Meet Tomiko Harvey

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tomiko Harvey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tomiko, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from my daughter, Maddie. Every time I think about giving up or playing small, I remind myself that she’s watching. I want her to see that her mom didn’t quit when things got tough. That I showed up, spoke up, and built something real—even when the odds were stacked against me.

My resilience also comes from my community of entrepreneurs like Marty Lewis, Martina Johnson, Eulanda Osagiede, and Takenya Hampton.

When I walk into rooms where I might be the only one who looks like me, I carry all of that with me. I keep going because I want Maddie to believe that she can create her own path, too. I want her to know that success doesn’t mean waiting for permission—it means showing up, doing the work, and standing tall in who you are. That’s what keeps me grounded. That’s where my resilience comes from.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I do a lot, and I wear a ton of hats; I am a mom and wife, work a full-time day job, am the Director of partnerships for the Black Travel Alliance, and am the North America Conference Director for TBEX, but at my core, I’m a storyteller and strategist. I run *Passports and Grub*, where I talk about luxury travel, wellness, and lifestyle for Black women over 45. I also teach SEO to creators and small business owners because I want more women, especially Black women, to stop depending on social media and start building brands that show up on Google.

Right now, I’m working on new digital products to help creators stay organized, pitch brands, and make money without burning out. For me, this work is about more than just business—it’s about showing my daughter and other Black women what’s possible when we stop asking for permission and start taking up space.

I’m showing women in their 40s and 50s that life isn’t slowing down; it’s just getting started. I’m 53, and I’m still evolving, still creating, and still dreaming bigger. I want other women to know it’s not too late to reinvent yourself, build something meaningful, and take up space in any room you walk into.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the four things that really shaped my journey were consistency, knowing my worth, learning how to say no, and networking.

Consistency is everything. I didn’t blow up overnight. I showed up when no one was watching, kept creating, and kept learning. That slow, steady work is what built trust and opened doors.

Knowing my worth was a game changer. Early on, I said yes to things that didn’t pay enough or didn’t feel right because I thought I had to. But once I understood the value of my voice and my brand, I started charging accordingly and stopped second-guessing myself.

Learning to say no is a necessity. Every opportunity isn’t for you. and that’s okay. Protect your time, your energy, and your peace.

And then there’s networking, which I know can be intimidating, especially if you’re walking into a room where you don’t know anyone. But let me tell you: some of my biggest partnerships and opportunities came from being in the room, introducing myself, and following up. Conferences, events,

If you’re just starting out, my advice is: don’t try to be perfect. Focus on progress. Be consistent, build relationships, and most importantly, believe that you belong in every space you step into.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

One book that really shifted my mindset is *The Gap and the Gain* by Dan Sullivan. It changed how I look at progress—especially as an entrepreneur and content creator, where it’s so easy to feel like you’re not doing enough.

The main idea is that most of us live in “the gap” we focus on what we *didn’t* do instead of celebrating what we *did*. That hit me hard. Like, if I set a goal to walk three miles and only did two, I used to beat myself up over that one mile I didn’t finish. But the truth is, I *moved*. I walked two miles. I woke up, my legs worked, and I showed up for myself. That’s the gain.

This book reminded me to stop measuring myself against some imaginary perfect outcome and instead look back at how far I’ve actually come. That shift gave me more grace, more clarity, and, honestly, a lot more motivation to keep going, even when the results aren’t immediate.

It’s a reminder that progress is still progress, even if it doesn’t look exactly how you planned it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.passportsandgrub.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tomiko.harvey
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiko-harvey/