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190: How Travel Sharpens Intuition And Builds An Abundance Mindset | Sarah Dandashy
16 Plays2 hours ago
An abundance mindset grows when you trust your intuition and choose experiences that expand you. Eric Bigger and travel expert Sarah Dandashy share how meaningful travel sharpens clarity, deepens presence, and opens you to more in life.
About The Guest:
Sarah Dandashy is a TV travel expert, best-selling author, and TED keynote speaker with over 18 years in hospitality. She’s the founder of Ask A Concierge, author of Hospitality From Within, and a trusted voice on major networks and leading publications, sharing insights on travel, service, and meaningful experiences.
Whether you're a travel enthusiast, hospitality professional, or brand seeking meaningful connection, Sarah's voice continues to inspire a growing community built around curiosity, connection, and the joy of the journey.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AskAConcierge/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdandashy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askaconcierge/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/askaconciergetv
Website: www.askaconcierge.tv
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Transcript
Introduction to Spiritual Fitness Podcast
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to the Spiritual Fitness Podcast. I'm your host, Eric Bigger. And each week, we will explore powerful practices, inspiring stories, and expert insights to guide you on your path to holistic health.
00:00:18
Speaker
By blending spirituality and physical wellness, we support you in strengthening your body and soul. Whether you're a seasoned spiritual seeker or just beginning your journey, the Spiritual Fitness Podcast is here to help you unlock your inner potential and live your most vibrant, purposeful life.
00:00:35
Speaker
It's miracle season.
00:00:40
Speaker
Spiritual Fitness, Spiritual Fitness Podcast.
Meet Sarah Dandeshi: Travel Expert and Storytelling
00:00:43
Speaker
I'm your host, Eric Bigger, and we're back again with another episode. And today, I got an exciting episode, exciting guest, Sarah Dandeshi, and she's a travel expert. She's the host of the Hospitality Podcast, a TEDx keynote speaker, and a best-selling author. But more importantly, her energy is incredible, and she's been helping me book my travel abroad and All over the world. And she just helped me get to Costa Rica this year for a phenomenal retreat. Sarah, welcome to the podcast. How are you?
00:01:15
Speaker
Oh my gosh, great. they I'm so glad that we're finally getting to have this conversation. Like our orbits have been kind of like around each other for so long. But to sit down and do this and to talk about like deeper, more meaningful things. I'm so excited to be here.
00:01:28
Speaker
Yeah, so i just to give you guys some context on how I met Sarah. So i met Sarah through a mutual friend who she was publishing her book with. We all had like a group dinner or like or all the authors that night. And we just had like a very meaningful, deep conversation about like life path numbers, astrology. And, you know, would see her in passing. But I remember when I got the opportunity to go to Costa Rica in July, it was booking travel for my flight and to go to the hotel.
00:01:52
Speaker
She came into my energy and I was like, man, I think I should reach out. She was like, cool, just hit me up. I'll help you out. We had like a long conversation. i'm like, look at the universe. You were just about to leave. And that was the first day I had ever taken a class at that solid core. Like yeah I wasn't in that area. all that It wasn't like I was there and like we were missing each other. On a whim, i was like, oh, let me go here. And then I remember bumping into you that morning. i was like, oh, wait, what? What are what are the odds? And you run every day? And like you did a different route that day? Oh, yeah. forgot about that. Oh, meant to be. It's crazy. Yeah. My spirit was like, you need to run. Instead of two, you need to run three.
00:02:32
Speaker
i was like, okay. And it was the reason so I can run into you so you can help me with my travel. Before we get into the deeper analysis of that whole ordeal, because I came back from Costa Rica, it was lovely. You booked a beautiful space and place and boy, so much safety and my nervous system around that because I'm so hyper independent.
