When Jaclyn Sienna India established Sienna Charles, her boutique travel concierge service, in 2008, she was determined to fake it until she made it.
“My husband thought I was the dumbest person in the world because we would get calls from people saying, ‘Oh, I saw your article. I’d love to go to Disney,’ or, ‘We’re going to New Jersey for the weekend,’” she told Business Insider. “And I was like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, we’re so busy, we’re really sold out this season with high-net-worth people.’ But I had no clients.”
Sixteen years later, however, faking it has paid off. India can now count multiple world leaders, including former President George W. Bush, and celebrities like Mariah Carey as clients. Her services are reserved for clientele making in excess of $100 million a year – in other words, people who already have everything. So what does India provide that her clients can’t get on their own?
“My clients are way more powerful than me, they know so many people. But that’s not what gets things done. It’s care. It’s leading from the heart,” she explains. “I was a server for five years before I started my business. I understand what makes people tick. And paying attention and caring about those people is paramount.”
Sienna Charles boasts a “black book” of more than 2000 of India’s relationships across the hospitality industry – including yachts, hotels, and high-end restaurants. This same relationship building that enables India to connect with people working in the hospitality industry also has allowed her to create unique travel and dining experiences for her clients.
“[My clients] are explaining what they’re looking to achieve, because they already see it. They just don’t have the tools, the time, the access, and the creativity to be able to fulfill that,” India said. “One of my gifts has been understanding that vision with only a few words, and then delivering that to them.”
But her goal for her clients isn’t simply getting them into the most glamorous or exclusive venues – it’s also ensuring the end experience is genuinely worthwhile.
“I don’t think French Laundry in Napa is really that exciting,” India said, referring to the three-Michelin-star California restaurant. “So I don’t sell it,” she continued. “Could we get somebody in there? Sure we can. But I think what they’re doing at Single Thread Farms down the road is far more interesting.”
While India stresses that her focus is on giving her clients the best individual experience – not simply the most luxurious – what she delivers is frequently a one-of-a-kind event. On one occasion, she arranged a candlelight dinner in Versailles. In another instance, her client ate brunch on the Arc de Triomphe.
“We also like to pair meals in with meeting great personalities,” India explained. “We’ve done breakfast with the Hermes family. We’ve done lunch with the Fendi family in Rome.”
But sometimes what her clients want is simpler. When Bush traveled to Ethiopia, she ensured that he had the comforts of home – peanut butter and non-alcoholic beer. The former president was also greeted by dozens of children wearing Texas Rangers baseball caps.
“I genuinely care about people,” she explains. India says that she spends her day speaking with everyone from her cab driver to restaurant employees to find the most interesting options for her clients. “The world is not just luxury. The world is not just fancy experiences. It’s everything and [my clients] want authentic experiences.”