Nashville Entrepreneur Center · Project Briefing

Front Desk Redesign

A phased shift from a staffed front desk to a designed welcome — without losing the warmth that makes the EC the EC.

Status
Phase One · In Execution
Owner
Rob Williams
Sponsor
Sam Davidson · Mira
Treena's Last Day
Fri · Jun 5
Phase One Runs
Jun 8 → Jul 2

1. Project Charter

The problem, the objective, the working theory, and the constraints we're working within.

The Problem

Staffing the EC's front desk has been Mira's #1 operational pain point. The seat carries idle time, coverage scrambles, and ~$40–50K/year for work that is largely answering questions a sign could answer. Compounding events:

Tour data — what we learned (and what Sam tempered)

Trea shared the Tour & Consultation Conversion Lists. Initial read suggested a $24K/year walk-in pipeline. Sam pressure-tested the data on Jun 3 and read it differently: walk-in volume month-by-month is closer to 1–3 per month (1 in July 2025), and an $18/hr coverage attendant to catch one walk-in/month is bad ROI. His framing: "We're solving a problem that doesn't exist."

Resolved: The new role JD does NOT require tour-giving as a core function. Guest services + ops focus. Tour-giving is opt-in / overflow only. Trea stays primary.

Sam direction-setting (June 3 conversation)

Sam came to Rob June 3. The conversation sharpened several decisions and surfaced new deliverables. Key direction:

What we learned from Treena's knowledge capture (June 4)

Treena filled out the self-paced form before Sam's exit interview at 3 PM today. The data updates several of our working assumptions and surfaces hidden work we hadn't planned for.

Sam meets with Treena at 3 PM today for the conversational exit interview — additional intel may surface and will be folded in.

The Objective

Replace a staffed front desk with a designed welcome experience that scales without a body in the chair. Reinvest the headcount in a higher-leverage hybrid role. Test before we commit capital.

The Working Theory

The current front desk is legacy org design. Most visitors are pre-coordinated, self-check-in via Nexudus, and don't need a human to begin the visit. What they need is clarity — where to go, what to do, who to contact if something goes wrong. The right tool for that job is signage and self-service, not a static seat.

"Think of your org design as a product. Look for opportunities to make a step-function change by imagining the ideal state and working backward from that."

— Jonathan Golden, first PM at Airbnb · Lenny's Newsletter, 2019

Scope

In ScopeOut of Scope
Signage and wayfinding at the current main entrance (Phase One) Permanent capital build-out (deferred to Phase 2)
iPad / Nexudus kiosk relocation and prominence Building HVAC, security, parking infrastructure changes
Contract / volunteer coverage pool stand-up Member dues, pricing, or program changes
New role JD (working title: Operations Manager / Guest Liaison) Permanent move of primary guest entrance to the cafe (deferred to Phase 1, contingent on Phase One results)
Member & team communication plan around the transition Public PR / media announcements
Walk-in tour protocol; event arrival attendant protocol Long-term naming / sponsorship arrangements (parked for now)

Constraints

2. Phased Plan

Three phases. Each phase has a clear objective, a date, and explicit exit criteria for advancing to the next.

Phase One · ACTIVE

Unstaff the current entrance with signage and self-service

Live Monday, June 8. Duration: 30–60 days of observation.
Objective

Test whether the current main entrance can function without a staffed desk — using signage, wayfinding, a relocated Nexudus kiosk, and a contract/volunteer coverage pool on-call as needed.

What's Being Done
  • Desk and chair physically removed (professional removal, not a yank-out)
  • Standing wayfinding sign at the entrance — directs to Cafe, Meeting Rooms, Member Area, Restrooms
  • Floor stickers pointing the way (people look down)
  • Directional decals on the curved entry window
  • Static welcome screen (Google Slides loop v0): today's events, host names, wayfinding, parking QR
  • Nexudus iPad relocated to a prominent, unavoidable position
  • "Most-asked questions" signage — bathrooms confirmed top of list; rest from Treena's tally
  • Email footer update: "Feel free to wait in the cafe until your party arrives"
  • Contract / volunteer coverage pool (~$20/hr) — Andy first call, 3–5 names on the bench
  • Event arrival attendant protocol for 50+ person events (40-min window: 15 min before / 15 min after)
Vendors & Partners
  • RJ Young — preferred fabricator for permanent signage. If turnaround too slow, FastSigns Nashville or in-house laminates as v0 backup.
  • Lorette's team — wayfinding expertise; 30-min walkthrough requested before fabrication.
Exit Criteria — Advance to Phase 1 if all four are true at Day 30
  • ✓ No more than 2 weekly visitor complaints related to wayfinding or confusion
  • ✓ Walk-in tour log shows protocol working (frequency & resolution acceptable)
  • ✓ Event arrival attendant model handles 50+ person events without major incident
  • ✓ Member sentiment net-neutral or positive (no significant negative feedback)
Phase 2 · DEFERRED

