Shows / Pillow Talk Sessions
Pillow Talk Sessions
Pillow Talk Sessions is a podcast about modern hospitality operations and how guest experience is operationally delivered in a tech-enabled world.
Hosted by Jessica Gillingham, author of Tech-Enabled Hospitality, and produced by Abode Worldwide, the show features in-depth conversations with leaders building, operating, and scaling modern hospitality across hotels, short-term rentals, serviced living, and flexible living models.
Each episode explores how hospitality is evolving beyond…
Episodes
Pillow Talk SessionsHospitality’s Data Problem Is Now an AI Problem with Wouter Geerts (Abode Worldwide)
AI is transforming hospitality technology at an extraordinary speed. But what happens when businesses start trusting answers without understanding the data…
Pillow Talk SessionsScaling Exceptional Hospitality: People, Technology and Purpose with Hjörtur Valgeirsson (Íslandshótel)
How do you scale a hotel business without losing the culture, agility and human connection that made it successful in the first place? In this episode of…
Pillow Talk SessionsBuilding on Water: The Next Frontier of Hospitality with Brian Meyer (FLOHOM)
A houseboat that no bank would finance and no insurer would cover might seem an unlikely starting point for a hospitality brand. For Brian Meyer, it was the…
Pillow Talk SessionsScaling Hospitality: From Short Term Rentals to Modern Hospitality with Reuben Doetsch (AvantStay)
AvantStay started with a simple proposition: create a consistent guest experience in a fragmented market. Eight years later, Reuben Doetsch has scaled it to…
Pillow Talk SessionsFrom short lets to branded living with Maxine Leufroy-Murat (Sejour Living)
Like many entrepreneurs entering the short-term rental space, Maxime Leufroy-Murat started out believing growth was a function of acquiring more properties and…
Pillow Talk SessionsWe Grew Too Fast and Nearly Lost Everything with Njål Elliasson (Proptonomy & Heimby)
When Njål Elliasson co-founded his Norwegian-based short-term rental property management company, Heimby, in 2022, he was over the moon as it quickly grew in…
Pillow Talk SessionsHow Mollie's is Running Hospitality Like a High Street Retailer with Matt Bell (Mollie's Motels)
What does it take to build a hospitality brand that delivers genuine quality at a budget price point? Matt Bell is the Managing Director of Mollie's, a…
Pillow Talk SessionsHow CitizenM Mastered Hospitality Automation with Mike Rawson (Formerly CitizenM)
Mike Rawson spent seven years as CIO of CitizenM, one of the most tech-forward hotel brands in the world. His biggest lesson? Technology comes last. In the…
Pillow Talk SessionsThe Rise of Agentic AI in Hospitality with Tim Major (Operto)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Tim Major, CEO of Operto, joins host Jessica Gillingham to explain how agentic AI is shifting hospitality from…
Pillow Talk SessionsPrivacy, Safety & the Future of Rentals with Nils Mattisson (Minut)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Nils Mattisson, CEO & Co-Founder of Minut, explains how privacy-first technology is solving one of hospitality’s most…
Pillow Talk SessionsBuilding Sustainable Hospitality with Marc Laros (The Usual Hotels)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Marc Laros, CTO of The Usual Hotels, explains how sustainability, technology, and guest experience can be designed as…
Pillow Talk SessionsCurated Hospitality with Cathrine Reimann (Landfolk)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions with Jessica Gillingham, Cathrine Reimann, Co-Founder of Landfolk, explains why disciplined curation, not scale alone…
Pillow Talk SessionsReinventing Hotel Standards with Adam Tuttle (Yipy)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions with Jessica Gillingham, Adam Tuttle, Co-Founder and CEO of Yipy, explains why hospitality’s approach to standards…
Pillow Talk SessionsProfessionalising Short-Term Rentals with Merilee Karr (UnderTheDoormat)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Merilee Karr, CEO of UnderTheDoormat Group, explains how short-term rentals have evolved from fragmented, alternative…
Pillow Talk SessionsScaling Short-Stay Living with Laurenz Schwarzhappel (Global Living Apartments)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Laurenz Schwarzhappel, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Global Living Apartments, explains how the company consistently…
Pillow Talk SessionsHospitality’s Digital Reset with Ulrich Pillau (Apaleo)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham sits down with Ulrich Pillau, Co-founder & CEO of Apaleo, to explore how AI and API-first…
Pillow Talk SessionsScaling Hospitality Through Automation with Alexander Limpert (RentalReady / GuestReady)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski speak with Alexander Limpert, the founder behind RentalReady and GuestReady, to…
Pillow Talk SessionsRethinking UK Housing with Jason Hardman (CBRE)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Jason Hardman, Head of UK Living at CBRE, to explore how policy…
Pillow Talk SessionsThe Future of Casual Living with Asli Kutlucan (TFE Hotels)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and co-host Kristian Lupinski sit down with Asli Kutlucan, CEO Europe at TFE Hotels, to explore how the…
Pillow Talk SessionsCommunity, Affordability & Long-Term Value with Stephanie Smith (Muse)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Stephanie Smith, Head of Residential at Muse, to unpack how…
Pillow Talk SessionsGlobal Student Housing Trends with Joe Persechino (Yugo)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Joe Persechino, COO of Yugo, to unpack the global growth trajectory…
Pillow Talk SessionsDriving Building Performance with Jonathan Burridge (Utopi)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Jonathan Burridge, Founder & CEO of Utopi, to explore how his…
Pillow Talk SessionsThe Future of Smart Stays with Dr. Josef Vollmayr (Limehome)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Josef Vollmayr, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Limehome, to…
