The story
Tucked in the heart of Clemson, South Carolina, there’s a place where a warm welcome isn’t just a kind gesture – it’s a heartfelt purpose. That’s life at The Shepherd Hotel Downtown Clemson. More than a luxury boutique hotel, it empowers individuals with disabilities to excel in meaningful careers.
Cofounded in September 2022 by Rick Hayduk, CEO and seasoned hotel leader, and Rich Davies, a third-generation real estate developer, The Shepherd Hotel was born from a deeply personal mission.
“We did this for families, like mine, that have children with special needs and parents worried about their future,” Hayduk said. “Hospitality is a phenomenal industry to merge this segment of the population with real jobs.” Inspired by his daughter Jamison, who has Down syndrome, Hayduk set out to create opportunities for individuals facing similar challenges.
Finding meaningful employment can be difficult for this community. Still, The Shepherd Hotel is working to change that narrative by offering impactful positions that break away from the limited opportunities typically available.
“I wanted to start off with what these team members can do and then focus on their development for potential advancement. So, team members are greeting, welcoming and checking guests in upon arrival. They’re making beds and serving food. Some are advanced enough to work our point-of-sale system. We have some that are prep cooks. The jobs they do are really based upon the individual,” Hayduk said.
At the core of the hotel’s operations stands ClemsonLIFE, an inclusionary post-secondary education (IPSE) program established nearly 15 years ago by Clemson University’s College of Education. It’s known as one of the premier IPSE programs in the United States. Through its partnership with ClemsonLIFE, the hotel provides students with intellectual disabilities valuable employment opportunities, allowing them to gain practical skills in the hospitality industry within a supportive and inclusive environment.
Hayduk has a personal connection to the program, as his daughter Jamison is currently a freshman at ClemsonLIFE. “Now kids like mine get to go to college,” he said, underscoring the profound impact of IPSE programs. More than one-third of The Shepherd Hotel’s team has a disability, and about two-thirds are either current ClemsonLIFE students or alumni of the program.
When choosing the hotel’s name, Hayduk said inspiration struck after he and his partner read The Way of the Shepherd. In it, authors Kevin Leman and William Pentak use the nurturing qualities of a sheepherder as a metaphor for how leaders can effectively care for their people. “It just says everything about who we are. From a hospitality standpoint, we’re searching for people who serve, who inherently desire and love to serve others and put others before self. The shepherd is our team itself and how they are leading, inspiring and taking care of others.”
The hotel’s staff wholeheartedly embraces this philosophy. Every smile at the front desk, pillow fluffed and plate served tells a story of hope and genuine hospitality, translating to a remarkable guest experience. Hayduk routinely encourages team members to “leave people in places better than you found them” because “you should have a good day when you take care of somebody.”
“We want guests to ‘feel something’ when they stay with us. Not just think, ‘I got a great night’s sleep or a great cup of coffee.’ We want them to be inspired by our authentic hospitality because of our team and the way we go about things with our systems and processes.”
Community impact
In addition to current ClemsonLIFE students, the Shepherd Hotel also employs ClemsonLIFE alumni and local individuals with disabilities. “We have a woman in the kitchen in her 40s and hearing impaired. She never went through the ClemsonLIFE program. She struggled to find work, and now she’s found a home,” Hayduk said, reinforcing the hotel’s mission.
The hotel’s purpose is also woven into every aspect of its design, from its name to its carefully curated ambiance. Subtle yet powerful details, such as Braille inscriptions of words like “love,” “joy,” “happiness” and “sunshine” are inlaid in the hotel decor. Walls are adorned gallery style with a rotating collection of artwork from local and global artists, many with some form of disability. Nearly all of the items the venue sells are tied to the disability community, and proceeds from amenities provided, such as shampoo and conditioner, benefit autism research.
Being recognized as an Insperity Community Hero further amplifies The Shepherd Hotel’s calling, providing an additional platform to inspire others. “It’s about what we do. And whether it’s Down syndrome or autism or other intellectual and developmental disabilities, this allows us to push the potential of this segment of the population,” Hayduk said about receiving the honor.
Accompanying the award is a $5,000 charitable donation that the hotel has chosen to gift to Dabo’s All in Team Foundation, a nonprofit led by Dabo Swinney, the head coach of Clemson University’s football program. Swinney and his wife run the foundation in the city, and all its funds go to the local community. One of the nonprofit’s primary beneficiaries is the school’s ClemsonLIFE program.
The hotel’s partnership with Insperity has also been instrumental in extending its influence. Having previously worked with Insperity at another company, Hayduk recognized the value of outsourcing HR functions to a professional employer organization (PEO). Managing tasks like payroll processing could quickly become overwhelming for the hotel’s small in-house human resources team, which supports 27 full-time and 100 part-time employees. The hotel’s unique passion also introduces specific challenges in recruiting and onboarding staff. With Insperity’s dedicated HR support and streamlined technology, the organization has felt empowered to overcome these obstacles and focus on making a positive impact.
“Insperity has played a big role in our fast path to success. Its systems and processes are so well-developed that they have made it easy for us to stay focused on our purpose,” Hayduk said. “We are able to onboard people pretty quickly when it relates to uploading documents and all the things that go with that.” Since the hotel’s inception over two years ago, Insperity has been a trusted HR partner every step of the way.
And The Shepherd Hotel is only gaining momentum. Plans are underway to expand its model to other cities, with new hotels opening in the next 15 months in Columbia and Rock Hill, South Carolina. Modeling the hotel’s current partnership with ClemsonLIFE, the hotel in Columbia will partner with the University of South Carolina’s CarolinaLIFE program, while the hotel in Rock Hill will partner with Winthrop University’s WinthropLIFE program. Hayduk said the expansion is with one goal in mind.
“We’re growing because we are looking for specific markets, specific partners, all with the purpose of gainfully employing and training individuals with disabilities through hospitality. Our objective is to show the world that you can run a for-profit business, employ a significant number of individuals with disabilities and still give your investors a return.”
“Insperity has played a big role in our fast path to success. Its systems and processes are so well-developed that they have made it easy for us to stay focused on our purpose.”
Rick Hayduk
Cofounder and CEO
The Shepherd Hotel