Permanent capital build-out

Target: contingent on Phase 1 success and funding availability.
Scope (notional)
  • Permanent fabricated signage and branded fixtures
  • Digital welcome wall (full CMS-driven, replaces Google Slides v0)
  • Branded welcome console / lounge experience
  • Permanent member-facing brand moment

Funding model and design specifics deferred. Not in scope for current planning.

3. Stakeholders & RACI

Who's accountable for what. R = Responsible (does the work) · A = Accountable (owns the outcome) · C = Consulted · I = Informed.

Workstream Mira Sam Rob Trea OM Hire
Strategic direction & approval A R C I I
Phase One execution (signage, kiosk, comms) C A R C I
Treena knowledge capture & exit interview C C R I
Vendor sourcing (RJ Young, Lorette's team) I C R I
Coverage pool (contract/volunteer) C A R I
Event arrival protocol R C C C I
Tour-start workflow continuity I I C R
Member & team communications R C C I I
New role JD & hiring C A R I
Phase One → Phase 1 gate decision A R C C C

Beneficiary stakeholders (not RACI-tracked)

4. Critical Path Timeline

The next two weeks. Days with multiple deliverables are starred.

Date Milestone Owner Detail
This week (Mon–Tue) Treena knowledge capture begins ★ Treena (self) / Rob distributes 10-section self-paced form. Walk-in tour log, call log, most-asked questions tally, vendor list, system inventory, event role, brain dump.
This week Contact Lorette's team for wayfinding Rob 30-min walkthrough + spec review before fabrication.
This week RJ Young signage order (or backup) Rob Standing sign, floor stickers, window decals, "most-asked" signage. Backup: FastSigns or in-house laminates.
This week Pull Mira's event instructions doc Rob Trea pointed there. Read, identify gaps given the redesign, redline.
This week OM JD — draft & review Rob → Sam Hybrid of existing Biz Ops JD + receptionist remains + new hospitality scope.
Wednesday Treena exit interview ★ Rob (Sam/Mira optional) 60–75 min. Walks through what she captured this week + conversational reflection.
Wed–Thu Static welcome screen content (Google Slides loop v0) Rob 5-block rotation: welcome, today's events, wayfinding, parking QR, EC moment.
Thu Email footer update across tour confirmations + invite templates Rob "Feel free to wait in the cafe until your party arrives."
Thu Team all-hands brief on the transition Sam 20 min. What's changing Monday, who covers what, why this matters.
Fri · Jun 5 Treena's last day · send-off moment ★ Sam + Mira Public thanks. Card. Whatever the team usually does. Don't skip it.
Fri · Jun 5 Coverage pool first calls complete Rob Andy + 2–4 others confirmed on-call for Monday onward.
Weekend Jun 6–7 Desk removal + signage install ★ Facilities + Rob Professional removal. Signs and decals installed. iPad relocated.
Mon · Jun 8 Phase One LIVE — Day 1 ★ Rob (on-site) Welcome screen running. Wayfinding live. Backstop pool on-call. No desk, no Treena — by design.
Mon · Jun 8 Member email goes out Mira "Some changes at the front door starting today" — confident, mission-aligned, no apology.
Jun 8 – Jul 2 Phase One observation period (30 days) Rob Weekly Monday reviews. Track metrics. Adjust signage and process as needed.
~Jul 2 Phase One → Phase 1 gate review Mira + Sam + Rob Are exit criteria met? Greenlight Phase 1 planning or extend Phase One.

5. Decisions Log

What's been decided and by whom. Open decisions surface at the top.

Open — Need to Resolve This Week

Open · Owner: Rob
Confirm RJ Young can deliver signage by Mon Jun 8 — or pivot to a faster alternative.

