Life in Private Staffing
Life in Private Staffing is a monthly podcast hosted by Philippa that explores the world of private staffing for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Each episode covers recruitment insights, career tips, and the unique challenges of working in luxury environments like yachts, private jets, and estates. The show aims to educate and inspire recruiters, job seekers, and current staff in the industry.
Episodes
Supplier Spotlight: Tracey Jones | Mindset, Leadership & High Performance in Private Service
In the first episode of our Inner Circle Supplier Spotlight series, Philippa is joined by Tracey Jones, Founder of TJ Life and a high-performance mindset coach working with UHNW families, private household professionals, athletes, business leaders and other high-pressure clients.Tracey shares what really happens when House Managers, PAs and private staff are constantly operating under pressure — a
S7 E13: Helena Vavrikova - Building a Career Across Multiple Roles Within Private Service
What does it really take to build a career across multiple roles within private service?In this episode of Recruitment Diaries: Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Helena Vavrikova, an experienced Private Chef, House Manager and Estate Manager whose career has taken her from restaurant kitchens and culinary school to working inside UHNW private households across the US.Helena’s route t
S7 E12: Tony Jazz - From Five-Star Hotels to Private Butlering
What does it really take to build a career as a traditional Butler at the highest levels of luxury hospitality and private service?In this episode of Recruitment Diaries: Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Tony Jazz, an experienced Butler whose career has taken him through some of London’s most prestigious five-star hotels, including The Connaught, Claridge’s and The Savoy, before mov
S7 E11 - Andrii Oliinyk: From Superyachts to Royal Palaces: Life as a UHNW Butler
What does it really take to build a career as a Butler at the very highest level of private service?In this episode of Recruitment Diaries: Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Andrii Oliinyk, an experienced Head Butler whose career has taken him from an engineering degree and supermarket job to superyachts, a Royal residence in the Middle East and a UHNW private household in London.And
In Memory of Mason Haynes | Life Behind the A-List Bodyguard
We were deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of Mason Haynes.Mason joined us on the podcast back in Season 1 to share stories from an extraordinary career in close protection — a life that took him around the world, working with high-profile individuals and experiencing places and situations most of us could only imagine.Throughout our conversation, what stood out wasn't simply the re
S7 E10 - Patricia Levinson: Your Career Doesn't Have to Be Linear | Returning to Private Staffing
What if leaving private staffing was the very thing that made you better at it?In this episode of Recruitment Diaries: Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Patricia Levinson, a House Manager and Executive Assistant based in Manhattan, whose career has taken anything but a traditional path. From owning and running a hotel in Costa Rica to managing private properties, raising a family, wo
S7 E9: Will Graham - From Celebrity Households to Freelance Success | A Career as a Private PA
What does it really take to build a successful career as a Private PA?In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by experienced Private PA Will Graham, who shares his journey through the world of private households, celebrity support, freelancing and lifestyle management.Having worked with high-profile principals across a variety of sectors, Will offers a fascinating insight i
S7 E8: Thiabut Barbe - From Superyachts to Royal Palaces | Leading 300 Staff in Private Service
What does it really take to manage luxury service at the very highest level?In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by hospitality and estate management expert Thibaut Barbé, whose incredible 30-year career has taken him from luxury cruise ships to the world’s largest superyachts, royal palaces in the Middle East and large-scale UHNW estates across the globe. 🌍✨Thibaut shar
S7 E7: Elle Webster - Chief Stewardess to Entrepreneur, Life After Superyachts
What is it REALLY like building a long-term career in the superyacht industry?In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by former Chief Stewardess Elle Webster to discuss her decade-long career working onboard luxury superyachts across the world — from busy charter seasons and shipyard builds to global itineraries, UHNW lifestyles and the intense realities of life at sea.Elle
