Why does bad service seem to appear synonymous with “uber-cool”, particularly when it comes to hotels? What is the correlation?

I have just returned from Los Angeles, where both of the regular hotels I love were booked; and so I was forced to stay at a new hotel. At a friend’s recommendation (Knowing I love Bond Street sushi), I stayed at the new Thompson hotel.

Upon arrival, I had to wait 20 minutes to check-in. Over the course of a few days, I had to switch rooms 2x because the air conditioning didn’t work in two different rooms, they couldn’t give me reservations at the restaurant because they were booked (The concept of actually being able to eat at the hotel you stay at must have seemed foreign to them), and all around I felt the staff was “too cool” to be bothered helping guests.

This is why I like to stay away from the uber-cool in my business as well – They seem to be too cool to actually want to work.

Ronn Torossian
5W PR

As an entrepreneur I see different business ideas every single day… Why is is that no one has yet invented healthy food to be sold in airports ?

Yesterday at 10 AM at Kennedy Airport, my choices were McDonalds, Chinese food or day old bagels. I wanted granola, salad or wholewheat bread… I can’t help but think any company who created health (or even non junk) food would make a killing in the airport.

Food for thought.

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

Haven’t blogged in quite a few days, so wanted to add a few random thoughts on this late Saturday night as I work from my office on West 45th Street:

1: Off this week to a 36 hour trip to Los Angeles for a major RFP pitch. Is there any business which is more archaic than the airline industry? Anytime I need to fly I dread the process (I know I mention this often)….

That said, I am looking forward to seeing our new office in Beverly Hills (My LA office moved last week)… and returning to a great restaurant - Katsuya (Great Japanese in LA)…I am obsessed with sushi lately (Although here at home in NYC I am obsessed with Philippe Chow, whom we represent)….. and I have to be there at least 2x a week or suffer withdrawal.

2: Wow does physical exercise make a difference. I was able to run the last 3 days (20 miles in the last 3 days)… and am definitely going again tomorrow. I had to miss 3 days this week as we had multiple events occurring every night this week and I feel so much more focused after sweating on the treadmill. I don’t think it’s possible for me to focus without an outlet – I’d advise all entrepreneurs and hard working folks to find an outlet – Whether physical activity, knitting or learning a second language. Take the time. I couldn’t function without it.

3: As I commented to a few media outlets yesterday, O.J. Simpson (A.K.A. America’s biggest fool) is the impossible PR brand to assist. O.J. Simpson is beyond all hope for any sort of rehab in the public’s eye. I don’t think there is a PR firm on earth that will take him on. The nail was already in the coffin. There’s simply no redeeming O.J. It’s impossible.

4: September 11th came and went…. And I remember just 6 years ago people saying the world will never be the same, etc…. and how quickly they forget. Life goes on… at the end of the day I believe people by their very nature are focused on that which is closest to them.

I am always amazed how many people I meet who tell me how much they love the world, want to save the environment, etc…. but haven’t spoken to their families in years… and curse everyone in sight.

In any case, it’s Saturday night… and I have a lot more to do in my office….(People always seem to ask me what there is to do in my business on a weekend…Paperwork, organizing files… no ringing phones distracting me… no employees walking in and out)…

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

Just returned from the INC Magazine conference, and a weekend in Chicago and wow did I found Chicago to be an amazing city.

A few observations:

1 — I found President Bill Clinton’s speech at the Inc Conference to be boring and very dry. I was expecting something amazing and awe inspiring (had read so much about what an amazing speaker he is so perhaps my expectations were too high… but I found him to be canned, and no different than what I can hear on CNN or Fox).

Also have to admit I was annoyed he showed up 1.5 hours or so late as I had a tightly scheduled day – A group of some of the most successful, busiest entrepreneurs in the U.S. (potential donors and supporters) and waiting 1.5 hours for me just didn’t jell right.

2 – Sat through some fascinating speeches (Including my favorite entitled “Customer Love”), which taught us that the customer isnt always right (I agree), the need to self monitor your organization, and never up-sell. Really a great speech by the CEO of Headsets.com. Kudos!

3 – I really enjoyed the city of Chicago and found it to be a beautiful, friendly all around great city. Had a wonderful time in Chicago and found it to be an amazing city and one I need to find an excuse to return to often.

Off to a busy Monday…

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

Wow, today was one of those days – Swamped, buried nonstop. Phone call after phone call – Major decision after major decision. Just not a minute so much as to breath..(as I tell interns and college students I speak with – If you don’t love your profession, you can’t thrive at it… I love my job… nearly every day…)

I have discovered recently that running keeps me sane (10 miles this AM….) and I find sweating it out makes calmness prevail (although I will never be the Zen type)…. I think great entrepreneurs need to have an escape mechanism.. and mine this year is running…

In the next 30 days, I need to be in Montreal (next week), Chicago (the week after for the INC. conference), and in between then sometime in early September Russia. (I really dread business travel… it is never fun)…. Although each of these trips for different reasons are enjoyable once there (But how archaic is the travel industry, with security, poor customer service, etc.).

There’s only so many hours in a day, but as we grow I find myself trying to maximize productivity.. but wow, it’s not easy (but today was a great, busy and fun day.).

