What does innovation look like when it is grounded in human connection, cultural intelligence, and hospitality-driven leadership?
In this episode, Dr. Arlene Garrick, a published researcher and poet who is an internationally recognized leadership mentor, shares her global journey from Jamaica to the United States and Canada, and how living and working across cultures shaped her approach to education, leadership, and student mentorship.
This conversation explores how storytelling, poetry, hospitality, and cultural intelligence can transform leadership and learning environments. Arlene reflects on growing up across from a hotel in Jamaica and how early connections with travelers sparked her lifelong commitment to hospitality, people-centered leadership, and cross-cultural education.
⚫In this episode, you will hear about:
◾How hospitality leadership builds empathy and inclusive learning spaces
◾The difference between cultural awareness and cultural intelligence
◾What leaders often miss in cross-cultural hiring and interviews
◾Supporting immigrant students and international learners in higher education
◾Using storytelling, poetry, and creative teaching strategies to deepen learning
◾Building experiential learning through international internships and industry partnerships
◾Why innovation is “courage dressed as possibility.”
Arlene also shares insights from training over 2,000 volunteers for the Cricket World Cup, coordinating international internships, and mentoring students across continents.
⚫Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome to Innovation Insights + Meet Dr. Arlene Garrick
01:57 Arlene’s Global Journey: From Jamaica to Hospitality & Higher Ed
03:50 The Hotel Across the Street: Where Her Love for Hospitality Began
05:15 Family Values That Shaped Her Leadership & Mentorship Style
07:49 Why Teaching Keeps Calling Her Back to Academia
09:13 Hospitality, Cultural Intelligence, Empathy & Innovation—A Leadership “Square”
11:51 What’s Missing in Leadership Development (Especially in Academia)
14:05 Defining Cultural Intelligence vs. Cultural Awareness
15:41 Making It Real: Using Cultural & Emotional Intelligence in Daily Leadership
20:34 Dissertation Deep Dive: Cross-Cultural Bias in Immigrant Job Interviews
26:14 Surprising Findings: “Standard” Interviews, Checklists, and No Training Follow-Through
29:30 From “Objectivity” to Cultural Bias: Why Appearance & Nonverbal Cues Matter
31:31 Immigrant Students in the Classroom: Language, Nuance, and Different Learning Norms
33:51 Building Trust Through Shared Stories: The “I’m an Immigrant” Poem Breakthrough
36:51 Faculty Advice: Patience, Empathy, and Small Supports That Change Outcomes
41:35 Teaching With Storytelling & Poetry: Making Leadership Concepts Stick
48:06 Active Learning Toolkit: Teach-Reteach, Games, and Engagement Results
50:03 Internship Program With 100% Success: Partnerships, MOUs, and Cross-Cultural Training
55:58 The Hardest Moment on the Road: Student Safety, Crisis Response, and Lessons Learned
57:28 Cultural Exchange Wins: Students Sharing Jamaican Culture During Internships
58:40 Final Chapter: Training 2,000 Cricket World Cup Volunteers in Customer Service
⚫Connect with Arlene
◾LinkedIn: / arlenegarrick
◾Facebook: / arlenehowellgarrick
◾Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...
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⚫Connect with Eulanda Sanders, PhD:
◾LinkedIn: / eulandasanders
◾Facebook: / eulanda.sanders.5
◾Instagram: @YoSanders
◾TikTok: @yosand
◾X: @EulandaSanders
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