Culture By Design - Adam Lara - Defining Hospitality

In this episode of Defining Hospitality, Dan sits down with Adam Lara, principal at KTGY Interior Design and Branded Environments, to talk about career, culture, and what it really takes to build a studio that works. From formative early experiences to his latest chapter leading a growing team in Chicago, Adam offers a grounded look at what shapes great design work over the long haul. Adam Lara has spent nearly three decades moving across architecture, interiors, and brand side operations, giving him a rare, well rounded view of the hospitality design world. His career has included time at Hyatt, a formative stretch under acclaimed designer Jordan Mosher, and now a leadership role at KTGY. That range makes him one of the more thoughtful voices working in hospitality design today. Chapters:00:00 Why Hospitality Matters00:35 Meet Adam Lara01:55 Defining Hospitality02:53 Career Pivot After 9/1104:22 Inside-Out Design Thinking05:29 Why Architects Avoid Interiors07:26 Hyatt HQ Memories08:31 Brand Side Lessons at Hyatt10:27 Ops and Owner Mindset13:40 Jordan Mozer Maker Culture16:27 Micro to Macro Design18:40 Joining Simeone Deary20:25 Merging Into KTGY22:44 Learning From Gina and Lisa24:48 New Office and Integration28:49 Venetian Bars Storytelling34:59 Leadership and Culture45:06 In-Person Collaboration Finale Quote of the Show:"It's not just design, it's basically problem solving." - Adam Lara Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links:Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lara-aia-leed-ap-ishc-7aa04751/ Guests Website: https://ktgy.com/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/ 🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/