Practicing Hospitality
By Matthew Evans

Tell us about yourself. What is your background, and what led you to your current role?I’m Matthew Evans, Corporate Sales Manager at Eden Resort & Suites. I have an educational background in English and Creative Writing, earning my degree at Pennsylvania State University’s main campus. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for 8 years now, the first 7 of which were spent on the operations side before transitioning into sales. In my free time I volunteer for a peer-to-peer mental health support non-profit called Heartsupport, attend physical training with my amazing coach, Ashley, play guitar, write novels, perform comedy, and am soon to begin a volunteer position in marketing at Lancaster Improv Players, a non-profit theater centered around keeping the comedy scene alive here in Lancaster. I believe it is vital to retain a bustling and diverse life outside of your professional career path.

At Eden Resort I help companies who are struggling to find the right event space to host events, need overnight rooms for out-of-town employees and guests, and I attend as many local events as possible to network and represent Eden Resort. I work with my awesome teammates to develop strategies and leverage technology to optimize prospecting and evaluate our processes and help plan amazing events for companies.

What inspired you to pursue a career in hospitality, and what do you enjoy most about your work at Eden Resort & Suites?
I stumbled into this hospitality career. It was certainly never something I, in my wildest youthful dreams, would have imagined pursuing. My career began after college, wherein I’d find myself entirely in debt with no clue as to how I was going to pay it off. I was so broke that I had to move back home with my parents, my monthly payments were so high and my earnings were so low that I couldn’t get approved for an apartment. There was a hotel down the street and so I applied as a front desk agent, thinking it would pay the bills while I found my “real” job…

That hotel was Heritage Hills in York, Pa. I worked between Heritage Hills in York and Heritage Hotel here in Lancaster, taking as many hours as I could between the two locations; some months went by without a single day off. I was slowly paying down private loans for my schooling and was struggling with my mental health and frankly did not believe in myself or my capabilities at that time. I watched as my colleges and friends went on to have great, fulfilling careers and start families, all the while I could barely afford the gas to put in my car.

It was this mental stagnation which led me to continue working in those hotels without seeking advancement, going through the motions while paying down debt. Through a lot of growth, reflection and study, I began to change my perspective and actively worked my way up the ladder until I was an operational manager. Eventually I felt I had outgrown my role at that hotel, and I was then hired by Eden Resort, made Front Office Manager, a role I held for 3 years and eventually transitioned into sales as Corporate Sales Manager, a position I retain to this day. I bring this up as a lesson, that your mental health and your mindset are paramount to thriving in life, and that no matter how rough things may get, you can absolutely climb your way out and change your life.

What I enjoy most about my work at the Eden is the product and the people behind that product. Everyone from the top of the chain down takes great pride in the work and are constantly reinvesting in the business and evaluating feedback. I love being able to sell a product I believe in which is run by competent, caring people.

What has been one of the most rewarding moments or accomplishments in your professional career so far?
The most rewarding moments of my career come when I see the people I trained succeed and accept positions that further their careers, be it with my organization or another. I love leading my teams to success and helping them develop and maximize their skills! I build close-knit teams and learn each of my teammates needs and desires and tailor my approach in such a way that it can help them leverage the experience as they grow in their careers. It is always a pleasure to see my previous employees going on to do wonderful things in their lives, to be able to be a good reference for them.

Has there been a mentor, leader, or individual who has influenced your personal or professional growth? How have they impacted you?
My biggest mentor is my father. He has always worked hard and taught us to take pride in the work we do. I never show up at a job just to show up, I show up ready to put my pride into the work I commit myself to and give it my all. He also taught me that the only failure in life is giving up, and anything beside that is just a lesson for growth. So, I’ve learned to embrace mistakes. Without my mistakes I wouldn’t have accumulated this wisdom which has led me to growth. He taught me that grit and determination are invaluable, and such has been the case in my early life.