S7 E6 - Steven Walker - From the Royal Navy to Royal Households - 40 Years in Private Service Across 5 Continents
What does a 40-year career in private service really look like?In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Steven — an industry professional whose career spans decades, continents, and some of the most prestigious private households in the world.From his early days in the Royal Navy, Steven shares how discipline, structure and opportunity led him into private service — landi
S7 E5: Alice Bornarel - The Role Every UHNW Household Needs (But Rarely Has)
What if running a private household required more than just hiring staff?In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Alice Bournarel, a private household consultant supporting UHNW families with everything from recruitment and training to operations and bespoke event management.With over 13 years of experience across private households, yachts, and international residences,
S7 E4: Weslley Frick - Building Confidence Through Sport in UHNW Households
What if childcare in UHNW households went beyond traditional roles?In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, Philippa is joined by Wesley, a specialist working with children in private households to build confidence, discipline, resilience and fitness through personalised coaching.From his background in sport to launching his own business in Dubai, Wesley shares how he has carved out a unique r
S7 E3: Maja Novak - Flexibility, Team Dynamics & Life After Yachting
From working on superyachts to building a flexible career across private residences and luxury hospitality, Maja Novak shares what it really takes to succeed in the private service industry.After more than a decade in yachting, Maja made the transition to contract-based roles in private households, villas and chalets, designing a career that allows her to balance professional opportunities with pe
S7 E2: Chef Joy - From Private Jets to World Tours: Life as a Celebrity Private Chef
From cooking for world-famous athletes and global touring musicians to navigating extreme dietary requirements inside private households, Chef Joy’s career offers a fascinating insight into life as a Private Chef at the highest level.Originally from New Orleans and now based in Los Angeles, Joy shares how she built her career from professional kitchens into the world of private staffing — travelli
S7 E1: Imron Zulfikar - Private Wellness Managers: The Role You Didn’t Know Existed
From luxury resorts and private islands to UHNW households in the Middle East, Imran Zulfikar’s career offers a rare insight into one of private staffing’s most discreet and misunderstood roles — the Private Wellness Manager.With a background spanning elite hospitality, private islands (including three years on Necker Island as the first male in the role), and now working within a private househol
S6 E9: Rien Thoma - From Butler School to House Manager: Rien;s Decade Inside UHNW Homes
From training at the world-renowned International Butler Academy to running households for aristocratic and UHNW families across the UK, Rhian Thoma’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, professionalism, and the evolving reality of private service.With ten years’ experience across stately homes, formal estates, and high-expectation principals, Rhian shares the truth behind the job — the pressu
S6 E8 - Marina Grigoryeva: Resilience, Reinvention & the Reality of Life in Private Staffing
From leaving Kazakhstan with no English to managing multimillion-pound estates in Surrey, Marina Grigoryeva’s story is one of determination, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.With over 20 years’ experience working for UHNW families, Marina shares how she built longevity in some of the most demanding households — often staying with principals for over a decade. She opens up about managing di
S6 E7 - Veronica Lajud: Redefining Childcare in the UHNW World
This week on Life in Private Staffing we’re joined by Veronica Lajud, an international childcare specialist based in Miami and founder of the Stellar Insight Method.With a background in Montessori education and over a decade working inside UHNW households, Veronica has built a unique approach that goes far beyond traditional nannying. She now mentors nannies, supports families worldwide, and creat
S6 E6 - Daniela Vasconcelos: Inside Miami’s World of Estate Management
In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, I sit down with Daniela Vasconcelos, a Brazilian-born estate manager and personal assistant who has spent over a decade building her career in Miami’s ultra-competitive private staffing market.From launching her own cleaning business to overseeing 30+ luxury properties, and later managing the lifestyle of a single UHNW principal, Daniela’s journey is no
