#221 - Hospitality Meets Gina Knight - Broccoli, Beef & Brilliant Banter

We're back! And we're back for at least another year thanks to the legends at Rotacloud!!!

And what a way to welcome us back with none other than the beyond epic, deep thinking and hilarious Gina Knight, Head of People at Flat Iron.

Gina brings a big dose of warmth, humour, and honesty as she takes us from reception desk chaos to Ibiza career pact holidays, via Girl Guide hooch smuggling and a heated broccoli debate.

This episode is proof that hospitality is never boring and that laughter really is part of the job description.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The Apron Rebellion – Why Flatiron’s team said “thanks, but not good enough” and turned old aprons into hammocks, handbags and… dresses.
• Reception life uncensored – Gina and Phil swap war stories about demanding guests, room shortages, and the eternal question: how do you like your broccoli?
• Girl Guides & Hooch – Life lessons from leadership at 12 years old
• The Ibiza Pact – How Gina’s “if you get a new job, I get a new job” deal ended in both friends quitting
• The Beef Bank – Yes, Flatiron literally gives managers a monthly allowance called the Beef Bank. Spoiler: it doesn’t involve storing steaks in a vault (Although Phil may have thought this)

Key Takeaways:

• Listening gets results: Sometimes it’s as simple as changing aprons or challenging your team to upcycle them into fashion
• Hospitality teaches resilience: From riots to ridiculous complaints, it’s all character building (and occasionally comedy gold).
• Neurodiversity is a strength: Gina shares how dyslexia and ADHD traits fuel her creativity and communication.
• Careers aren’t straight lines: Say yes, pivot, Ibiza, repeat.
• Kindness still wins: Even after chaos, communities show up with coffee, cake, and compassion.

Quotes we loved:

• “We redesigned the aprons… and the team went, thanks, but that’s not good enough. Make them sustainable. Cue: hammocks, handbags, cushions, and dresses.”
• “At 12, I was responsible for six Girl Guides. I’d like to say I was sensible… but I did sneak in a couple of bottles of Hooch.”
• “How do you like your broccoli, Phil?”
• “I wanted to go to Ibiza, so I told my best mate we both had to get new jobs. We both did. Mission accomplished.”
• “I thought the Beef Bank was actual beef in a bank… but apparently, it’s money you can spend on PlayStation vouchers or pillows.”

A joyful, laugh-out-loud episode awaits about people, positivity, and why soggy broccoli nearly broke the internet.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil