Haley Bergin

I would just say understanding human connection honestly, because everyone is a person first, no matter how they're coming in, if they're celebrating a birthday, if they have a business meeting, everyone is a person first, and I am pretty skilled at understanding where a person's coming from, and I have a genuine desire to want to fix their problem and understand where they're coming from, and I think if you can do that, you can be successful in any field, and I happen to be in hospitality. And it's something that's very important to me, to make sure that everyone who comes in has a great time, because in New York, there's thousands of restaurants, but they're choosing to be with you at your place, and it's our responsibility to make sure they have a great time.

I would say it would come from the woman who was the previous event director at the place I was working in DC. She just made it a point to advocate for yourself, and she said, especially as a woman in a field of hospitality, where there are a lot of, you know, there's everybody in hospitality, but a lot of the management roles do happen to go to men, as well as ownership roles do happen to go to men, and she just always made it a point to tell me to advocate for yourself, and it doesn't matter if people think you're the mean person, that your boundaries are very important. And no one else is going to stick it up for you. And you, especially as a woman, people are going to think that they could take advantage of you in hospitality, because there are certain aspects of hospitality that are a little bit stuck back in time, you know? She always made it a point for me to... she said, advocate for yourself, set your boundaries, don't do favors. If you're working, build them for those hours. If you're off the clock, be off the clock. And she was right, she's 100% right.

I would say I would probably just pass the same knowledge that Alyssa gave to me, that it's okay if people think you're, you know, the mean person in the room, that as long as you know you're doing what you need to do, just stay strong in yourself. Their opinions don't matter. The only thing that matters is how you feel in the job and your personal success. That if you're doing the right thing, everything else will follow.

I would say the challenges, and I think most people in hospitality would relate, is that it's a very demanding field of work. Long hours, it's a lot of time on your feet, it's a lot of socializing. It can take a toll mentally, physically, on your social battery, everything. Very demanding fields, especially in New York, where the standard of hospitality is very high, it can be a lot. In every aspect to manage that. That would be the challenge, and I would just say, you know, for servers, especially, there's so many facets of the job. There's side work, there's... your evenings are not your own. But, you know, everyone puts in a lot of love and a lot of effort, and I think, maybe if the hospitality industry gets a little bit of an overhaul, that would be something that we can try to manage, is how many hours these people are putting in on their feet, because it's substantial.

In my work, I would say, it's a catchphrase that the Director of Operations would often say, that at the end of the day, it's hospitality, and that's simple, but I think effective, that we have to remember, at the end of the day, it's hospitality, and if we can be accommodating, we should be accommodating. And just to be guest-focused. In my personal life, I would say it's a similar concept, just to be considerate of everyone coming from. And, just to sort of meet the world with kindness, you know? And I think, personally and professionally. It's something I try to carry through. That's my constant reminder to myself, is just try to meet the world with kindness, you know, because who knows? I mean, people can be having all sorts of crazy days, and there's boundaries of respect. Do you have to maintain for yourself, but for the most part, I just try to meet everyone with kindness and understand where they're coming from, what needs are actually... are they actually asking for, no matter what they're complaining for, or needing, or asking about. See what they are actually after, and try to resolve that as peacefully as possible.