If RJ Young's lead time is too long, pivot to FastSigns Nashville (24–48 hr turn) or in-house laminates as v0 while permanent fabrication arrives later. Decision needed by end of week.

Open · Owner: Sam + Mira
Event arrival attendant protocol — who covers, when, how.

Trea's biggest concern. Proposed: dedicated attendant for 40-min window for 50+ person events. Mira has the existing event instructions doc — start there. Likely fits within the contract/volunteer pool model. Needs to be specified before Jun 8.

Open · Owner: Rob
Walk-in tour protocol — signage + QR ping, or something more?

Pending data from Treena's walk-in log this week. If walk-ins are rare, a sign + QR code that pings Trea suffices. If common, we need a real handoff system. Hard "no" from Trea: "co-work until Trea is available."

Open · Owner: Sam + Rob
New role title and seniority — Operations Manager or Guest Services Lead?

The June 1 meeting committed to action-based language ("Guest Liaison" / "Guest Services") instead of "front desk." Open whether the JD title leads with that or with "Operations Manager." Affects salary band and hiring pitch.

Open · Owner: Sam + Mira
Does Mira's event greeting role continue, or does the OM inherit a slice of it?

Mira's current process: she personally greets every event host. With the new role, decision needed — does Mira keep that, or does the OM take it for routine events (50+ people, recurring renters)? Either is fine but needs to be decided.

Resolved (recent)

Resolved · Jun 1 · Sam + Rob
Phase One = de-staff the current entrance. Phase 1 = move to cafe (contingent).

Test whether signage and self-service can replace the desk before changing where the entrance is. Cheaper, faster, learns more. The cafe-entrance pivot is the Phase 1 hypothesis we'll evaluate based on Phase One data.

Resolved · Jun 1 · Sam + Rob
The desk is physically removed — not just unstaffed.

"The desk itself signals come stand here, which is the wrong behavior." Done professionally over the weekend of Jun 6–7.

Resolved · Jun 1 · Sam + Rob
Coverage model: contract / volunteer pool at ~$20/hr.

Advisors, alumni, EC supporters paid when on-site coverage is needed. Replaces the FT-receptionist model. Andy first call ("put me in, coach"). Target 3–5 names on the bench by launch.

Resolved · Jun 1 · Sam + Rob
Drop "front desk" language entirely.

Language around the action, not the place. "Guest Services" / "Guest Liaison" / "Welcome." All new materials (JD, signage, member comms, deck content) use the new framing.

Resolved · May 21 · Treena
Treena resigned and declined the program team role.

Last day Friday June 5. Leaving the org. Cleaner narrative for the redesign — "we're using a vacancy to redesign a role" instead of "we're moving someone out of a chair."

6. Risks & Mitigations

What could go wrong and how we're guarding against it.

