In 2008, Jaclyn Sienna India established Sienna Charles, a high-end travel concierge service, driven by the mindset of “fake it until you make it.” Initially struggling to find clients, India would respond to inquiries about trips with excuses about being fully booked, despite having no actual clients.
Fast forward sixteen years, and her strategy has proven successful. Today, India serves a prestigious clientele that includes former President George W. Bush and celebrities like Mariah Carey, catering to individuals earning over $100 million annually. With a focus on personal connections, India emphasizes that her ability to care for her clients is what sets her apart, despite their greater power and resources.
Sienna Charles maintains a vast network of over 2,000 contacts within the hospitality sector, including luxury hotels, yachts, and fine dining establishments. This network allows India to craft unique travel experiences tailored to her clients’ desires. She claims her skill lies in intuitively understanding her clients’ visions and translating them into unforgettable experiences.
India believes that creating valuable experiences goes beyond just luxury. She declines to recommend widely lauded spots like the French Laundry in Napa, feeling other venues, such as Single Thread Farms, offer more innovative dining experiences. Her aim is to provide personalized adventures—not merely extravagant ones.
Among her notable arrangements, India organized a candlelit dinner in Versailles and brunch atop the Arc de Triomphe. She also facilitates meetings with influential figures, having arranged breakfasts with the Hermes family and lunches with the Fendi family in Rome.
At times, her clients seek comfort in simpler pleasures. When Bush visited Ethiopia, she made sure he had familiar items like peanut butter and non-alcoholic beer, and arranged for local children to greet him wearing Texas Rangers caps.
India underscores her commitment to understanding her clients’ desires, engaging with everyone from taxi drivers to restaurant staff to uncover authentic experiences that go beyond mere luxury.