What advice would you give to other young professionals who are beginning their careers?
The best advice I can give any young professional out there is to take shots at opportunities you aren’t ready for and make it known that you want to take on new challenges. Life will rarely hand you advancements and if you wait until you’re ready, you will be waiting forever. Don’t assume your boss will promote you just because you work hard. Hard workers aren’t always great leaders. So you need to go out of your way to show that you want a leadership role and then research how to be a good leader and demonstrate it. Read books on philosophy, study the great leaders of history and distill that information. Most importantly, think back to the worst leaders you’ve ever had and be sure to never become like them.

When I was starting out, I thought that there was some magic moment when I knew I’d be ready to take on a new role, some kind of sign or a sensation like a light bulb would go off and POOF I’d be ready, but that moment never came, because in reality that waiting is just your brain tricking you into complacency; the brain always seeks the path of least resistance, so challenge yourself, take that leap, and learn along the way. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the same role year after year and wonder why nobody has come to you offering new roles or challenges.

What does leadership mean to you, and how do you strive to lead in your current role?
Leadership to me is just another role of many in any given team. I don’t believe it’s an elevated title or position, just a function of a greater goal. For that to function well you need a few key skills:

First, know how to build a team. Find people who are better than you at what you do, find people who compliment your weaknesses, people who have great mindsets and work ethics, find people who possess those traits you cannot train.

Second, you need to know how to delegate. If you bring someone onto your team, you need to train them, put them in a position to succeed, give them their work, and trust them to take care of it while acting as a guidepost when needed. If you need to micromanage, then it means you already failed at my first point. Always let it be known that you are there to support, that there are no dumb questions, and then you can focus on the overall shape of the project and the direction it’s heading in.

Third, you need to put your money where your mouth is. If you want your team to work hard, then work hard. If you want to be respected, give respect. Teams love a leader who isn’t afraid to get in the mud. In the hotel world, you don’t get holidays off. Hotels don’t close on Christmas. So, I would work every Christmas and instead gave the mothers on my team off work so they could spend those moments with their children. Things like this make a world of difference in leading a team.

There are so many more aspects I could touch on: Humility, charisma, empathy, critical thinking, etc. but we will leave it at those three.

How has being involved in the Lancaster community influenced your personal or professional journey?
Getting involved in the community has been amazing. I’ve made new friends, new business connections, mentors, I’ve seen how different businesses in different industries run. I’ve heard amazing stories of perseverance and overcoming failure. Every day I spend in the community with open ears is a day I spend gaining wisdom from perspectives I myself may never inhabit, but I can use those to influence my own work and thought processes moving forward. Lancaster has been such a pleasure to live in and everyday I find something new to appreciate here. I would advise all young professionals to get involved in some kind of community hobby or non-profit!

What are some of your goals for the future, both personally and professionally?
My goals for the future are to continue my sales and marketing path, whatever shape that takes, until a time at which I decide to start my own business. Outside of work I plan to continue my fitness journey, comedy, and volunteer work in non-profits. My overall goal is continued growth and an open mind, taking what life gives me and shaping it into the best path I can. Life is a journey, and sometimes we can get so tunnel-visioned on our goals or our 5-year plans that we fail to see the forest through the trees, fail to grasp at each moment’s unfolding. Try to enjoy the journey, because after every destination just comes a new destination.

What does the phrase “Next Generation” mean to you?
To me, Next Generation means passing down wisdom and fostering growth. I encourage everyone who attends to take notes and follow up with your peers and the speakers after each session. These are people whose lives you will never live, and their experiences are therefor invaluable to you on your own journey! If you can take away even one lesson from each speaker each month you will be far ahead of your competition and peers. And you will find more often than not that if you reach out to those further along the path than you and you come to them with humility and concrete questions, they will be more than willing to give you guidance.

This conversation highlights the value of perseverance, meaningful relationships, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities. His journey reflects how mentorship, community engagement, and a servant-minded approach can create lasting impact both professionally and personally. Through his work and involvement throughout Lancaster County, he continues to help businesses thrive while investing in the people and relationships that make the community strong.