A Journey through Hospitality, Motherhood and Leadership.

My hospitality journey started when I was twelve years old, washing dishes in the back of a local pub.

It wasn’t glamorous work, but even then, I remember being fascinated by the rhythm of service — the way the kitchen and front of house moved together when things got busy.

Hospitality has never just been a job for me. It has been the thread running through so many parts of my life.

From supporting my family, to building my confidence, to discovering the kind of leader I want to be, hospitality has shaped my journey in ways I never expected.

That’s why I’m incredibly proud to be joining Olive & Oak Hospitality as Training and Engagement Lead on a volunteer basis.

For me, this role isn’t just about training or engagement. It’s about contributing to something that genuinely supports the people who make this industry what it is.

Where It All Began

My hospitality journey started very young.

At 12 years old, I was washing dishes in the back of a local pub. It wasn’t glamorous, but even then, I remember being fascinated by the rhythm of service — the way the kitchen and front of house moved together when things got busy.

Working in that pub inevitably meant being surrounded by big personalities — people who I now realise played a huge role in shaping the person I became.

There was the calm, collected female head chef who ran the kitchen with a steel hand but still managed to create a warm and safe environment for the team.

There was the young, boisterous chef whose humour filled the kitchen and reminded everyone not to take life too seriously — even in the middle of a chaotic service.

And there was the owner behind the bar, someone who seemed to know exactly what everyone needed before they even asked, whether they were a customer or a member of the team.

Looking back now, those people helped pull me out of my shell and introduced me to the kind of community that hospitality can create.

From there, I moved into restaurant service as a waitress, and that’s where my real passion started to develop.

What I loved most wasn’t just the work itself, but the people. The connections you build with guests, the camaraderie of a team pushing through a busy service together, and the sense of shared achievement at the end of the night. The gathering over a pint or a glass of wine, when all the customers had gone, and a problem shared being a problem halved.

There’s something about that environment — the pace, the pressure, the teamwork — that creates a unique kind of bond.

A Detour Into Care

At one point, I stepped away from hospitality and moved into the care industry.

In many ways, it was a natural fit. The people-first approach that I had always valued in hospitality was central to care work, and I loved the opportunity to support others in meaningful ways.

But while I found the work fulfilling, something was missing.

It never quite scratched the itch that hospitality had given me — that sense of energy, movement, and cohesive teamwork that comes from being part of a busy service.

Eventually, I realised that the environment I thrived in was hospitality, and I returned to the industry with a clearer understanding of the kind of leader I wanted to become.

Growing Into Leadership

When I returned to hospitality, I began progressing into management roles and eventually stepped into a restaurant manager position.

My approach to leadership has always been people-led.

For me, being a good manager isn’t just about operations or hitting targets. It’s about knowing your team — understanding who they are as people, not just as employees.

Everyone brings different strengths, different challenges, and different motivations. My role has always been to create a supportive environment where those strengths can shine, and where people feel safe enough to grow through their weaknesses.

When teams feel understood and supported, the entire culture shifts. Service becomes stronger, communication improves, and the workplace becomes somewhere people actually want to be.

A Shared Love of the Busy

My connection to Olive & Oak really started through Sean, who I previously worked alongside when I was part of the management team at a venue he was involved with.

Anyone who has worked in hospitality understands the feeling of a truly busy service — the restaurant is full, the orders are flying in, and the team moves almost instinctively together.

Sean and I quickly realised we shared a real love for that environment.

That shared appreciation for the energy, pressure, and teamwork of hospitality at its best is what makes being part of the Olive & Oak family feel like such a natural step.

Hospitality, Family, and Education

Hospitality has supported me through some huge milestones in my life.

I’m a young mum of two, and the industry has allowed me to provide for my family while also pursuing my education.

Alongside working in hospitality, I completed my A-levels and since then I’ve been studying for a law degree.

Somewhere along the way, I realised something I hadn’t expected.

When I first started studying law, I imagined it would eventually become my main career path. It felt like the logical next step — a stable and respected profession that would provide opportunities for my family.

But the more time I spent leading teams in hospitality, the more I found myself drawn back to the industry in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

There’s a unique energy in hospitality — the pace of service, the teamwork, the relationships you build with both guests and colleagues. Watching people grow in confidence, supporting teams through busy nights, and creating environments where people feel valued became the parts of my work that mattered most to me.

Now, as I continue towards completing my degree, I’m not entirely sure where the law will take me. What I do know is that hospitality continues to challenge, inspire, and fulfil me in ways I didn’t expect.

But as my experience in hospitality leadership has grown, so has my love for the industry.

The opportunity to work with people, develop teams, and help individuals grow in confidence and capability is something I find deeply rewarding.

And honestly, I’m no longer certain that I’ll leave hospitality once my degree is complete.

Why the Busy Makes Sense to Me

Something else that has shaped my relationship with hospitality is being neurodivergent.

I have ADHD, and for a long time I didn’t fully understand why certain environments drained me while others made me feel completely in my element.

Hospitality — especially during a busy service — is one of those environments where everything suddenly makes sense.

The pace, the constant problem-solving, the shifting priorities and the teamwork required to keep everything moving. For many people that environment might feel overwhelming, but for me it creates a kind of clarity.

There’s a rhythm to a busy service that is hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. Everyone moves with purpose, communication becomes instinctive, and the team becomes almost like a single organism working towards the same goal.

It’s one of the reasons I believe hospitality can be an incredible industry for neurodivergent people when the right support and leadership are in place.

We bring creativity, adaptability, energy and resilience — but too often those strengths aren’t recognised or supported properly.

Part of what excites me about being involved with Olive & Oak is the opportunity to help encourage more understanding around neurodiversity within hospitality teams, and to help create environments where people who think differently can truly thrive.

My Role with Olive & Oak

As Training & Engagement Lead, my focus will be on helping develop initiatives that support hospitality professionals in meaningful and practical ways.

This includes:

• Supporting training initiatives that are accessible and relevant to hospitality teams • Encouraging engagement within the Olive & Oak community • Helping individuals grow in confidence and leadership • Promoting a culture that values people as much as performance

It’s still very early days but the mission behind Olive & Oak, and my contribution is something I believe in deeply.

Looking Forward

Hospitality is filled with passionate, hardworking people who give so much of themselves to the industry.

If we can support those people better — through training, mentorship, and community — we can create a stronger, healthier future for hospitality.

I’m incredibly proud to be part of that journey with Olive & Oak.

And I’m excited to see where it leads.

Hospitality gave me a path when I needed one — and now I’m proud to help create paths for others.