Sarah's Journey: From Multicultural Roots to Hospitality
00:02:49
Speaker
First of all, like where are you from? What are your roots start? And how did travel become part of your profession, your career and who you are in this moment in life? What a lot of people don't necessarily know, I'm half Lebanese. So I was born in the States, but three weeks after I was born, my mom had my passport for me. I flew to Saudi Arabia because at the time my parents were living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This was in the 80s and it was definitely like not the norm. So I grew up living in Saudi Arabia, then London, Atlanta, Georgia. ah
00:03:18
Speaker
And then I went to college in D.C. So travel, I always say, has like been very much in my DNA. Like if I need to go visit family, they don't live down the street. Like you've got to go somewhere to see them. And when I went to Georgetown in D.C., I was studying international relations. And my cousin at the time on my dad's side of the family who had gone to hotel school was working at the Four Seasons. And I always like had jobs while I was working. And he was like, well, why work at the restaurant down the street when you can work at the Four Seasons? And I was like, I'll get benefits.
00:03:49
Speaker
I'm going to be rich. And so I like fell into the world of hotels. I like the age of 19. Fast forward, I moved to l L.A., I end up basically being gifted the job of a hotel concierge at a five-star, five-diamond hotel, the L'Hermitage in Beverly Hills. I then went to the Peninsula of Beverly Hills, which was like even more amazing. My last hotel I worked at was the London West Hollywood, where I earned my keys. So like... the ultimate professional hotel concierge, one best young concierge in the world.
00:04:16
Speaker
And in that time of me going to that property, that was like a whole thing of me following my gut because I basically had worked at like really, really high level hotels. yeah And I knew I needed to take it down a notch. So instead of working at a five-star hotel, maybe I work at a four-star hotel so I can like build my own business. And that's when my brand Ask a Concierge was born. That was in 2012. Yeah. So I basically started creating travel videos. Immediately that took off. I got paired with big brands, this, that. And because I worked at an independent hotel that was forward thinking, they're like, you do your thing. We trust you. Like the bigger you get on social media, the better it is for us. And so that's how I was kind of able to build my brand. And so basically since 2020, I don't work at a hotel anymore. I've got my own clients. I do private concierge work, but then i also do a lot of social media, marketing work for brands, wrote my book, speak and do all of the things. So I very much like if you look in the travel influencer space, I'm pretty much the only one that actually has like a proper professional background. Yeah. Can you speak? Because I want to like take a really shot of that image you just gave us through words. What is the spiritual component to you making decisions that travel through your body that actually becomes travel in life? Like you have a trust that you just follow that gut or you have discernment, you have the intuition. How has that guided you in your life to be the travel agent, ask concierge, the host, just all the things? How has that helped you? So if you look at travel in general, like you're constantly being taken out of your comfort zone. Different smells, different food, different people, different everything. And so I grew up in that. Like I was always the other.
The Power of Travel: Fostering Connection and Growth
00:05:55
Speaker
I was always the outsider. Like I lived in Saudi Arabia. Like I, you know, I definitely wasn't from there. i lived in London. That was crazy. They were like, you are not from here. and Then I moved to Atlanta and I was like my first time living in the States. And they were like, you're definitely not from around here. And I was like,
00:06:12
Speaker
But I'm American. And so with that and understanding that and travel, it's for me, the power of connection across languages, across different backgrounds has been so important because at the end of the day, i think travel really reminds you that we're far more alike than we are different. And where we are different, that's where it's beautiful. That's where like the nuances are. It's so crazy because we're like living in this time where I feel like we're just, we're being made to be pitted against each other for being different. And where it's like, but why?
00:06:42
Speaker
So for me, travel has been all about like embracing all of the colors, the flavors, the fabrics of the world. And then kind of coming back to like trusting yourself. I'm always like, it's human first. So, so long as you act with integrity, Like, and to me, integrity is everything. Look, we mess up. We're not perfect and all of that. But like, so long as you really are trying to do the right thing, it's amazing how the world will conspire in your favor and things will work for you. And so just having that trust, and especially when it comes to big decisions, like we were talking offline before this, like I've got some big life decisions that happened and it's, I know, and I've seen this time and time again, that if it's meant to be and work out, it's amazing how frictionless is.
