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 ..read more

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 opportunities aren't one to miss, giving misconceptions the boot once and for all ..read more

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 working within the private sector  Wrapping up with a quick fire round with Laura Franzo, a working mum from the Silver Swan team ..read more

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 ..read more

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 discuss how to get the most out of a recruitment agency... and perhaps how not to ..read more

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 name too ..read more

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 personal and career growth. Philippa and Helen discuss a healthy work-life balance, the often inevitable trial and error that comes with finding the perfect position within the UHNW sector, and the importance of be ..read more

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 opening her own private service consulting practice in 2010. Jennifer shares her wealth of knowledge on the sector, and expands on the benefits of training and coaching for private staff, whilst touching on the im ..read more

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 on Active Listening & Effective Questioning – which will be a fantastic session. Get in touch for the link to book your ticket! We also discuss our US tour plans and hope to see as many of ou ..read more

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 entire cabin, responsible for a team of 22 crew. Having done it all with BA, from training to product development to working on the royal flights his time came to a natural end.   What was a dau ..read more