Meet Karolina Guilcapi

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

Karolina, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creativity is an essential part of being successful in the travel industry – all day long we build and create experiences for clients, so it takes a certain type of person to manage that role. When hiring, I will much rather bring on a creative and exciting person than a skilled one. Skills can be taught, but personality and habits are hard to change. Creativity brings life to the team, and the clients can instantly feel this. After being in travel sales for two decades, I am often asked if I do not tire of the topic. I can honestly share that staying creative is what keeps me going. There are many ways to keep creativity alive – the main one is to simply try something new. You will find me taking salsa classes, kayaking in bioluminescence, sitting in a salt cave, and creating food tik toks with my kids – and that’s just this week! By opening myself to new experiences, my mind is constantly learning, developing, and growing. It allows me to step outside the comfort zone and offer new fun topics to chat about. So go to that wine tasting, and take that pottery class! It will keep the creative juices flowing right back into your work day.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Sated Ventures is more than travel – we are a tour company that is all about creative a feeling. That moment you will remember for the rest of your life.
That experience which will transform you.
That meal which will make you smile years from now.
We take your trip, and make it better.
Being a boutique tour operator, we specialize in 40 countries around the world, and we create private tour itineraries – our own drivers, our own guides, hand picked hotels, and unique activities. Combine all that, and then expect surprises and special touches scattered throughout. You pick your dates, and there are no groups. It is all custom private travel, with a focus on culinary anthropology – because food connects us all.

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?
Two decades later, and my piece of advice for everyone is – never stop growing. There is always something to learn, there is always something to discover. There is beauty in hobbies, in becoming an expert in something very specific. Learn everything you can about the subject you love! I have been enamored with Latin America for many years, and traveled there on 40+ trips so far. I know hundreds of hotels intimately, and I can route any map for my clients. I understand the seasons and climates here, and I enjoy hearing about new restaurants to discover, less known ruins to visit, and reinventing old locations with special touches. I spend hours discussing options and building itineraries. There are no 2 trips that are alike with Sated Ventures, I make sure the client has their fingerprint on the itinerary. I specialize in this area and I am proud of all we have accomplished.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Have you ever had so many things to do, that you wind up sitting in a fog for hours not tackling anything at all? I am sure a lot of entrepreneurs can relate. Wearing multiple hats can get heavy, so staying organized is key. Lists, lists, lists. Using tools that work for you (such as a google calendar), add everything to your to-do lists. Do not keep anything in your mind, because you will forget it. Opening the calendar and having a tidy to-do list for each day will keep you sane.
Another strong piece of advice is stay in control of your emails. Use folders to organize clients and projects, and train yourself to only read an email once – meaning: read it, respond to it, or create a to-do item about it to your calendar. Then file it away. Not rereading emails all day long will save you hours! There are many tips and tricks like this that I train sales consultants on.
Last piece of advice here – when you do get bogged down, or truly overwhelmed – step away, take a walk, face the sun for a few minutes. A 15 minute break can make you much more productive than trying to push through it.

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Image Credits
Carlos Guilcapi

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