When I decided to write the September 2018 Friday With Joan blog post with a headline inspired by "Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and interview families in the business, I asked Marcus Bales, who has been collaborating with Mike Whitney, to consider coming up with a parody of the song famously performed by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings and written by Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce to go along with it. I am grateful to Marcus for the lyrics and to Mike for his perfect rendition. Were I you, I’d hire them for work for your meetings to add some pizzazz!

Joan Eisenstodt interviews a number of family members who have made careers out of the hospitality industry.

Joan Eisenstodt interviews the Peterson family about multiple generations in the hospitality industry.

Joan Eisenstodt interviews Liz Erikson Marnul about multiple generations in the hospitality industry.

Joan Eisenstodt interviews mother and son Lesa P. Melvin and Jarad Melvin about multiple generations in the hospitality industry.

Joan Eisenstodt interviews members of the Rigling family about multiple generations in the hospitality industry.

Here is an update on what's new, incoming and in store for the future for the hotel and event venue scene in Texas.

Nearly 8,000 UNITE HERE hotel workers at Marriott-operated hotels in four North American destinations will hold strike votes the week of September 10. The strike votes by approximately 7,800 workers come on the heels of the Labor Day demonstrations UNITE HERE Marriott workers across the country protesting what the union claims is Marriott’s lack of movement with contract negotiations on key labor issues, including wages, basic job protection and safer working conditions and standards. According to UNITE HERE, more than 100 hotel workers were arrested in multiple cities for staging acts of civil disobedience outside Marriott hotels on September 3, 2018.

Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is departing the organization later in 2018. Lugar has accepted a new position as president and CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA).