The Most Visionary Personalities Making an Impact in 2026
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This might be my favorite layout yet, they really captured the visual essence of my brand.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Can you take us back to the beginning of your journey and share the experiences, turning points, and personal motivations that led you to become a hospitality keynote speaker and build your work around Empathic Gangster?
Becoming a Hospitality Keynote Speaker and what has added up to becoming the foundational heart beat of Empathic Gangster® has all been an organic evolution.
I’ve been an observer my whole life and as I observed my organic journey, I was able to take the positions, insight and inner knowing The Universe has organically provided, and double down on them.
My life’s journey has been a wild roller coaster ride with sharp switchbacks, twists and turns; navigating deep, dark and dangerous lifestyle patterns, while simultaneously possessing a light-hearted wholesome heart and mind. As though I was born intended to experience, alchemize and transmute the worlds “sketchiest” programming.
My life has taken me through levels of innerstanding, necessary to speak to the collective in a way that is grounded, resonate and experiential. The Universe has slungshot me from path to path along the way; never allowing me to get complacent, continuously adding to my repertoire of experience and self mastery — ensuring I was on my encoded path, simultaneously providing me a pivotal reflectionary story for humanity, along the way.
I was born into a very adult world and by the time I graduated high school I had already navigated depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, an adult level intimate relationship, AA and therapy.
Thankfully, I was raised by my parents and am protected by a higher power. Though my early internal experience was fast, reckless and selfish; it was also balanced by a deeper internal and external slowness. Nature, friendship, psychology, self expression and a deep desire for health and wellness guided whatever that programming was, happening through me.
To actually jump down the rabbit whole and to her the details of my experience(s) go to www.empathicgangster.com
What does “Empathic Gangster” represent to you, and what inspired the idea behind this identity, platform, or body of work? What gap or need did you see that you wanted to address?
“Empathic” is an empath with telepathic capacities and “Gangster” is a fearless way of operating that doesn’t personalize, simply takes action.
The term “Empathic Gangster” presented itself in my mind one evening, and I had a visceral experience to it. The whole brand has been birthing itself through me, as if it wants to be here. I have complimented its desire to come to life with my life’s organic journey and innerstanding.
I had been in hospitality for 10 years and one night I was all of a sudden rip-corded and slungshot by The Universe from a venue I never would have left on my own.
Shortly after my departure I discovered that I was an empath, I began down a road to discovering ‘what that meant’. Everything I found online felt like soul imprisonment, coming from a victim standpoint and did not resonate. From day one, I knew that I would be forging a new way of perceiving and navigating these encoded abilities.
I started sharing my organic experience, my perspectives and insights.
Shortly after discovering being an empath, I was approached my Source Frequency, I began channeling, innerstanding life on a holographic level and the importance of embodying Galactic Law. I sat in channel for almost four years; channel writing, astral projecting, interacting with cosmic life forms.
I continued sharing my channeled awarenesses, experiences and pulled back the curtain on my journey as an empath, entrepreneur and human. I’m a very raw-real, open book type of person, I will jump down any rabbit hole with anyone.
The level of transparency and realness I organically operate on is something that I have found humanity desires and has a Soul quenching response to.
What were some of the biggest challenges, setbacks, or defining moments you encountered while building your career, and how did those experiences shape the person, speaker, and leader you are today?
I’ve always been that friend, that bartender, that person, people would come to for straight forward advice, and to hear a story with no filter. The internet however didn’t receive me initially, like my live in-person audience.
I showed up online, like I did in real life and I was incredibly taken a back by the interpretation. I had to regroup. I realized how important it was that people got to know me first, before I could really be full throttle Torie — in order for my accuracy and heart intent to land.
In all reality I really don’t care if people get me, like me or understand me but I come to the table with wanting to be helpful. So, I realized if I wanted to be as helpful as possible I would have to introduce myself, I couldn’t come in hot.
I had to allow people to open them selves up to my frequency, personality and heart intent — then once they were on board, we could go for a ride.
This experience taught me articulation mastery, the importance of professionalism tact and how to reign and unleash my personality in a way that serves.
On another note, every “job” I have ever worked on this journey, has served in making me who I am as a leader. I have witnessed and encountered a laundry list of appalling behavior over the last 20 years. I have crafted a business analysis for every business I have worked for; noting what works and what doesn’t, what honors the human experience and what doesn’t.
Being a scientist of observation, being one with a mega phone for a voice box and having mastery in articulation; has allowed me to able to extract necessary pivots and express the required change, without demoralizing participants. It’s a finesse between knowing, assertion and execution, and being human, honoring nature and having compassion.