S6 E5 - David Cannie: UHNW Estate Manager
In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, I sit down with David Cannie, senior estate manager of a 15,000-acre private estate in the UK with hundreds of residential properties, heritage buildings, and a team of 100+ staff.Having transitioned from a career in property management into the UHNW private sector, David shares what it’s really like to oversee one of the country’s most impressive lande
S6 E4 - Sarah Eaton: Inside the Ski Season
In this episode of Life in Private Staffing, I sit down with Sarah Eaton, HR Director at Consensio Holidays, a luxury ski company operating some of the most exclusive chalets in the French Alps.Having placed Sarah in her current role, I knows firsthand the challenges of recruiting and managing seasonal staff in high-pressure, high-end hospitality environments. Together, we dive into:✨ What it take
S6 E3 - Harald Mootz: 30 Years of Concierge Secrets
In this special episode of Life in Private Staffing, we’re switching it up. I'm joined by New York-based concierge legend Harald Mootz, who shares tales from three decades at the heart of luxury hospitality. From manning the concierge desks at the Plaza Athénée and St. Regis to his current role at the Corinthia’s Surrey Hotel, Harold has catered to the world’s elite—and seen it all.Expect insi
S6 E2 - Maud Lamoure: Attitude Over Aptitude
This week we’re joined by Maud, a true powerhouse in the world of private staffing. While many strive for long-term positions, Maud carved her own path – thriving in seasonal roles across Europe, working in chalets, villas, and luxury properties for UHNW clients.Starting as a total newcomer with just 15 minutes’ notice before her first butler shift, she’s now built a reputation as the ultimate fix
S6 - E1 - Lara Acerboni: A journey from Au Pair to House Manager
Today we are back! After taking our first-ever break since starting this podcast five years ago, we're back to launch Season 6 of Life in Private Staffing. Uncovering the extraordinary careers available within the private sector. It is always fascinating to learn how different people discover this industry, but more importantly, how they break into it, and today brings a journey Lara made from wor
S5 E9 - Stacey Barker: All Things Private Flying
After meeting Stacey at one of our networking drinks and laughing for hours at all her stories, she willingly agreed to join us as a guest this week.
I love finding people with jobs in the private sector that I never knew existed. Did you know that Harrods can look after your private jet for you whilst you are in London? Whether you are ‘parking’ up for a day or a month, Harrods can take your pla
S5 E8 - Laurie Reese: a Conscious Dying Coach
This week, I had the absolute pleasure of being joined by Laurie Reese, a Conscious Dying Coach for UHNW clients. If you don’t know what this is, then tune in. It is a unique service that I think everyone should know exists.
Laurie spent years working in the entertainment industry before moving into the private sector as a House Manager/PA. She then transitioned her skills and became qualified to
S5 E7 - The New Silver Swan & Guest Lloyd Hill
We’re back!
After a short break whilst we made some fairly significant changes internally here at Silver Swan, we are delighted to be back. Today, Philippa opens up about Silver Swan and the challenges we faced earlier in the year and the changes that were made and why.
We also welcome Lloyd to the show today, an experienced House Manager in Melbourne, Australia. It’s always interesting to see
S5 E6 - Lily Mendez
Today, Philippa Smith is talking to Lily who has had a fantastic career to date climbing the notoriously difficult ladder up to Director of Residence. This is a position sought after by many working in the private sector and so today we delve into Lily’s journey to the top. Her passion for the industry and her love for what she does is so obvious and clearly plays a part in her success.
Tune in t
S5 E5 - Julius Smith
Today we are delving into the wonderful life of a Butler.
The highly reputable Julius Smith joins the show with his decades of experience in the field and shares not only many great stories from his long career but also his thoughts on the emergence of the modern butler, the importance of training and what it is that makes a truly great butler.
Tune in to learn more about this world.
S5 E4 - Middle East Misconceptions
In this episode, Philippa delves into the realm of private staffing in the Middle East alongside special guest Corina Goetz.
They tackle prevailing misconceptions surrounding the GCC countries, shedding light on the advantages of working and living in this region for expats and private staff professionals alike.
