Meeting the team: Sophie.
Friday, September 30, 2022
Introducing Sophie Luxton, Duty Manager at Bloc Birmingham, Jewellery Quarter.
How did you come to work at Bloc?
Like most people during lockdown, I had plenty of spare time on my hands and began evaluating my career aspirations, life goals and where I wanted to be in the future.
After spending some time out of work and exploring the job market, my Dad suggested transitioning within the hospitality sector to a role within a hotel. So, with the notion that ‘Dad knows best’, I started looking for exciting opportunities and voilà, here I am!
How does hotel work differ from other jobs you've had?
The bulk of my previous experience is in business administration and restaurant hospitality, which had its pros and cons. Moving into a hotel like Bloc I was able to combine what I enjoyed most about my previous roles, a healthy mix of routine and unpredictability.
I couldn’t be happier. Without sounding too cliché, every shift is completely different, this combined with the day-to-day operational tasks keeps you motivated with clearly defined objectives and goals. There’s also huge amounts of encouragement, at all levels, to get involved and contribute to all sorts of projects and improvements. I really feel like I make a difference, which is one of the many benefits of working for an independent, forward-thinking business like Bloc.
What are the best bits about becoming part of the Bloc team?
Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s the team! Across all departments, everyone is incredibly supportive and friendly. No matter who you ask, you can always rely on other team members to help you achieve the best outcome for the business.
What are the most important aspects of your role?
You need to be a ‘glass-half-full’ kind of person. During a single shift, you must expect the unexpected and be prepared to take it in your stride with a positive can-do attitude. Teamwork plays a crucial role too, which I’m happy to say is easy at Bloc. Everyone is so easy to communicate with and we face each new challenge with an open mind.
What has been your greatest accomplishment at Bloc?
The last 5 months working at Bloc have felt like a huge professional and personal accomplishment.
It’s the first time in my career that at the end of every shift I feel like I’ve achieved something. My confidence has grown from strength to strength too, and I’ve been able to push myself to take on new and exciting challenges that I wouldn’t have been able to before. None more so than recently being promoted to Duty Manager.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced?
Before joining Bloc, my confidence was at an all-time low. Covid forced me to rethink what I wanted to do in my life and joining a hotel felt like a risk, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But looking back, I have zero regrets and have loved every minute of it. In such a short period of time, I’ve gained a huge amount of experience and been able to meet lots of wonderful new people along the way.
Who inspires you and why?
People who aren’t afraid to be proud of who they are. It’s one of the mean reasons why I love Birmingham so much, a city that prides itself on warmly welcoming so many different cultures and interests. The world would be a boring place if everyone fit the same mould.
What is your most memorable guest interaction?
We’re lucky to welcome guests from all over the world, so it’s important to have great local knowledge to offer excellent recommendations. I was so excited when a couple arrived asking for halal restaurant recommendations and where to find Islamic and cultural hubs in the area.
We had an in-depth conversation and I love being able to share the places I love to visit and gave them plenty of personal recommendations, which I’m happy to say they both really enjoyed.