Sisterhood by Michelle

1. How long were you in the yachting industry, and what roles did you hold?

I was in yachting for 5 years, worked on 2x boats, the last one with my partner Ryan, I worked up to second stewardess with absolutely no desire to be a chief stew, I wasn’t passionate enough about the actual job to have this level of responsibility, I was happy as a clam as second :)

2. What were your primary reasons for deciding to leave yachting?

To get a dog, have freedom in my life & start my business.

3. What struggles or challenges did you face during your transition?

Tbh I dont think I struggled with the transition as much as a lot of people do, I knew exactly what I was going to be spending my time doing & that was my womenswear clothing collection, this is what gave me direction & structure in my days. I based myself right next to Port Vell in Barcelona in an amazing apartment & basically extended my Yachtie lifestyle for about a year & a half (this is how long we lived in Barcelona for) when all the crew had basically left the shipyard i ventured out to female entrepreneur meetups in Barcelona so that was strange bcus having to make friends again or actually find people that you align with was difficult, I’m a total introvert at heart so this is not for me lol (actually an ambervert - extroverted around the right people :))

4. How did you prepare for your career change?

I knew exactly what I was going to do, work on my womenswear clothing collection. I didn’t know wtf I was doing lol, but I was so excited about this new venture because I was just so passionate about it. I have always followed my intuition when it comes to big things like career moves, business switches, lifestyle shifts etc I can drop something that no longer feels aligned with me at the drop of a hat because I just know.

How I delbt with my 2 years after yachting is the reason I do what I do now with my Brand by Design (BBD) programme & mentorship, I wasted a lot of money & time doing the wrong things in my business, I actually didn’t create my business in the right way at all, I concentrated on all the visual things (im a very creative girl, so visuals are my fav part about everything) like the actual clothing, finding the right factories, designing, instagram, photoshoots etc & this were so NOT the right things to start with.

5. What industry or field are you working in now?

I am a business & lifestyle mentor for women in yachting. I have been out of yachting for 8 years now, & have mentored so many women in yachting in creating their dream businesses & freedom lifestyles for after yachting - it lights me up more than I can ever describe.

6. How does your current career compare to your time in yachting?

FREEDOM is what I have now, I decide what I want to do, when I want to do it, & how I want to do it. I am there for my 6 year old daughter for everything, I don't miss anything, & I take a lot of time off for myself & to spend time with my family. Last year I had 6 months off in total - that’s mind blowing & you just dont have anywhere near that if you work a 9-5 for someone. Yes, there is rotation in yachting who have 6 months off a year but you spend over half that time recooperating & trying to find yourself again that the amount of time you actually have for yourself is very little. I LOVE spending my days how I want to spend them, I’m also renovating a tiny farmhouse on our 75 acres of land in the Spanish mountains (2 hours drive from Barcelona) & I spend a lot of time doing this too.

7. What advice would you give to someone considering leaving the yachting industry?

Absolutely know what you want to get into or what you're going to start putting your time towards (business or passion project or job), there are so many crew that just leave abruptly because maybe they're burnt out & then 4 months later when everything calms down, & their friends & family settle back into their lifestyles again & there’s not so much buzz about you being home that’s when things get quiet, & that’s when you start wondering “what am I here for” what am I going to do with my time” what am I passionate about” & that’s when so many freak out, get scared & then get back into yachting again bcus they just dont know what else to do. & again, this is why I do what I do, I help women figure out what lights them up, connect all the dots of their life together, help them see & uncover what they’re passionate about, what they would love to spend their days doing - these make the BEST BUSINESSES, the ones where you cant imagine doing anything else with your time, it’s your meaning, it’s your purpose that I help you discover :)

8. Are there any skills or experiences from yachting that have been particularly useful in your new career?

So so many. Yachting shaped me into the woman I am today. & I will be forever grateful for the opportunity, experience & journey that it laid me on.

One of the most life changing conversations happened to me on my second yacht I worked on, there was a guy onboard who was the owners friend, he told me that he lost touch with his whole family, he no longer has any friends. He had no hobbies, nothing that he actually ‘enjoyed’ because he didn’t enjoy how he made money he just knew it made him money so that’s what he did & that’s al he did. He’s trying to re-build his life again, he said all he sort after his whole working life was money, all he cared about was making more money, that he didn’t see anything else in his life, so he lost everything that is now so important to him, & now he has to try & rebuild all his relationships. He said he’s a millionaire & has plenty of money but he lost everything that’s actually important in his life. He said what’s most important is waking up everyday excited about the day ahead - THIS is what I help women from yachting find for themselves.

Everything you learn & master in yachting can help you AFTER yachting, you dont know how your personality is exquisite from working in this industry, you're a special type of person & there are so many opportunities for you after, & they dont have to be so direct like yacht recruitment or crew uniform these are obvious directions, if you think outside the box, connect the dots of your life, what makes you YOU, you have unlimited opportunities & things you’d be amazing at. It’s about finding what lights you up inside & gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, that’s what you want to follow.

Interested in finding out more? Head to https://www.sisterhoodbymichelle.com/.