Tune in for some serious myth-busting and our top reasons why Middle Eastern job oppor
S5 E3 - International Women's Day
Today The Recruitment Diaries focuses on International Women’s Day, discussing raising a family and the impact this can have on your career
Philippa gives an insight into her journey and how she has balanced having children whilst running Silver Swan
We also invite Barbara Hepp to the show, a member of our UK House Manager community who has successfully navigated the journey of motherhood whilst w
S5 E2 - Mastering the Interview
Interviews. Yuck. Possibly the most daunting part of the hiring process, and one that we don't really get much education on 🤢.
This episode, Philippa is joined by Latricia Friend and Russell Orford as they discuss how to navigate perfecting the résumé and finessing a private staff interview. From how to dress all the way up to post-interview etiquette, this episode has got you covered.
S5 E1 - New Year, New Roles
We've given our podcast a fresh lick of paint, have invested in a second microphone, and are now officially back for our fifth season (Whew😮💨)!
As 2024 kicks off, we wanted to run over the 'dos' and 'don'ts' of using a recruitment agency when looking for your next role or employee. Philippa is joined in the studio by Silver Swan's very own Laura and Chris as they disc
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4.36 - Highlights
Another season of Life in Private Staffing has come to an end, wrapping up our podcast until the new year!
In this episode, Philippa discusses some exciting changes happening at Silver Swan, and we go back through the fourth season and listen to some of our highlights from a year full of brilliant guests and interesting insights.
We'll be back in 2024 with a new season… and perhaps a new nam
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4.35 - Georgina Gallagher
This week, Philippa is chatting with one of our UK House Manager Community members, and past Silver Swan candidate, Georgina Gallagher!
Philippa and Georgina talk about the importance of a good work-life balance, and how this coincides with high demands from UHNW principals. Philippa also asks Georgina about her own route into the private staffing industry, from working in hospitality in her teena
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4.34 - Helen Mann
Today, Philippa is joined by Helen Mann, all the way from San Fransisco, California. Helen talks about her career journey so far- from studying her master's degree in film journalism to working in all sorts of UHNW roles which have managed to remain relevant to her prior studies, and how she's found trying different roles within the private staffing industry to be beneficial in both person
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4.33 - Jennifer Laurence, Luxury Lifestyle Logistics
We're back!
After a short hiatus, Philippa is back with a new episode of Life in Private Staffing, and this week she's joined by the fabulous Jennifer Laurence. Since interning at a record label at the age of 17, Jennifer has devoted her whole professional career to private service; earning her master's degree in hospitality, spending a decade working as a member of private staff, to o
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4.32 – Philippa Smith
Today is a quick shout out from Silver Swan’s MD, Philippa to let you all know that we are taking a short podcast break whilst some of the team travel to the US. We’ll be back with more guests in a couple of weeks!
We use this opportunity to give you an update on Silver Swan and what we are up to; Our first workshop with the fabulous Tracey Jones takes place on Monday (7pm BST) which is focused o
Life in Private Staffing | 4.31 – Jean-Francois Chatelain
Today I chatted to the fabulous Jean-Francois about the fascinating world of aviation. We have not delved into the world of flying yet on this podcast, so it was such a pleasure to hear Jean-Francois’ story. Starting his career working as a cabin steward with British Airways then led onto a 25-year career with the airline working his way up through to the ranks till he was the man in charge of the
Life in Private Staffing | 4.30 – Silver Swan USA Special
In preparation for our upcoming trip to the USA, we wanted to sit down and chat all things US! I somehow managed to convince Jess, our US consultant and Chris, our Community Manager to join me today for a chat. We discuss how we are finding the American market at the minute and what roles we are currently recruiting for. Chris then provides an insight into our 5 communities across the US, remindin
Life in Private Staffing | 4.29 – Betsy Tavit
Today we head back over the pond to the US to chat with Betsy who only entered this world a few years ago. During her previous career as a music teacher, she often taught in the homes of UHNW clients and would notice the domestic staff running the property. This soon became a regular observation, so much so that she looked into the world of private service as a career for herself. Her friend alrea
Life in Private Staffing | 4.28 Michele Mirabile
It was an absolute pleasure to have Michele on the show today. He has been a friend of Silver Swan for years and we have been able to help him secure his last couple of positions so I was thrilled when he agreed to come and share his story.
