm still here.

Anthony Codispoti (43:32)

So Danny, what do you feel was the catalyst for your turnaround? Was it the moment of incarceration? Was it kicking the drug problem? Was it finding religion? Was it something else?

Danny Owen (43:46)

⁓ I think it was a little bit of both, but primarily my faith, ⁓ the faith that I have in God, ⁓ being able to know that, you know, he was somebody that I could count on. And, you know, I cried like a baby when I was in there one night when I asked him to come into my heart.

I had struggled with how could somebody, how could a God love somebody like me that had done all these terrible things and had this addiction? I struggled with how he could do that. And it's just like I could hear him speak to him and he said, you know, I loved you all along. You were just on the wrong path. And... ⁓

So, you know, my spiritual life is a big, huge part of who I am right now. ⁓ And it's a huge part of my being a general manager. ⁓ I don't force my religion on anybody and none of my employees, but they all know who I am and what I am and where I've been.

I have their, I think I have all of their love and respect and that means a lot to me.

Anthony Codispoti (45:14)

How did you get connected with faith in prison? Was there somebody there that helped you?

Danny Owen (45:21)

There was. ⁓ I had a gentleman that came in and I guess what you said gave his testimony one night. And as he was talking and going through everything that he was saying that he had done and been, it was like looking or listening to ⁓ my own life story. Looking in a mirror and it's like, wow.

this guy has done everything I've done, been everywhere I've been and look at him now. ⁓ And it was just an amazing opportunity for me to turn things around. And just like I told my wife, said, I just took it and ran with it more or less. mean, that's all I can say. I mean, I felt... ⁓

His story just was so much like where I had been and what I was doing. He had been incarcerated as well. Now he owned his own trucking company, was a great member of society, giving back to others. And so that's who I wanted to be. I wanted to be somebody like him that.

hopefully would be an inspiration to others that they could see that even though you've made a bad mistake, you don't have to continue that path. There's always an option. If you just seek it, you'll find it. The main thing I've always said, if you change nothing, nothing changes. So.

That was, that was for when I came out, that was my main thought. If you change nothing, nothing changes. So I had to change everything, had to change friends, had to change the places I went, had to make a lot of changes in my life, my lifestyle, the whole nine yards. And I guess I might say just the rest is history.

Anthony Codispoti (47:34)

So say more Danny about the challenges that ⁓ formerly incarcerated folks have coming out of prison. As you mentioned, one of the big ones that I think a lot of people aren't aware of is when you've got a felony on your record, that disqualifies you from so many jobs. I think if you went out and asked most people, like a general poll, do you think everybody deserves a second chance? sure, sure. But then ask those same people, would you be willing to hire a felon? ⁓

So what are some of the other unseen challenges that folks run into?

Danny Owen (48:10)

Well, that being the, of course, the biggest, ⁓ you know, and unfortunately, a lot of us speaking for myself, I came out, I came out with nothing but the clothes on my back, literally. ⁓ Everything else I had, ⁓ my wife had, had been either stolen or given away or taken. So we came out, had nothing. ⁓

That is a big challenge ⁓ renting a place. People do a background check on ⁓ you when you apply or fill out an application for rental. ⁓ They do that background check and ⁓ unfortunately a lot of places will not hire you or will not rent to you if you have ⁓ a felony on your record as well. ⁓

I am out. ⁓

I'm not only a believer in the second chances, I'm one that gives second chances. ⁓ And ⁓ matter of fact, I just hired a young lady this morning. She came in and she told me everything about herself and where she'd been and how she had changed her life. And she wanted that opportunity. And I could see a little of me in her. ⁓ And I sent her back to my head housekeeper. She talked to her and she came back. said, well, I hired her.

starts in the morning. I said, great, great. So not only do I believe in it, I practice it too.

Anthony Codispoti (49:48)

What's your superpower Danny?

Danny Owen (49:51)

⁓ my superpower.

God.

Anthony Codispoti (50:01)

Put the humility aside.

Danny Owen (50:06)

I don't, I've never really given much thought as to having a superpower. ⁓

Anthony Codispoti (50:16)

It's there.

Danny Owen (50:17)

It's there. ⁓

I guess if I were to say to say anything my superpower would probably be my ability to

Be understanding. To ⁓ be that listener. ⁓ Be that person that...

not only listens but will offer you advice.

We'll try to help others. ⁓

⁓

The hotel, we do a lot of churches. ⁓ They have pastors that come in and they need a place for them to stay for a revival, this and that.

