Conversations with Caroline Dillabaugh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Dillabaugh.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After graduating college with a degree in business administration with a focus on small business entrepreneurship, I moved to Cleveland to start working in restaurants. I worked my way through ever front of house and back of house position and spend time as a event planner for social events in Cleveland. During covid, I was laid off and took a pivot, working on a commercial real estate development project as a hospitality management consultant. I got thrown into the world of construction project management and worked closely with the city of cleveland as it was a partially city funded project. My love for community impact and economic development deepened and seeing how integral hospitality spaces are to thriving communities sparked my interest in applying for my current role. When the Director of Impact job was was posted for Cleveland’s Fidelity Hotel, it seemed like the perfect blend of my past experiences and deep desire to see Cleveland as a vibrant, thriving downtown. I have a deep love and commitment to hospitality and it truly is a part of my core. Getting to be a part of a team creating meaningful hospitality experiences in Cleveland is such a joy and an incredible opportunity.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Hospitality is not for the faint of heart! Covid was a wild time with loosing my job and having to make ends meet by working multiple jobs at once. It also taught me grit and determination and exposed me to some incredible businesses and individuals in the Cleveland area. I didn’t have a traditional “career path” and for a long time I was trying to figure out how all of the jobs I had and the opportunities I had said yes to worked together. The opportunity to be the Director of Impact really pulled all the pieces together and helped me see where the path had been leading the whole time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the Director of Impact at Cleveland’s Fidelity Hotel. I work closely with the department heads to ensure we are all tracking towards our impact mission of supporting a thriving, vibrant, downtown Cleveland. I specialize in connecting people, making people feel taken care of and creating spaces that exude authentic hospitality. I bring the team together and create a positive work environment — working in the service industry can be hard but it takes a team to make it happen. I think positive leadership in these spaces makes employees excited to come to work and proud of the work they are doing.

I am most proud of the spaces I’ve helped create during my career and the experiences I’ve been able to provide to guests across Cleveland.

I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to understand the nitty gritty of the operation and be able to see the bigger picture and strategically plan for the future.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Probably making cookies with my grandma at Christmas time. I loved being in the kitchen from a young age and being able to make things that brought people joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fidelityhotelcle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fidelityhotelcleveland/