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This 32-Year-Old Entrepreneur Quadrupled Her Income Becoming A Black Travel Consultant - Forbes

This 32-Year-Old Entrepreneur Quadrupled Her Income Becoming A Black Travel Consultant - Forbes

A fashion designer turned black travel consultant.

It’s not your typical career path, but for entrepreneur Martinique Lewis, it was a natural progression.

Creating a dream career out of a passion

Named after the Caribbean island of Martinique, Lewis’ love of travel started early.

“My mom is my biggest inspiration,” said the 32-year old, fondly remembering the annual international trips that her parents took her siblings on.

But in 2018, that passion became a career. Lewis started working for Black Travel Journey, a job that opened her eyes to the issues surrounding black travel and the lack of diversity in many marketing campaigns for major hotels, airlines and brands.

Then at an travel summit in Quebec she met an autistic traveler who shared their negative experiences with lights flashing in certain restaurants. She also heard from Muslim travelers sharing their experiences with discrimination.

“I realized it’s not just black, it’s diversity as a whole...body consciousness, queer travel,” said Lewis. “It’s not just me feeling this way.”

And so, Lewis doubled down on her mission

“I reached out to companies, travel boards,” said Lewis. “I was working for no paycheck…I believed in it.”

A key part of her plan was to attend all major tourism conferences and summits, and ask questions about brands’ diversity policies. Spending her own money on these costly events, she felt that making herself known in the travel community was the first step.

The power of the black traveler

In 2018, African American travelers contributed $63 billion to the tourism economy in the United States, according to a survey by Mandala Research.

With 5 million black millennial travelers in the United States alone, and an estimated 40 million across the US, UK and EU, Lewis said “we are reflected in less than 3% in tourism ads and promotion…it makes you wonder.”

The importance of knowing your value as an entrepreneur

At first, Lewis was happy to have a seat at the table. The black travel movement was something she felt passionate about.

But as more brands reach out to her for help with diversity, she realized she needed to start charging fees. If companies were really committed to inclusion, they should pay her for her services.

“I’m not going to give you my network and resources for free,” said Lewis. She found it frustrating that while brands would want to be inclusive, they weren’t necessarily willing to pay a consultant for it.

Building your brand with a website

And so she came up with rates and started asking companies to pay her for her time. This tactic helped her to grow her income to nearly six figures in a year. She also built a comprehensive website where she shares case studies, analytics and her price points.

Although most of her clients are referrals, she said having a professional website helped her set prices and show brands her worth.

For those interested building their entrepreneurial brand, Lewis also recommends sharing content on LinkedIn. She finds it especially helpful for those in the travel space, as it shows who you are connected with, which can help you with credibility.

“Brands don’t necessary care that you have 10,0000 followers from California, but they do want to know that the director of tourism in Albuquerque is commenting” on your posts,” said Lewis.

Advice to allies

She believes it’s important for everyone to think about diversity. The millennial said, “next time you’re on an [influencer] trip and you notice there is no one of color or in a wheelchair or with a hijab, say something.”

Lewis has noticed that when brands have diversity and inclusion departments, as well as people of color on their corporate level, that they will tend to have a great commitment to inclusive travel. She points to Hilton Hotels and Resorts as a good example.

“It warms my heart when [people] come up to me and say, ‘I am so sorry this is not on my radar,’” said Lewis. “I tell them, be an advocate, be an ally.”

Leading the conversation around inclusive travel worldwide

And now, instead of asking questions from the audience, Lewis is leading the conversation at travel conferences worldwide. She was just in London to speak at World Travel Summit about diversity and inclusion, followed by an appearance in Latvia for the Women in Travel Summit.

“This is the only thing in life that feels right. Everything else felt forced,” said Lewis. “At then end of the day this is what makes my heartbeat.”

This post is the twelfth in a series on women succeeding in the travel industry, whether it be as a solo female traveler or founder of an adventure startup. Know a woman who is killing it in the world of travel? Send an email to actalty at gmail.com to nominate them for next month's installation of #AdventureHackingWomen. 

Others in this series include:

The American Blogger Making Six-Figures While Traveling The World

The 33-Year-Old Who Left A Six-Figure Job To Start A Travel Company

The Palestinian YouTuber Bridging East And West With Her Travel Videos

How 29-Year-Old CEO Alyssa Ravasio Is Changing American Camping

The 35-Year-Old Teacher Turned Travel Channel Host Making Six-Figures

This 65-Year-Old Woman Popularized Farm Stays In America 

The Travel Blogger Hiking Everest To Help Cancer Survivors 

The Travel Channel Host Being Paid To Travel To Mysterious Islands 

The Minimalist YouTuber Making $300k Traveling The World 

From Jobless To Jetset: The 37-Year-Old Traveling The World On A Teacher's Salary

The Hawai’i Diver Making Six Figures Traveling The World

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2019-11-13 12:44:00Z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2019/11/13/this-32-year-old-entrepreneur-quadrupled-her-income-becoming-a-black-travel-consultant/
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