Risk Likelihood Impact Mitigation
Walk-in tour mishandling. Guest shows up unannounced; no one greets them; bad first impression. Med Med Signage + QR code pinging Trea. Coverage pool on-call. Frequency data this week sizes the real problem.
Event chaos. 50+ person event arrives at unfamiliar entry; people wander; Ingram Hall not visible. High High Event arrival attendant for 40-min window. Dramatically increased signage. Mira remains on-site greeter.
Tribal knowledge loss. Treena holds vendor relationships, member quirks, and recurring patterns no one else knows. High Med 10-section knowledge capture form this week. Wednesday exit interview. Vendor master list + system inventory + member notes.
Connect-member check-in enforcement gap. 1-day/month members over-use without anyone catching it. Med Low Accept as Phase One known gap. Move to Nexudus admin reports + OM-driven outreach later. Soft upsell signal, not entry-point enforcement.
Mira's event process bottleneck. Custom email + personal greeting doesn't scale; no documented handoff to anyone. High Med Read Mira's existing event instructions doc this week. Decide whether OM inherits a slice of event-greeting role. Document the process.
Signage doesn't arrive in time. RJ Young can't fabricate by Mon Jun 8. Med High FastSigns Nashville (24–48 hr) or in-house laminates as v0 backup. Confirm RJ Young this week.
Member backlash. "You laid off Treena and stripped the front desk." Story spirals. Low Med Communication plan owned by Mira. Member email Mon Jun 8 frames it honestly: Treena's choice, new direction, more accessible help via Guest Liaison. No spin.
Coverage pool gaps. No one available when a body is genuinely needed. Med Med 3–5 names on bench by Jun 8. Slack channel + text protocol. Backstop = any staff member as last resort.
Password security exposure. Treena's credentials for Nexudus admin and main inbox are currently stored "behind the keyboard" on paper. High Med Migrate to 1Password before Jun 5. Rotate credentials. Remove paper copies. Inventory at exit interview.
Brian Lee Nash cash drops without supervision. Walk-ins drop cash into mailbox #216; today's desk staff witnesses. Med High Direct conversation from Rob/Sam with Brian before Jun 5. Redirect to his office or eliminate the unsupervised drop.
Decluttering function lapses. Treena's daily organizing of print rooms, kitchens, cabinets stops; clutter visibly accumulates. High Med Assign explicit owner (OM, team rotation, or vendor scope). Weekly visual audit + photo log to catch drift.
Specific-member workflow drops. Bill's Friday meeting, Masheka's envelope pickups, Aidan's paper, Yeji's language gap, Jacob's late stays — each was held together by Treena's relational knowledge. Med Med Each surfaced in knowledge capture and now has its own row in the Change Tracker. Direct 1:1 outreach to each member before Jun 5. Operating Manual carries the warmth context for the OM hire.
Walk-in tour pipeline drift. Volume is low (1-3/month average). Risk is symbolic more than financial — a walk-in turned away looks worse than the revenue suggests. Low Low Sam-resolved Jun 3: no dedicated coverage. Delight protocol when Trea unavailable (free coffee at Crema, scheduled callback). Track conversions monthly via Trea's spreadsheet.
OM hire takes longer than expected. Phase One runs without a permanent owner for 6–8 weeks. Med Low Rob owns Phase One in the interim. JD posted this week to fill funnel. Phase One was always designed to be human-light.

7. Open Questions

Things we don't yet know — and the data, conversations, or decisions that will resolve them.

Resolved · Jun 4 · Treena's knowledge capture
How often do unannounced walk-in tours actually happen? ✓ 4–7 per week.

Treena's estimate: 4–7 actual walk-in tours weekly, 1–2 convert to members. This is real volume — walk-in protocol is a primary deliverable, not an edge-case fallback.

Resolved · Jun 4 · Treena's knowledge capture
What are the actual top questions visitors ask? ✓ Volume is lower than assumed.

Treena's tally surfaced "Where is the cafe?" (1) and "Is [member] here?" (2). Bathrooms didn't surface in her sample. Signage spec scaled accordingly — one panel handles cafe/iPad self-lookup/bathrooms/wifi/parking.

Resolved · Jun 4 · Treena's knowledge capture
What is the main phone line actually used for? ✓ Very low volume.

Treena's 3-day log: 1 donor/partner call, 2 "other" (school tour + survey). AI receptionist deferred — voicemail-forward + Slack routing is sufficient for Phase One.

Resolved by: Read Mira's event instructions doc
Where does Mira's custom event process break under the new model?

She owns inquiry → reply → parking note → on-site greeting personally. Treena's intel: she's been quietly handling event cleanup (leftovers, trash, dishes) on Mira's behalf. Cleanup needs a new explicit owner.

Resolved · Jun 3 · Sam
New role does NOT include tour-giving as core function. Trea stays primary.

Walk-in volume is too low to justify a tour-trained hire. New role focuses on guest services + operations. Tour-giving is overflow only. Trea continues to own scheduled tours (high-intent) and 100% of consultations.

Resolved · Jun 3 · Sam
Walk-in coverage — no dedicated pool. Smart routing + delight protocol.

$18/hr coverage to catch ~1 walk-in/month is bad ROI. Phase One: signage routes walk-ins to Trea via Slack; if Trea unavailable, delight protocol kicks in ("Trea's next is at 3 — here's a coffee on us at Crema").

Resolved · Jun 3 · Sam
Connect-member check-in — intentional 0% enforcement.

Current state is already 0%. Don't pretend otherwise. Build toward gamification culture later (positive reinforcement, not policing).

URGENT · This week · Rob
Website contact form routing audit + map.

