For this edition of Meet Frontdesk, we spoke with Jenn Mason-Cammorato, Revenue Manager. Jenn has been with Frontdesk for 4 years and has been consistently owning it and exemplifying a growth mindset. In her free time, Jenn enjoys playing video games with her husband. She has a subscription with Elder Scrolls Online and typically gravitates towards RPGs. To commemorate October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Jenn also shares her experience on working at Frontdesk with a disability.
Tell me about your role and what you do here at Frontdesk?
I’m a Revenue Manager. I set and execute pricing strategies to maximize revenue.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
The autonomy. I’m granted the trust to take what I believe are the best steps to get my job done. I answer to our CEO, and we have a dialogue about revenue and pricing, but overall, it’s pretty autonomous.
What were you doing before Frontdesk and what brought you here?
I have a degree in hospitality management, and I worked in management in hotels and restaurants for several years. I was offered a data analyst position at Nokia, and worked there for a few years, remotely. My husband was offered a position at SpaceX 5 years ago, and we packed up our life on the east coast and moved to the west coast. I wasn’t doing much of anything, job wise, and I put my resumé online, but didn’t actively look for a job. I was contacted by Angela to interview for a Guest Experience Specialist position. I was offered the job, and I was excited to work remotely, so I accepted!
What is your favorite Frontdesk city?
Charlotte, forever and always. I was there when we were building it out, I was the first GES there, back when GES and OTA were the same thing. It was my city, and thankfully, it’s a high performing city.
What has been your biggest learning experience since starting at Frontdesk?
Watching the company grow from 6 employees in 1 and a half cities to over 200 employees in 30 cities has been a trip. Nobody was 100% sure how to do it, so we just dove head first into growth. We read articles, went to conferences, read books, followed Facebook groups, and made valuable friendships with growth minded leaders in our industry, and we just did it. And it worked! We figured it out, and it was amazing. It’s still amazing to see the strategies we came up with on our own 3 years ago are fueling our rapid growth today.
What advice would you give to others in your role?
I recently had a new person, Andrew Turner, join me on the revenue team. Some revenue managers will tell you that it’s a science. Andrew and I both firmly believe it’s both art and science. If you have a gut feeling about something, bring it to the team and we’ll go for it!
What surprised you about working at Frontdesk?
How quickly talent is recognized, and advancement opportunities ABOUND if you’re working effectively. We have entry level jobs at Frontdesk, and many, many people have advanced beyond those positions to ones that may better reflect their talents and abilities.
Bucket list place to visit?
The Greek Isles. I’d love to spend a month on a sailboat going island to island, exploring ruins, and laying on the beach.
How do you feel Frontdesk has fostered an environment for people with disabilities to grow and succeed?
We have a liberal leave policy, and if I have a doctor’s appointment, I can just go to it. I don’t even have to put it on my calendar, though I do so nobody schedules a meeting on top of me. I’ve never had to take leave because of my MS, but it’s been made clear to me numerous times that if I need it, take it. I’ve gone to regular doctor’s visits, several MRIs, and even a clinical trial while working here. Employee well-being is a top priority at Frontdesk. It has since I started working here.
What advice would you give to coworkers when it comes to working with people with disabilities?
Never treat your colleagues differently or expect anything other than their best effort. Expect everyone to give their best effort. If you’re having a bad day, and I absolutely have those, just give what you can that day. Nobody expects you to give more than you have. Your best effort is great.
