Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Robinson.
Hi Morgan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, I moved to Florida, graduated from University and quickly decided to pursue my MBA. I graduated in December of 2020 and I have launched two businesses since then. I’ve gone through multiple career changes but always came back to food, beverage and hospitality. If I could do it all over again, that is the career path I would have chosen to pursue in college.
By day, I am a creative consultant, assisting small businesses with their content creation, marketing, and branding. By night, I am assisting the hospitality industry with regenerating the income that they lost during the pandemic through my platform, the Hospitality Coalition. HoCo is an organization that focuses their efforts towards reviving the hospitality industry through collaborative private events, partnerships and charitable causes. Hospitality is the backbone of any major city and I am assisting with the growth and innovation of the industry.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road by any means. Anything that is worth having is always worth fighting for and I have gone through significant ebbs and flows throughout my business. A few struggles that I experienced was me getting out of my own way and changing up my association by allowing qualified individuals to pour into me. I do not have all of the answers so I had to seek out people that were doing better than me because they would be able to offer me true perspective and growth opportunities. I also recognized that people are essential for success but you do not need any ONE person. As long as you always show up, be your authentic self that will more than half of the battle. I have always been a workhorse but I am learning the art of taking the path of least resistance, asking for help and simplifying everything that I do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The hospitality industry has always been near and dear to my heart and the pandemic truly exposed how vulnerable and unprepared the industry is for any sudden changes. Launching the Hospitality Coalition really helped me to put a lot of things into perspective as to what the industry needed as well as what the future holds for hospitality. I came up with the concept October of 2019 and shared it with the world May of 2021.
Through generating over $30,000 for the industry, we have been able to assist with employees coming back to work, employees finally getting fair compensation as well as creating unique experiences for our guests to enjoy. Our business model does not exist and we fully recognize that someone will take our model, make it better, and share it with the world.
We look forward to being able to partner with bars, lounges, and restaurants throughout Atlanta to bring a variety of experiences and education to their guests.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The Covid-19 crisis has taught me to build your well before you are thirsty. None of us were prepared to be on lockdown for several months and we also weren’t prepared to be in a pandemic for over two years. I managed to launch two businesses on a shoestring budget during this time but I also wasn’t fully prepared for all of the responsibilities that come with launching a business. My MBA didn’t teach me everything.
With that being said a lot of wealth and opportunities have been built throughout the pandemic and a lot of those opportunities require the necessary funds to do them. You’ve got to pay to play. I have learned to create strict budgets, stay organized for tax season, delay gratification as well as hire and outsource when you can.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.morganlrobinson.com / www.wearehoco.com
- Instagram: @true.matriarch @hospitalitycoalition
Image Credits:
On the all black image of my hands holding the camera credit Ashley Boyd of Ashley B. Media On the full body images (2) of me in all black credit Cyda King of Moon King Moments All other images, I took.