Identify where Connect / Consultation / Contact / Room Rental forms route today. Some go to info@, some to ClickUp, some to Trea. Confirm or redirect each before Phase One launches. Most relevant: contact form on program pages currently goes to info@ — should probably go elsewhere.

URGENT · This week · Rob + Mira
Pre-arrival info page for event & room renters.

Trea has a systematic "what to expect" doc for tour visitors. Mira does NOT — every event/room renter gets a custom email. New deliverable: hidden-link page on ec.co attached to post-booking confirmations. Saves Mira time, gives visitors clarity.

Resolved by: Sam + Mira
Who picks up Treena's hidden daily decluttering work?

She organizes print rooms, LC cabinets, kitchens daily. Options: (a) part of OM's daily rotation, (b) weekly schedule across the team, (c) cleaning vendor scope expansion. Decision needed before Jun 8 or visible clutter accumulates within weeks.

Resolved by: Rob
Where does the monthly marketing materials production go?

Treena has been producing program one-pagers, decks, etc. Logical home: Rob (Marketing Director) absorbs or delegates. Inventory the recurring materials at the 3 PM exit interview.

Resolved by: Mira + Sam
Where do small in-person member services go (ice, paper, mail walk-down)?

Treena was delivering these personally — Masheka asks for ice, Aidan gets the Nashville Biz Journal, members occasionally have mail walked to their desk. Options: (a) coverage pool fields via Slack #help, (b) members self-serve, (c) OM picks up the warmth function. Treena explicitly worried about "general human connection" if the desk goes away.

Resolved by: Mira + Sam (strategic call)
Does Treena's tier-restructure suggestion move forward?

She suggested raising the basic membership tier to include 1–2x/week drop-ins (vs. current 1x/month). Not a Phase One decision, but surfaced during knowledge capture as a real product idea from someone who watched the dynamic for years.

Resolved by: Sam + Rob conversation
Is the OM hire the right vehicle, or do we need a "Guest Services Lead" with operations as a secondary scope?

The language shift to "Guest Services" reopens whether the JD title leads with that or with "Operations Manager." Affects pitch, salary, and candidate pool.

Resolved by: Phase One observation
Can the current main entrance actually function without a desk?

The core hypothesis of Phase One. If yes, Phase 1 follows. If no, we revisit assumptions.

8. Deliverables Tracker

Current work items and their status.

