We often treat trust as something that must be earned. One of the most powerful mindset shifts a leader can make is this: trust by default.

When people think about trust, they often think it's something you earn over months or even years. I don't think that's quite right.

In hospitality, trust is built in dozens of small moments every day.

I encourage founders to think about work like a light switch. When is it on? When is it off? Otherwise you find yourself on holiday half in half out and never having a complete break.

A better handover creates a better holiday and here’s some ideas on how to go about it.

In hospitality, we often overcomplicate training. We create wordy manuals no one reads, overloaded onboarding plans, and endless explanations that sound good but rarely stick.

In hospitality, leaders are often rewarded for being quick with answers. And over time, this approach means people stop thinking for themselves. And you find yourself away on holiday responding to messages when you should be switching off.

Development doesn’t always mean promotion. Sometimes there isn’t a new position to offer. But there are always opportunities to grow within a role. Here are some simple ways to develop your team when they need a fresh challenge.

Being realistic is not about thinking small but is more tempering your visionary side just a little and being grounded enough to build dreams that work in the real world.

Leadership isn’t about having the most ideas. It’s about choosing which ones deserve your time.

There’s an unintended consequence to rejecting the harsh leadership many of us have experienced in the past. Distinguishing between ‘nice’ and ‘kind’ helps us avoid swinging too far the other way.

It’s very tempting to jump in and fix it. Instead, try switching into coach mode. It might take a little longer in the moment. But it's what builds ownership, confidence and capability in your team. ⁠

Here’s the reframe I often offer leaders: you are not here to be liked; you are here to build people.

This week I shared the three things that helped me move towards a career I truly love with some younger female leaders.

Simplifying your plans and projects ensures everyone knows exactly where to invest their energy.

Change doesn’t need to be loud to be meaningful. Sometimes it starts quietly, with a clear line drawn between what was… and what comes next.

Choosing to do something hard - deliberately, repeatedly - rewires how you feel about yourself.

A sauna might not look like a restaurant. A vineyard might not run service. But at the centre of them all is hospitality - the art of caring for people well.

In our industry, some things have to happen in the moment - that’s the nature of service. But too often, everything starts to feel like an emergency.

As we head into the busy season, we’re spending the next few weeks exploring resilience - what helps us sustain energy when the pace picks up. Microbreaks are a simple, powerful place to start.

Our best ideas, our wisest choices come after we’ve had time to think. But many hospitality leaders struggle to give themselves that time.