Episode 8: Liezl Stylo

From yachting to motherhood and all things cheese!

In our eighth episode of Pearls' Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Liezl Stylo, an ex-Chief Stew who did an 11-year stint in the industry cruising some of the world's most exotic destinations and then unexpectedly found herself in motherhood.

Episode 7: Emma Mannering

From chief stew to chief listener and making boundaries…

In our seventh episode of Pearls' Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Emma Mannering, an ex-Chief Stew who returned to school to become a therapist.

Episode 6: Jenn Downes: Crew Grapevine

From cheffing to community and new york negotiations…

In our sixth episode of Pearls' Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Jenn Downes, an ex-yacht chef turned 'Mother of Antibes' and dedicated entrepreneur.

From special forces to yacht crew coaching

Season 1, Episode 5 with Cally Cooper, founder of WellCrew.

In our fifth episode of Pearls' Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Cally Cooper. Cally founded WellCrew, an organisation committed to prioritising overall well-being and coaching individuals and teams to excel in professional and personal development.

As a performance and wellbeing coach, Cally brings her unique experience in special forces mentorship and military coaching to the yachting industry. Having noticed various crossovers between yachting and the military, she uses her expertise to help crew deal with the pressures and environments crew face.

From Service to Sustainability

Season 1, Episode 4 with Hannah Russell founder of Viveco Yachts

In our fourth episode of Pearls' Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Hannah Russell, an inspiring entrepreneur who is improving the industry with her sustainable solutions company, Viveco.

Hannah accidentally fell into yachting armed with the Delia Smith recipe book and had her eyes quickly opened as a crew chef. Switching to the inside, she made her way to Chief Stew, where her new norm was buying €100,000 beanbags and cleaning things that were already clean.

In our third episode of Pearls’ Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Daisy Kelliher, Chief Stew, and Below Deck reality TV star. Hailing from a family full of yachties, it isn’t surprising that Daisy gravitated to the superyacht world.

Without the usuals that yachties have to endure to land their first break, Daisy managed to escape daywork, dockwalking, and crew houses. Thanks to her strong background in hotel management and hospitality, she got her first job on a sailing yacht.

In this bonus episode Cherise and Max discuss their journey in the superyacht industry, from meeting in a crew house to transitioning to land-based jobs. Highlighting the challenges they faced, such as finding work (with visible tattoos!) and adjusting to life on a boat. They also discuss the importance of crew houses and the support they provide. Max shares her experience of working on a yacht while pregnant and returning to work with her baby.

I’m not a sailor … I quit!

Season 1, Episode 2 with Alisha King, CEO of Tidal Yachting

In our second episode of Pearls’ Tales from the Superyacht Laundry, we sit down with Alisha King, CEO of Tidal Yachting. The episode follows Alisha’s journey from the military seas of New Zealand to the yachting scenes of the Med.

After a five-year stint - a theme for Alisha - in the Navy, her start into yachting began with a one-way trip to Antibes. Being a female on the bridge and learning the ropes of sailing, Alisha had her ups and downs.

The Importance Of Finding Connection And Purpose

Season 1, Episode1 with Emma Ross, founder of Seas The Mind.

The episode follows Emma’s journey into (and out of) yachting, from the days when she had her plane tickets faxed, exciting worldwide adventures to the bad bits and how she recognised the need for mental health awareness and support within the industry. 

Yacht Pearls of Wisdom now has its very own Podcast sharing stories from women in and out of the yachting industry - introducing, Tales From The Superyacht Laundry.

We'll be talking to ladies who have been there and done that in the yachting industry. And then, more importantly, we're going hear what they did next.

Their stories will provide you with knowledge to empower you. They will inspire you and they will leave you feeling like you're no longer alone.

Article from Dockwalk:

Dedicated to women in yachting, the Pearls of Wisdom network once again demonstrated its commitment to creating a supportive community during its fourth event, Rèsilience Voyage in Antibes on September 22 and 23. The spotlight was on nurturing mental health and was attended by a mix of current and former crew.

Resilience Voyage, Antibes: we did it!

What we learned is that our priority areas of focus for Yacht Pearls of Wisdom around keeping women safe onboard, building skills and resilience and helping them to exit out of yachting is absolutely what you all need — but do keep sharing your thoughts and feedback so we tick all of the boxes!

A significant aspect of our 'Keep Safe' campaign revolves around Gemma's legacy. We aim to ensure that every female crew member is not only aware of the visible signs of cervical cancer but also has access to cervical screenings wherever they are in the world. They shouldn't have to wait until they finish their season and return home to schedule a smear test.

My story ... why I created Yacht Pearls of Wisdom

“I know how hard it was for me to leave [the yachting industry] and I can’t make it easy, but just by actually creating these spaces and opportunities for women to talk to each other, we can make it a little bit easier.”