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Meet Shawn Jervis: hotelier, goat whisperer in Georgia

Shawn Jervis is general manager at the Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Georgia: a 3,000-acre property which gets a little maintenance assist from workers with hoofs. HOTELS spoke with Jervis about what drew him to hospitality, his combat background, and of course, the goats.

Shawn Jervis with his goats
Shawn Jervis with his goats

HOTELS: Describe a typical day

Shawn Jervis: I get up at 4:30 a.m. so I can make breakfast for my wife, Raynette, and I to eat together before we both leave for work. This is something we do every day without fail. This ensures we have time together no matter what else may come up later in the day since we are both in this hectic, unpredictable business.  (She’s the Director of Human Resources at a busy city hotel in Atlanta.) Afterwards, I feed my animals (dogs, goats and chickens).

H: What are you reading right now? What websites do you check regularly?

SJ: Modern Farmer and Homestead are two new resources I’ve found as I’m learning about goats and chickens since moving to Georgia. Book: “The Ghost Horse.” I’m a big fan of social media and find great inspiration in what people are sharing there. I like following The Union Kitchen, Venue Report, the Lost Kitchen and Andrew Zimmerman.

H: We hear you have goats on property. Tell us about the goats!

SJ: Shortly after I arrived at the resort, I saw how challenging it was for our groundkeepers to maintain all of that property. I recalled seeing landscaping companies using goats when I was working in California; coincidentally one of our colleagues mentioned a local farm animal auction. Once I learned goats were available, I did buy a few out of my own pocket to see if they might work as part of our landscaping plan at the resort. [Of the 16], the resort did purchase half of them and I took half of them home to help manage my own 13 acres. For guests who want to get a little more up close and personal, we do have a few hand-raised goats in our barnyard who love being petted and fed by hand!

H: You were previously a combat veteran: how did you ultimately find your way to hospitality? What about the industry drew you in?  

SJ: My grandmother read Bon Appetite, loved Julia Child and enjoyed hosting fairly lavish parties for her friends. I would help her cook and prepare for these parties as a child, so that was really my first inspiration which stayed with me went I went into the Marine Corps. I actually sent away for information from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) while I was a combat marine in the Gulf War. Once I returned from the war, I got a job as an overnight security officer at a hotel in Washington DC.

Shawn Jervis
Shawn Jervis

H: What are some ways you feel you’re disrupting your field? 

SJ: I’m not caught up in measuring our success compared to the more traditional criteria and rating services. Everyone says they want to offer a more “authentic” experience, but it’s important to let your employees be “real.” We’re in Northwest Georgia, which is a rural area that is truly in the countryside. I can’t script what everyone of our colleagues says, and I don’t want to because that human interaction is part of what sets us apart. 

H: What do you feel the hospitality industry is ignoring at its peril? 

SJ: The basics of inn keeping. Making sure the lights are on and the small details are attended to before, during and after the guest’s stay. The human touch is still the most important, but there is too much of a disconnect between the asset manager and the guest, meaning that having all of the F&B focus be on food cost percentages and margins is done at the expense of the guest experience. 

H: Where do you find inspiration outside your industry? 

SJ: I find inspiration almost everywhere I go. I find it feeding my goats and sitting in my chicken coop to relax in the evening. I find inspiration going to talk to school groups and hearing what students in high school and college are inspired by and dream of for the future. I find inspiration following my favorite Instagrammers, going to the farmer’s market and meeting local artisans. Truly, I’m inspired by anyone who is passionate about their craft.

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