In February 2020 I proposed to my incredible, indelible, best friend, Lucy.  She accepted and we cried tears of joy.  I asked her to marry me because I couldn’t imagine my life without her.  She embodies much of what I’m not: patient, consistent, and wears her heart...

By Noah Parks, featuring Michael Diamond I had the supreme honor of interviewing an HMG+ Alumni, Michael Diamond.  He’s a member of the LGBTQ family that makes up a vital part of our community.  During this Pride Month I took the time to talk about what it means to...

By Noah Parks June 1st, 2021 was like a relief when it came.  The colors, the pageantry, the joy, the love, and the honesty are the panacea that society needs right now.  Pride month is always an excellent time to reflect on the progress made and the history that is...

By Noah Parks Some of the hardest decisions are made when there seems to be no answer.  For example when faced with a worldwide pandemic, shortage of workers, and changing conditions for reopening, what should a company do?  Specifically, what should a hospitality...

Written By Noah Parks It’s happening.  Spring has sprung and the hospitality industry is finally starting to breathe some fresh air.  After nearly 13 months of closures, partial openings, and new rules, the industry has begun to open their doors for good!  And these...

By Noah Parks Recently the New York Times ran an article called, “What is Hospitality? That struck at the core of what we do at HMG+: we provide people the opportunity to be a part of our community to train in service, to elevate their skills and gain confidence.  Our...

By Noah Parks It was a bright and beautiful summer day, crystal blue skies, a steady purr of activity on the streets of Brooklyn. I was on my way Frankies, the meeting place for the HMG+ team. The air around Frankies 457 Spuntino, a restaurant in Cobble Hill, was...

By Noah Parks It sounds like something you’d read on a google ad, “Hospitality Staffing Solutions”, but with HMG+ it has a deeper, more human meaning. It’s our core principle to build community and grow it by supporting our service professionals both professionally...

By Noah Parks HMG+ is always ready to support and serve others, even during a pandemic.  When we see a need and have the capacity to help then we do it.  During COVID-19 we felt the need to be at full preparedness even though no one was likely to have a...

By Noah Parks The healthiest way to deal with this pandemic is to connect with your sense of community. Whether it’s reaching out to family, friends, or neighbors, or it’s supporting your local food banks, religious organization, or mutual aid group, all of it helps....

By Noah Parks Equity is a word that has always been confused with ‘equality’. In the Black community it’s not confusing at all. The former is what civil rights leaders demanded and Black communities deserved.  However, when politicians and even well meaning...

2020 has thrown us all for a loop but, luckily HMG+ has service professionals currently working safely in the field. I had the opportunity to interview one of our finest captains, Jacob Pressley and find out how things have changed in the field. I hope you’ll learn...

By Noah Parks What does it mean to be successful in the workplace? What I thought success meant at a young age was having all 151 pokemon. Okay, fast forward to High School, I thought it meant lots of money, cars, and a huge house. I still am striving toward that kind...

By Noah Parks While the circumstances are unique right now, we all have been in that untenable position of not knowing how to end a relationship with an employer. People leave because they have a better offer, are going back to school, or perhaps the company isn’t a...

By Noah Parks I was one foot out the door when the third Thursday of November approached. Grab my bag and head to the airport. I could see myself ready, masked, distanced, reviewing the safety improvements to the airport and the aircraft. I imagined my ticket on my...

By Noah Parks We’ve all felt it. That nagging feeling that we should’ve done or said something differently. The feeling that we messed something up and now it’s all over. Take a deep breath, it’s okay. It’s an interview. According to Glassdoor of 250 applicants only...

By Noah Parks Have you ever felt nervous before an interview? Good. It’s natural. However, remember the company you are interviewing with wants you to be a catch. It’s not always apparent but, a lot goes into crafting an interview that will be successful. The company...

By Noah Parks “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.”  It’s a classic.  It’s message is pure. I have to say it feels the same way in the hospitality field.  “How do I become a bartender?, Manager?, Captain?” It’s the same set up with a more...

By Noah Parks “Layer Take” Mother Nature makes everything seem preordained, perfect, one might say “natural”.  How are we going to do it? Our industry has been “rebuilding” for two of our busiest seasons: Graduation/Spring, and Wedding/Summer. Now, how do you take a...

By Noah Parks Stardate *09.31.2020*: back to work. To boldly go where we used to go to do the things we used to do. Well, sort of. We’ll be venturing into the new normal like rangers through the wilderness: redundancies, loaded for bear with PPE, and an expanded...