Hospitality Trailblazer, AI Advocate, and Remote Work Pioneer

With over four decades of hospitality leadership, John Elston’s journey from Bellman to Boss is a testament to resilience, vision, and innovation. At just 22 years old, John was entrusted with his first full-service hotel—a 242-room property—where he quickly gained a reputation as “the fixer,” turning around undercapitalized and poorly managed hotels through unmatched team-building skills and operational expertise. His “Team Genius” philosophy—intentionally crafting teams that deliver extraordinary results—became his signature leadership approach.

After 15 years as a General Manager, John transitioned into a Regional Sales role, managing a portfolio of 23 full-service hotels and resorts. In 2001, he joined Sunstone Hotels (SHO) as Vice President of Sales, later becoming Partner and Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. During his tenure, he played an integral role in expanding the company from 30 to 90 hotels, overseeing more than $900 million in annual revenue. Following SHO’s public offering, John joined Interstate Hotels & Resorts as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In 2010, John founded Yo!Dog Marketing, a digital agency specializing in building the online presence for hotels, restaurants, waterparks, and clubs. His entrepreneurial spirit continued to thrive, and in 2015, he embarked on a two-year journey living and working remotely in 18 countries across five continents. This experience inspired his bestselling book, *The Remote Revolution*, which documents his belief that the future of work lies in finding the world’s best talent and empowering them to work remotely.

Today, John is the Founder of WildHeart Team, where he partners with Will Guidara to teach the principles of Unreasonable Hospitality and helps businesses across the U.S. Lead with AI. A sought-after international speaker, coach, and business owner, John’s keynotes inspire audiences to embrace transformation, leverage technology, and create exceptional team dynamics.

John resides in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, balancing his professional pursuits with personal growth.

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is an internationally known keynote speaker, 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author and former crime boss in Dallas, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime.

USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most indemand speaker in America.”

At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury and turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life.

After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress and trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS).

One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man.

On parole in Texas until 2073, his story is one of hope, redemption, grit and the resilience of the Human spirit.