Selfies of the Selfless

There is the family you are born into, and then there is the family you get to pick throughout life. Today, I want to talk to you about a group of people who I am humbled to now call part of my extended family–the Pfister Hotel Associates.

I made a conscious effort this year to stay away from writing about my work colleagues at the Pfister because I wanted to spend my stint as the Narrator telling stories about guests and visitors. Believe me…it wasn’t easy. The stories the Pfister Associates have to tell are legendary, and they all know how to spin a yarn that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I’ve had the great fortune to work with interesting and dedicated people in a myriad of different settings throughout my career, but I cannot recall a group of people as kind, wise, full of heart, industrious and creative as the Pfister Associates.

It would be easy to just call the men and women who make the Pfister run like the finest of Swiss watches “the hotel staff.” That’s a cop out, though, because they are all so much more than mere employees. Associate is a winning title for each member of the Pfister family as it represents the idea that everyone has a unique and interconnected role in making each person who walks through the Pfister doors feel the full impact of grace, welcoming spirit, and real dedication to beauty and joy. The Pfister Associates do just that—they associate. With one another, with each and every visitor, always succeeding in making each individual’s experience at the hotel feel tied to a stronger sense of community than you will likely find anywhere.

I’ll miss seeing all the smiling faces of my friends who make each day great at the Pfister, the ladies and gentlemen who immediately made me feel like family when I began my stint as the Pfister Narrator. I hope you enjoy a few selfies that I took of some of these smiling faces as much as I have enjoyed seeing them throughout the year. I’ll hold onto something that Executive Chef Brian Frakes said to me as he shook my hand after he, Harold and I posed for a selfie. “You’re part of the family,” said Brian with a broad grin. Knowing that I’ve just added a whole new gaggle of brothers and sisters to all the people in my life that I love and admire reminds me that the greatest gift I’ve received this year is one of new friends who have given me more of themselves than I could have ever imagined was possible. Thanks friends. I do adore you all.

Follow me on Twitter @jonathantwest for more smart remarks and snappy retorts.