And yes, yesterday we were in fact named to the INC. list- I am still glowing.

Yesterday (Friday) afternoon a client and friend came to see me enroute to his summer home in the Hamptons urging me to go to the Hamptons with him (I have only been once to 5W’s East Hamptons house this summer which our employees and clients have for their use all summer). I told him in the last 3 weeks I have been to Costa Rica, LA and Boston and this weekend I wanted to relax, sleep in my bed, work out in my gym and just enjoy the weekend in the city. I asked this successful, self made entrepreneur “Don’t you want to sleep in your bed, work out in your gym? Just do every day things in your home?”

He said “Growing up without much, I am living the dream – To be able to fly, to have people wanting my time, living life? I have a bed everywhere I go, gyms everywhere I go? It’s a virtual world and you need to realize that – There’s no longer such a thing as only one bed for worldwide entrepreneurs… ” He made me think…. Not sure I agree….. but certainly interesting (and I say that at 4 PM from my NYC office as I didn’t listen and go to the Hamptons… and woke up, went to my gym and came to work…).

At 3 Amish last night I had a very interesting hour long discussion with a colleague, music mogul Andre Harrell who spoke about passion and focus as being the key to success…and told me countless fascinating Hollywood stories…. So who wanted to not be in NYC?

New York, New York – The greatest city in the world…

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

So on this Friday night as I am about to leave the office a few random thoughts:

1 - For those who think business is about luck, for me it’s quite simple - The more hours I work, the luckier I become. There is no substitute for hard work.
2 - Exercise. I think the best entrepreneurs need to work out and sweat now and then… (I have just started a new workout routine which has me running 6 miles a day 4x a week…)… The sweat allows you to get out emotions which would otherwise be taken out at work… and gives you a chance to reflect (Of course I work out most days at 5:30 AM)…
3 - Travel is never fun for business… In the last few weeks I have been all over the world, generally on 24 hour intervals… and the cities all look the same for me because office buildings are the same all over the world…

That’s all folks.

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

Am in San Diego this weekend after spending a few days in our rapidly growing LA office… What a beautiful amazing city San Diego is. I can see where many would talk about this as the greatest city in the U.S. to raise a family.

Being away on business always allows me to step back and see business clearly - consider angles I couldn’t see earlier, reflect on operations without being bogged down with details. A close friend of mine here, a very successful entrepreneur is training to be a pilot and flies once a week and said “Flying allows me to see things from way above - To analyze real estate from a higher angle to see things from above without clouds.” He’s so right… and while I am not yet ready to start flying, as much as I hate travelling I do enjoy the clarity that being away allows me to have when it comes to business… and recommend a few days away regularly for entrepreneurs. Get away and think clearer.

An after thought - I love NYC and can never see myself living anywhere else - The speed, the culture. WOW.

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

I have just returned from an intense 5 day business trip to Las Vegas, and while the time there made me remember how much I dislike the commercial impersonalization of the city (and hotels which take 20 minutes to walk through and lines and lines)… Nevertheless, this trip will remain in my memories for quite some time as a very unique cultural experience.

I was in Vegas to attend the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for a few clients, and particularly to manage and run the launch of Pamela Anderson’s gaming site and the Doyle Brunson Appreciation party. In addition to having a private dinner with Pamela Anderson and Doyle, the whole trip was amazing. Truly an eye-opener.

While attending the WSOP I saw thousands upon thousands of people playing cards – From all walks of life, from college kids in frat gear and baseball caps to older Europeans in 3 piece suits and speaking French on their cellphones, from middle aged housewives to “muscleheads” in union shirts – Truly an unbelievable cultural experience that really can’t be described properly in words. All of this in a room the size of a football stadium with halls upon halls outside the main room of beautiful scantily clad women pushing various products on attendees.

Really amazed me how poker is a sport which truly transcends such cultural and ethnic boundaries.

I won’t forget for a long time what my client and friend the gdfather of poker Doyle Brunson said to me as people were approaching him for autographs and asking to take pictures with him “I used to run from the police for playing cards and people used to hunt me down – Now I sign autographs like a celebrity.”

As a New Yorker, I live and work in Manhattan… but trips like this always remind me of the need to continue to travel and witness the world from a business stand point – the world has so much going on and so many different ways to make money.

This week’s poker filled trip to Vegas was an eye opener.

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

So, I know it’s been quite a while since I blogged…but I have been swamped and simply haven’t had the chance. As 5W Public Relations continues to expand, travel demands increase - In the last 45 days business has brought me to the Middle East, Central America, Miami, Canada, Boston and elsewhere. I have barely slept a day in my bed, and it’s been very draining.

I find worldwide the world getting smaller - Everywhere I travel the world intersects and one person knows another. The world truly is a global village and brand building and financial opportunities can truly exist anywhere. From sitting in a lounge in an airport in Central America or in a café in the Middle East, I see people on laptops and it’s amazing.

As an entrepreneur, I seek opportunity wherever I go and I continue to be amazed and impressed at just how difficult it is to work for myself and the different challenges that come with success. Simply unreal.

The last few weeks have been great for business as for the 2nd year in a row we were named the fastest growing PR firm in the U.S…. I plan on adding and continuing the blog again real soon.

Ronn Torossian

5W PR