Deliverable Owner Due Status Notes
Treena Knowledge Capture formRob distributes; Treena fillsTueIn progress10-section self-paced doc. Walk-in log, call log, most-asked tally, vendor list, etc.
Exit interview (Wednesday)Rob (Sam/Mira optional)WedScheduledWalks through captured material + conversational reflection.
Contact Lorette's teamRobThis weekTo do30-min walkthrough + spec review.
RJ Young signage order (or backup)RobThis weekUrgentConfirm timeline. Pivot to FastSigns or laminates if needed.
Standing wayfinding signRJ YoungJun 7OrderedCafe / Meeting Rooms / Member Area / Restrooms.
Floor stickersVendorJun 7To doDirectional, looking-down signage.
Curved window decalsVendorJun 7To doExisting common ask-point.
"Most-asked questions" signageRob (spec); vendor (fabricate)Jun 7Pending dataFinal spec after Treena's tally.
Static welcome screen content (Slides v0)RobJun 6To do5-block rotation: welcome, today, wayfinding, parking QR, EC moment.
iPad relocation planRobJun 6To doMove from corner to prominent unavoidable position.
Pull & review Mira's event instructions docRobThuUrgentTrea pointed there. Identify gaps in new model.
Event arrival attendant protocolMira + RobJun 7Urgent40-min window for 50+ events.
Walk-in tour protocol (sign + QR)RobJun 7Pending dataCalibrated by Treena's frequency log.
Email footer updateRobThuTo do"Feel free to wait in the cafe until your party arrives."
Coverage pool — first callsRobFriTo doAndy first. 3–5 names by Jun 8.
OM / Guest Liaison JD — draftRob → SamThis weekTo doHybrid of Biz Ops JD + member-facing scope.
Team all-hands brief on transitionSamThuTo do20 min. Mon launch, coverage, Treena send-off.
Member announcement emailRob (draft) → Mira (send)Jun 8To doConfident, mission-aligned. Goes Monday morning.
Treena send-off / recognitionSam + MiraJun 5To doCard. Public thanks. Whatever the team usually does. Don't skip.
Desk & chair physical removalFacilities + RobJun 6–7To doProfessional removal, weekend timing.
Phase One metrics dashboard (Google Sheet)RobJun 8To doWeekly tracker for the metrics in Section 9.
Password migration to 1PasswordRob + OperationsJun 5UrgentTreena's credentials stored "behind the keyboard." Migrate, rotate, remove paper copies.
1:1 conversations with named membersRob + Mira + Trea (split)Before Jun 5UrgentBrian Lee Nash, Bill McCleskey, Masheka Turner, Jessica Cammock, Yeji's team, Aidan Antonio Lay, Jacob Clark.
Black Chamber Friday — standing reservation in LBMCOperationsJun 5UrgentRecurring booking before Bill's next Friday. Removes the "forgot to book" failure mode.
Decluttering ownership assignmentSam + MiraBefore Jun 8UrgentTreena's hidden daily work. Decide: OM rotation, team schedule, or expanded vendor scope.
Marketing materials handoff inventoryRobAt exit interviewUrgentIdentify every recurring one-pager, deck, template Treena owns. Plan continuity.
Opening/closing checklist (formal)Rob → OMJun 7To doFrom Treena's 5-step open + 5-step close routine. Posted in staff area + Operating Manual.
Slack #help channel + community manager coordinationRob + Community ManagerJun 5To doMember-facing Slack already exists and is active. Stand up dedicated #help, brief community manager on launch comms cadence.
Pre-arrival info page (event & room renters)Rob + MiraJun 8UrgentHidden link on ec.co. Mira gap: she has no systematic doc for event/room renters. Built from Trea's existing tour template + Mira's custom email patterns.
Website contact form routing auditRobJun 6UrgentMap each form (Connect / Consultation / Contact / Room Rental). Confirm or redirect each before Phase One.
Walk-in delight protocol — Crema voucher / scheduled callbackRob + TreaJun 8To doWhen Trea unavailable: visitor gets a coffee voucher at Crema + scheduled callback offer. Better than "no one can help you." Cheap, on-brand.
Phone tree setupRobJun 8To doVoicemail tree per Sam's direction. Solicitations to a dead branch. Info@ forwards to Mira. Trea / staff direct extensions.
Room-booking concierge sunsetRobJun 8To doSign at iPad + member Slack reminder: "Booking a meeting room? Use the Passport app — no need to ask a person." Sam: "Never should have started doing it."
Coffee setup — Keurigs + variety pack + small fridgeRob + OperationsJun 8To doSam's frame: don't announce. Two existing Keurigs out. Variety pack pods. Small fridge (Rose's old makeup fridge?) for creamer. Trust members.
Unreasonable Hospitality narrative framing in all commsRobJun 5UrgentAnchor line for member email, all-hands brief, weekly newsletter, signage copy: "freeing staff for collisions and connections." NOT cost-savings framing.
Trea + biz ops desk colocation evaluationSam + RobAfter Phase One launchTo doSam raised this Jun 3. Worth thinking about for Phase One+ but doesn't block Jun 8 launch.

9. Success Metrics

How we'll know Phase One is working — and what triggers Phase 1.

What we'll track weekly during Phase One

MetricTargetHow we measure
Wayfinding complaints (visitor or member)≤ 2 / weekSlack channel, member emails, Trea's tour feedback
iPad self-check-ins as % of visits≥ 80%Nexudus check-in data
Walk-in tour handoffs successfully connected≥ 90% of walk-ins reach Trea or are scheduledCoverage pool log + Trea feedback
Event arrivals without "where do I go?" confusion≥ 95% of guests find Ingram Hall within 60 secondsMira + event host observation
Coverage pool dispatches≤ 5 / week (lower is better)Slack channel + invoice log
Member sentiment (informal)Net neutral or positiveTrea + Mira anecdotal + member survey at Day 30
Phone calls handled without a humanTrack baseline firstVoicemail count vs. answered (set up if needed)

Phase One → Phase 1 gate (Day 30)

To advance to Phase 1 (move primary entrance to the cafe), all four must be true:

If any of the four fails, we don't advance to Phase 1 — we iterate Phase One first.

10. Communications Plan

Who hears what, when, and from whom.

