SPOTLIGHT: Interview with Ms. Hudson: Estate Manager

Natalie Hudson

This week's featured private service industry professional is with Ms. Natalie Hudson, a true professional with a plethora of experience working with VIPs and high-net-worth families. 

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Getting started as a private service professional

You've had a storied career: Professional Nanny, Personal Assistant, Butler, and Estate Manager. How did you get started in the industry, and what does it take to be successful in each of these roles?

I began my career in private service as a live-in nanny. One of my strongest assets as a nanny was my ability to notice an issue and jump in whenever I was needed, but then be invisible when families needed some time alone.
 
I also learned very quickly that there is no right or wrong way to accomplish a task. What really matters is that the task be completed the way my employer wants it done, which may differ from my last job, or even from last week’s assignment.
 
As a personal assistant and butler, my strongest asset was understanding how to read my employer. I learned how they would react in any given situation, and then I would implement their preferred process. This application of their preference maximizes favorable outcomes in some of the most challenging situations. 
 
As an estate manager, I had the ability to juggle multiple projects, directives, and assignments simultaneously, without losing perspective or leaving details unfinished. 

Training for a life in private service

You have a very specialized credential: A BA degree in Luxury Lifestyle Management. Could you tell us a bit about what you studied and how it can help someone manage the day-to-day operations of a large estate?
 
A friend recommended a program at a local university through the Individual Studies Department. As an Individual Studies student, I was required to curate my degree plan and area of focus. I chose Luxury Lifestyle Management. 
 
Once my program was academically approved, I was able to select key courses that are usually locked within a particular field of study and apply them to my focus. For example, I took classes in Accounting, Cybersecurity, Museums & Galleries, Project Management, and Supervisory Management. 
 
Another perk of an Individual Studies Program is the ability to earn college credit for previous experience through a lengthy process called Prior Learning Assessments. For example, I received credit for my volunteer work as Virtual Chapter President of The Domestic Estate Management Association, and that fulfilled core public speaking coursework requirements. 
 
I also earned college credit through Prior Learning Assessments that drew from specific aspects of my private service experience. Through a designated process, I wrote course overviews, descriptions, objectives, and learning outcomes that became courses only I would “attend,” and eventually be tested on, through an assigned proctor holding a moderate level of private service industry knowledge. 
 
Examples of those courses were titled Luxury Estate Management, The Modern English Butler, Risk Management, Systems Management, Luxury Travel Logistics, Event Planning, and Etiquette.​

Working with wealthy families

What is the most misunderstood concept about working with high-net-worth families?
 
HNW families are real people with real problems. Celebrities, C-suite executives, and legacy families all deal with the same things middle-income families deal with -- but on a much larger scale, with more moving parts, and more resources.
 
Wealthy people still need to eat, sleep, and get dressed. They have to go to school, work, and go on vacations when they get stressed out. They get sick, break bones, and eventually die. They have friends, family, and even enemies. They get scared, nervous, depressed, and upset. The most significant difference between the working class and a HNW household is that they employ people to protect them and their privacy. ​

Hybrid roles in the private service industry

You must have seen some amazing things during your career. Any stand-out situations that you can share?

NANNY
I spent one summer as a Nanny for the sons of a world-renowned singer and songwriter. The middle-school boys taught me how to invest in penny stocks. We were each provided $1 each week to invest. There were weekly and monthly competitions between the three of us to be the top investor, and there was a silly prize for the biggest loser. 

PERSONAL ASSISTANT

One night at 3:00 am, I received an urgent call from my principal. He needed to quickly get across the country for a family emergency. With money as no object, I dialed a charter jet service from my pillow. Once confirmed, I sent a car to pick up my employer and had him in the air within 30 minutes. This was his first flight on a private aircraft, and he never flew commercial again after that night. 

ESTATE MANAGER

One spring, my employer and his family were traveling for three weeks. In the months leading up to their departure, I had planned for several projects to be executed and finished during their absence.
 
These projects included the replacement of 48 windows and 18 doors, a new security system, an outdoor pool with a cabana, and a fresh coat of paint for all the rooms on the main level. When the family departed and the projects began, the weather forecast for Minneapolis was -20° F with wind chills as low as -60°.
 
Since replacing windows and doors repeatedly exposed the inside of the house to outside temps, I had to make several accommodations to protect precious items.

First, I ordered several electric blankets to wrap around their large fish aquarium.

Next, I sent the family hamster to a pet sitter.

​After that, I moved vulnerable paintings and antiques to the furnace room.

Lastly, painters were rescheduled from dayshifts to overnight ones, which allowed time for the house to warm up. By following that system, it allowed the paint to dry before it froze to the walls. I spent most of my time overseeing this project wearing a ski jacket, gloves, and ski pants to keep warm.

A beginner's guide to a life in private service

If someone were thinking about getting into the private service industry, what would be the best piece of advice you could give them?
 
You should start at the bottom and work your way up through various private service industry roles, and never stop learning. Each position with a family brings a host of new experiences and opportunities for growth and development.

If you start at the bottom and work your way up, eventually you will become a Head of Security, Estate Manager, or Chief of Staff. 
 
It's important not to be "star struck" or intimidated by wealth. If you are, it would probably be best to choose another career path. 

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*This article has been edited for length, clarity and timeliness. ​