Hi Everyone,
This week's edition of SBTS is an interview with the lovely and inspirational Lisa Garside, not only is she killing it in her career onboard she is also a published author, wife, cat mum and a truly wonderful lady...
Hi Lisa, thank you very much for agreeing to talk with me to share a insight into yachting , can you start by telling me a little bit about yourself?
I’m Lisa from Manchester, and I’ve been working at sea for sixteen years. I did my cadetship in 2008 with a company that transports nuclear fuel, in this time I also worked on coastal tankers. The whole time I thought this just isn’t for me, I really enjoyed the job but had never heard of the yachting industry. It wasn’t until after I’d qualified, I was working on a survey vessel doing a risk assessment for a wind farm they’d built off the Solent coastline and I saw M/Y Leander. I thought, “What is that?” and I found out that the Queen had been onboard earlier that week in Southampton. We had a crew member onboard who knew about yachting, and she told me how to get into yachting. I thought this is unbelievable, so I began to research yachting, and I had that eureka moment of, ‘this is where I’ll belong’. That was it - I booked my flights to Antibes and walked the docks until I got my first job as a deckhand, even though I had my Officer of the Watch, I started from the ground up and the rest is history…
Thank you, Lisa, you’ve just about answered my next question, how long have you been in the yachting industry?
16 years at sea, 12 years in the yachting industry. So, after I finished doing my cadetship in 2011, I then did a year a uni doing a BSc Hons degree in nautical science. I’m so glad I made the decision to continue my studies after passing my OOW instead of jumping straight into work because otherwise I probably wouldn’t ever have gone back to school.
Like myself, although I did mine as long-distance learning online with Falmouth marine school which was accredited by Plymouth university. A FDs in operational yachting science.
What about yachting excites you and motivates you to keep wanting to grow and progressing in yachting?
That is a very good question Melissa, I mean one of the real reasons we are all here is because the lifestyle and money is so good compared to land based careers. I’m currently looking for a new rotational job, as I do want to earn good money and have a healthy work life balance. When I started off in the industry, the burn out was unreal. I see so many people do two or three years in the industry because they are in it for the money living a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget.
I had a very different approach; I acknowledged I was ‘the help’ and I was sensible with my money because I’m building my career for the long term. But for me being at sea is more than just my career, nature and being on the water is somewhere I feel really aligns with my personality and core values.
The yachting industry is still growing, and just this week at the Monaco Yacht Show I’ve been reminded of how many vendors, manufacturers, designers, and suppliers are part of yachting beyond the crew on board. I’ve also met a lot of “dinosaurs”! This industry does need shaking up.
Moreover, what motivates me and keeps me going is that when I do make it to Captain all the experiences I’ve had along the way, all the people I’ve met and all the things that are wrong in this industry, I can hopefully make a difference going forward. That is my long-term motivation. In the meantime, it’s such a fun job, you get to meet some many incredible people, whilst living and working with your colleagues. That has its challenges, but you meet some people who are kindred spirits, who you know will always be part of your life.
If you could give your “Green” yachtie self-one piece of advice, what would you say?
Just be yourself! I was quite intimidated when I first started off, because people around me knew so much about the industry and the names of all the yachts and who was on which yacht. I was trying to learn my own yacht and everyone’s name there! I didn’t think I would fit in at the beginning. Eventually you know everything, and the green person is looking at you like, ‘how on earth do you know all this?’ Don’t try to be someone else to fit in, it doesn’t work, just be your authentic self.
Something I wish I knew is that people who look like they know what they are doing - don’t!
Hahaha that is so unbelievably true.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, be inquisitive every day. When a green deckhand asks me a question, it often makes me think differently, through their eyes, what’s the best way to explain this to them? Explaining a task or regulation to a green person can give you a whole new perspective and you go, ‘wow that makes so much more sense to me now’. For example, I worked with a third stew who was standing out on deck eating a peach! I instantly went to freak out at her and then thought, no, she’s new to this whole world she doesn’t realise that it’s not ok. So, I calmly explained to her why she can’t do that and why water is the only think you can consume on deck.
Do you feel the industry has grown in its attitude to women? Especially on deck?
I think people like to ‘talk the talk’ and not ‘walk the walk’, it’s great that there is a more open dialogue about it. Speaking with a recruiter recently, he said 1 in 30 women are placed in deck and engineering roles. It’s not good enough! I get frustrated when I see job advert’s that are only open to male candidates, they are probably getting around a thousand applicants to some agencies. If that’s not open to women then how are we supposed to grow and progress, it limits the talent poll by not letting women in the conversation. I read in a Harvard Business Review that if there's only one woman in the candidate pool, there's statistically no chance she'll be hired. She’s considered an anomaly. Makes me wonder, in such a male dominated field, how are women ever going to get a look in at making it to Captain?
That’s shocking that this still happens in recruitment across industries and not just in the maritime industry. I’m a firm believer in that we shouldn’t be ruled out because of gender or appearance. We should be judged on our ability to do our job. I always say I’m not a female on deck, I just work on deck. I try not to encourage others to treat me differently because I’m a woman.
I’ve had people say, ‘you know Lisa some of the best deckies I’ve ever had were female’, but I personally have worked with some who have been terrible. In the same way any guy can be great or terrible, our gender doesn’t define it. Our work ethic and attitude to work is what matters.
Finally, how do you find having a work life balance in yachting, what decisions have you made in order to make that work?
I am married, with a cat, so a work life balance is important to me. My husband and I try not to say “I miss you” to each other or count down the days because that can sometimes extend and then someone gets disappointed. Then that extra week feels so much longer. He says your very easy to miss, and we do make it work. When I first get home and am in work mode, he’s like, “Lisa, you’re not running the deck! Calm down. Just relax!”
The dishwasher doesn’t need to be emptied.
Exactly! I think when I first get home, it takes time to adjust and resettle. It is tough but it’s totally worth it. Finding that special person who is understanding and supportive is so unique. We both work very demanding careers and enjoy our ‘me time’, even when we’re together at home, so it is important we respect each other’s time alone.
Lisa thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me. It's a pleasure to write about inside your world of yachting. I look forward doing another interview once you reach Captain.
If you'd like to know more about lisa follow her on social media @Riseandthriveqoutes or head to Amazon to pick up one of her fantastic books via the link below!
As always keep smiling, laughing and loving the Sea xo
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