When Jaclyn Sienna India established Sienna Charles, her boutique travel concierge service, in 2008, she was committed to “fake it until you make it.” At the time, she faced skepticism, including from her husband, as she took calls from potential clients for dreams of vacations to places like Disney or weekend trips to New Jersey, despite having no actual clients.
Now, sixteen years later, her strategy has proven successful. India has built a clientele that includes global leaders, such as former President George W. Bush, and celebrities like Mariah Carey. Her services cater to individuals with annual earnings exceeding $100 million, representing a unique demographic that already has access to the best in luxury travel. So, what does India offer that her affluent clients cannot obtain on their own?
According to India, the key lies in genuine care and connection. Drawing from her experience as a server, she emphasizes the importance of understanding her clients’ needs and desires. “Paying attention and caring about those people is paramount,” she states.
Sienna Charles features an extensive network of over 2,000 industry contacts in hospitality, including yachts, hotels, and fine dining establishments. This ability to cultivate relationships allows her to create bespoke travel and dining experiences for her clients. “They just don’t have the tools, the time, the access, and the creativity to fulfill that,” India remarked.
Her objective goes beyond just providing access to exclusive venues; she aims to ensure her clients have meaningful experiences. For instance, while India acknowledges the prestige of French Laundry, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, she believes other dining options, like Single Thread Farms, offer much more interest.
India excels at arranging unique events, such as a candlelight dinner in Versailles or a brunch on the Arc de Triomphe. She often pairs meals with opportunities to meet influential individuals, including breakfasts with the Hermes family and lunches with the Fendi family in Rome.
Sometimes, the needs are more straightforward. When arranging for President Bush’s trip to Ethiopia, she ensured he had familiar comforts, like peanut butter and non-alcoholic beer, and greeted him with local children wearing Texas Rangers baseball caps.
India maintains that she genuinely cares about people, actively engaging in conversations with various individuals, from cab drivers to restaurant staff, to uncover interesting options for her clients. “The world is not just luxury. The world is not just fancy experiences. It’s everything,” she insists, noting that her clients seek authentic experiences wherever they travel.