JESSICA DEE
If you've been visiting Extraction for a while now, you'll definitely know Jess!
Big smile, big heart 💛
What did you do before you joined Extraction?
It feels like a different life, but I started out studying and working in film & TV production. I went to the UK where I spent 2 years (accidentally, stuck in covid lockdown) and I got a cafe job that I loved, and swapped the freelance film life for the hospo life when I came back to Australia.
Tell us about the different roles you’ve had since joining Extraction?
When I first started in late 2021, I was trained in Front of House as well as Barista. I also worked at the drone site, making coffees for drone delivery. I really found a passion for working on the floor though, so I stepped away from the machine and focused on one role. I'm now the Front of House Manager - currently looking after and training our FOH team. And now, you may have recently seen me back behind the coffee machine a couple of times, changing things up again!
How does our mission of Reaching out to Humanity influence your work?
I don't think people quite realise the power of hospitality workers. We have the opportunity to reach out to people and set or change the tone of their day in a few simple conversations and actions. Over the span of a few hours, we can see a full range of the human experience, all sitting at different tables, and we get to host each of those moments. That influences everything about how I do my job.
What do enjoy most about working in hospitality?
The human connection. Everyone from staff, to regulars, to those we may only meet once. Getting to make someone's day by giving them a coffee and a meal, having a chat, a laugh, or just listening when they need an ear is such a privilege.
What’s a surprising fact about you that people might not expect?
I have my own tiny handmade business called Splendid Sprouts, where I decorate plant pots with bright and fun polymer clay designs, and sell them at markets.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in hospitality?
Be kind to yourself. This is a fast paced industry and you will need to work hard and push yourself, and you will make mistakes. Lean on your team for support, trust yourself and remember that you're a person too.
What’s been the most valuable lesson you've learned since working at Extraction?
Be brave enough to be bad at something new. I have had to accept multiple times over that there are challenges and imperfection involved in learning something new, and that process can be difficult. But I feel so lucky that we have such a supportive team and I'm much more comfortable taking the risk to make mistakes now if it means I get to learn from them.