All the churches in this area, they use me. They use this hotel.

because they know who I am, what I stand for, and how we treat our guests, and how I treat my employees. So they're always willing and always use only us. And that makes me feel good. They call and say, we won't use nobody but ⁓ you. And some of them will spend thousands of dollars at a time just ⁓ putting their guests and their people up here.

It always makes me feel good when somebody says, we came back because of so-and-so. Not because ⁓ it's a great hotel, but because of an individual that made an impression, ⁓ because your breakfast lady was so wonderful.

Because your housekeepers, they cleaned the room so good. Because your front desk person went out of their way to make me feel at home when I came in. I'd been on the road all day and it was just amazing how they made me feel. Not took my own horn, but kinda. On TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor.

which it still is huge, but used to be a really big thing for travelers. And it still is for a lot of them. But on TripAdvisor, you can enter a search word in and it will show you all the reviews that have that particular word in it. So my GM at that time.

put my name in, put Danny in it and hit search. And he said, come here, I wanna show you this. And I'm like, my God, I didn't realize there's that many. And it was like so many hundred of reviews that mentioned me in particular when I was working the desk. And I was like, wow, he said, yeah, that's the reason that you're here. And that's the reason that you're gonna continue excelling in this profession.

Anthony Codispoti (53:38)

I love that. You know, for folks who are listening that they're looking for ways to better themselves, Danny, what would you recommend? Traditionally, I asked folks for like a podcast or a book recommendation. And maybe that's what you want to give here, too. But I want to make it a broader question for you since you've you've been through the roller coaster of life. But what advice do you have for folks looking to improve themselves?

Danny Owen (53:57)

Okay.

Don't be afraid to take chances.

I took a chance on this profession and it turned out to be something that I absolutely loved. I didn't know I'd love it at the time, but I took a chance on it. And...

There's a book ⁓ called Winning the War of the Mind. ⁓ I can't remember the author's name, but ⁓ excellent book. It has a lot of spiritual ties to it. ⁓ I would say look within yourself, find that faith.

Find that inner person.

and look for ways to improve that person. I'm not perfect by any means. You could ask my wife, she'll tell you that. ⁓ I'm always looking to try to find a way to not only better myself, but to better my family, to better my hotel, to better my church, my spiritual life. ⁓

I don't know, I'm just not ever satisfied with status quo. I think there's always room for improvement. I don't matter who you are or where you're at in life, there's always room for improvement. We just have to take a look at ourselves ⁓ and learn what we need to change within ourselves, what we need to do better within ourselves, and how we need to treat others.

Because if you can't, if you don't know how to treat yourself and you don't know how to better yourself, sometimes it's hard for you to know how to treat others. So you've got to, you know, it's kind of a mixed thing there. You've got to do a little bit of both. You have to have that self-reflection. ⁓ Looking at where you've been, where do you want to go? You've got to have a goal. ⁓

I guess I don't want say I've reached my goal. I didn't really have a goal when I started here, but it wasn't long that I realized, hey, I like this. I love hospitality. want to be in the big man's office. I want that office one day.

And my team, when I took over as general manager, they made me stay away from the hotel for a week. They took everything out of my office, repainted the walls, bought me a new bookshelf, put all my pictures and stuff back up on the walls, put new carpet down for me, done everything. The team did it and they paid for all of it themselves.

Yeah, and did all this and then I came back and they said, here's the key to your office. And so I went in and opened the door and I'm looking around. I mean, it's not a huge office, but it's my office and it had all my family pictures and my son's memorial. I had a son that passed away a couple of years ago. It had his pictures and all that.

and they had gone out of their way to do all of this for me. And I mean, I just, I broke down, I was just in tears. I mean, I was just literally boohoo. And I was like, wow, this is what my team has done for me. I don't deserve this. And they're like, yeah, you do. You really do. And so.

I had a new office, had new everything in here. It was just amazing. When you have the right team, you have that right support behind you as a GM, ⁓ there's nothing you can't accomplish. But you gotta have that team. It's not one person by themselves. Never.

Anthony Codispoti (58:38)

Well,

yeah, you're exactly right. You know, when folks are struggling, or, you know, just kind of in a normal place in life, like, you can't do it all on your own. But oftentimes, asking for help can be the most difficult step to take. What do you want to say about the importance of reaching out, raising your hand?

Danny Owen (58:55)

Yeah, it is.

