John Stevenson's Linkedin Analytics

I first met Desirée when she was the Food & Beverage Manager at the W Hotel in Leicester Square. She was a client at the time, and within five minutes of meeting her, I thought: “There’s no one quite like her.” Smart, sharp, full of energy. One of those people who instantly lifts a room. I was so impressed that I managed to lure her away from a brilliant role running a top operation, to come and work with me in business development. And she was brilliant at it. But something was missing. You could just sense it. Desiree’s real passion was in training hospitality teams - helping them grow, develop, and turn into something great. Even though she was doing well, you could tell she was meant for something else. Fast forward 9 years, and she’s finally gone all-in on what lights her up. She’s now launched her business, Hospitality Mastery, which is a unique, powerful training company that brings her years of experience and energy to hospitality teams across the industry. Now, she’s not just doing what she loves, but she’s making a real impact on the people and businesses that need it most. Sometimes you work with people who are excellent at what they do… but deep down, you know their real gift lies somewhere else. So I guess the lesson here is, you should follow your passion. It might not always work out how you’d have liked, but at the very least, you gave it a go. Desiree followed hers, and now she’s reaping the rewards. If you get the chance, reach out to her. And if you can make her laugh, you’ll have a friend for life… trust me!

I founded my first business at 38. Like most start-ups, those early days were fuelled by coffee, networking events, blind optimism, and sheer graft. I was absolutely everywhere: • Meeting people • Building relationships • Chasing opportunities • Trying to make the bloody thing work. Then two months in, my eldest son was born. Five years later, he had two younger brothers running around after him. As the business grew, so did the family. And over time, the drive to be everywhere all the time faded. I didn’t want to be the guy working the room. I wanted to be home, watching my boys grow up. Fast forward 15 years, and Zero Procure was born. I knew that if I wanted to do it right again, I had to do the stuff that worked the first time (build, connect, listen, learn). But the landscape had completely changed. Social media had exploded. The world had become louder, faster, younger. Here I was, now in my 50s, probably one of the older people in the room. So I adapted. I started connecting with younger founders. And instead of trying to lead the conversation, I shut up and listened. Because if you’re smart, you realise something: You can learn just as much from people younger than you as you can from those with experience. I got better at social media. I paid attention to how others were navigating this new world. And I slowly reshaped how I worked, led, and communicated. Funnily enough, this chapter’s been the most rewarding part of my entire career. And maybe the best part? It’s helped me become a better parent too. My “babies” are now young men, and it turns out, they’ve got plenty to teach me as well. So whatever age or stage you’re at… Stay open. Stay curious. Keep evolving. It’s never too late to learn a few new tricks.

My son is about to start his GCSEs, and I’ll be honest, it brings back memories…. Mostly because I didn’t exactly give it my all at that stage in my life. But here I am, a few decades down the line, having built and sold businesses, learned a lot (sometimes the hard way), and found a bit of luck through consistency, resilience, and a lot of graft. So here’s something for parents to remember as exam season kicks in: GCSEs are important. They can open doors and set a really solid foundation. But they don’t define your child’s entire future. What matters even more? How they approach the years after school. How they pick themselves up from setbacks. How willing they are to keep learning, keep working, and keep showing up, day in, day out. We can set great examples of how to do that as parents. Obviously, I’m not trying to say “don’t try.” But if the results aren’t what you all hoped for, it’s not the end of the world. Far from it, in fact. In the long run, a good attitude and a bit of curiosity will take them much further than a single set of grades ever could. It’s our job to support them, lift them up, and remind them that this is just one small chapter. The rest is still completely unwritten. Thinking of everyone with a house full of revision and exam nerves this month… good luck to all the students, and strength to you all as parents!

This will be a superb event and with the number of key decision makers present, it’s a great business development opportunity for suppliers in all categories. I hope to see you there.

This month, hospitality businesses are facing one of their biggest challenges yet. This time in the form of increased National Insurance contributions and rising minimum wage. What it essentially means: 1. Employer NI is rising from 13.8% to 15% 2. And from April 2025, you’ll pay NI on salaries above £5,000 instead of £9,100 This could hit the sector with a £3.4 billion blow. For a sector already pushed to the edge, this isn’t just a huge hit to margins. It’s a hit to jobs, growth, investment, and recovery. And let’s be clear, this will result in: • Cancelled recruitment • Frozen expansion plans • Shortened trading hours • And in some cases – businesses closing for good So what can we do? While there’s no magic wand here, there are some things within your control: 1️⃣ Focus on efficiency Now more than ever, every pound counts. Review your energy use, upgrade kitchen kit where possible, and use tech to streamline payroll, rotas, and stock. 2️⃣ Get on the front foot with suppliers Renegotiate contracts. Talk about volumes. Look at group buying options. These small changes can compound quickly. 3️⃣ Be honest with your team Costs are going up, but morale doesn’t have to go down. Talk to your staff, explain the situation, and let them know what you’re doing to protect the business. Hospitality has always been one of the most resilient sectors in the UK - even after all the nightmares we’ve had to face. But we bounce back, especially when the odds are stacked. This time, we’ll need to get smarter, tighter, and more united than ever.