If you’ve visited Your 3rd Spot, chances are, you know Byron Jamal. His laugh and greetings boom through the venue and his larger than life personality warms “The Garden” dining area. He’s as much a part of the vibe as the starry lights and greenery.

If you knew Byron’s journey, you can see how the sum of his experiences have made him the remarkable presence and leader he is today.

BEGINNINGS
Byron was born in New England and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He’s well traveled and his journey is a full one- from an incredible commitment to education, being a pastor, an author, to now being one of the great hospitality leaders in Atlanta… and a lot more in between!

Byron’s favorite quote is from The Shawshank Redemption: “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”, and Byron has certainly been busy living. 

Byron started in hospitality at a young age. At the age of 5, he was already a junior usher at his church in Springfield Massachusetts. He started his official journey in the professional hospitality industry as a dishwasher. You can connect the dots and see the most humble seeds planted for a leader whose foundation is “Servant Leadership”. 

A servant-leader is someone who focuses on the growth and well-being of those who are around them. They put their community/team/others FIRST. Understanding the value of this mindset can escape many who spent their entire lives in hospitality, but this is an innate characteristic of Byron. It’s his unique gift to make the person who he is speaking to feel “seen” and the center of the universe. You can feel that he puts YOU first. When you’re around Bryon, you feel special, you’re better for having spent time with him.

This is just the foundation of who Byron is as a leader. An important part of Byron’s journey is his constant pursuit of knowledge. He believes in a “growth mindset”. Ask him for a book recommendation and he’ll likely recommend “Mindset” by Carol Dweck which focuses on the belief that effort can make us better and smarter.

He’s spent years educating himself. Byron attended Norfolk University where he received his Bachelor's degree in English and was named Mr. NSU and the SGA Business Manager. He then studied theology at the Pittsburgh Theology Seminary. A few years later, Byron received his MBA from Queens University.  

Byron’s journey has led through key roles both in the hospitality world as well as the banking industry. The commonality between every role he's held is that Byron connects people and builds community anywhere and everywhere he goes.  

He has also merged his passion for service and knowledge by becoming a published author of a best selling book about relationship building and personal growth. 

Y3S JOURNEY
In 2022, Byron joined the AMP Up1 Hospitality team to be part of the opening of the parent company's very first “Your 3rd Spot” location in Atlanta, Georgia. Byron was hired as an Experience Leader. After reading this far, if you believed that Byron’s experience had qualified him for a larger role, you would be correct. However, Byron saw something in the brand’s culture and belief that making mistakes is okay if you learn from them. He bet on himself and decided to join the growing company and lend his many talents to the team for the opening.  

There are very few people who naturally stand out as much as Byron did in those early days, and he was instantly identified as a leader by the entire team based on his actions, amazing guest service and world-class teamwork. Byron raised the bar for the entire team simply by being who he is. It seemed so effortless for him. He helped shape the position he was hired for and supported the leadership team in countless ways during the brand's launch.  

Within a few short weeks of the opening, Byron was drafted onto the leadership team of Your 3rd Spot Atlanta and helped to recruit and train team members in his new role of VIP Experiences Leader. Byron was awarded this title because of his magnanimous personality and already legendary connection with any guest he came in contact with.  

Over the several months of Byron being in this new role, created specifically for him and his talents, he continued to grow and evolve. His responsibilities were enhanced as he took on the entire service team and support team as the leader responsible for onboarding, training and communication of the majority of the service team members. Byron's passion for teaching and growing people around him became obvious as he helped to create a culture of “guest obsession” that led to incredible accolades and awards for hospitality.  

To watch Byron teach is incredible. His “Pre-Meals” are now legendary and always inspiring both from his knowledge of the team members and because he was an ordained elder and ordained pastor who spent a lot of time learning the art of passionate communication. Every “sermon” he delivers resonates with the team. 

Byron Jamal is truly one of the most talented and guest focused leaders you can come across. He has a natural passion for making people happy and making memories. To see a leader who embraced the AMP Up1 culture the way Byron has is a gift to the brand and an affirmation that our values attract great people.  

Byron’s favorite superhero is Batman. Batman doesn’t do what he does for credit or fame- he does it because he wants to help people and it’s the right thing to do. That’s who Byron is. He’s our Batman- our selfless leader, looking out for our team. 

When Byron isn't working he is reading, traveling, hosting events for his friends, listening to R&B, and enjoying new dining and entertainment experiences that inspire him. Byron has a big extended family and a cat named Simba.  

Byron’s journey continues…