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Loving what challenges you the most: “No two days are the same.”

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  2. About Bellagroup
  3. People
  4. Ida Caroline Brantlind Persson

Can you truly love what also frustrates you the most? Well. Ida does.

With a dream of becoming a teacher, experience running a British pub, and a partially completed university degree in her backpack, managing a restaurant at a global five-star hotel wasn’t part of the plan. And yet, this is where Ida Caroline Brantlind Persson discovered her perfect fit.

“You can’t change others, but you can be a role model and inspire."

Balancing late nights at the pub with life as a new mother, circumstances led her to apply for a shift leader role at the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel back in 2018. On her first day, she met the former General Manager who shared her story; starting as a waiter and working her way up to managing the entire hotel.

“That really stuck with me,” Ida says: “It made me think there’s room to grow here, no matter where you start out.”

Ida worked as a shift leader in breakfast service for nearly two years. When COVID-19 hit at the same time as expecting her second child, Ida was sent home for safety reasons and used the time to study public health and behavioral science at the university. But when the organization changed and a new opportunity came up, Ida paused her studies to take on more responsibility; eventually overseeing breakfast, room service, and the executive lounge. Shortly after, when the ground floor was renovated, she was promoted to restaurant manager - a role in which she is thriving today.

"That’s what makes it extremely challenging, frustrating, fun and interesting - all at the same time."

When asked if she will ever return to her studies, Ida answers with a laugh: “Well, technically I am still on pause. But I have been for years now.”

There is no doubt: The world of hospitality is perfect for Ida’s ambitious, curious, and inspiring personality. For her, it’s the variety and the people that keeps her in her job. She enjoys making guests happy, building team spirit, and learning from both successes and setbacks.

“No two days are the same,” she says: “You come in with a plan, but you have to adapt and solve problems as they come. That’s what makes it extremely challenging, frustrating, fun and interesting - all at the same time.”

Her biggest learning has been patience.

“There’s still a lot to learn, and I want to keep growing.”

“Change takes time,” Ida reflects: “You can’t change others, but you can be a role model and inspire. I’ve learned to lower my expectations about how things should go and focus on what I can do.”

She credits her journey to a mix of her own drive and the support of good leaders. One day, she hopes to inspire others in the same way the story she heard on her very first day inspired her

“I’m still here,” Ida says, smiling: “There’s still a lot to learn, and I want to keep growing.”