Meet Sahara Rose De Vore

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sahara Rose De Vore. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sahara Rose, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
With travel coaching being a newer concept in the travel industry, I remember getting many negative comments when I first began my business. I’d have people say things like “it’s not a thing” or “what you mean to say is a travel agent!”. At first it would bother me but I soon realized that those comments were a learning lesson for me. The comments meant that I wasn’t being clear enough in my definition of a travel coach. From that moment on, I had a different mindset any time that I had a nay-sayer. Fast forward to today, I still get rejection about my concept of travel coaching. So what keeps me going? A few things. The fact that there are many travel coaching around the world (even outside of The Travel Coach Network), goes to show that it’s a need and interest that many travel experts have. Secondly, the fact that the travel industry is changing and evolving, for the better, is also an indicator that the industry is going in the direction of more meaning, depth, emotion, and purpose, which is at the heart of travel coaching. How and why people are traveling is changing and gaining more meaning and intention. I not only believe whole-heartedly that the future of travel planning, booking, and marketing is centered around travel coaching but I believe that it’s inevitable. The travel industry is too emotional and too personal not to.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I was named one of 2023’s Most Influential Women in Travel by TravelPulse because of my mission to reshape how travel is talked about, viewed, planned, booked, and even marketed through the concept of Travel Coaching. Before I became the Founder and CEO of The Travel Coach Network, a global community of travel coaches who we certify through our world’s first and only ICF accredited certification program, I was just an aimless backpacker. After graduating from university in 2010, I knew that climbing the corporate ladder and having someone dictate when I could take a vacation wasn’t for me. I booked a one-way ticket to Ireland, packed and backpack, and set off to travel the world. I spent the next 10 years traveling to 84 countries solo. During that journey I realized voids and shortages in the tourism industry when it came to how travel was viewed, planned, and marketed. I started my own wellness travel coaching business for business travelers before pioneering a path in the travel coaching industry as a whole as the Founder of The Travel Coach Network. The travel industry is heading in the direction of more meaning, intention, and depth, which is exactly what travel coaching is all about. I’m excited for how quickly our global community of travel coaches are and for the future of our Travel Coach Certification Program. I am a TEDx speaker, global speaker, published author, and have been seen in almost 200 media outlets for my travel story and the topic of travel coaching including Forbes, Conde Nast Traveller, CNN Travel, The New York Times, and Wander Magazine. I will be appearing on Season 8 of the TV show Project Pitch It this March.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would not be who I am or where I am in my life and business if it weren’t for traveling. Traveling opened my eyes and mind to so much including the evolution of the tourism industry as well as what exists in our big world. Being exposed to other cultures, lifestyles, and ways of thinking as well as being challenged as a solo traveler, taught me a lot about humanity, the world, and about myself. Travel is a powerful vessel for inspiration, purpose, and education. A quality of mine that also helped me get to where I am in my life and what I have accomplished is that I don’t wait for others in life. What I mean by that is that I went of my solo journeys around the world because I didn’t need to wait for someone to go with me. I started my own business and paved a new path in an industry that I loved without waiting for the approval or guidance of anyone else. Many people do that though. They wait for someone to do something with them or to give them the green light on an idea. Me, I just go for things in life if I believe in or want them bad enough. Lastly, I am a big believer in living the life that you want to live. I knew that having a corporate job that wasn’t going to fully satisfy or fulfill me wasn’t for me. I also knew that you can’t go back in life and do what you want to do. Therefore, a quality of mine is to not have regrets in life and just go for whatever it is that I want or want to do.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
The biggest area of growth over the past 12 months for me as a Founder and CEO is visibility for my Travel Coach Network and travel coaching concept. As a business owner, I understand the importance of sharing your story and spreading your message. We landed some really great international press coverage on the topic of travel coaching which attracted a lot of new members to our platform.

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