The three invaluable life lessons working in hospitality has taught me
As a business owner, people often ask me, “how does someone go from working in hospitality to starting a branding agency?”. Well, these professional paths aren’t as unrelated as you might think!
In fact, many of the skills I have harnessed as owner of Hustle + Hush were actually learnt during my time working in hospitality. They’ve not only translated perfectly into my new chapter but have been instrumental in helping me find success in business.
You see, I’ve been in your shoes and I bet the story I share with you now is all too recognisable. After a few years of working within your business, you’re left searching for that fire in your belly passion you had when opening up your doors. Sounds familiar, right? It was for me too.
That’s where the concept of Hustle + Hush was born, and I began to live out my mission of supporting business owners to find the right amount of hustle and hush in their lives and start reaping the benefits of their business.
My career in hospitality has spanned across many sectors including fast food, restaurant ownership, establishment of the Inner Melbourne Tourism Group and a nine-month placement at the Ayers Rock Resort that lasted two years. Having experienced the highs and lows of our vibrant industry myself, it feels second nature to not only share my experiences with my clients but pair this engrained passion with branding expertise to support hospitality businesses to thrive.
Time and time again, my experiences in hospitality drive the way I support business owners today. It always comes back to these three lessons I have learnt throughout my career that truly make partnering with Hustle + Hush an exceptionally valuable experience.
Communication is key
As busy hospitality business owners, we know the importance of being approachable, warm and friendly to our customers and working with your branding expert should be no different. I’ve learnt the importance of being mindful of your tonne and truly being invested in what the customer has to say. For many business owners, this process is about getting out of your head and connecting with your heart. I ask you an abundance of questions to encourage you to open up and share how we can truly transform the performance of your business, uncover the “why” behind your brand and give you the time and space to digest.
Asking “how can I help?”
Whilst you may associate this with the drive-through, to me, this comes from the heart. Asking how you can truly help someone in their business is about grace and gratitude. I was recently inspired by an episode of New Amsterdam where Max, a newly appointed Medical Director, assembled his team and said “I am here to help. How can I help?”. This was genuine and driven to improve the day-to-day of the people around him.
That connected so quickly with the ethos of Hustle + Hush that I just had to share it with you today. In a world where people are constantly being asked for something, especially those in the fast-paced hospitality industry, it’s incredibly refreshing to be asked how someone can help you first, how they can make your life a little easier and what value they can bring to your space.
Go the extra mile to 'surprise and delight'
During my time as a concierge for a 5-star hotel, I learnt the importance of being able to think on your feet and be a problem solver. This is a lesson many of us have learnt over our years in hospitality and one that we can implement into so many elements of our lives.
For me as your branding expert, I always take into consideration how I can go above and beyond for the client and their project deliverables. Sure, there’s the project scope and the budget, but what are the little extras I can provide to make their experience totally memorable?
This isn’t about “giving things away for free”, not valuing my time or expecting to be paid for every little thing completed but instead trusting that by going above and beyond for you, the give-back to me will come in time.
These lessons have shaped the Hustle + Hush experience that I would love to share with you. My 30-minute discovery call is the perfect starting point when it’s time to rethink the way you’re presenting your business to the world.
