Life in Private Staffing

To celebrate reaching the middle of season 3 we wanted to take the opportunity to look back at all of the best bits so far!  Listen to Philippa chat to our guests about all things private staffing, from a celebrity chef to an interior designer and from the ski industry to superyachts.  Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review. See you on our next episode!

Today, Philippa speaks with Halima who has spent the last 20 years travelling the world cooking for some of the wealthiest families in the world. She, like many of us, were affected by the pandemic but has now found herself as a Chief Ambassador for The Burnt Chef, a mental health support project that she is incredibly passionate about. Within the hospitality industry, 4 out of 5 professionals rep...

Today, Philippa talks to Andy who is one of the founders and MD of Kaluma Travel, a luxury ski tour operator and long-time friend of Silver Swan. We go right back to how Andy first started working in the mountains and where his career has taken him over the decades. The ski industry has certainly had its highs and lows – living in St. Anton all year round is certainly a lot of fun and being able t...

Today, Philippa speaks to Samantha, an estate manager for an UHNW based in London responsible for managing a number of homes worldwide. Her story is an inspiring one for all yachties looking to move from yachting into a land-based position as this is exactly what she has managed to do very successfully. We discussed the struggle yachties experience when domestic staffing agencies don’t recognise t...

Today, Philippa speaks to Shawn, a highly experienced celebrity chef. Having worked for some of the biggest actors in Hollywood he spent a chunk of his career working for numerous royals in the middle east - which we always love to talk about as encouraging people to explore a career in the middle east is something Silver Swan truly believes in. The experiences to be gained are incredible for thos...

Today Philippa is speaking with Natalie to delve into her experience working in the private sector. Her journey started by working as a nanny before she decided to gain professional training at The Butler Academy in the Netherlands. She explains how this highly intensive course shaped her entire career since, especially when she furthered her training by studying Luxury Lifestyle Management at deg...

Our conversation with English was a fascinating insight into the world of interior design. From her gruelling journey of study required to gain the necessary qualifications to work as a designer in America to how she transitioned from corporate offices into private residences. We discuss some of her favourite projects, some of the major challenges working with UHNW clients and what a process looks...

Today we had the pleasure of talking to Emma, who after a long and successful career in real estate, moved into the private sector. She is the estate manager looking after 2 luxury holiday lets in Dorset and alongside this, she runs a luxury lifestyle management service though her agency called Whisper Us where she offers PA support, house management and concierge to a handful of clients across Lo...

Today we are talking to Rosie who provides a fantastic insight into life ‘Below Deck’. Her career spanned over a number of years working her way up from a junior stewardess position up to a Chief Stewardess role. She proves that contacts play a huge role in this industry as it was one of her guests who stayed on her yacht who later offered her the opportunity to move into a land based role and man...

Today I am chatting with Claudia, a long-term client of Silver Swans who has 20 years’ experience working all over the world for high profile UHNW clients managing numerous homes and up to teams of 200 staff at any one time. She has done and seen it all and is still as passionate about the private sector as she was all those years back when she started. She now owns her own company, En Vogue Luxur...

Today, I am talking to Brian, who has spent his entire career working for UHNW clients in the States. Starting his career as a Private PA for a Hollywood A-lister he has worked his way up to owning his own agency The Celebrity Personal Assistant Network where is is a staffing consultant, lifestyle management and career coach. His years of experience is evident in the wealth of advice he offers thr...

It’s episode 19 of Life in Private Staffing , and today we’re speaking to Desmond Cawley, Palace & Hotel Director. Desmond has been both a client of Silver Swan and a candidate. He’s had a fascinating career spanning multiple countries. He started working in ski resorts, moved on to hotels, and finally started working in the private sector. Currently, he’s living in Dubai and looking for his n...

We're back - with a new season, a new look, new sound and a new feel!  This week, our host Philippa Smith, maps out what to expect from Season 3 - including more highly experienced guests, ask me anything section and a supplier shout out. We are also introducing our fabulous sponsor! Today we are chatting with some of our very own Silver Swan consultants to review the market, highs and l...

