How I Did It

Dheeshana Ameresekere, Managing Director of The Theva Residency is not your average entrepreneur. Dynamic, interesting and bubbly, she’ll have you in awe with her stories! Here she talks about yoga, making it in the hospitality industry and how to succeed in any workplace.

- Shihaam Hassanali

Q/ What do you love the most about what you do?

A/ At this point in my life, I only do what I love, if not I will not do it at all, and I think it’s a blessing when your career and your passion is the same thing! I love creating wow moments for guests, and, more importantly, creating those life-changing moments for my staff at the hotel. I believe that all guests who walk through the Theva Residency gates are VIP and we focus on paying attention to detail and offer a personalized service. But we first treat all our team members as if they are VIP.

What I love the most is enriching the lives of the 28 staff members who work for me. Seeing the quality and attitude towards their lives improving, both at work and home gives me the greatest joy! I don’t think there is anything more wonderful than being able to make a positive change in another person’s life! I live by Maya Angelou’s saying, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

Q/ What does a typical weekday look like?

A/ I personally handle the daily reservation confirmations. I also look into all the marketing, advertising and daily operations of the hotel. A day in the Colombo office is a normal desk job in front of the computer! But a typical day at the hotel is far more magical: waking up to the beautiful Hantana mountain range, sitting in an office space that overlooks the mountains and sunset with birds and butterflies flying all around, and sipping on a mug of freshly brewed coffee all day long!

Q/ How do you juggle your professional and personal lives so effectively?