Her Story
About Shari
Shari Erasmus is the owner of her own luxury travel company, where she serves as a specialized luxury travel advisor and planner. After beginning her career as a speech pathologist with a master's degree in speech pathology, she transitioned into the travel industry three and a half years ago, driven by her personal passion for travel and her experience planning trips for her family of four children, including one with special needs. She combines her background working with individuals with special needs to assist clients seeking accessible travel options alongside luxury experiences. In her first year, she sold and actualized nearly one million dollars in travel, growing to approximately four million dollars, and earned recognition on Travel and Leisure Magazine's A-list. She is also a member of the Virtuoso Network and has received multiple awards from her host agency. Shari attributes her success to her dedication to working hard around the clock, her punctuality, attention to detail, and strong people skills that allow her to quickly understand and empathize with clients.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shari
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to working hard 24-7, being Type A and punctual, having great attention to detail, and strong people skills with the ability to empathize, listen, and understand clients quickly in a single conversation.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I received is that imposter syndrome is actually a sign of great success because it makes you work harder. You can do anything as long as you work hard, do the research, and find what you love - then you will succeed.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Make sure it's the right thing for you because it's not just glamour - it's a really hard sales job. You need to be good with people, patient, willing to listen, have a thick skin, set boundaries, and get involved with a larger host agency or team for training and access to networks like Virtuoso.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include setting boundaries with clients who text at all hours and dealing with ever-changing world events like weather and politics that require last-minute pivots. Opportunities come from the post-COVID travel boom where people want to see the world and live life to the fullest.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Ethics and doing the right thing are key - focusing on the client's best experience rather than just booking expensive trips. Listening and understanding clients is crucial. In life, being a good, honest person, living life to its fullest, and being grateful every day.
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