Audience When Who delivers Message
EC team (internal) Thursday all-hands Sam What's changing Monday. Why. How coverage works. Treena's send-off Friday.
Treena This week, ongoing Rob, then Sam + Mira You matter, we want to capture what you know, we want to send you off well. Friday send-off.
Trea Already briefed Jun 1 Rob Concerns acknowledged. Walk-in protocol, event attendant, signage in flight.
EC members Mon Jun 8 morning Mira (email) "Some changes at the front door starting today." Frame: Unreasonable Hospitality — freeing staff for collisions and connections. No cost-savings framing. No apology.
EC members (weekly cadence Jun 8 – Jul 2) Weekly newsletter + Slack Rob + Community Manager Sam asked for weekly (not monthly) member newsletter through the Phase One window. Reinforce changes, highlight what's working, surface friction. Tapers back to monthly after Jul 2.
EC members (Slack) Fri Jun 5 PM + ongoing Community Manager + Rob Confirmed: EC has an active member-facing Slack used daily by the community manager. Friday pinned message announcing the change. Monday "first week" pin. Daily light reinforcement during launch week. #help channel for member questions.
Specific members with 1:1 workflows This week, before Jun 5 Rob, Mira, Trea (split) Direct conversations with Brian Lee Nash (cash drops), Bill McCleskey (Friday meeting), Masheka Turner (Jimmy Allen pickups + ice), Jessica Cammock (on-the-fly bookings), Yeji's team (language + service recovery), Aidan Antonio Lay (paper), Jacob Clark (after-5PM stays). Each gets a relevant, warm heads-up — not part of a mass email.
Coverage pool (advisors, alumni) By Fri Jun 5 Rob Direct invitation. ~$20/hr. What we'd ask, when, how to say yes/no to a shift.
Vendors with relationships to Treena Before Jun 5 Treena (during her last week) + Rob (follow-up) "Treena is moving on. Here's your new point of contact." Identified during knowledge capture.
Board / leadership (informational) Next regular meeting Sam Brief update on the redesign and Phase One status. Not a decision item — they've been kept informed.
Public / press Not yet Hold for now. If Phase 1 launches successfully, there's a story worth telling about modernization. Defer to that moment.

11. Operating Principles

The expert thinking we're borrowing from. Use these in any conversation where the project gets challenged.

"Think of your org design as a product… work backward from the ideal state."
Jonathan Golden, first PM at Airbnb. Lenny's Newsletter, 2019.

Applies here: We're not patching the front desk — we're redesigning the job. Storyboard the ideal arrival, then place the fixtures.

"The goal of business operations is to not exist."
Casey Winters (ex-Eventbrite/GrubHub), citing Intercom. Lenny's Podcast, 2022.

Applies here: A static seat doing static work is a design failure. The new role automates itself away from routine work and redeploys to higher-leverage tasks.

"Our product wasn't our technology — it was our hosts. We built a central Hospitality team to equip them."
Laura Modi, ex-Director of Hospitality at Airbnb. Lenny's Podcast, 2023.

Applies here: Hospitality at the EC means equipping members and staff — not a person at a door. The Guest Liaison is enablement, not reception.

"I was head of global hospitality at a tech company. Brian recruited me to keep the warmth as we scaled."
Chip Conley, Modern Elder Academy, ex-Airbnb. Lenny's Podcast, 2025.

Applies here: Chesky brought hospitality into tech. We're bringing tech into hospitality — same principle, opposite direction. The warmth has to go up, not down.

"We had to get real data from the pilot to realize the right direction. Theory wasn't enough."
Jay Baxter, ML lead on X Community Notes. Lenny's Podcast, 2025.

Applies here: Phase One isn't a launch — it's a pilot. We won't know what visitors actually do without running the experiment. Build to learn, then iterate.

"When the change is reversible, you can move fast. When it's irreversible, you slow down."
Kunal Shah, founder of CRED. Lenny's Podcast, 2024 (paraphrased).

Applies here: Phase One is fully reversible — signage can come down, desk can come back. We can move fast. Phase 1 (moving the entrance) is harder to reverse — slow down for that gate.

12. Reference Documents

Companion files in the project folder.

This briefing is the single source of truth. Edit ec-pages/ec-front-desk-redesign/index.html and push via GitHub Desktop → Cloudflare Pages deploys.