00:07:28
Speaker
That is just have to pay attention at the times where I felt like I pushed for something to happen, whether it's like I pushed for a job. They're like, I wasn't meant to have happened. Yeah. And I pushed for a move and it's like all these things. And then when I take a step back and it's like, okay,
00:07:43
Speaker
I think this is the direction and you just pay attention. It's amazing what ends up working in your favor. And then when it comes to traveling, it's also too like, okay, things are all going to work out. I'm going to get to where I'm going to get to. I'm going to have a great time. And I just let myself experience the moment. So I think that's another thing too. Travel can really keep you present. I love that. Travel can really keep you present. That's a quote. People take that, wear that, have that, put it on your shelf, write it down. But I want to say something that I think is very important for the listeners. You said integrity. Now, that word holds a lot of weight, but you know, it's you don't have to hold it heavy. You can hold it
Money Mindset: Generosity and Flow
00:08:22
Speaker
lightly because it's an amazing word in frequency. Where did you learn that from? Maybe it's because I grew up around a lot of different people and a lot of different backgrounds. Like, I was exposed to quite a bit, like super wealthy individuals, others that were just, like, doing their best to make it. And for me, life was never about that. i understood that at a pretty young age. And part of my role as a concierge, imagine... People give me a lot of trust. I get access to credit card numbers. I get access to like personal details, who's seeing whom, whatever it is. And it's like there's an incredible level of trust that comes with that. And that's what I talk about integrity. Like I'm always going to do what's right. And so I think that that's really what it comes to. And then funny, because I know we talked about this beforehand, integrity, too, when it comes to money. A good part of my career when I worked at a hotel as a concierge, we got paid an hourly rate, but we also got commission.
00:09:16
Speaker
And there was a lot of cash going over that desk. And there's some of it that's like, hey, this is for you. And then you get to keep that tip. And there was some like, hey, this is for the team. yeah And like if you're being given cash and you're supposed to share it with the team and nobody else is there, you have to have a certain level of integrity to make sure that you share that. And so that to me is like another thing is that integrity is this reminder of like doing the right thing when nobody's there to watch. Wow. Yeah. And it's powerful because I want to talk about integrity. I want to talk about survival and I want to talk about fear. I noticed when I ran into you this summer or early fall about the trip to Costa Rica, that I had a sense of fear in my frequency.
00:10:00
Speaker
Because not only was I booking travel for me, but I was booking travel for my partner. And I've never, you know, booked flights out of the country like this for someone else. For myself, yes. But I also think because I was in a vibration of Los Angeles, survival mode, fight or flight, energetically, when we talk and you sent me all the details of all the hotels in Costa Rica, a part of me was anxious because I didn't get back to you in enough time. And so in my mind, I was thinking, oh my God, I don't want to reach out too late. And then the prices changed, like all fear-based, right? But I noticed when I transitioned to Orange County, the anxiousness went away because of the energy here is different. So as I'm booking
00:10:42
Speaker
Or looking up why everything you sent me. I didn't even reach out. But again, had to have integrity. Because I looked at everything you sent me. I went online. And that nudge, go back to instinct, intuition, discernment.
00:10:56
Speaker
I was like, god didn I just want a book. I want a book. I want a book. Because we're getting close. It said, just wait and reach out to Sarah and see if she can do it. So when you went to go book the travel and the trip from your paradigm and your energetics, I actually got a better deal and a better prices. But because I was able to listen to the listening and have patience, integrity, I got a better deal and I felt safe. And when I got to this resort, everything was taken care of.
00:11:22
Speaker
I didn't have to think, I didn't have to worry. These are the moments in life where I talk about spiritual fitness. That's how you keep your spirit fit is knowing those nudges, right? Knowing that everything's gonna work out. Knowing that someone just gave you a lot of cash to share with the team. I'm gonna do right and present this to my team. Because that is how you get to the next level of your life. Not being strategic and being around people who have success and money. No, those little nudges, those subtleties to do right when no one's looking, that's how you actually scale your life, your business, and your frequency. And these are the things people don't know because like myself, I'm
00:11:59
Speaker
I'm around really high income earners and people who are very important to the world. So I'm trusted with a certain level of information, access, and it's teaching me that all those people that I get to connect with, they are an integrity. Not that they're perfect.