Hospitality is ultimately about people and experiences. What do you believe are the most important qualities that separate an ordinary hospitality experience from one that people genuinely remember and value?
It comes down to a feeling provided, that coincides with attention to thoughtful detail.
Anyone can walk into a venue, check in, order, experience the motions of service; it’s fine but it’s nothing special, no real pulse.
To me, a memorable hospitality experience encompasses a family, friendship frequency. When someone walks through the door, they are to be greeted in a way that makes them feel like they are home; they feel welcome, loved, appreciated.
I greet my guests, like long time friends I haven’t seen in forever and I am excited to see them and catch up.
Hospitality involves a level of engagement and care that goes beyond simply sharing information and performing duties. True hospitality, includes heart, personality and an element of pleasant surprise.
Most importantly, that level of engagement must be consistently experienced, whether the guest comes back daily, monthly, yearly or every 10 years, it never falters.
Through your keynote speaking and professional work, what key ideas, lessons, or perspectives do you want hospitality leaders and teams to take away from your message?
That energetic hierarchy is the silent killer of your success. Daily execution is a team effort, individuals may have different roles or different tasks but at the end of the day each position is of equal importance and each position is to ensure the details of the experience are being tended to.
“That’s not my job” will sink the ship. Everyone cleans, everyone participates, everyone is responsible for the integrity of the space. Support each other, hold each other accountable — don’t cut corners, go above and beyond, communicate.
When food comes off the line, it’s not just on the chef to make sure it’s correct. If the schedule is not supporting the team’s vitality it’s not just on the scheduling manager, people have to take an active part in ensuring the success of the experience. If the bathrooms are a mess, it’s not just on housekeeping — it’s all hands on deck.
Can you share a memorable speaking engagement, professional experience, or real-world transformation that best demonstrates the impact your work has had on an audience, organization, or hospitality team?
There are countless situations, dynamics, engagements and experiences worth sharing. There is something about my organic ways of operating that tends to shine a beacon, not just on a way through the obvious chaos at hand but also illuminating the underlying madness of certain environments and individual’s behavior, that needs addressing.
My ability to approach such situations with concise articulation, compassion and an unwillingness to accept the unacceptable, has always lead me to leave people and businesses better than I found them.
There are two very distinct dumpster fires that I’ve found myself in over the last twenty years; both businesses in a state of full melt down due to the maturity level of its leadership. However, one is standing out in my mind, that I want to share today.
From the moment I walked through the door, my natural gift of being a walking confessional was utilized. Every staff member started pouring out their frustrations, laying their perspectives, disapproval and warnings out on the table.
I started taking notes immediately. Writing down the patterns of narratives, qualms and exact quotes of those who worked there. Then I witnessed, experienced and listened. Every staff member including management was appalled, frustrated and angry over the energy, behavior and attitude of the General Manager. They seemed to find sanctuary in my perspectives, guidance and example.
Many, who had worked there for years, putting up with his abuse, found the courage to leave. I planned to do the same but not until I had the last word. One day two managers approached me, and said that six employees, including the two of them had reported him to Corporate, but they have done nothing about it. They asked me if I would please call Corporate and say something because I have a way with words.
I called Corporate the next day and they immediately implemented a mandatory management feedback survey for our location. We were to grade each manager, including the GM — he received F’s across the board.
Shortly after that he started coming for me, trying to find anyway to fire me. He would spend hours scouring the tapes, trying to find a single ounce over poured, a single transaction not recorded, but I am thorough and diligent.
He then pulled his last stunt, I left for memorial service and while I was gone he changed my schedule without telling me and hired my replacement without saying anything. Hoping I wouldn’t see my changed schedule, hoping he could fire me for not showing up on time. Little did he know I already had an exit plan, and I ensured that I left on my own terms. I made sure to leave a note for the other manager’s apologizing for not giving my two weeks notice but due to the maturity level of the GM, I had to do what I had to do to ensure my families financial stability.
After leaving, I sent Corporate a five page letter with all the notes, details, quotes and insights I had witnessed, at this location.
I refuse to let those who want to provide great service suffer under incompetent and immature leadership — I have no problem shining a light on injustice, hypocrisy, inhumane ways of operating and immorality.
How do you bring empathy, authenticity, emotional intelligence, and human connection into your approach to leadership and hospitality, and why do you believe these qualities matter more than ever today?
Bringing empathy, authenticity, emotional intelligence, and a prioritization of human connection to leadership is simply who I am; it’s who most people are in hospitality.