Welcome to episode 18 of Life in Private Staffing. Today, our host Philippa Smith talks to long-time PA Tim Fitzgerald . Tim has spent more than two decades sharpening his skills as a Private Assistant. In this episode, Tim gives valuable advice on life as a PA. Tim recently started offering an incredibly popular PA masterclass where he helps PAs make the most of their careers, giving them his top...

In episode 17 of the Life in Private Staffing podcast, our host, Philippa Smith, talks to Jonny Ireson , a professional House Manager based in London. Jonny Ireson talks us through his professional experience as a professional House Manager. Jonny has worked for a number of different families, across different sizes of property and different styles of household, and one thing he enjoys is that no...

In episode 16 of the Life in Private Staffing podcast, our host, Philippa Smith, speaks with Latricia Friend, a Luxury Lifestyle Manager based in New York. Latricia talks us through her professional experience, and how she offers her services to candidates within the private sector, with examples including a CV writing service for prospective private staffing employees. Having started her career i...

In episode 15 of Life in Private Staffing, we speak with Ioana Pirtac, a successful House Manager working in London. Our host Phillipa Smith, Founder and MD of Silver Swan Recruitment, virtually sits down with Ioana to discuss her impressive career and lets our listeners know exactly how she got there. From CV advice and interview tips, to insightful information about what she looks for in an empl...

In the 14th episode of Life in Private Staffing, we’re joined by Peter Van Ryder from Estate Management Solutions. For the past 10 years, Peter has been providing staffing solutions to HNW individuals in the Texas area, in addition to training the next generation of private service professionals. Alongside host Philippa Smith , Founder and MD of Silver Swan Recruitment, Peter shares his advice on...

In the 13th episode of Life in Private Staffing , we welcome Rachel Stallard , an Estate and Property Manager with over 25 years of industry experience. Rachel’s impressive career has seen her travel the world, working with a number of private households and extensive staff teams. Alongside host Philippa Smith , Founder and MD of Silver Swan Recruitment, Rachel shares her advice on making the righ...

Episode 12 of Life in Private Staffing is a little bit different.   This time we’re not talking to someone working within the private sector themselves, but another recruitment agency within the space.  Elaine Braid from Poppy Lane Placements joins us to chat about all things recruitment in a post-pandemic world. We go over everything that she’s done to ensure her company adapts to the n...

In the latest episode of Life in Private Staffing, we chatted to Cate Heaphy, the founder of The Online Assistants.  Once Kate finished studying, she decided to take a break and go island hopping. When she returned, the rest was history. Cate and her business partner, Kerry Robinson, founded The Online Assistants in 2017. Find out how she went from studying for a completely unrelated degree t...

Sometimes the job we think we want isn't always the one we’re destined to do. That’s how it was for private tutor Jemma Zoe Smith . As a biochemistry graduate at Oxford, she dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist. But as Jemma’s degree rolled on, she realised it wasn’t the right job for her. CSI looked cool on TV, but in reality, a career in biochemistry was no longer where she saw herself. List...

In our latest episode of Life in Private Staffing we tackle the hot topic of Diversity and Inclusion in the private sector.    To do this I am joined by Spencer Collins, Spencer has a successful career in both the hospitality and private staffing industry, and shares his experiences of working in these industries and being deaf.    In this episode, Spencer shows us what is poss...

In the latest episode of the Life in Private Staffing podcast, Adam Knight, Director of Eden Swim & Angel Swim joins us to share insights into swimming tutoring in the Private Sector. With a clear focus on his passions from the age of 16, Adam has always known that swimming coaching would be the role of his lifetime. Working within the Private Sector since 2017, Adam has gained supreme knowled...

In the latest episode of the Life in Private Staffing podcast we have Kate Bright. With over 15 years of experience, Kate tells us what it was like training to be a female bodyguard. From learning about security laws around the world and getting her first earpiece to simulating real-life scenarios, Kate says she loved every minute of her training. Find out how Kate built her own private security c...