BBC Conversation: Sara Vestin Rahmani and Stephanie Land
Original broadcast: 15 November 2021
Page updated: February 2026
In November 2021, Sara Vestin Rahmani participated in an episode of The Conversation, a BBC World Service programme hosted by Kim Chakanetsa.
The episode brought together Sara Vestin Rahmani and author Stephanie Land for a discussion exploring experiences of domestic work, class, visibility, and power within private households.
This page is presented as a media reference reflecting that broadcast.
The episode can be accessed via BBC World Service – The Conversation (15 November 2021).
About The Conversation
The Conversation is a BBC World Service podcast that brings together women from different parts of the world who share common experiences, challenges, or areas of expertise. Through long-form discussion, the programme explores social issues, work, identity, and lived experience.
The Episode: Maids to the Rich and Famous
In this episode, Kim Chakanetsa speaks with two women whose paths intersect around domestic work, but whose journeys differ significantly.
The discussion examines:
- Life working inside private households
- Visibility and invisibility of domestic labour
- Power dynamics between employers and staff
- How personal experiences shape later professional paths
The conversation offers contrasting perspectives from the UK and the United States while highlighting shared realities within domestic service roles.
Participants
Sara Vestin Rahmani
Sara Vestin Rahmani moved from Sweden to London as a young adult and worked in private households early in her career. She later founded Bespoke Bureau and The British Butler Academy, organisations focused on private household recruitment, training, and professional service standards.
Stephanie Land
Stephanie Land is the author of Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, a memoir documenting her experience of domestic work and poverty in the United States. The book was later adapted into a Netflix series.
Broadcast Details
Programme: The Conversation (BBC World Service)
Host: Kim Chakanetsa
Producer: Alice Gioia
Release date: 15 November 2021
Archive Note
This page exists as a media archive reference acknowledging Sara Vestin Rahmani’s participation in a BBC World Service discussion. No content from the BBC broadcast is reproduced here.
Further Information
For current information about Bespoke Bureau or The British Butler Academy, please visit bespokebureau.com or contact:
📞 +44 (0)203 290 0142
✉️ info@bespokebureau.com