Out & Proud In Corporate America | Blake Danner cover art

Out & Proud In Corporate America | Blake Danner

Out & Proud In Corporate America | Blake Danner

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 23: What does it take to build some of the most talked-about hotels in the world — and do it while proudly representing the LGBTQ+ community at the top levels of corporate leadership? Blake Danner, COO of aka Hotels and Hotel Residences, joins us to share his journey from nightclub-loving hotel rookie to the executive suite, shaping brands like NoMad, The Line, and Freehand along the way. Blake opens up about the risks that shaped his career, the power of mentorship, and what it means to lead authentically — even in industries not always known for diversity. Whether you’re chasing a career in hospitality or just love bold leadership stories, this episode is packed with real talk and hard-earned advice. Topics Discussed: Breaking into hospitality Lessons from building iconic hotel brands Being out in corporate America Mentorship & diversity in leadership Leading teams through crisis Career advice for young professionals Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:36 - Who the Hell Are You? 00:05:57 - Why Work in Hotels? 00:08:31 - Blake’s First Job 00:11:33 - Risk-Taking & Delano Hotels 00:13:56 - Dallas vs. New York Nightlife in the 90s 00:15:59 - Coming Out in Corporate America 00:19:59 - Max & Blake’s Friendship 00:22:30 - Leading People in the Corporate World 00:25:06 - Being a Visible Queer Leader 00:29:58 - Advice for Young Professionals 00:33:37 - Biggest Mistakes in Corporate America 00:35:27 - Managing Hotels Through COVID 00:38:24 - Keeping Employees Happy and Motivated 00:40:15 - Why Blake Joined AKA Hotels 00:43:42 - Mentoring & Fostering Growth in Others 00:45:36 - Fight Me! New York vs LA Sponsored By: Scandinavian Bio-Labs | Start today with 20% off the Hair Activation Routine and any other products from Scandinavian Biolabs using code MAXEMERSON. Go to ScandinavianBiolab.com Max’s Patreon | Join today and make the internet more colorful Puori | Go to Puori.com/maxemerson and use code maxemerson Sparkle Club | https://maxismsmedia.com/the-sparkle-club Check Out Blake: Instagram Website Check Out Max: Instagram YouTube TikTok Thank you to all my patreon subscribers! Nate Heffel, Tobin Schiller ,James M, Christopher Neefus, Heskel, Michael Carpentiere, Timothy Cardoso, Shane Ouyang, Brian Joaquin, Carabalda, Brendan Saunders, Jeff Jay, James LEE, Andy, 正 , George Acosta, Michael Rice, Nathan Filip, Linda Johnson, Stephen Weathers, Kean Phan, James Powell, Landy Manderson

What listeners say about Out & Proud In Corporate America | Blake Danner

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.