Bec McDonald
What was initially intended as a stop-gap has grown into a rewarding long term career for Bec McDonald. Thanks to the right mentors in her life Bec has found a deep passion for hospitality and a strong desire to see her team grow and shine.
Sometimes to change your perception of something, you need to seek first hand experience and explore the potential. Bec, Group Restaurant Manager at Cataract on Paterson and Rupert & Hound, two respective venues in Northern Tasmania, started her leadership journey through that exact open mindedness.
“I was studying Marine Science - that's what I thought I wanted to do straight after high school, but decided I needed something else while studying. So I began casually working for Cataract on Paterson. I just fell in love with it and kept going from there.” She says, “I decided to leave uni and stayed in hospitality and I just worked my way up. I started as a junior supervisor, then did some additional study, and here I am today - Group Restaurant Manager.”
Like many, Bec initially saw hospitality as merely a stop-gap and an easy way to earn money, until she was in the heart of it. Now, she understands that it holds incredible opportunities and is a rewarding and fulfilling place to work.
“During that time (as a junior) I thought, I can do this. I'm good with people. I'm good at talking with them, and I actually just really enjoyed it and just sort of went from there.” she beams. “Hospitality is one of those industries you can't replace. I think when you get customers that really enjoy their experience, it makes you feel really humbled that you've helped create that.”
The transition into leadership roles was a natural progression for a passionate person like Bec, and the help of a great mentor, in her boss Karen, meant she received invaluable support to pursue the career long term and full-time.“I had a really great role model, (Owner Karen), and I think that definitely helped. I saw a lot of the passion she had and that made me realise it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be like that as well.” She explains, “She (Karen) was someone that I looked up to and inspired to be. She definitely helped my pathway. She encouraged me to always be strong and confident and to show my skills off. And I think that was something that made me want to do that as well.”
Bec has been able to emulate a similar leadership approach for those under her and through her unwithering passion, understanding and empathy, strives to create a strong and safe community for her staff and patrons. She explains “I really wanted to embrace that kind of support and make sure that my staff feel comfortable, not just as a workplace, but individually, because I really see a lot in everyone. I want to see them grow and shine and want them to be a better person as well.”
“You're not here just to do a job. You're here to learn life skills, and you're here to grow. My mentor (Karen) says this all the time, she wants me to be up-skilled so that I can go anywhere and leave as a better person. I try to instil that in my staff as well.”
In the 10 years that Bec has been at Cataract on Paterson, one thing she has noticed is the positive impact that empathy has had on the workplace - something she explains is benefitting the industry especially with the growing number of female staff joining the industry. “Having females in the workplace brings a more family orientated environment. It definitely brings a lot more empathy, a lot more care, and I think that's definitely noticed. Our team has embraced that as well. They know that they can come to us with anything.”
“I think hospitality has come a long way. For example, many moons ago, you could throw pots and pans at your apprentice if they weren't doing the right thing, or you could yell and swear at someone. You thankfully can't do that now. And that's something that we're trying to make sure we're changing, because I think a lot of people still think that hospitality is that kind of industry, and it's definitely not.”
“You're not here just to do a job. You're here to learn life skills, and you're here to grow. My mentor Karen says this all the time, she wants me to be up-skilled so that I can go anywhere and leave as a better person. I try to instil that in my staff as well.”
As Bec see’s it, Hospitality is a viable and growing industry in Tasmania where she worries the versatility of work and creativity is often overlooked when considering it as a fulfilling career path.
“We're doing a lot of innovation and we're trying to bring new ideas, new concepts and new technologies - whether it's booking platforms or new ways for guests to buy vouchers, or new ways that they can order online. We're constantly looking for new ideas. So that's something that I'm involved with a lot as well.” She adds, “And encouraging the team to come up with these ideas and really let them shine, so we (Cataract on Paterson) can be market leaders in this environment.”
A message that Bec reinforces to all those that she works with and meets is that “I think women underestimate themselves a lot. I think they don't understand the way that they can have passion and creativity and then they can bring that on board. And I think hospitality is one of those industries that can give you a lot of freedom of choice and little restriction especially for family lifestyles, as it's not your typical 9-5 job.” She says,“I think for someone that's wanting a career in hospitality and if you’re a young female, or any woman looking for leadership, I think go for it.”