I think that is probably the one thing I learned, especially coming out immediately from incarcerated was I had to have help and I knew that. I realized that when I came out. It's like, okay, I can't do this right now by myself. I've got to have some support. I've got to have help.

accomplishing things. I had no vehicle. ⁓ One of the members of the church that I go to gave us a vehicle, myself and my wife. Then another one gave us ⁓ a vehicle a couple years later so that we would both have one. So, you you have to have, ⁓ you need to find that support system, that help, and it's out there.

There are people, good people that are out there willing to help and willing to go above and beyond to help someone, but they're not gonna help you if you're not willing to help yourself. I mean, ⁓ you have to be willing to put forth that effort yourself ⁓ to make it the change that you wanna make, that you know you need to make. If...

If they see that you're willing to do that, the people will help. I firmly believe that. mean, that's, I think people are generally good. And my experience, I don't know, maybe it's because of the type of people that I hang around. But like I said, if you change nothing, nothing changes.

So you have to be willing to take that chance and make those changes and do something different and ask for help. Right now, I'm 63 today. My wife and I have taken responsibility of raising two teenagers, one teen and one that's 111, 113.

We hadn't planned on doing this late in my life, of course. But it's been very rewarding. I had planned on taking an early retirement. I can't afford it now with two kids, but it's been very rewarding. And we always tell the kids when they're struggling, don't be afraid to ask for help.

In school, if you don't understand something or you need help, ask. Nobody's going to be mad at you for asking. ⁓ And you'll find that people will respond to you, some favorably, maybe some not so. But don't ever give up. Seek that help. And know that where, but know where you're seeking it from.

Got to seek it from the right type of place or individual. So it's something that will help.

but they want something in return. ⁓ I've fortunately not had to deal with that, but I've seen it happen a lot, so.

Anthony Codispoti (1:02:21)

Yeah. ⁓

You're a good man with a good heart, Danny. Just one more question for you today. But before I ask it, I want to do three things for the audience real quick. If you want to get in touch with Danny Owen and the Country Inn and Suites in Abington, Virginia, the good thing to do is just to Google Country Inn and Suites, Abington, Virginia, and you'll find their page and you know how to get in touch with them and how to make a booking. Also, if you're enjoying our show,

please take a moment to subscribe wherever you're listening. It sends a signal that helps others discover our podcast. So thank you for taking a quick moment to do that right now. And as a reminder, if you want to get more hotel employees access to therapists, doctors, and prescription meds that, as paradoxical as it seems, actually increases the company's net profits, reach out to us at addbackbenefits.com. OK, last question for you, Danny Owen.

What is one very specific thing that you hope to be celebrating a year from today?

Danny Owen (1:03:30)

Retirement? No. Yeah, that's not going to happen, unfortunately. ⁓ I would like to be celebrating a win for my property. ⁓ I don't look for personal accolades. mean, I'm not winning something personally is nice. You know, I've won Rookie of the Year, Ambassador of the Year, nominated for General Manager of the Year. ⁓

Anthony Codispoti (1:03:31)

Well, we just established that's not going to happen.

Danny Owen (1:03:59)

Those are nice, don't get me wrong. I wanna see my team recognized. So I would like to this time next year be celebrating ⁓ this hotel. know, every hotel has a conference and has awards.

⁓ I would like to see this hotel instead of the ⁓ platinum award. I'd like to see us win the ring of honor. And that's the next step up. you know, I don't want to, I'm not looking for ⁓ a hotel of the year. I mean, we're a almost 40 year old property. So, you know, we're not, we're not the newest thing in town, but we're the best thing in town.

I'd like to see us, this hotel win that ring of honor. That's where I would like to be this time next year, celebrating that. And I'll shoot you an email, let you know what we won. ⁓

Anthony Codispoti (1:04:53)

Love it.

Please do. We'll make sure we get

it out to everybody and let them know the update. Danny Owen from Country Inn & Suites, Abingdon, Virginia. I want to be the first to thank you for sharing both your time and your story with us today. I really appreciate you being here.

Danny Owen (1:05:09)

Thank you so much. It's been an honor to been asked to be on the program and I certainly appreciate it and I wish you all the best as well.

Anthony Codispoti (1:05:17)

Thank you, folks. That's a wrap on another episode of the Inspired Stories podcast. Thanks for learning with us. And if one thing stood out, put that into action today.

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Company: Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Abingdon Virginia