He is one of the most passionate chefs I know who worked his way up through a number of excellent Michelin restaurants before moving into the private sector
Life in Private Staffing | 4.27 – Tracey Jones, Mindset Coach UK
We decided to get Tracey back on the show to discuss our upcoming program of 6 different modules all designed to help you develop your skills as a House/Estate Manager. When do you ever take time out for yourself to step away from the everyday and look at everything from above? When have you ever had a safe space to work through challenges you are experiencing in your role?
These sessions are ju
Life in Private Staffing | 4.26 – Tim Hughes, House Manager Ireland
Tim was one of our original members of our House Manager UK community and so am glad we managed to talk him into coming onto the podcast to tell his story. Yet again, I found another new route into the industry which I have not seen before as Tim was a game keeper for a long time before he transitioned across to the domestic side of things. He was always impressed with the staff who ran the interi
Life in Private Staffing | 4.25 – Joanie Veage, House Manager Texas US
Today’s conversation with Joanie was fascinating as she is (one of the only!) proud advocates of a hybrid role, providing it’s the right type of hybrid and with the right family. Having had a long career working in the music industry, working backstage with A-listers managing all their catering she came into the private sector already well versed in working with UHNW demanding clients. She openly
Life in Private Staffing | 4.24 – Charlotte Pratt, House Manager UK
It is a happy coincidence that Charlotte’s story is a similar one to that of Melanie, our guest last week. She also secured her first role as a House Manager fairly recently having worked a variety of different roles over her career to date. Her role involves a lot of cooking, which is fairly unusual for a house manager but when working on the beautiful but small island of the Isle of Wight, these
Life in Private Staffing | 4.23– Melanie Foulkes, House Manager UK
Melanie is a valued member of our UK House Manager community and joins us today to talk about her fairly recent transition into the private industry. It’s just as inspiring chatting to guests who have entered this world more recently as can actually be more relevant to those listeners looking to secure their first role themselves also. Mel discusses how all her previous experiences have come toget
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4 Episode 22 - Mid Season Best Bits
The year is flying by so we thought we'd look back at some of the best bits of the 21 episodes we have already released!
From discussing trends with Silver Swans in-house expert recruitment consultants to Estate managers, House Manages and many more industry professionals.
Listen to Life in Private Staffings Best Bits now!
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4 Episode 21 – Chris Milu, MCM Estate Services & Consulting
Chris is a long-time friend of Silver Swan having been one of our first people to kick off our Florida Estate Manager community and he was our first US brand ambassador also! He is well known in the industry as he makes a conscious effort to network and support others in the industry wherever possible. His story something different yet again, finding his way into the industry by initially working
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4 Episode 20 – Cathrene Tar
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 differe
Life in Private Staffing | 4.19 – Michael O’Riordan, Silver Swan Saudi Arabia
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 visi
Life in Private Staffing | 4.17 – Martyn Hanley, Global Estate Manager – Cotswolds
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.