Pillow Talk SessionsFrom Leases to Loyalty: Reimagining Rentals with Kevin Murphy (Renew)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Kevin Murphy, Co-founder & COO of Renew, to explore how…
Pillow Talk SessionsEverything Is Hospitality – A Vision for Vertical Living with Philip Grace (Bob W)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, we go behind the brand with Philip Grace, CDO at Bob W, to unpack the company’s vision of hospitality-first, asset-light…
Pillow Talk SessionsDesigning the Future of Urban Living with Nuno Jorge Trigo (FEEL GROUP)
This week on Pillow Talk Sessions, hosts Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Nuno Jorge Trigo, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of FEEL GROUP, to discuss…
Pillow Talk SessionsA Vision for Flexible Living with Ed Ellerington (Packaged Living)
This week on Pillow Talk Sessions, hosts Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski welcome Ed Ellerington, Founder & CEO of Packaged Living, to explore what it…
Pillow Talk SessionsReimagining the Student Experience with Suraiya Comunello (Nido Living)
This week, we’re joined by Suraiya Comunello, CMO at Nido Living, for a deep dive into what truly matters to today’s students—and how operators can meet those…
Pillow Talk SessionsThe Coliving Playbook with Mayank Pokharna (Everything Coliving)
The coliving industry is booming—but how you scale matters. In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, hosts Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down…
Pillow Talk SessionsLive Special — Experience is the New Amenity
This week on Pillow Talk Sessions, we’re excited to release our first live-recorded episode, where we brought industry leaders together to unpack the future of…
Pillow Talk SessionsNavigating Reform in Build-to-Rent with Rachel Hanniquet-Brooking (APO Group)
This week on Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski are joined by Rachel Hanniquet-Brooking, Managing Director of APO Group LTD, to…
Pillow Talk SessionsHospitality Rewired with Simone Puorto (Travel Singularity)
Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Simone Puorto, Founder of Travel Singularity, to unpack how technology, empathy, and adaptability are…
Pillow Talk SessionsCommunity & Data in Modern Living with Robert Birch (Gravity Co)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Kristian and Jessica chat with Robert Birch, Head of Operations at Gravity Co, about creating meaningful living…
Pillow Talk SessionsSmart Tech in Living Spaces with Steve Davis (Operto)
In this brand-new episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica and Kristian chat with Steve Davis, CEO of Operto, about the powerful intersection of hospitality…
Pillow Talk SessionsPBSA 3.0: Beyond Housing with Bart Sasim (Spatial Experience)
In this week’s episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, our founder, Jessica Gillingham, and co-host, Kristian Lupinski, chat with Bart Sasim, CEO & Founder of Spatial…
Pillow Talk SessionsThe Rise of Flexible Living with Begum Agca Okutgen (Blueground)
Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski are joined by Begum Agca Okutgen, Head of Partner Network at Blueground, to explore the ongoing transformation of the…
Pillow Talk SessionsWhy Build-to-Rent Needs a Unified Vision with Mitch Hammond (OnTheMarket)
Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski are joined by Mitch Hammond, Build-to-Rent Manager at OnTheMarket, for a candid discussion on defining and…
Pillow Talk SessionsCrafting Exceptional Living Experiences with Philippa Wagner (PeoplePlacesSpaces)
Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Philippa Wagner, founder of PeoplePlacesSpaces, to unpack the shifting landscape of hospitality and how…
Pillow Talk SessionsDesigning Sustainable Living Spaces with Benjamin Hall (LOFT)
Jessica Gillingham and special co-host Iain Murray, Head of Operational Living at Bidwells, sit down with Benjamin Hall, Founder of LOFT, for an insightful…
Pillow Talk SessionsOptimizing Mixed-Asset Portfolios with Katherine Rose (VervLife)
This week on Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski welcome Katherine Rose, Managing Director of VervLife, for an in-depth conversation…
Pillow Talk SessionsRevolutionizing Multifamily Living with Konrad Koczwara (ElevateOS)
Join Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski in this latest episode of Pillow Talk Sessions as they explore how multifamily living is being transformed by the…
Pillow Talk SessionsShaping the Future of Build-to-Rent with Brendan Geraghty (The Association of Rental Living)
Join Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski on this week’s episode of Pillow Talk Sessions as they welcome Brendan Geraghty, CEO of the Association for…
Pillow Talk SessionsElevating Build-to-Rent Living Experiences with Freya Richard (Vertus)
In this week’s Pillow Talk Sessions, Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski are joined by Freya Richard, Director of Operations & Leasing at Vertus, for an…
Pillow Talk SessionsShaping the Future of Co-Living with Yianni Tsitouras (POHA House)
In our latest episode, Jessica Gillingham and Krstian Lupinski sit down with Yianni Tsitouras, Founder & CEO of POHA House, to explore how POHA is redefining…
Pillow Talk SessionsRedefining Modern Hospitality with Michael Levie (citizenM)
In this episode, hosts Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Michael Levie, co-founder of citizenM, to dive into how citizenM is reshaping the…
Pillow Talk SessionsFuture of BTR & Co-Living with Suzanne Luscombe (resiCentral)
In this episode, hosts Jessica Gillingham and Kristian Lupinski sit down with Suzanne Luscombe, Strategic Growth Director at resiCentral, to dive deep into the…
Pillow Talk SessionsBridging Hospitality and Build-to-Rent with Iain Murray (Bidwells)
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our very first episode of Pillow Talk Sessions! 🎉 In this premier, we’re diving into the exciting convergence of the…
- Pillow Talk Sessions
Pillow Talk Sessions teaser
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new podcast series, Pillow Talk Sessions—where hospitality, real estate, and rental living meet to shape the…