00:12:15
Speaker
But they move a certain way, they show up and they're certain. So I just want to give you your flowers for having integrity. Thank you for speaking about it, because I think the world as we evolve and change, if more people just move into the direction of integrity and not fear or I have to do this or else, because that's our energy, you'll get more out of life and you'll get more from people lord without even asking for it. And I think that's how we get blessed. It's so important.
00:12:41
Speaker
Crazy. And I love that you say that because obviously like we know scarcity mindset, abundance mindset is so real. Like I might be at a conference and somebody will say something to me and I'll be like, oh, that was like rude. And I take a step back and I'll be like, dude, they're coming from like a scarce place. They're like worried. They're like, oh my God, what's the next thing? The next thing. And I'm like, without a doubt. I mean, don't get me wrong. Do I have moments of like...
00:13:02
Speaker
who what am I doing? Like if I yeah make change or this for sure, I'm human, but I know at the end of the day, I'm like, it's going to work out. Like it will work out and it might not work out how I thought, but like, it's going to work out in another way. That's going to be beautiful. And like, sometimes you just have to change that frequency. So going from a place of abundance and coming back to, and this was always my favorite thing. Like sometimes with my clients, I'll do something generous for them. Like I had clients, they had a birthday party in New York and I was like, you know what? I'm just going to fly out to New York and I'll be there to just like help run things. I'm not a party I'm not an event planner. yeah I'm like literally just going to be like an emotional safety net. And I didn't charge them for that flight.
00:13:39
Speaker
Would they paid for it? For sure. You know? And it's like, there were a couple of things I was like, you know what? I'm going to just take the time out to do this. And it comes back tenfold. And it it even makes me think, because it's like people notice that and they might not notice it directly, but people notice it. And that's where you can understand, like it's wild. Like a whole other thing. like I've gone out on dates with very, very wealthy men. And I'll sometimes like flip the script, be like, I got this. And not in a super independent way. I'm not in this for your money type of way. they're like, wait, what? We don't understand this like dynamic. And I'm like, it's cool. Whatever. The next time. and they're like, oh, whoa. So it's amazing how what you can do to A, bring more abundance if you just have that mindset, but then also kind of like get people, like remind them that like you're not in it for that. Like you're not in it to like get more. from Yeah. Yeah, and I think it's huge and it's important to know that money has an energetic. It's a tool that can benefit us. And it's not about how much or how less. It's about do you understand the power of it? And I think we were speaking offline. I didn't share, but when I moved out here, after i worked out the gym, i went to Newport Beach.
00:14:48
Speaker
And I had this thought and you shared it offline. i was like, you must be picking up on my energy. That money is like the ocean. Like when I'm looking at the waves out of at Newport, it's just flowing. There's no resistance. There's no hoarding of the water. It's coming in, going out, coming in. And I realized...
00:15:04
Speaker
Lately, talking to clients and talking to people and just having a higher perspective, I'm like, it's interesting how people give money so much power. They don't understand the power of it. And we hold, we save, we invest.
00:15:18
Speaker
But I was telling a client about We've been programmed since however long we've been here to retirement, right? So retirement has ideology that has a frequency that has a paradigm. So if most of your life you've been told you got to retire, you got a 401k, you're already conditioning and programming yourself to not allow your money to travel as far because you're giving your money a ceiling. Retirement.
00:15:44
Speaker
So now you're capping your money because of a paradigm that someone's projecting on you. And they justify it by giving you 401ks, a high yield investment accounts, whatever. But I think what you said was so good.
