@mtippsy78 | Michael Tipps has over 23 years of experience working, managing, and consulting in all facets of the hospitality world (throughout all positions, and including hotels, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs). His career started in Hospitality in South Florida where he worked in almost every front of the house position in the corporate food and beverage world. By the time Michael turned 19, he set his sights on New York City, and has been trailblazing ever since.

Michael started behind the bar at the prestigious Tribeca Grand Hotel where he consistently demonstrated his unique abilities, and worked his way up – ultimately securing a managerial position at a remarkably young age, at one of the most well-known venues in Manhattan. Michael was responsible for creating multiple food and beverage programs intended to increase revenue, while also cutting costs and improving the bottom line. What Michael relished most though was the challenge of creating innovative ways to improve guest services while at the same time creating the best ways to get the most out of the staff he was responsible for. By the young age of 23, Michael was fortunate enough to work with and be trained in the essentials of classic cocktails, by the person responsible for bringing the “mixology” craze back to the United States – Sasha Petraske, of Milk & Honey fame.

Michael expanded his knowledge of the hospitality business by taking on the challenge of working with different types of venues, ranging from high end lounges, to boutique hotels, to nightclubs, and to dive bars. Michael has worked at staple locations such as “Grace” (in Tribeca) and lounge/nightclubs such as “Spread” (in Murray Hill). With Michael’s knowledge and experience, he soon came to realize (like many others), that New York City is the Mecca of Hospitality, and he began to explore if other markets share the same level of hospitality and service.

After 10 years in New York City Michael moved to Los Angeles and began fixing other people’s venues. Even though it was years away, Tipps was already visualizing a consulting firm that could handle every challenge of the hospitality industry.

Michael has also given seminars to hospitality industry owners and employees, to energize them with a focus intended to change the way they think, in order to improve their businesses, the bottom line, and customer experience. Michael believes this is the key element to shifting the perspective we currently have of hospitality, and elevating the industry.

Michael has been asked to make multiple appearances on Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” as a master mixologist and bar expert and also traveled across the country with renowned bar expert, John Taffer, on the “Nightclub & Bar University Rescue Tour.” Michael has also been a contributing writer for Nightclub & Bar’s website.

As he became involved in more complex projects, Michael came to realize that whether large or small, simple or complicated, the underlying issues with his suffering projects were generally very similar – especially as they related to the elements of concept, design, location, construction, management, operations, staff training, lighting and sound design, menu implementation, entertainment, and marketing and advertising. Fundamentally lacking in almost all instances, was perfecting the art of hospitality. As a result, he began developing communication techniques to not only make businesses function properly, but also change the perspective of the ones who owned the business. As Michael often says, “there are no bad groups, only bad leaders.” Fundamental to Michael’s approach, is that he works to motivate and inspire, before any instruction on the technical side can be implemented. Ultimately all service skills can be taught, and although experience does count, knowing how to build a team through personality and character, is the key to success.

Invictus Hospitality has been consulting on projects throughout the United States. The team continues to help independent and corporate hospitality owners save and enhance their businesses, by working to change the way the owners think, in order to not only improve their businesses, but also create an elevated guest experience. Being able to manipulate the guest experience is what motivates Michael every day.

This business lives and dies based on how the guests feel about it. Being accountable for every moment the guest has is the ultimate goal for our clients. This way we can be in control of the experience and know how to adapt when we are not.