Life in Private Staffing

We head back out to the UAE in today’s episode and have a fabulous chat with Cat, whose life has been so fascinating with a completely different route into the private sector. From being born in Africa and studying in the US, she then spends 10+ years living in China and being fully immersed in the Chinese culture setting up her own business supporting many individuals with a huge range of different things. This PA support she realised she did very well and decided to invest in an MBA Butler Academy in the Netherlands where she learnt the true art of service. 

This shaped not only her career but her as an individual and was one of the best things she has ever done. Her training took her career over to the Seychelles and now onto UAE where she works as a House Manager and absolutely adores what she does. It is so refreshing to speak to someone so positive and grateful for what she does – and is a good reminder to us all the appreciate what we have and where we work! 

Today, we bring the conversation back in-house by talking to Michael who is our Middle East specialist and has been passionately placing hospitality professionals with various VIP clients across Saudi Arabia for the last 5 years. His passion for living and working in KSA has only grown over the years as the country has developed. We compare how things have drastically changed in Saudi when he visited earlier this year, compared to his last visit before Covid. 

The opportunities are immense and candidates who go and work over there for a 1-year contract, invariably stay for years longer. The work is great, the clients are truly respectful, and the lifestyle is just not what you would imagine. You’ll be part of a thriving Western ex-pat community and will make friends for life. 

Supported by our sponsor Kelly Dixon, Estate Management Systems and her fabulous new podcast called Dear Billionaire. Use discount code LIFE 25 for any of her products or services on her website.

Sutherland has had an inspiring career following a successful transition out of the military. Over the last 10 years, he has worked for a number of families, managing their entire estates and often additional homes elsewhere. The skills gained in the military regularly lend themselves extremely well to the private sector, as proved by Sutherland and he proves that you don’t necessarily need to work your way up or have a huge amount of relevant qualifications to succeed in this world.

He started Swell Property Management upon realising that many clients don’t need a full-time estate manager, especially for those homes that are not their primary residence. Swell now supports a range of estates on a consultancy basis, ensuring they are all well looked after. A great service for anyone looking for that extra layer of support. 

Supported by our sponsor Kelly Dixon, Estate Management Systems and her fabulous new podcast called Dear Billionaire. Use discount code LIFE 25 for any of her products or services on her website.

Following last week’s episode, Martyn also comes from years of living in the mountains working in the much-loved French ski resorts. When he randomly was working as a HGV mechanic, decided to help a friend by accompanying a school on a ski trip which happen to have a huge impact on the rest of his career – as having loved his time in a ski resort he promptly secured work for the following season. Fast forward 10 years and many ski seasons in the Alps, he spends time in the South of France before returning to the UK and choosing to work full time in the private sector.

He has managed his job hunting well and secured fantastic positions which he has both enjoyed but which have also helped him move up the ranks to his current role as a Global Estate Manager for a high-profile UHNW businessman. A role in which he is thriving in and can see himself doing for many many years to come.

Today we talk to someone I have known for years, ever since my ski industry days! Coming from the luxury chalet industry also, Monika discusses the incredibly eclectic career she has had since embarking on her very first ski season – from a remote Norwegian ski lodge to a crazy summer on the F1 circuit, to a private villa which led to her house manager role here in the UK. I love people who have ended up where they have by complete accident, but who have acquired in a great combination of skills along the way making them fantastic private service professionals! 

Monika was made for storytelling so this was such a fun chat. Tune in if you want to hear something about everything! 

We love talking to clients of ours and having recently worked with Vince in the placement of 2 new members of staff within his Principals’ household we felt he’d be a great person to give his insights into how best to secure a role in the private sector. We discuss how people can impress him at the interview stage which may help those interviewing at the minute. His journey into the sector is fascinating transitioning from amateur boxing back in South Africa, moving into event security, into private security and most recently into a Chief of Staff role.

Many people move through the service side into these senior private sector roles so it’s good to see that there are other routes to the top!

Today, Ayden came to visit us in our London office and was an absolute pleasure to be able to chat with him in person. His story is incredibly inspiring being the youngest Estate Manager we’ve ever had on our podcast. His story proves you sometimes need to be in the right place at the right time and that helping out a friend can completely change the course of your life!

Working as an Estate Manager in Los Angeles, he has had a fast-learning curve in the industry and has some great advice for others on a similar journey.

Today we have a lovely conversation with Rachel who is a British citizen but who hasn’t lived in the UK for more than 15 years! She spent more than 10 years working onboard yachts, travelling the world and being fortunate enough to work in some beautiful locations. We discuss her yachting career where she quickly progressed up to Chief Stew working on very large boats, mainly working on private vessels directly for the family. She has loved these roles and only moved into a land-based role when the owner of her last boat asked for her to go to his home in Dubai to troubleshoot a few issues…..for just a couple of weeks, where she has stayed for the last couple of years!  

She is a big believer in taking your life into your own hands and if you don’t know something, you go away and find out. She has self-funded and self-organised a huge number of courses over the years which played a pivotal role in the pace at which her career has escalated. She proves that the more you put into life, the more you get out! 

Kandy has an entire career’s worth of experience under her belt having started her journey working in European hotels before moving into the private sector many years ago. She is a hands-on service-orientated Estate Manager who has most recently pivoted to offer her services on a consultancy basis across her hometown of Los Angeles but also across the UK and Europe (she is lucky enough to hold a US, UK and EU passport). Her services range from multi-property management on a contract basis, overseeing construction projects, manuals and procedures, hiring and onboarding, training, improving service standards, vendor vetting and event management – and everything in between.

She can travel and so would be very useful to help cover Estate Manager periods of absence, to turn a poorly run home around or to set up a brand-new home.

Today we have the fascinating Tracey on the show discussing how she works with Estate Managers globally to unlock their potential through mindset management. Her experience ranges from working with the military to politicians to athletes to UHNW and then more recently onto private service professionals themselves. We discuss the challenges senior members of staff experience on a day-to-day basis and some of her techniques to really help support individuals who deal with often intense pressure and difficult situations. 

Together, we are going to host workshops for our House/Estate Manager communities to ensure our members have the best level of support to keep them in the healthiest mental state possible whilst providing a safe space to talk through certain situations that they need support in resolving. This will be a level of support they would not have received before and so we’re excited to see the benefits this will bring to our community members.

If you have seen the TV show Billions…..then think of Wendy!