In Conversation with Elena Rodriguez

Tell us about your background:

My career in product development started with a mix-up. I was a merchant at Club Monaco, learning the business, when the other "Elena" on our team left. She ran accessories production. Management figured that since we shared a name and a general skill set, I could pick up where she left off. It sounds like a joke, but I stepped into product development and never looked back.

I stayed for the better part of 20 years. The job was simple to describe and challenging to do: take a concept, make it beautiful, ship it on time, and stay on budget. I thrived on budgets and deadlines while keeping the design teams happy, and I loved the people and the community that came with it. Factories in one time zone, designers in another, a sample due Friday, and a group of humans across the globe all pulling toward the same thing.

A big part of that job was planning the overseas trips for my team. Where we stayed, how we got from the factory to dinner, what to do when a flight cancelled at 6 a.m. I never thought of it as a skill, but rather the logistics that kept the wheel turning.

Then the pandemic came, and so did my baby, and I no longer wanted to travel to Asia for work. So I got a career coach, did some soul searching, and decided to start my own travel agency, Studio Roam.

I specialize in family, wellness, and sustainable travel. I take someone's concept of a holiday and turn it into a tangible itinerary, matching them with the right hotel, location, activities, and flow. I constantly meet with hotel groups, tour sites, and visit different countries. I also host retreats. The next one is in Costa Rica this November, at the world's only 4D sound dome, built around sound and vibration healing. And because sustainability is part of my mission statement, I donate a tree for every traveler I book.

It turns out that executing a handbag and executing a perfect holiday are quite similar. Both start with a concept, both live or die on the details, and both depend on good partners around the world. The finished product is just a trip now instead of a handbag.

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

It isn't always up and to the right. Careers take twists and turns, and that is what makes them interesting. You don't need to compare your path to a colleague's.

Best career advice you've ever received?

Get up, dress up, show up.

What leadership qualities are important to you?

Humility, passion, and clear communication. Humility keeps you open to learning from anyone at any level. Passion is contagious. Clear communication should be the barrier for entry for any manager, but we've all worked for one who never got there, and the whole team pays for it.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?

At Everlane, I started managing social and environmental auditing, and it changed how I saw the work. Product was going to be made either way. If I could have a hand in that in a positive way, keeping factory workers' conditions stable and paying a living wage rather than the minimum, that mattered to me. From then on, I could only work with companies whose values aligned with mine, which is a challenge in an industry built on constant consumption. I love the craft of fashion, the creativity and the collaboration, but that tension is part of what eventually pushed me toward building something of my own.

How do you define success in your career, and how has that definition evolved over time?

With my career coach, I created a mission statement and core values for my life. It came down to four words: freedom, beauty, creativity, and curiosity. I feel like if I'm filling buckets in those values, I feel successful. Earlier in my career, success looked like the next title or the next launch. Now it looks like spending more time in nature and helping people build something beautiful.

How has networking contributed to your professional growth and success?

I don't love the term "networking." To me it conjures a transactional relationship. What it actually means to me, loosely, is connecting with people and exchanging ideas. Twenty years of factories and designers, and now hotels and guides around the world. I learn from people & also connect people who might mutally benefit from knowing each other.

At its best, networking is connecting the dots: a weave of human fabric where ideas and relationships get passed along

What are your top networking tips for building strong connections in your industry?

Attend events, even when you aren't excited or motivated. You never know what you'll learn or who you'll meet. Have your actions follow your words. Follow up, and write notes after connecting with someone. If I don't have an email chain, I'm bound to forget a name or where I know the person from.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-consciousluxurytravel/

Website: www.studioroamtravel.com

Instagram: @studioroamtravel