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4 Episode 16 – Monika Seller, House Manager – London
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 e
Life in Private Staffing | 4.15 – Vince Currie, Chief of Staff – London/Colorado
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 fasc
Life in Private Staffing | 4.14 – Ayden Ju, Estate Manager – Los Angeles
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 Man
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4 Episode 13 – Rachel Vanderweele, House Manager – Dubai
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 ve
Life in Private Staffing | 4.12 – Kandy Franklin, Private Estate Consulting – Los Angeles
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 U
Life in Private Staffing | Season 4.11 – Tracey Jones, Mindset Coach – UK
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 a
Life in Private Staffing | 4.10 – Ella Peters, Superyacht Nanny
It has been years since we had a nanny on the show so today, I was excited to chat with Ella who has been working as a superyacht nanny for the last 8 years. She has chosen a slightly different type of nanny career path though by working this entire time as a freelance nanny in appose to securing long-term permanent positions. This way, she joins families for their holidays only which can be 1-wee
Life in Private Staffing | 4.9 – Hannah Kennedy-Haynes, House Manager Dubai
Today we head out to the UAE to chat with Hannah, a House Manager who has been in the industry for the last 10 years. I love talking to candidates who have made the decision to relocate and work somewhere which has such a different culture and temperature (!) to see why they decided to move and what the benefits of taking such a big step have been. We discuss the highs of working in the private se
Life in Private Staffing | 4.8 – Kelly Dixon, Estate Management Systems USA
Our fabulous sponsor, Kelly Dixon from Estate Management Systems joins us today to discuss different areas of estate management. Having been a guest on the podcast before where we delved deep into her career history, today we focused more on some of the issues estate managers face on a day-to-day basis offering advice along the way.
Since leaving the world of estate management, Kelly has spent 3
Life in Private Staffing | 4.7 – Jonathan Wilford, Private Gardener UK
We invite our very first gardener to the show today! Being an area that I know very little about, I was excited to learn more about the life of a private gardener and how you get into managing the large amounts of land and gardens for UHNW individuals. We discuss the importance of experience over qualifications and that exaggerating your skill set at an interview is not advisable!
Jonathan has
Life in Private Staffing | 4.6 Dwight Pilgrim-Nero, Silver Swan US Training Partner
We have recently partnered with 2 highly experienced trainers of private household and yacht staff and today we are talking with our US based trainer Dwight. As a member of our Florida community, he has been part of the Silver Swan family for a while but with his extensive training experience gained from 5* world renowned hotels and more recently within the private sector we felt he was the perfec
Life in Private Staffing - 4.5 Charlotte Philip-Smith, Silver Swan Europe
Today we bring the conversation back in-house by chatting all things Europe with Charlotte who has been managing our EU clients for the last year or so. The division was predominantly chalet and villa clients when she took over and it soon became a very busy private household desk with a large mummer of fantastic permanent positions on her books.
We discuss the huge changes that we have seen in th
Life in Private Staffing | 4.4 Jim Henslee, Estate Manager USA
Today we invite Jim to the show to discuss his 20-year career working as an Estate Manager in the USA. His roles have spread across Dallas, New York and Florida which is where he now calls home. He has an interesting story as he made the choice to switch careers and move into the private industry later in life and has already had a successful career working in public relations. It’s interesting to
Life in Private Staffing | 4.3 Jessica Parkin, Silver Swan USA
Today, we bring the conversation back in-house, this time discussing all things USA. Jessica is our USA specialist and is currently managing a large number of US based clients across LA, New York and Florida. There are aspects of the private industry which differ between the US and the UK and Europe and so it’s important that we delve into these different markets separately.
A number of dilemmas w
Life in Private Staffing | 4.2 Phoebe Maddrell, House Manager UK
Today, we invite a long-time friend of Silver Swans to the show. Phoebe has been involved with our UK House Manager community since the start and has attended almost all of our events. She is a seasoned House Manager having started are career working onboard superyachts. She was able to transition reasonably smoothly into a land-based PA and House Manager position in Australia and has been working
Life in Private Staffing | 4.1 Laura Reeves, Silver Swan UK
Silver Swan returns for our 4th season! This season we plan to invite a number of different guests to share their stories of working in the private sector and alongside these episodes we will be releasing Silver Swan episodes where I will be talking to different members of my team about the market in general and discussing different dilemmas which are sent in by our fabulous listeners. If you have
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Best Bits
As 2022 draws to an end we have taken the opportunity to pull out our personal highlights of Season 3. Over the last 22 episodes, we have had an array of guests from all over the globe, sharing their stories, their highs and lows and their most challenging client request. I don’t think our guests realise just how inspiring their stories are to others in the industry and especially to those listene
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 episode 22 – Mathieu Barbe
Silver Swan is excited to launch our training services in partnership with Mathieu Barbe at Service Excellence Training. We have onboarded the highly experienced Mathieu as our in-house trainer here at Silver Swan and we now offer on-site bespoke training for all our clients worldwide. We are huge believers in the power of training and hiring good people is not enough if you want a highly effectiv
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 episode 21 - Jarryd Chapman
Today we talk with Jarryd who is a member of our Palace Manager community in the UAE. He is embarking on a very exciting new challenge where he and his wife will be managing a very large VIP residence in Dubai.
