Leadership · Hospitality · Ballet

Discipline, done gracefully.

I'm Bonnie Li. I'm a hospitality COO, a people-first leader, and a lifelong student of ballet. I write about leading people, running operations, and the quiet practice behind making hard things look effortless.

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  • Chief Operating OfficerHospitality operations at scale
  • People-first leaderTrust, standards, steady teams
  • Lifelong ballet studentPractice, poise, precision
What I write about

Three pillars, one practice.

01

Leading from Anywhere

Notes on building trust, rhythm, and accountability with a team you rarely see in person.

Explore →02

The Business of Hospitality

What it really takes to welcome guests all year round, from systems and standards to the human touch.

Explore →03

Lessons from the Barre

Adult ballet, beginner's mind, and why practice beats talent at any age.

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Two worlds

Where the boardroom meets the barre.

By day, I run operations for a vacation rental company: a large portfolio of homes, a big team, and guests who expect every stay to feel effortless. I do it fully remote, from Vancouver, across time zones.

Most evenings, I'm at the barre. Ballet has taught me more about leadership than any MBA case study could: show up, repeat the basics, take the correction, and make it look easy.

sweetbonbon is where those two worlds meet.

“Show up, repeat the basics, take the correction, and make it look easy.”

Latest from the Journal

In rehearsal.

Lessons from the Barre

Pliés and P&Ls: What the Barre Taught Me About Operations

Show up, repeat the basics, take the correction. Why the dancer's daily class is the best operating system I know.

Coming soon
Leading from Anywhere

Leading a Large Team from Far Away

Trust, rhythm, and accountability when your team rarely sees you in person.

Coming soon
The Business of Hospitality

The Turnover Mindset: Small Standards, Big Stays

The small, boring standards that make every guest stay feel effortless.

Coming soon

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The newsletter

Letters from the Barre

Once or twice a month: one leadership idea, one hospitality insight, one moment of grace. No noise.

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