Protecting Your Peace and Overcoming Professional Uncertainty: An Interview with Tempestt Coxum 

Introducing Tempestt Coxum, Sertifi’s new regional business development representative. Tempestt has worked in hospitality sales for six years but only had six months of experience under her belt when the pandemic rocked the industry. Being no stranger to survival mode, through hardships and uncertain times, Tempestt navigated her professional pathway with her heart and mind wide open. And with her newfound commitment to personal and professional growth, Tempestt shared her story of how she learned to choose herself to continue delivering a great experience to others. This is her story. 

Mimi McNulty: What about the hospitality industry piqued your interest? 

Tempestt Coxum: I've always been a bit of a people pleaser. I enjoy serving others, hosting, and making people feel special. Prior to hospitality, I worked in insurance where there was not a lot of heart, so knowing that guests wanted to feel comfortable, relaxed, and taken care of when they arrived at a hotel, I wanted to be a part of making guest experiences special and memorable.  

MM: Where did you get your start? 

TC: I started as a national account manager with the Extended Stay America Corporation managing a portfolio of traveling construction worker accounts. My clients worked on projects all over the country, and my job was to make sure they had the best place to stay with everything they needed at the best rate. 

MM: You were working in hospitality when the pandemic hit. What was it like having to adapt to that? 

TC: It was pretty nerve wracking. I was only six months into the industry and my new role when the pandemic started. I was pretty adaptable back then, so I just tried to go with the flow, but it was challenging. When I was told to start working from home, I was still getting to know my peers, learning how to use new software, and I wasn't really comfortable asking for help or advice just yet. It was a big change for me.  

MM: Did your clients’ needs change during this time? 

TC: Their personal needs stayed the same: a bed, hot water, and a roof over their heads to say the least. What changed was what I could offer them. Construction sites are dirty, and many hotel properties were short-staffed during that time, so not being able to offer something simple as a clean towel because there was no one to wash them was a hurdle in itself.  

Another factor that changed was affordability. Every company in the world was making cuts in some way, shape, or form, and it was affecting every area of business, including construction and hospitality. A lot of the time I’d find myself asking clients, “What do you want to pay?” within reason of course, because I was trying to get as much business as possible while also meeting my clients’ needs to give them a good experience with very little. 

It really showed how much we take for granted. We’re all human at the end of the day, and we’re all trying to take care of ourselves and our business. It didn’t matter what role you were in or if you were the client or the sales rep. What mattered was the level of understanding you could offer to another person, especially in customer-facing roles and interactions. It mattered before the pandemic, and it still matters today. 

MM: How did you find your footing? 

TC: Honestly, I thought I had found my footing working from the comfort of my own home. But after a few years, my company had to make budget cuts and let a large group of people go, me included, and I lost it again. It was a really tough time. 

Soon after, I started a new role as a sales manager onsite at a hotel property an hour away from my home, and it was a completely different world from what I remembered. Everything had changed. I had changed. And I was having a hard time adjusting to being back in person after being remote for so long. But because of that change, for the first time in a few years, I was finally able to put things into perspective for myself – make choices about my own experience in hospitality that didn’t include being in survival mode. 

MM: What did you want for yourself? 

TC: I wanted a job that afforded me the work life balance that comes with working remotely at a company that would allow me to grow in a position that I could lean into and would challenge me as a sales professional. I told myself that if I couldn't keep myself motivated with positive, go-getter energy, then that role wasn’t for me at that time, especially if I wasn't going to give my all. So, I made a commitment to myself, and I focused on setting professional goals. And when I started seeing results within my career, that’s how I knew I found my footing. That change in mindset woke me up and made me realize exactly what I wanted.  

MM: And now you’re at Sertifi! 

TC: Yes! Now I’m at Sertifi! I had used Sertifi at the hotel property, so I knew about the company. And just like magic, a job opening for a role where I could use my specific set of skills to thrive and succeed presented itself. It was a blessing in disguise. 

MM: How have you changed from this six-year roller coaster through hospitality? 

TC: Well, I’ve grown a lot. Growth has been my thing. Like I mentioned at the beginning of our conversation, I used to be a people pleaser, but I’ve let go of the “go with the flow” mentality I once had. I’m more intentional. Now I know how to slow down and appreciate things more. I try to listen to what works and what doesn’t work for me and that’s been really liberating. 

MM: What is your biggest takeaway from this experience? 

TC: Always maintain your peace. Do what's best for you because you can't be good to others if you aren't your best self first.  

MM: And what does hospitality mean to you now?  

TC: It’s service. The smile on someone’s face, how you make them feel, and the experience they have when working with you. That’s what it means to me. 

MM: What is something that you want your clients to know having been in their shoes?  

TC: Work smarter, not harder. Advocate for yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And there’s nothing better than letting go of survival mode.