Certified Household Manager/Concierge

I was born in Aberdeen, WA. My father was in the United States Coast Guard and he moved our family across the country several times. When I was six we moved to our forever home in the charming southern town of Charleston, South Carolina. My mother worked full time and my father was underway on the ship the majority of the year. So, my two older sisters and I learned to take care of ourselves from a very young age. We were responsible for our own chores with little guidance including laundry, cleaning our rooms, and cooking. I was very independent as a result of these early responsibilities.

We were raised in the Catholic Church and were involved with church and community events as often as possible. We often helped at charity events, holiday volunteer events, spaghetti dinners, and wrapping presents for the less fortunate in our community. I always had fun helping at these events, and looking back, I believe this is where my Service Heart was first realized.

Realizing I wanted to be in the service industry didn't come as a surprise. Even as a child, I always did my chores and wanted to help others. I wanted to make sure that my mom didn’t have to worry or stress about housework when she got home from working long days. I didn’t realize what I was doing at the time, but I knew that it made me happy to help her and to try to make her happy.

My parents divorced when I was 13 and my father moved back to Washington state. I struggled after their divorce but eventually decided to truly invest in my future and my love of helping others. I attended the College of Charleston and got my Masters degree in Education, thinking I wanted to be a school teacher.

After college, I was craving adventure and chose to deliver sailboats as a way of traveling and exploring the world around me. During one trip, I spent a great deal of time reflecting on what made me happiest, and I discovered that the open ocean and making people happy ultimately made me happy. It was in that moment that I decided I wanted to work in Private Service, and that yachting would be the perfect blend of ocean and service. I returned to the Miami area and quickly found a position onboard a yacht as a Stewardess. Over the course of three years, I advanced in positions within the yachting world and I fell in love with the art of serving others onboard yachts. It was humbling working for some of the most amazing families chartering our yachts. I could present a spotless, clean, comfortable environment and they were so all pleased. The captains and the first mates were able to take the guests to the most exotic and incredibly beautiful places around the islands. The chefs and I were able to treat the guests with the most delectable meals with world class service. Their reactions to our efforts absolutely proved to me that there is real love in this world.

Being able to present a comfortable space for others is a special gift. Taking care of others is definitely ingrained into my soul. The lessons I learned early on about taking care of those less fortunate have stayed with me and I am proud that I am able to volunteer with my local food bank and charity events. I have found that love is the common denominator throughout all cultures, and this gives me hope. I know that this world, these people, all of the lessons I’ve learned were all here to teach me to care for others. I’ve taken care of children, provided housekeeping of entire homes, and recently cared for elder adults. It’s all laid out and I simply need to follow my heart and it has brought me this far. I am now seeking a genuine relationship where I can be a true “go-to” person and directly impact the lives of those I serve. I want to be in another land-based position where I can develop relationships with those around me and the local community. My family is now in Raleigh and I choose to be near them. I am excellent at multitasking, with managing the daily operations of more than one home, being a task master with vendors, yet loving with children. I am seeking consistency and a position where I know I am appreciated for my efforts as my positive attitude and caring is always present!

My top Service Standards are Administrative, Housekeeping, Culinary, Entertaining, and Travel & Transportation.

Administrative – My love for learning began very early and flourished throughout college. My organizational skills, computer literacy, time management, and leadership skills grew to new heights. I am a quick learner and know I have room for growth. Being innovative and integrative is extremely useful when I'm charged with new requests. I have a great deal of experience with inventories, record keeping, and managing accounts. Data entry, file management, and calendar management are all very comfortable arenas for me. I am incredibly resourceful, organized, and a quick learner with new systems and processes.

Housekeeping – Throughout my childhood, my sisters and I took care of the home. Coming from a military family, I was taught at a young age how to keep a tidy home. Housekeeping has been ingrained in me and I have been utilizing these skills over the years and most recently as a private yacht stewardess. I have been managing several hundred foot vessels, maintaining the interior, providing guest services, and single-handedly executing all aspects of service. I have a very well developed eye for detail and strive for “white glove” standards of cleanliness in my personal environments and can easily implement these standards for a family, if they so desire.

Culinary – I began cooking at a very young age and was initially taught by my mother how to cook. Throughout college, living on my own, I developed a love of food and continually learned new techniques and mastered new recipes. While working onboard yachts, I was tasked with helping the chef and learned many techniques and styles of cooking that were unique to life at sea. Food has always been a passion, and I truly enjoy creating delicious meals for my friends and family. Growing up in the south, food is a way of life!

Entertaining – having a strong background in hospitality onboard yachts has built a proper foundation to deliver excellent entertainment events from beginning to end. I have experience with all types of service, ranging from informal to fully formal. I have spent time in locally- owned restaurants in Charleston, SC, both in the front of the house and cooking, as well, in the kitchen. I have worked with catering companies as well. My experience with event planning and entertaining include scheduling events, interviewing and hiring vendors, planning weddings, menu planning and execution, bartending, and booking talent for events.

