A Seat at the Table: Trisha Poole on Design Poole & shaping hospitality legacy design story podcasts

speaker-0: This is Hospitality Impact, powered by NEWH. We're diving into the trends, ideas, and people shaping the hospitality industry, from design and innovation to the business behind the brands. Today's segment is The People, the leaders, dreamers, and the doers bringing hospitality to life every day. speaker-1: you Welcome to Hospitality Unpacked.

I'm Hilary Egebrecht. Today, I'm excited to welcome Trisha Poole, founder, president, and principal of Design Pool, Inc. Trisha's career is a great example of what can happen when passion, partnership, and perseverance come together. After early leadership roles with firms like Fugelberg, Koch, Architects, and Getty's Group, she founded Design Pool in 2000, growing it into an internationally award-winning design firm with a presence across Florida, and into Canada and a reputation recognized globally.

Known for balancing bold, awe-inspiring design with real-world practicality, Trisha has built a brand rooted in collaboration, client trust, and lasting impact. Beyond her work, she's also been deeply involved with NAWH for decades, supporting education, mentorship, and the next generation of hospitality professionals. So Trisha, taking it all the way back to the beginning, what first drew you to hospitality design? early in your career.

speaker-0: Well, early in my career, I knew that it had to be something artistic. You know, I had a father that was a graphic artist and my mother who's a school teacher. So I knew somehow I would have to cross paths with some sort of mentorship and some sort of design. How I found hospitality is my first hotel.

The client was so amazing and receptive and excited about our designs that I knew that was kind of the segment that I would want to choose. All the other segments, quite honestly, were a little dry and boring. And so I knew for a lifetime selection, I needed to enjoy my work. And this is also something that's built on memories and it's very experiential.

And you really are touching so much about people. So hospitality for me, for sure. speaker-1: So what inspired you to start Design Pool after working for two other firms and what inspired you to create your own? speaker-0: Well, it was kind of funny because I had originally worked with a firm, Fugleberg Kutch, that was very design driven and they did a lot of theme park work where we worked with Disney and their first hotels.

And so was a lot of storytelling, but I didn't learn quite as much about business. It was very pie in the sky, but it was a lot of fun. I work with a Getty's group and they really had a very strong basis and foundation about the return on investment and all the business strategies. So when I went out on my own, I felt these two things really needed to merge well and there was a niche for that.

didn't feel there was enough firms out there that really embraced both of those things. Where you really celebrate design, you push the boundaries, but yet you really maintain a business strategy. So I think that is really kind of how Design Pool was born. speaker-1: Awesome.

What were some of those early challenges? I mean, you've talked a little bit about them already, but, and breakthroughs that built your firm and kind of kept you going. speaker-0: Well, I think I'm like everyone else, you know, when you're starting, you're not necessarily super rich, so you got tight budgets. You know, I lived through a couple of recessions, but kind of generally, it's building trust with your clients.

Those are the things that along the way, it's the chicken and the egg. You don't get the really big, beautiful project until you've completed a beautiful project. So you have to align yourself with the right clients. You got to build that trust, and each project just needs to be better than the last.

So that's just kind of the basis of how we worked. That was always kind of the mantras. The next one's gonna be better than the last. And I think really what was the breakthrough is once I really realized that this is beyond aesthetics and it was experiential and we really could dive deep into storytelling and all the things about the spaces that went from senses of your food and beverage experiences through the whole experience of the hotel.

indoors and out. I just knew that that was what we would be and I feel like that was a really great breakthrough for us because we feel like comfortable in that zone. speaker-1: So Design Pool first grew across Florida and then kind of expanded into Canada. What drove kind of that expansion and growth?

speaker-0: Yeah, you know, I think this is a story a lot of people know, but it's a very important story that's like so near and dear to my heart. You know, it happened because of a person and this wonderful employee. had the great honor of giving her the NWH Cliff Tuttle Scholarship in New York. And that night, I just adored her and her family.

And I'd awarded to other students, but she really just really stood out for me. And I said, listen, if you ever need anything, reach out to me. And she did when she graduated and she was with me for four years. And then she just showed how great she was with the team that I just didn't want to lose her.

So when she had to go back to Canada due to being close to friends, she and I chose to go to Canada. We explored to see what the Canadian landscape was like. And we found there was many people there that were like, wow, we would love to have a US based company that has a Canadian representative here who could look out for us and know our culture and help us provide products that are local. So we found it to be a good match.

then, you know, now today she's a VP of design who's been with me for 10 years and Canada is continuing to grow. So. It's just a great story and it's very warm to my heart because it's more about people and that's so much I think of my life, what I've cared a lot about in growing my business is around people. speaker-1: You're known for strong commitment to branding.

Why has brand identity been so central to your success and kind of your foundation? speaker-0: So if you're talking about branding for projects, obviously that's important. You're going to look just like your guy next door. That branding is the essence of everything so that people understand the differentiations between.

