Making a difference in people’s lives is important to Sara Sandusky. As vice president of operations finance at Sage Hospitality, she is able to fulfill that goal. In addition to the work they do with hotels and restaurants worldwide, Sage also participates in a charity called Dollars for Dreams, which allows each hotel to raise money for a favorite cause.
As her career with Sage Hospitality has progressed, Sara has noticed that the company’s dedication to the community has become well known. This is especially true in Denver, home to Sage’s corporate office, where people frequently tell Sara they’ve heard great things about her employer. She always agrees, saying everything they’ve heard is true.
Sara’s Background
Sara’s love for finance began on campus at the University of Colorado Boulder. At the time she graduated in 2000, the job market was in good shape. Marriott International was one of the recruiters on campus at the time of her graduation, and Sara was attracted to the subject matter of their operations. She thought hospitality might be a fun field to enter, so she decided to give it a try. She immediately learned it was more challenging than she’d realized.
“It’s a very dynamic industry and it’s constantly changing,” Sara says. “There are a lot of pieces to it, but it’s really, really fun and it’s super rewarding. I knew I wanted to do finance, I just didn’t know what kind of finance. You know, your finance head goes straight to stockbroking, but I did an internship in that field and realized, ‘Oh my gosh. No. It’s definitely it’s not for me.’ So I’m super grateful that this opportunity was given to me and I’ve loved it.”
Prioritizing Family Time
Living in Colorado, it’s naturally assumed that everyone skis. At one time, Sara lived in Vail at a mountain resort, where she had plenty of time to ski when she wasn’t working. However, with two kids who keep her on her toes, Sara doesn’t have an abundance of time for leisure activities. At some point, she hopes her children, ages nine and six, will be able to join her on some family ski trips, but right now they’re busy with other activities.
“We just enjoy spending time with each other,” Sara says. “Both my daughters play softball and so weekends are usually filled up with softball. All my extended family lives in Colorado still, so we have a lot of get-togethers. I love my job and I love being here every minute but when I’m home, I really enjoy just being with the fam.”
Always Be Kind
Sara’s excitement at Sage’s community involvement is no surprise, considering that treating people with respect is a top priority for her. In every interaction, her goal is to respect others, and she hopes that will become her legacy.
“I try to instill it in my kids, too,” Sara says. “We don’t know what people are going through, so you just always have to be your nicest self, and I try to live by that.”
Sara is proud to be part of a company that shares her core philosophies in life, proving that happiness at work goes beyond merely enjoying the work you do each day. When you share a company’s vision, it makes it easier to spend a large chunk of your life helping that company reach its goals.
