What makes someone fall in love with hospitality?

For many of us, it starts with a moment—watching joy unfold in a pub garden, or finding belonging in a pot wash role when you’ve never quite fitted in anywhere else.

This piece reflects on the magic of those early experiences, the sense of purpose they create, and why hospitality is still one of the most human, life-changing industries out there.

Not all exhaustion is visible. In hospitality, many of us are carrying a quiet weight—showing up, delivering joy, holding the team together—while feeling stretched to our limits.

This isn’t about burnout or breakdown.

It’s about the emotional load that builds slowly, quietly, and relentlessly.

This post explores why so many leaders are feeling it, and why naming it is the first step towards something better.