So I'm a huge brand advocate and I understand that about our projects, that if we do not help strengthen those brands and their swim lanes, then it becomes a of a real mash of what's the difference. For our company, I also feel it's important kind of as a brand that people know who we are and what we stand for. And I think more than anything, what we've grown today is we work so hard as if it were our project. And that's kind of what I've taught the designers is, you know, let's put our hats on like we own this project.

How would you spend the money? So I think we've grown to be a brand that really is great and bold and creativity and a bit fearless. We love to have fun, but we're also like stakeholders. so I think, you know, knowing that and our clients remember that that's how I have return and repeat business.

speaker-1: How do you maintain design consistency and quality while operating across regions and countries and even globally? speaker-0: That is not a problem at all. mean, I think with the way things are today, it's so easy to do things. I mean, you know it, you see chapters and distances, you know, it's pretty easy to do.

We have standards, we have strong communication, we have our meetings where it's literally like the Canadian team is on the phone with us. So we don't skip a beat, honestly. So all of that is in place just as if they were here. speaker-1: What does international success mean to you?

speaker-0: Well, I don't know that it's about, you know, like geography or anything like that as much as it is about just looking at the people that we've been able to touch and the influences that we have and the cultural differences. That's always very exciting. So we love that and the different types of people we meet and the things that we learn on every project. I think it's just enriching.

You know, I think that's really what we enjoy the most. speaker-1: So it's no secret you've been a pivotal member and volunteer with N.E.W.

H. Being our international president from 2014 to 2017 and so heavily involved in those formation years of so many different initiatives. What has this community meant to you? speaker-0: Well, boy, that would be a long discussion as long as I've been with you guys, which, you know, I was telling you earlier how much I miss you guys.

mean, honestly, it means very, very much because, as I said, it's about people and that's truly what any WH is about. It's about community, it's about mentorship. And those are all things that I've talked about, about the students and supporting them. I found a great place for my creative.

It was like a creative outlet for me. And I was allowed to express with Gina's permission, of course, and do things that I could not do with just anybody else. there were initiatives that were so much fun that touch everyone in our industry. So it has meant so much to me.

And I really didn't realize how much I'd miss it until, you know, I finished my part on the executive committee and I've had more time on my hands to think back. It was just so rewarding to be a part of something. that impacts others, because giving back to me means so much more than trying to take from our industry. So I wouldn't give those friendships and all that hard work and fun that we had for anything.

And I applaud and EWH for all the things they have done, the things they continue to do to kind of really advance the industry. speaker-1: Yeah, you've talked about how important mentorship and just having the right people in your camp are, and you've helped so many different projects and people in their careers. What do you hope your impact on the hospitality industry will be? speaker-0: You know, I think if it's just I've made some sort of difference in people's lives, you know, that's gonna matter a lot in empowering my team members and know that they can move forward.

That obviously means a lot to me. So I think if it's just sharing the idea that you can be bold and fearless in leadership while you lift others, you don't have to be harsh and tough. It's just, it can be such a wonderful, you know, very comfortable process that I hope if I can do that along the way and leave that little kind of bit of an imprint, that would be nice. speaker-1: What advice would you give to designers and entrepreneurs aiming to build enduring brands in the hospitality industry?

speaker-0: Number one, definitely think about your relationships before you try to scale up. You it's really about those relationships before how big you are. And you got to protect your reputation. You need to be ethical and you need to be someone that everybody trusts.

So protect that reputation relentlessly. Don't let your guard down. I think maintaining a really strong reputation is very important. Understanding that financial side is definitely if you want to be in business, you've got to have that side of it and a creative side along that goes with it.

But you can't sustain with just creativity. knowing the business and maybe don't dilute your vision, even though you get people telling you can't do it, you can't do it. I think that we get rewarded when we win some of those battles and people say, wow, I'm so glad I listened to you. So don't give up on some battles that it seems like, you you're told no at the beginning.

I think that it's definitely remained fearless. speaker-1: Well, do you have anything else to share today that you're excited about for the hospitality industry? speaker-0: Looking forward to the leadership conference coming up and I'm bringing a lot of my team. Can't wait to see everybody there.

And you know, I don't know, I just love this community and I think that hospitality is definitely about people. So my alignment with an EWH has been wonderful. And again, I look forward to hope to see a lot of my associates in March at the conference. That's like the next big thing coming up.

speaker-1: Well, we thank you, Trisha, for your leadership and your contributions to the industry. We thank you for being part of this conversation today. I guess until next time, let's stay bold and be fearless. speaker-0: Yes ma'am.

Hate to say goodbye, but it's great to see your smiling face. speaker-1: You too. I'll see you in March. speaker-0: Yes, girl.

See you there. That's a wrap on this episode of Hospitality Unpacked powered by NEWH. If you enjoyed the conversation, be sure to follow and subscribe to Hospitality Unpacked by NEWH wherever you get your podcasts. Stay connected with our global community of hospitality leaders by following us at Hospitality Unpacked or visiting hospitalityunpacked.

com. Until next time, stay inspired, stay curious, and keep unpacking hospitality.