Why Tumi Mhlongo Felt "Well Prepared" to Be Chief Stew
The Below Deck Mediterranean cast member shared her advice for anyone looking to join the yachting industry.
Now that her visa issues have been worked out, Tumi Mhlongo is officially on board motor yacht Mustique for Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8.
The Below Deck Down Under alum is working on the superyacht as a chief stew for the first time, and she's the first Black chief stew in Below Deck franchise history.
Tumi opened up about her Season 8 role on the show, and during a recent chat with The Daily Dish. Keep scrolling to find out more.
Tumi Mhlongo Reflects on Her Chief Stew Experience
The Mustique interior team crew member opened up about being a leader for the first time on Season 8, Episode 3 of Below Deck Mediterranean.
"I think my management style is relatively relaxed. Before yachting, I was in a management position when I was in the restaurants..." she explained in an interview on the episode. "[I'm used to] constantly dealing with different personalities as well. I know there's going to be a learning curve for me, but I feel very well-prepared."
As Tumi previously told The Daily Dish, she's "all about leading people the way that I would like to be led."
"I like to give people the chance to do their thing, especially if they know what they're doing," she continued. "I kind of want them to be their own leader in a way [and] if they need help, I can oversee things. I'm not a micromanager."
Tumi Mhlongo Discusses Representation in the Yachting Industry
While chatting with one of the charter guests on Episode 3 about what it's like to be a woman of color in a management position on a yacht, Tumi talked about diversity in the industry.
"There is a massive lack of diversity in yachting, and the reason why it doesn't get spoken about is because they keep defending it," she shared in a separate interview on the episode. "And it's like, 'Yeah, I worked with a Black deckhand.' OK, but have you worked with a Black first officer? OK, have you worked with a Black captain?"
She then reflected on her own rise through the ranks.
"Yes, there are people of color in the industry, but they're put in certain positions where they're not seen," she continued. "I know a lot of people [who] don't want to come into the industry because they feel like they would never be given the opportunity. So, here I am like, 'Bitch, if you fight hard, you can do it.'"
Tumi Mhlongo's Thoughts on Mustique
The chief stew also revealed how the massive size of the yacht played into her experience on Below Deck Med Season 8.
"Well the thing is, Mustique is actually the same size as my first boat, so I kind of had to tap into the early days, and so it wasn't something that I wasn't necessarily familiar with," she told The Daily Dish. "I would have loved two stews, but it was a challenge, but it wasn't too difficult, to be honest. I wasn't not familiar with it."
Get a tour of Mustique by watching the video at the top of this post, and see more from Tumi by tuning in to new episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean on Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo. Stream episodes the next day on Peacock.
