We were lucky to catch up with Anthony Berklich recently and have shared our conversation below.
Anthony, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from a sacred place inside me where I would say my “inner light” burns. It’s a place where I keep one truth that guides me through everything, and that truth is that nothing is permanent – but all things are possible. I believe that each person inherently has the ability to be something great and oftentimes stifles their own potential by believing in the fears, rejections, and negative thoughts that others project upon them. I know I was born for a reason, and that was to live to my highest potential in every way. I believe to do this one has to align themselves with what their truth is and what their “calling” is, their passion. When you make a choice to serve your passion, even if you’ve been temporarily distracted, knocked down, or sidetracked – it’s possible to be great. And, every day is an opportunity to be great…to turn the page and “get it right.” It’s never too late. It is this ideal that keeps me truly optimistic, even when times may seem tough,
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the founder and CEO of luxury New York-based travel agency Inspired Citizen. I founded the company as a digital travel magazine over ten years ago and it has since evolved to include a travel planning arm of the business – for leisure and corporate travel. Since I was a little boy, I was obsessed with travel – with the idea of visiting far-flung places to meet new people, getting to know new cultures, and experiencing different ways of life. I was fortunate to be able to be exposed to travel by my parents, as they would turn my mom’s business trips into family vacations where my sister and I could be pulled out of school and taken around the world. It was the best education for both of us.
I began my career in television, but when all the jobs at daytime talk shows dried up, I was forced to rethink what I would do for a career – and I leaned into my passion – travel. I used my journalism background (I earned journalism degrees from New York University and Columbia University) to begin the digital magazine and quickly realized that people needed help planning trips. So, instead of just offering information to readers, we decided to start helping them apply that information to phenomenal trips around the world.
Today, I travel over 100,000 miles per year, and help clients across six continents plan the most unforgettable, custom trips that give them countless memories and keep their fire alive of exploring the world around them. There’s nothing more gratifying to me than hearing a client tell me that a trip I helped them plan opened them up to a part of themself they didn’t know existed – and made them think about the world in a new way.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me, it has always been persistence, tenacity, and the ability to talk to people on their level.
I believe that true persistence is rare, and if you have it, it helps you stand out. Keep (elegantly) pushing your ideas, thoughts, or desires to those who can help you – make it clear to them that you’re serious and are willing to do the work.
Tancity, for me, is about not allowing fear to control you. Many people stop themselves from asking for what they want because they are afraid of hearing “no”. I tell people not to be afraid because there’s nothing actually “real” to be afraid of. Someone can reject you or your idea, but it doesn’t mean that it’s bad or that you’re bad. Find the gumption within yourself to ask for what you want, or go for your dreams.
Being able to talk to people on their level is critical. You have to listen and observe to be able to see and hear where a person is in their life, or their day, or week – and you can use that to get on their level, and find some commonality or relation to them. This will; help them feel some connection to you and might open them up to helping you more.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is excited about seeing a new place, sees a trip or journey as an opportunity to experience something new, and has enough nimbleness to not allow the “travel” part of their journey to cause them paralyzing anxiety. At the end of the day, people come to me to help remove the anxiety or guesswork from their travel planning. When I meet a client who puts their trust in me and allows the process to flow, acknowledging that things can go wrong but that there’s always a solution – that is my kind of person!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inspiredcitizen.com
- Instagram: @inspiredcitizen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@anthonyberklich5232
Image Credits
Morlaye Kamara – Inspired Citizen
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