Since childhood, I have moved around a lot, always making my way somewhere near the ocean. My parents encouraged to travel and exploration from very early on, which I am so thankful for. I’ve always loved the water and the sun and got into diving at a very young age. It was around 6 years ago, while I was working at a dive centre on the coast of South Africa, that I met a dear friend of mine who introduced me to the yachting industry. I have been grateful for that introduction ever since.
My career didn’t start off so easy, and the first vessel I joined definitely wasn’t a great fit. BUT, I learned a lot through that experience and was fortunate enough to move onto a great boat with a very wise captain and a family-like crew. It was on that boat that I progressed from 3rd stewardess to 2nd stewardess, and finally up to Chief Stewardess.
I take a lot of pride in an agreement I have with myself to always do my best, in all things. It might seem overly simple or cliche, but it works and makes life a whole lot easier and much more enjoyable. When I was given the opportunity to step into the role of Chief Stewardess a few years ago, I took the responsibility very seriously. Although initially, I had some self-doubt, I knew that I was capable, had the knowledge necessary and that at the end of the day, if I gave the guests, the captain, the owner, and the crew my best, I would be able to go to sleep every night satisfied and at peace.
I was thrilled to find out that my best was in fact enough. I had an extremely successful first season and year as Chief Stewardess. Since then I have been committed to building my industry knowledge, skills, and relationships, all of which continue to make my best even better.
There are a lot of things that I love about being a Chief Stew, some of which are the creative freedom, the beauty involved, the relationships gained, the teamwork, the responsibility, and the opportunity to grow in my role and as a human in general. My favourite, however, would definitely be observing the joy and appreciation that guests express during a charter. It is an unbelievably satisfying feeling to know that I contributed to that experience.
As Chief Stewardess (and just in my day to day life), it is very important to me to lead with kindness and understanding, mindfulness, to lead by example, and to maintain a positive a healthy morale onboard. No matter how tired we were, or if something was going wrong, all it takes is a bit of perspective shift, purpose, and encouragement to really turn things around. Although there will always be hiccups and tough times, having your bottom line be that of purpose-driven service, kindness, and gratitude can make all the difference.
It’s really been such a surprise and honour to be nominated in the Chief Stewardess category and to have my photo and bio be alongside all these other amazing Chief Stews. I’m so grateful, thank you!
