The Hospitality Effect: Redefining Student Living with Unreasonable Experiences - SHI1012

2025-09-04

🎧Episode Summary: In this episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast SHI Ambassador and CORE Spaces’ Sr. Mgr of Sales & Stabilization, Sarah Maxson sits down with CORE Spaces’ President, Dan Goldberg, for a discussion exploring the integration of hospitality principles into student housing. Emphasizing user experience (UX), resident engagement, and innovative branding, Sarah and Dan share insights on creating memorable moments, empowering teams, and differentiating properties through thoughtful design and servic...

🎧Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast SHI Ambassador and CORE Spaces’ Sr. Mgr of Sales & Stabilization, Sarah Maxson sits down with CORE Spaces’ President, Dan Goldberg, for a discussion exploring the integration of hospitality principles into student housing. Emphasizing user experience (UX), resident engagement, and innovative branding, Sarah and Dan share insights on creating memorable moments, empowering teams, and differentiating properties through thoughtful design and service. The episode also covers Sarah's background in the industry, the SHI Ambassador program, and upcoming industry events.

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🕒 Timestamps & Topics:

00:02:12 - Wesley Deese's introduction to the Student Housing Insight podcast and platform overview

00:04:05 - Introduction to Sarah Maxson and her upcoming interview with Dan Goldberg

00:05:01 - Sarah's background in student housing and her role at Core Spaces

00:08:09 - Overview of the SHI Ambassador program and its benefits

00:15:23 - Start of Sarah's interview with Dan Goldberg: Defining user experience 00:18:14 - Inspiration from hospitality leaders like Will Guidara of 11 Madison Park 00:20:36 - Personal "aha" moments in hospitality at Core Spaces (UCF van story) 00:23:14 - Behind-the-scenes story from the Peyton Manning event at University of Tennessee 00:26:52 - Intentionality in leadership and user-first mindset at Core

00:36:53 - Brand recognition surveys and the success of the Hub brand

00:37:44 - Role of social media and viral content in building the Hub brand

00:43:52 - Example of handwritten notes to parents at Penn State property

00:50:47 - Repurposing competitor spaces for better activation (e.g., wellness areas) 00:56:19 - Vulnerability in leadership and embracing diverse perspectives

00:59:58 - Anecdote of staff going above and beyond for a resident

01:06:00 - Closing thanks and praise for Sarah's contributions

01:06:06 - Outro: Wes Deese's wrap-up and thanks to Sarah

01:08:24 - Small, low-cost resident engagement ideas (e.g., chilled water, lobby ambiance)

01:13:12 - Integrating hospitality into move-in day processes

01:20:50 - Wes Deese's overview of SHI website, events, and community

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

Student Housing Insight: https://studenthousinginsight.com Upcoming industry events: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/events

Shoptalk webinars: https://shoptalk.info

Core Spaces: https://corespaces.com

2026 SHI Ambassador Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckqjgiEhFuo0bz3UCudEdQ9O1b8JB3Y-1gyGKgZKQPZPFZHw/viewform

Hi, How Are You Project (mental health advocacy): https://www.hihowareyou.org/