Hospitality in the Mundane: The Moments That Matter

Hey Beloved,

Last week, I was in line at a coffee shop, half-distracted, answering emails on my phone. When I got to the counter, the barista looked up, smiled, and instead of the usual “What can I get started for you?”, she said,

"Hey, I love that hat. Looks like you’re having a full morning—hope you get a chance to slow down and enjoy your coffee."

(P.S. — I have never had a hat get as many compliments as this one)

It was small. Barely a moment at all.

But it made me pause.

For the first time that morning, I was present. And that small interaction—one I could have easily brushed past—shifted the entire feel of my day.

That’s the thing about hospitality.

It’s not just in the grand gestures, the curated experiences, or the big, flashy moments. It’s found in the mundane.

And if we’re not careful, we’ll miss the chance to offer it—or receive it.

The Power of Small, Overlooked Moments

Most of life isn’t lived in the big, milestone moments. It’s lived in the in-between—the emails, the errands, the routines, the meetings.

And yet, that’s exactly where hospitality can thrive.

Not in the over-the-top, orchestrated experiences, but in the small, intentional interactions that make people feel seen.

Here are a few everyday moments that are ripe for hospitality:

• The Hand-Off: Whether it's a shift change at work, passing a project to a teammate, or a quick update, these transitions can feel robotic. But what if you took 10 seconds to make it personal? A “Hey, you’ve got this” or “I appreciate the way you handled that.”

• The Routine Email: Most emails are lifeless. But hospitality shows up in how we communicate. A thoughtful sentence at the beginning or end—“Hope you’re settling into the new year well”—takes seconds but changes the tone completely.

• The Checkout Line: We all mindlessly go through transactions. What if we practiced seeing the person on the other side of the counter?

• The Meeting Wrap-Up: Most meetings end abruptly with a “Sounds good” or “We’ll circle back.” But hospitality lingers. It takes one more breath to say, “I appreciate you making time for this” or “Thanks for your insights today.”

• The Passing Moment: A quick text to a friend, a compliment to a stranger, a handwritten note on a receipt—these tiny things? They add up.

Why This Matters

In Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara talks about transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Not by adding more work, but by being more intentional in the work we’re already doing and with those we serve.

The best brands, leaders, and businesses aren’t just better at what they offer.

They’re better at how they make people feel.

And that’s not about big budgets or extravagant perks—it’s about noticing the moments most people overlook and filling them with meaning.

A Simple Challenge for the Week

Find one mundane moment and add a touch of hospitality to it.

• Say the extra sentence in that email.

• Make eye contact and actually acknowledge the person taking your order.

• Text someone who randomly comes to mind. (I do this daily)

Because the magic of hospitality?

It’s never just in the big things. It’s in the small, ordinary moments—the ones that, over time, make people feel like they matter.

Warmly,
Nathan