There is a turning of the tides happening. Old programming and unsustainable ways of operating are dissolving, and these qualities are rising to the surface. I’m witnessing it play out day to day, as we speak. This is the new standard and those who do not align with it are being highlighted and asked to leave — energetically and verbally.
What major changes or challenges do you see shaping the hospitality industry in 2026 and beyond, particularly around customer expectations, employee experience, leadership, technology, and human connection?
The dissolving of energetic hierarchy is happening and it’s creating a necessity for some individuals to completely recalibrate their ways of operating. Hospitality is a team effort across the board and those who insist on standing on a hill playing dictator are being shown the door.
That energy adds a density and constriction to the heart and playfulness that is hospitality, and teams are no longer having it. Hospitality is about the human connection experience. Guest come to play, adventure and have a lovely experience, the staff welcoming and greeting them need to be excited and able to match that energy and facilitate a magical time.
In order to do so, it’s not just about preparedness, knowledgeability and execution, it’s also engagement, personality and energetics. The attitude and qualities of leadership effects the team members and then trickles down to the guest.
Having proper leadership, that can successfully finesse accountability, execution and playfulness is a winning recipe.
How do you continue to develop your ideas, speaking style, and expertise while keeping your work relevant to the changing needs of hospitality professionals and organizations?
The things that I experience in my personal life; dynamics, channeling, community, play… are all insights to the human experience. I am very much a scientific observer by nature. I set out every day to pay attention, to listen, to learn, to better understand the desires of the human heart.
I connect and tap into humanity on a daily basis; I jump down rabbit holes, have raw conversations and receive imperative feedback into the different perspectives, programmings and ways of operating on this planet.
I take all of the insight, knowledge and understanding and make sure that I catalog it, in case it needs to be utilize down the road, I implement it into how I show up as a leader and how I craft a hospitality experience.
I’ve spent my entire life listening, observing and chatting; writing, practicing and executing.
I play an active role in experiencing all sides. Sometimes I’m the student, sometimes the teacher. I don’t speak from a place of being an expert but from a place of personal experience. I don’t believe that I know someone better than they know themselves, I simply share my own personal experiences and perspectives that could potentially support their journey and provide clarity and or inspiration. I act more as a neutral mirror, for people to see themselves through, allowing them to discover their own magnificence, in their own interpretation.
The way I speak reflects a certain level of self awareness and openness to all that is, it effects the listeners experience and opens doors they may not have been presented yet.
Your work is closely connected to personal identity, resilience, and human connection. What personal values have remained constant throughout your journey, and how do they influence the way you lead, communicate, and make decisions?
“Treat people the way you would want to be treated” is my number one. Whether I am providing service or being served, I’m taking notes.
Since day one of entering the work force, I have perceived “jobs” as getting paid to go to school. Noting what works and what doesn’t, learning the etiquette’s that should be honored and maintained and the ways of operating that need to be deleted.
I’ve been taking notes on human behavior — witnessing my own, witnessing and connecting with others. My life’s journey has been about self discovery, self awareness and self expansion. The better I know myself, the more accountable and transparent I can be as a leader and a teammate.
I don’t know that resilience is necessarily the goal as much as it is the byproduct of innerstanding what it entails to be an athlete and what it takes mentally, physically and maturity wise to be a top performing athlete.
Being in hospitality requires all of the same mastery as it does to be an athlete; you have to know and innerstand; pace, flow, team work, preparedness, delegation, execution, being perceptive, having your head on a swivel.
As a hospitality leader and an athlete myself, I utilize the reflectionary experience to guide and support my team.
How would you describe your personal brand today, and how has it evolved through your experiences, public speaking, relationships, and work in the hospitality space?
I would describe my brand as a down the rabbit hole experience that allows humanity to discover their own galactic magnificence and what it entails to be human on a holographic level. Providing them a bridge to explore the magik of the tangible and intangible in a fun, light hearted, playful way.
I was personally blindsided and activated in a single evening; in that moment I was incredibly grateful that I am me and that I was born and bred to handle that level of instantaneous metamorphosis.
I spent four years in channel after that initial evening and what I discovered, freed my Soul, dissolved the chains of social programming, provided clarity and activated internal technology that has allowed me to navigate this experience more playfully.
I knew I had to share my experience, perspective and awarenesses. I also had to figure out a way to make them applicable, helpful and useful. I had to build a bridge that allowed those, like my parents to meet me half way.
I’ve always been an open book, incredibly transparent, a conversationalist that is willing to explore and jump down any rabbit hole; I had to learn tact, and created a code of conduct for myself.
