Running a business across multiple countries brings challenges most leaders never anticipate. The systems that work flawlessly in one market can fail completely in another. What feels like great service in New York might seem impersonal in Jamaica. Kristyl Nelson has spent the past 15 years learning how to make international operations succeed in the real world. She has led teams of more than 100 people across borders and built a restaurant that climbed to the top of TripAdvisor rankings, all by understanding the subtle cultural details that turn a business from good to exceptional.
Finding Balance Between Standards and Flexibility
Most businesses get stuck on one side or the other. They either lock down every process until local teams can’t breathe, or they give so much flexibility that the brand loses its identity. Nelson has seen both extremes during her years managing large-scale projects in luxury hospitality and real estate. “One of the biggest challenges in international operations is finding the balance between consistency and flexibility,” she says. Global standards matter, but they can’t ignore local realities. Guests should know what to expect from your brand whether they’re in Miami or Montego Bay. “In hospitality, your service promise must be consistent everywhere,” Nelson explains. The problem is that many companies stumble right at this point. What feels like attentive service in one culture might seem intrusive in another. “The way guests want to feel taken care of can vary dramatically,” she adds.
Her solution begins with structure and trust. “The key is to set clear operating procedures that anchor the business while giving local teams the space to adapt with cultural sensitivity,” she says. Those procedures create the foundation; everything else is layered on top and adjusted to fit the market. Headquarters can’t control every detail, and they shouldn’t try. “Your local teams know their markets better than you ever will,” Nelson reminds us.
Invest In Technology For Real Time Visibility
Running operations across time zones can be challenging, but for Nelson it became an opportunity to build stronger, more connected teams. During her years running a beachfront boutique hotel in Negril, Jamaica, she discovered just how powerful the right systems can be. “Technology is what keeps everyone aligned,” she says. The key is choosing tools that give people the right information at the right moment so they can make confident decisions. For Nelson, technology is not about control; it is about empowerment. “By using cloud dashboards, AI-based reporting, and digital asset tools, you can track progress, solve problems quickly, and keep everyone working toward the same goals,” she explains.
When she managed international projects, setting up these systems created real transformation. “They gave us a single source of truth and helped every team operate more efficiently,” she recalls. With that clarity, success became repeatable. Strong performance in one market could inspire another. Challenges were easier to spot and solve. In her view, technology does not replace people, it helps them do their best work together.
Building Strong Local Leadership And Empowering Teams
Systems and strategies can take a company far, but they only go so deep. Nelson learned that lesson while launching Kristyl’s International Restaurant, an experience that reshaped how she views success. “Strategy and systems only go so far. Success comes down to people,” she says. You can build the perfect process, but it means nothing without strong teams to bring it to life. Many organizations make the mistake of holding on too tightly to control. Nelson takes the opposite approach. “Empowering local leaders and giving them real ownership has been one of the most effective drivers of growth I have seen,” she explains. When you are running operations across several countries, micromanaging from headquarters is not just inefficient, it is impossible. Time zones alone make that clear.
Local leaders need space to act. “When managers on the ground feel trusted to make decisions, they move faster, innovate more, and stay deeply connected to the bigger vision,” she says. That sense of trust creates something no corporate policy can replicate. Managers who feel ownership do more than follow directions; they look for better ways to deliver results. Building that kind of leadership takes deliberate effort. “Investing in leadership development and creating a culture of autonomy brings global consistency while still honoring local execution,” Nelson notes. It is the same balance she emphasizes in her operational philosophy: structure and freedom working hand in hand.
Her approach comes down to three forces that have to work together. “To streamline operations internationally, you need the right balance: standardization with flexibility, technology with human insight, and global vision with local leadership,” she explains. Leave out any one of those, and the system begins to wobble. When everything aligns, the results are unmistakable. “Businesses can scale efficiently, adapt quickly, and thrive across borders,” Nelson says. For her, the goal has never been about simply surviving in multiple markets. It is about thriving in them. Fifteen years of experience across business, operational leadership, and luxury hospitality real estate have shown her that when you get the fundamentals right, success travels anywhere.
Follow Kristyl Nelson on LinkedIn for insights on scaling global operations with balance, trust, and real results.
