From Geography to Guest Services
My Journey to Co-Founding Hestia
My career path has been anything but linear. When I started university, I was focused on Geography, convinced my future was in Town & City Planning. To fuel my weekend shopping habit, I worked in various Hospitality and Reception roles - little did I know those shifts were plotting a far more exciting course.
​
My direction changed completely after a disastrous summer internship at a county council. Thankfully, the owner of the spa where I was working as a weekend Receptionist stepped in with an unexpected offer: Practice Manager. This role was an immediate revelation, igniting my passion for combining high-touch customer service with strategic team management and business growth.
Building a Foundation
in People Management
​
I soon realised that a formal background in HR was crucial to truly excel, so I secured my first role within Guest Services as an Office Manager at a law firm. Overseeing a small, high-performing team of three, we successfully drove service improvements and created an innovation plan. Always eager for the next step, I actively looked for more, even volunteering to mentor newly promoted managers and assist struggling contracts that were lacking leadership. My patience was eventually rewarded.
My next role was with an insurance company where I was tasked with mobilising their new London office while managing a regional team. This position quickly grew to include a third office and earned my team significant internal awards. It was here that my eyes were opened to the growth opportunities; my Business Development Director, who you now know as my Co-Founder, Amanda, began including me in tender show rounds and presentations. This exposure was the direct springboard to my next big step.
Scaling Operations and
Leading Through Crisis
My subsequent role at a Corporate Bank was a huge increase in responsibility, jumping from managing a team of 15 to an organisation-wide 65 people. We restructured the leadership and successfully implemented a fresh approach to service delivery. This allowed us to build robust internal structures, including clear succession planning from Team Leader right through to Manager. By developing my team, I had the capacity to support the wider business, assisting the Recruitment Team and new building mobilisations for other contracts.
This prepared me for what came next: becoming the UK Group Manager for the company’s largest contract. Responsible for an operation of 120 team members across 14 offices spanning England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, my focus became building trust and, critically, ensuring the security of every team member's role during the Covid pandemic. Not only did every one of us remain employed, but we actually added new roles to support the enhanced responsibilities of keeping our offices safe. Having successfully navigated the entire team and client through those unique and challenging years, plus mobilising five new buildings openings and three TUPE transfers I was ready for my next evolution.
Joining Amanda
​
It was at this point that Amanda gave me the opportunity to join her as Head of Operations at her new venture. Working together, we grew the business to 20 clients and over 120 people in three years. More importantly, we built the most amazing community and culture. In 2024, this business was unexpectedly acquired by a larger corporate.
​​
The Hestia Partnership
Together, we built something incredible and we have taken that partnership into Hestia, but this time as equal partners with our shared vision and proven chemistry.
My journey from a part-time receptionist to a Co-Founder of a guest services business is a testament to a simple philosophy: Be open to learning, be patient for the right opportunity, and always put yourself forward for new projects.
​
You don’t need an MBA or an industry qualification. You need a proactive, positive, can-do approach to learn and grow. This journey can absolutely be yours if you want it to be!