Why Hidden Door.
The idea behind Hidden Door came from a simple observation. Over the years, its founder, Russell Orford, was fortunate enough to work alongside some incredible people within the private household world - the sort who could solve almost any problem, knew exactly who to call, and somehow made the impossible happen on a daily basis.
Yet so many of those people barely knew one another. Despite working in an industry built on relationships, there were surprisingly few opportunities for peers to meet, share experiences and learn from one another. Some of the best advice in the industry isn’t found in manuals or training courses - it’s found in conversations.
Hidden Door was created to encourage more of them. Nothing more complicated than that.
Every month, Hidden Door brings people together. The venue isn’t really the important part - the people are. Events are deliberately informal. There are no presentations, no awkward icebreakers, and no expectation that anyone is there to sell anything.
People come to catch up with old friends, make new connections, ask questions, share experiences and occasionally compare notes on the strange and wonderful situations that seem unique to private households. What usually starts as a room full of strangers quickly becomes a room full of people helping one another.
Russell Orford
Russell spent twelve years serving in the Queen’s Guards before moving into private households in 2013. Since then, he has worked as a House Manager, Estate Manager and property professional, spending much of his career in and around Belgravia, supporting exceptional principals and families.
The more people Russell met, the more introductions he made and the more breakfasts he organised, the more obvious it became that there was a genuine appetite for community. Hidden Door grew from that idea - what started as a handful of people around a breakfast table has become a thriving community connecting some of the best people in the industry.
“The world sees the principal, the guests, the events, the houses. What it doesn’t see are the people quietly making it all happen behind the scenes - the people behind the hidden door. That’s who this community is for.”
I’ve always believed that the best thing about this industry is the people. Hidden Door exists because I wanted to create the sort of community I would have loved to find when I first entered this world - a place to ask questions without feeling judged, share ideas without feeling competitive, and help each other without expecting anything in return. And occasionally enjoy a breakfast, a drink and a few good stories along the way.
If that sounds like your sort of thing, I’d love to see you at one of our events.
- Russell