[Flash] How Restaurateur’s Unreasonable Hospitality Creates Connection & Community

Based on his experiences, Will recently published the book Unreasonable Hospitality and launched The Summit, a training workshop focused on the book’s concepts.

Upon creating the Summit, Will expected people to attend with their colleagues. But when he reviewed the guest list, he discovered that many registered to attend alone.

So, in the spirit of “unreasonable hospitality,” he offered to connect each solo attendee with another for dinner the night before. Most accepted his invitation, allowing Will to play matchmaker. He connected 40 people and booked dinner reservations for pairs at restaurants around town.

How Will defines “unreasonable hospitality”: doing something thoughtful, generous, or personalized for someone that goes beyond what’s expected, even beyond what is “reasonable” in a traditional sense.

It’s beyond excellence, accuracy, efficiency, and even politeness. It’s about making people feel deeply seen, valued, and cared for through unexpected, personal gestures.

Ways my team infuses unreasonable hospitality into our interactions:

• Lue personally and swiftly responds to every help desk question.
• Meg personalizes participant monthly emails for every program leader.
• Julie researches evidence and ensures program leaders meet standards.
• Patty uses LinkedIn to get to know our clients and prospects personally.
• Olivia eagerly accepts challenges to contribute to every project.
• I give participants the spotlight (and then prepare them to shine!) to share their experiences on our monthly podcast.

Ways Mentors can leverage unreasonable hospitality:

• Reach out to Mentees immediately upon being matched.
• Text between scheduled meetings with encouragement or a resource.
• Look for new opportunities and new connections for Mentees.
• Invite Mentees to shadow a meeting or an event.
• Connect Mentees to their next Mentor.

Ways Mentees can engage with unreasonable hospitality:

• Have a completed goal worksheet ready by the first meeting.
• Block Mentor’s calendar with invites for every meeting.
• Send a list of questions in advance of each meeting.
• Share insights, ideas, and resources to contribute to Mentors.
• Connect Mentors with potential Mentors.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I met the guests at my wedding with unreasonable hospitality. 

Like Will Guidara, I wanted people who traveled far to feel confident about connecting with strangers. So, I created a personalized name tag for each guest with their hometown, their connection to us, and an interesting fact. Our guests felt special, engaged, and playful!

Forget the easy button. Effort for exceptional.

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