The words of Julia Child could not ring more true for me– “find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
With an endless desire for adventure and also being such a people person, finding out about the yachting industry seemed a dream come true. Eager to break routine, the day after completing my Psychology degree, I was straight on a plane to begin my first solo backpacking trip around Asia. The travel bug bit and I was determined to incorporate a travel lifestyle into my career. I managed to save up enough to complete the necessary courses and get myself over to France, where the real journey then began. Dock walking for a few days landed me my first gig on a smaller charter boat, which I still believe taught me the clearest understanding of perseverance. During the past 6 and a bit years on yachts, I have learnt the most incredible lessons from people both within and outside of my department. From Captain´s, to junior crew, to inspirational chief stews I have met on courses over the years, I feel incredibly lucky to have been exposed to such examples of leadership and kindness. Using lessons I have learnt along the way, I try to focus any team around a culture of creativity, mutual respect and active listening. I believe that with these three principles, a team is more inclined to reach a common goal, in our case, flawless service for guests and a passionate and driven interior team.
For me, yachting is an outlet for creativity, leadership and dynamic interaction. Yachting is all about extremes and challenges, and I often find no two days look the same. This can be daunting for some, but I am so grateful for the opportunities, lessons and friendships this industry has given me so far! It´s an incredible honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award and to be included in a great initiative amongst our industry.
