Should We Embrace or Reject the Culture of Restaurant Gossip
My industry friend and I were recently having a chat while pouring some chablis and cooking a seafood feast in her kitchen about how easy it is to become sucked into the work gossip.
Way back in my younger days, I used to love hearing all the “tea” going on in the restaurant, and I must admit I’m still an open ear for some of it.
Alcohol and the Hospitality Brain and How to Break the Cycle of Drinking
“Changing the way you think can change the way you drink.”
I spent over 25 years working in restaurants before I realized how deep the drinking culture had its hooks in me. It became normal to roll into each shift hungover from late-night partying.
It wasn't until my mid-thirties that I stopped and actually looked at my relationship with alcohol, not with judgment, but with honesty. What I experienced and realized was that I was drinking on autopilot for most of my adult life, surrounded by an industry that made it not just acceptable but practically ceremonial.
Should You Date Your Coworker (Don’t Sh*t Where You Eat)
In the hospitality industry, there is a phrase you may hear often: “Don’t shit where you eat.” When it comes to romantic relationships.
Of course, that is not always the case; some of the best connections happen in the workplace and can be long-lasting. For example, some of the co-workers I’ve worked with are now married, have children, and have quite successful relationships.
But I’ve also experienced the other side of it.
How 90 Days No Alcohol Changed My Life as a Hospitality Professional
In 2020, I would often wake up in the middle of the night with numbness in both of my arms, which was a terrifying feeling.
My doctor suggested I should try massage therapy, but a few months later, while out for a run, I experienced a painful tightening in my back and left arm. After seeing a chiropractor, he discovered a lump under my left armpit and advised me to have it examined further.
How to Become Financially Stable as a Hospitality Professional
I love money, and I’m not afraid to say it, especially since growing up with a scarcity mindset when it came to finances.
Feeling poor was the worst, but I’m grateful to my mother, who did her best to give us an upbringing that met our basic needs. She always made sure we had food, clothing, and school supplies, and once a month, she would treat us with KFC or McDonald's.