About

Hima plans custom travel experiences for a wide range of clients including solo travelers, couples, families, multi-generational travelers, and groups. She enjoys planning many different kinds of trips, but international travel is the area she is most passionate about. She strongly believes travel opens perspective and sees that as one of the most exciting and meaningful parts of her work. Personal Connection / Relationship Notes Strong personal connection established during onboarding call through shared stories about family travel and keepsakes. Hima was born and raised in India and shared that her mother had her keep travel journals as a child to document family trips and memories. She has continued that tradition with her own children, asking them to fill out travel journals during family trips. She shared that this has become unexpectedly useful in her business, since she can look back at those journals to remember hotels and experiences and make recommendations to future clients. Hima also shared that her family used to collect ornaments from their travels, but because they kept breaking, they now collect magnets instead. Strong rapport built here because of shared personal experiences and humor. Business Focus Hima works with a broad mix of travelers and is open to serving solo, family, multi-generational, and group travel clients. Her ideal client is someone who is open to new ideas and experiences and who has a budget in mind. She explained that knowing a client?s budget allows her to tailor the experience appropriately while still achieving the same overall travel goal. Example shared: two clients both walked the Inca Trail in Peru, but one had a more elevated experience including a personal chef because the budget allowed. Her strongest business passion is international travel. She sees travel as a way to broaden perspective, create meaningful memories, and help clients experience culture, food, and place in a deeper way. Value Proposition / Messaging Hima gave a very compelling explanation of the value of using a travel advisor. She wants people to understand that travel advisors are there to support clients through emergencies, hotel issues, excursion problems, and unexpected travel complications. Her goal is to make travel seamless, worry-free, and enjoyable so clients can focus on the experience. She also emphasized that using a travel advisor does not necessarily cost more. She wants clients to understand that they are often spending the same amount, but receiving more personalized service, expert support, access to perks, and opportunities to save money through advisor resources and discounts. Current Business Development / Marketing Most of Hima?s business currently comes through word of mouth and repeat or past client referrals. She is grateful for that business but described it as slow and stagnant, and she would like to begin generating more new business. At this time, her primary marketing efforts are through Facebook and Instagram, which she is still learning. She is pushing herself outside of her comfort zone with networking and relationship-building and expressed openness and excitement about doing so, even though it is not naturally easy for her. She does have business cards. She was encouraged to stop by the Chamber office and leave cards for the business card / literature display wall. Chamber Goals / Needs Hima appears to be looking for increased visibility, face-to-face connections, and new referral opportunities. Best Chamber value for her is likely helping her build a reputation as a trusted local/community travel advisor through relationship-based networking and visibility. She asked specifically about her directory listing and how people would know to find her. Explained that her directory profile is live and shows her name as the travel advisor along with her phone number. She has already completed the directory profile, which is a strong first step. When asked about next steps, recommendation given was to continue getting out into the community and making face-to-face connections. Best Chamber strategy is to help her build trust, familiarity, and local reputation. Networking / Program Fit Hima previously met with Rose and had a very positive experience. She described it as feeling like meeting with an old friend. This introduction was appreciated. Friday LEAD$ may be a good fit, but she is not able to join that group until June. Wednesday and Thursday networking groups are not a fit because she cannot make an 8:15 a.m. start time. The Tuesday lunch group may work for her. She is interested in trying both the Tuesday lunch group and Friday LEAD$ when ready. No immediate rush. Plan is to introduce her to the group chairs when she is ready to move forward. Because of school drop-off and pick-up responsibilities, her schedule is tight during the school year. Rise & Network events are not a fit right now. Business After Hours also sounds challenging. Best event fit is daytime networking during business hours, especially multi-chamber events. Upcoming / Recommended Opportunities Discussed the Multi-Chamber St. Patrick?s Day Business & Networking Extravaganza on March 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Elgin as a good next event for her. Plan is to attend as a friendly face and help make introductions if she participates. Will continue flagging and sharing daytime networking opportunities that align with her schedule. Referral / Introduction Potential Potential best Chamber strategy is to position Hima as a trusted community travel advisor and memory-maker, especially for clients who value support, personalization, and seamless planning. She would likely benefit from introductions to strong relationship-based referral partners and community connectors. Her business model appears well suited for trust-based referrals rather than transactional marketing alone. Key Traits / Impression Warm, thoughtful, relationship-oriented, family-centered, and service-driven. Strong storyteller. Clear passion for travel and for helping clients experience meaningful, perspective-opening trips. Likely to do well with curated introductions and supportive, lower-pressure networking opportunities rather than high-volume event expectations. Suggested Internal Follow-Up Continue nurturing relationship with personalized touchpoints. Invite to daytime networking and multi-chamber events that work within school-year schedule. Follow up on March 17 event attendance and offer in-room introductions if she attends. Revisit Tuesday lunch group and Friday LEAD$ after June timeline opens up. Encourage drop-off of business cards at Chamber office. Look for opportunities to spotlight her as a trusted local travel advisor and educate members on the value of using a travel advisor.

I help individuals, couples, families, groups, and adventure-seekers create unforgettable travel experiences around the world. Every detail is thoughtfully planned so your journey is seamless, stress-free, and truly enjoyable.

Custom travel experiences worldwide

Cruises, domestic getaways, and international adventures

Tailor-made journeys for solo travelers, families, couples, and groups

Whether you are dreaming of a relaxing cruise, an exciting international escape, or a memorable family vacation, I will handle the details so you can focus on making memories.