I won’t just rip someone down the rabbit hole with me, they have to be excited to join me, requesting to participate. They have to open the lid to pandoras box for me really take them for a deep dive.
Otherwise, I simply stay in a zone of practical application of Galactic Law, offering perspective shifts through my now organic lens. Rather than sharing the experience of how I came to it, I simply share the helpful clarity of its result.
What role have mentors, colleagues, communities, or important relationships played in your growth, and what have you learned from both the people who supported you and the challenges that tested you?
Every person I have ever met has shaped me in some way. I have such a deep appreciation for every walk of life, and I learn so much through each individuals reflection.
I have taken impeccable notes from those who have lead impressively by example. I have made direct pivots from those who have expressed a frequency in which I don’t resonate and want nothing to do with.
Either side of the coin has inspired me, some have inspired me to dig deeper, be better, show up more integral, and some have inspired me to create articulations that help others navigate density.
One thing I have learned is that each individual, comes with their own rollercoaster ride. Some rollercoasters I’m not willing to ride a second time. I will cheer for them and support them from a far but I have zero interest in riding that ride again.
Beyond your professional achievements, what accomplishments or moments are you personally most proud of, and what goals or projects are currently inspiring you?
My relationships and my hearts expansion are my two greatest achievements. Becoming a mom and a wife, changed me on a cellular level. The level of selflessness these two experiences activated was not something I saw coming, but a priceless one for my Soul’s evolution, none the less.
I am currently birthing a boutique hospitality experience; a place where community can gather to connect, be inspired, discover their own galactic magnificence and step into my heart and mind. A place where nature, art, hospitality and consciousness converge.
How do you maintain your creativity, curiosity, energy, and passion while balancing the demands of speaking, professional commitments, personal growth, and continuous learning?
I think I was just born in beast mode. I am naturally curious about everything. I am organically passionate about friendship, art, nature, adventure, hospitality and entertainment.
I love experiencing, I love productivity, I love creating. I have created a life that doesn’t feel like work, it feels like playing with friends.
I prioritize rest, nutrient density, play and adventure, creativity and self expression. I make sure my home is clean, tidy and organized so that my mind reflects that.
I’m also an athlete and a skilled bartender. I can accomplish allot in a small amount of time, just by dropping into flow and executing like I would behind the bar.
I am also incredibly transparent, and I say, “no thank you” or “just a moment” quite often. I will not overwhelm or over load myself, I know my capacity and it is wide, but I also know my limits and I express when I cannot take something on.
I am an artist and I have certain standards, if a professional project is going to be rushed through or treated like a todo list item, I will not accept. I pour my heart and Soul into everything I do, and that requires a certain level of space and patience, if the presenter is not willing to work with that, I will politely decline.
My sanity and vitality are my priorities, I can not pour from an empty cup. Too many people rely on my energy and attitude on a daily basis; for me to be running myself into the ground.
Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you hope to create through your work with Empathic Gangster, and what legacy would you like to leave for future hospitality leaders, professionals, and the wider community?
I don’t use the word impact, but I do use the word effect (like butterfly effect) — I want my work to inspire and effect peoples perception of what it actually entails to be human.
To illuminate the magik that we are, and that this world is. I want to activate our internal headsets and turn the speakers up that broadcast our universal golden heartbeat.
I want people to embrace their individuality, while innerstanding that we are all part of a single living breathing organism.
I don’t think about legacy much but I would love to be remembered as someone who dissolved energetic hierarchy and lived by that example.
Finally, in your own voice, what message or advice would you like to share with emerging leaders and hospitality professionals who want to build meaningful careers, lead with authenticity, and make a lasting impact on the people they serve?
Let your heart, Soul, personality, imagination and intuition guide you. We are foundationally flawless by design, embrace your unique perspective and create and cultivate a family/team that makes the world a better place to live in.
Rapid Round (Answer in one word or max in one sentence)
1. Which tool, app, or platform would you recommend to professionals in your industry?
LinkedIn. Individuals are in the mindset to talk business.
2. What is one quote or personal mantra that inspires you the most?
Show up, be yourself — that is everything.
3. What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs or future business leaders?
The world needs who you are on a heart and Soul level.
4. Is there a book or movie you believe every business professional or leader should experience? Why?
Read biographies and watch documentaries. Every story is a case study on what works and what doesn’t, patterns begin to emerge. Business and leadership is about understanding human nature; exploring human stories serves immensely in that awareness.
EMPATHiC GANGSTER 