Travel & Transportation – I am very well-traveled within the United States, coast to coast. I have also spent several years in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Being a Chief stewardess cruising these areas on private and charter yachts, I was able to offer exquisite concierge services to my guests, up to ten people on each trip. Being able to plan and anticipate their needs is something I can do extremely well. I am well-versed in the travel requirements of international destinations, as well as providing land-based options for guests when we were in port. My experience onboard yachts has given me a unique understanding of luxury travel that can easily be adapted to other modalities for a family.

Technical Skill Synopsis:

Administrative:

• Reception, screening calls, making reservations, and managing calendars
• Creating a detailed Household Management Service Delivery System using the patented Starkey Service Management System
• Managing accounts and budgets
• Record keeping and maintenance logs
• Creating and updating inventories
• Managing vendors and keeping logs
• Interviewing and hiring staff
• Tech savvy and Macintosh based
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Creating a Service Plan per Starkey training and customizing it to a home

Housekeeping:

• Implementing a customized Starkey Housekeeping Management System including
  zoning and task sheets
• Natural and organic products knowledge base
• Care for fine linens and sheets
• Highly systematic organizational skills
• Detail cleaning
• Delicate cleaning of chandeliers
• Carpet cleaning including spot removal and fine rug care
• Eye for detail and “white glove” standards
• Performs hands-on cleaning, no job too big or too small
• Performs Daily Graces to bring a home back in order

Culinary:

• Personally enjoy cooking and baking
• Comfortable preparing breakfast and lunch
• Considered family cook level
• Experience as a cook in high volume restaurants
• Room and tray service
• Menu planning including buffets and special events
• Experience working with caterers and chefs to support the delivery high-end meals
• Food safety and handling training
• Menu planning in conjunction with a chef, accounting for dietary restrictions and
  preferences
• Purchasing of perishable and non-perishable food items
• Manages inventories of all food and food service items

Clothing & Valet:

• Care for luxury and designer clothing
• Laundering and Ironing including proper care and storage
• Knowledge of natural and organic products
• Highly skilled in laundering, steaming, and ironing
• Dry cleaning logs
• Closet management systems and inventories including seasonal rotation of clothing
• Closet organization and storage based on Principal’s preferences
• Shoe and leather care
• Spot cleaning care
• Capable of sewing buttons and performing minor clothing repairs

Entertaining:

• Tending bar, wine and cocktail service
• Silver Service Certified
• Formal dinner planning and execution
• Table settings and formal table service including French, English, Russian, and American Plated
• Comfortable creating unique flower arrangements and working with floral warehouses
• Knowledge and care for silver, china and crystal
• Experience working with a high-end caterer to produce lavish events
• Wedding planning including timing, procurement of necessary items and working with vendors
• Hiring vendors: Rentals, lighting, staging, musicians, caterers
• Yachting entertainment
• Comfortable working with high profile guests
• Organization of staff and security during events
• Establishes amenity and gift wrapping processes
• International perspective regarding etiquette and protocol
• Cigar and Cognac service

Grounds & Property:

• Creation of seasonal task sheets for various property needs
• Can zone the exterior of a home for consistent care and coverage
• Knowledge of hazardous materials and chemicals and necessary safety measures
• Supervision of vendors

Maintenance:

• New build experience (yachts and homes)
• Hurricane planning including preventive maintenance measures
• Establishes zoning, punch lists and task sheets
• Knowledge of Smart Home technologies
• Basic knowledge of tools and power tools
• Inventories tools and commonly used products
• Supervision of vendors

Transportation & Travel:

• Extensive personal travel experience, both domestic and international
• Many years’ experience as Chief Stewardess onboard luxury yachts
• Private jet and airport jet pickup/drop off
• Automobile maintenance schedules
• Packing/unpacking for travel
• Itineraries, bookings, reservations, programming
• Comfortable working with yacht captains and crew

Safety and Protection:

• Hurricane Planning including evacuation plans
• Perform property walks to identify areas of concern
• Risk factor awareness
• Safety and protection planning
• Security training
• Visitor and vendor record logs
• STCW95 and boater’s safety
• First Aid and CPR training
• Fire Safety training

Personal Care:
  Child Care:

• Degrees in Early Childhood Education
• Experience as a nanny
• Preschool teacher: infant to 5 year olds
• Substitute teaching: PreK-6th grade
• Tutoring and Homework help
• Carpooling
• Child care: menu planning

  Pet Care:

• Pet sitting for short and long-term needs
• Daily care of household pets including feeding, exercise, and attention
• Schedules appointments for vet, groomer, trainer, etc.

  Guest Care:

• Guest care and service
• Guest concierge services
• Guest amenities and gifts
• Provides transportation to and from airport and local attractions
• Creates itineraries based on personal preferences and desires
• Identifies flavor profiles, favorites, likes & dislikes