Jarryd started his journey in the private staffing sector after spending 5 years working at an incredibly luxurious and gloriously beautiful safari resort in South Africa. They ran a
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 20 – Lisa Murray, The Atlas Club
Silver Swan has recently launched a concierge company to offer not only dedicated service to our UHNW clients but to offer support to our fabulous House/Estate Manager communities. These roles are already challenging without the last-minute or often crazy requests of the Principals – you are no longer alone! Instead of feeling that you need to find a way to make the impossible happen, just email c
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 19 – Hannes Hennche
Today we are talking to a highly experienced European private chef who was one of the lucky ones to win a green card through the green card lottery and move over to New York. His story is inspiring having worked his way up from the literal bottom of the kitchen ladder up through the ranks in Michelin kitchens before transitioning over to the private sector when in New York. He has now been working
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 18 – Thomas Kaufmann
We are often asked whether formal Butler training is essential for a successful career as a private butler, today we have Thomas on the show who has been working as a Butler Trainer all around the world for many years. We discuss what a typical course looks like, what you can expect and what content is included. It’s interesting to hear his insights on working as Butler in Europe versus China. He
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 17 – Weber Tysvaer
Today we’re talking to the fabulous Weber who has been working in the US in the private sector for a huge chunk of his career. With a background in interior design, he learnt all about the world of the UHNW clients and built a strong network over the years of designing. It was from here where he pivoted his career into the full management of his clients’ personal lives. He has worked for a number
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 16 – Alec Mikels
We’re heading stateside again today to speak with Alec, an Estate Manager based in Los Angeles. He built his strong hospitality career through F&B in restaurants and hotels before moving into property management. It was this role which opened him up to the private sector industry and specifically the world of estate managers. He moved over from Florida to LA to pursue an Estate Management care
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 15 – Sam Monastyrskyj
Today Philippa talks with a British chef who has worked his way up from basement kitchens to luxury ski chalets into private homes. A lot of guests we speak to talk about how they would never now return to a commercial kitchen having now experienced a career within the private industry….but not Sam. Philippa and Sam discuss the pros but also the cons associated with working with UHNW clients (of w
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 14 - Sarah Armstrong
Our guest today is part of our fabulous Florida estate manager community based over in Palm Beach and today she talks to Philippa about her fairly recent entry to the private sector where she was able to take her high levels of service experience from the commercial sector and step straight into house management. She is incredibly passionate about her work and wishes she discovered the private sec
Life in Private Staffing | Season 3 Episode 13 - Vinícius França
Today Philippa speaks with a highly experienced private butler who is proving how taking that decision to relocate for a role in Saudi Arabia was one of the best things he has done. He secured his first role 3 years ago via Silver Swan in a VIP property in Riyadh and he has never left the beautiful country since! He is now part of the team to open a brand-new boutique luxury resort in the highly t
Season 3 | Episode 12: Saudi Special
In this episode we are focusing on all things great about Saudi Arabia. A country still feared by many is actually fast becoming one of the most exciting places to be. With the country’s leader driving the country forward in regards to equality and women’s rights, along with the huge plans surround the 2030 vision it will soon not only be a great place to live and work but a holiday destination fo
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