Hospitality leaders share industry insights

By Ashley Sewall 04-02-2026

Noah Tepperberg and David Grutman sat down for a fireside chat at the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School during Miami Music Week and discussed Grutman's new book, "Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game."

Grutman is the owner of Groot Hospitality, a collective of high-end restaurants, night clubs, hotels, and lounges, including LIV Miami and LIV Las Vegas, Komodo, and Gekkō, in partnership with Bad Bunny.

He was interviewed by Tepperberg, alumnus of the Miami Herbert Business School and co-founder and co-CEO of Tao Group Hospitality, with locations in New York City, Las Vegas, Miami, Singapore, and other cities.

Both men have been part of the industry for more than a decade, influencing the hospitality space. Grutman has now shared his experiences and strategies for success in a book due for release this month.

Grutman's inspiration for the book title, "Take It Personal," is a jab at the common phrase "Don't take it personal." He challenges that idea because he found that-especially in the hospitality industry-taking things personally leads to improvement.

But Grutman doesn't just focus on his successes in the book. He turns the table to discuss how his failures have helped him grow.

"I've had more trouble with success than I've had with failure. And I think that's one thing they won't tell you about," Grutman said. "I think when you have a lot of success, you get very cocky, and your ego gets very high, and you don't ask for help. You think you know it all, and you don't stay humble. And that's when things go [south]."

A lot of his success comes from building strong relationships with people, including Tepperberg. In fact, the two partnered to open Casadonna, an Italian restaurant in downtown Miami.

Since several attendees were students, Grutman pointed out the importance of forming authentic relationships, especially at networking events, and to avoid networking with people who are waiting for someone bigger and better to walk in the door.

"I know you guys probably don't want to hear this, but long game, long game, long game," said Grutman. "So many of our competitors think about just tomorrow and not about years and years of great relationships."

Justine Isaacs, who will graduate in May with a master's in finance from the Miami Herbert Business School, attended the event because she hopes to work in the entertainment and hospitality industries after graduation.

"[Grutman] mentioned sticking it through for the long run, which I think is so important for us to hear, especially in this modern day of instant gratification. Things take time," Isaacs said. "I appreciate all that was shared [during the event]. It was very valuable for my personal and professional development."

Both founders discussed their philosophies as entrepreneurs and how relationship-building fits into that, especially in the hospitality and entertainment industries, where they are constantly interacting with people.

"There's no better moment in hospitality than when a guest comes into the venue and they get to meet the owner or the person running it themselves, and they're acknowledged by that person. That person will be a guest forever," Tepperberg said. "You can't skim lanes in the hospitality business. So be there. Go every day."

Grutman pointed out another key skill in hospitality: attention to detail.

"When I walk into one of my restaurants, I'm not looking straight [ahead]; I'm looking up, because I'm looking to see if any light bulbs are [out]. I'm looking to see if there's trash on the floor. I'm looking to see if there's dirt and plates on people's tables. I'm looking to see if there's menus just laying on plates because that means they're not getting great service," Grutman said.

Beyond their experiences, Grutman also spoke to the big picture strategy that has driven his business growth: creating an ecosystem where each venture feeds into the next.

The two guest speakers shared that when they started in the industry, they would invite celebrities to dinners before they would go to the nightclubs, which gave the restaurants the benefit of their crazy dinners. That sparked the beginning of their ecosystems. Now they own restaurants that people can eat at before going to a nightclub, and they are starting to expand that ecosystem to invest in consumer packaged goods brands, including Liquid Death.

"[Having industry leaders speak to University students] means everything because these are the moments that affect our experiences," Isaacs said. "This is what we need as students and why we're here. It's the opportunity of a lifetime to meet an industry leader."