Isabelle Mcfie
AT THE PUB, AIRLIE BEACH HOTEL
If you’re a regular at the Airlie Beach Hotel, you may have
seen this pint-sized barmaid making her signature mocktail,
the Tropical Trop. It’s not on the menu though, at only
9-years-of-age, aspiring business girl, Isabelle Mcfie, refuses
to divulge her secret recipe to the rest of the staff, so it’s only
available upon special request.
This moxie is only matched by her desire to be helpful. Having
grown up in various hospitality establishments up and down the
East Coast of Australia, Isabelle’s work ethic was instilled from
a young age. Her mother, Bonnie, recalls when Isabelle tried to
step in as the hotel receptionist at only 4-years-of-age.
“Her father, Mike, was managing the Clarion Hotel in Mackay
at the time. Isabelle would wake before all of us, get dressed
in her uniform and head downstairs to reception. The staff
would set her up behind the computer watching cartoons on
YouTube to keep her entertained. One day the phone rang
while a staff member was in a back office. Before they had time
to get back to the phone, Isabelle had answered it, and passed
on the message ‘The lady said she would call back.’ From that
point on she was told to not answer the phone, ever,” Bonnie
laughed.
Mike and Bonnie have spent the last 16 years working together
in hospitality. Just over nine years ago, Isabelle was born, and
the family-owned establishments have become like a second
home to her, where she has always felt safe and confident.
Bonnie commented, “It has never crossed her mind that
she couldn’t try any of the jobs that need doing within the
establishments. She is very creative and started to make her
own pizzas, mixing up toppings and then dishing them out for
the staff to try. What she loves most to do though is to create
mocktails behind the bar. She started doing this at the Reef
Gateway but really perfected it at Mangrove Jacks where she
started to sell them. Any that she sold she would collect the
money and put it into the guide dog charity tin.”
When she’s not at the Airlie Beach Hotel, Isabelle is at school
at the Whitsunday Christian College. Her passion is dance
and this year Isabelle will be taking Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop,
Acrobatics and Modern Ballet classes as well as learning a solo
dance through Whitsunday Dance Connection. Her dedication
to the arts was recognised last year at school when Isabelle
took out the Arts Award for her year. On top of that she is in
the school choir, participates in the school musicals and also
takes piano lessons.
Bonnie added, “Michael especially has always encouraged
Isabelle to try new things and to expose her to as much as he
could to what life had to offer. This truly has been a huge factor
in forming Isabelle’s confidence in herself to try new things
knowing that she can succeed, but also that it’s okay to fail as
long as you keep on trying.
“We want to instill in her that providing you try your best; be it
at work, school, dance; you can and will be a success.”
Q&A WITH ISABELLE
What do you want to be when you’re an adult?
“I want to be a dancer, actress or model and if not those than I
want to run my parent’s business. If all of that doesn’t work out
then I’ll be a vet.”
Do you have any pets?
“Two Maltese shiatsu dogs, Coco and Ralph, and a bird called
Popcorn (who lives at a friend’s house because my mum is
scared of birds) and I have a fish called Shadow who is at my
best friend’s house in their fish tank.”