00:15:58
Speaker
If you don't give money all the value that the world gives it, but you have a value within it, you'll actually make more of it without looking for it. Because you're not so attached. To me, I just come back like it's a spirit of generosity. Somebody that's generous, when I say generous of spirit, they're not holding on. They're not like, you know, like as that song from the 80s, hold on loosely. You know what I mean? And it's like, it's so true. And so I feel like the more that you end up giving and like the more generous who are, inappropriate times, you know, and it's not being generous with like the anticipation of anything coming back. But there is absolutely this fluidity to money and think about it even like when it comes to businesses how many times have you we've talked to business owners and they're like okay I get to a certain point they're at a certain point and what they need to do is they need to bite the bullet and like maybe hire somebody be it an assistant or whatever it is so for them to go to the next level they're like oh yeah but I can do it like that's a financial I don't need to pay somebody and it's like
00:16:56
Speaker
No, pay somebody and then you will make more money. So I feel like in so many different ways, be it life, be it like business, like we kind of have that little bit of a, oh, I shouldn't spend that much. And it's like, I mean, I've decided that, you know, when I go to on certain flights, like I'm going to make sure that these flights I'm on first class because I know who I but end up bumping into on those flights. And that's not all the time, but it's like a specific destination. And it's like people are ready to chat. And I'm like, I've already made so many contacts. And I'm like, that to me is like a worthwhile investment. Yeah. And it's that that ideology or that phrase of when you don't need anything, you get everything. And I think sometimes, you know, when you said that, I had ah a business owner tell me, it's about like a year ago, they want to make 10 million, but they're only making 3 million.
00:17:45
Speaker
And at the time I didn't have this awareness, but just now, you know, the that the answer would have been to them to make it is to give away more money, give away more money. Like what? Yeah. I think you should donate more money. How much money have you given away this year? Go give away quarter million.
00:18:00
Speaker
What? I don't have. But you want to go to another level, but you're not willing to give away more. And so people don't understand and go to at another level of your life or your timeline, where you want to go There's something you got to give more of. And it's not that more energy. You probably got to let go of being, you know, triggered by someone's.
00:18:19
Speaker
personality or hire more staff because it's it's an energetic thing. And I think sometimes when we don't allow, because going to get back to travel, we don't allow o ourselves to travel without money.
Travel as a Catalyst for Self-Discovery
00:18:31
Speaker
We're not able to travel within our bodies, nor are we able to travel in life. And I think what I've learned from traveling so much, it opens my awareness about who I am, what I'm becoming, what I need to grow, what I need to learn. But more importantly, look how far I've traveled just by traveling.
00:18:49
Speaker
booking at a time where i can only afford one-way flights. So I'll book one-way, then I'll wait to book the, well, you know what i'm saying? and And my life changed. In your space of business, in your space of life, you travel a lot, but you have this personality of a podcast host, on-air host, you know, talk show. How did you get into that space to be a host of a podcast and have your own thing and still manage traveling and also having a business where you can be all over the world? How did you get to that point?
00:19:20
Speaker
ah It takes a lot of careful management. that I definitely like ah not everybody is built this way. So interesting, the podcasting. So so I always had like a passion for film and TV in the entertainment industry. So even though I went and I studied international relations at Georgetown, like that was always my thing.
00:19:36
Speaker
So I actually was an intern at a radio station, a hot 99.5 in DC. And so I had this background like in radio and fast forward, like the podcasting just made sense because it's like, I have the equipment. I understand what it takes. I understand show structure. And so I've kind of interesting. It came to me. I kept having companies come to me that they're like, we can't pay you, but like, we'll produce the whole thing. We just, we're going to give you a platform. So that's kind of how I got into it. And it's like all of the shows I've had have found me. And so I'm like, I guess it just makes sense. And I'm just meant to do that. So what would you say is your passion in general?
00:20:15
Speaker
It is storytelling through travel. And I think the reason why that that makes so much sense for me, why it resonates the most, is I know how much you can learn, be it from yourself or about others, by traveling. And I'm also, like, not a fan of fear-mongering. And I feel like the more people are exposed to the world, exposed to different cultures, different things, the less fear they have. So for me, it's like, how can I show you, like, there can be other,
00:20:45
Speaker
Yeah. differences and you have to be scared' there's beauty in it and again it's kind of coming back to like connecting on the human level which is obviously where the hospitality aspect comes but then like showing people like there's so much to the world if you just look at things differently perspective as another big thing travel gives you perspective yeah In a plane, looking out a window, you know, and being like, oh, this is so nice because it's so different. And then also even being like, wow, I do appreciate living where I live. So it's like there's so many things that travel gives and it gives you that perspective in that breathing room. Right. And so for me, I get super passionate about hopefully inspiring people to do whatever, travel however they need to travel. Maybe it might mean like, you know what, finances are different this year, but we're going to go on a road trip. To me, travel is almost like a state of mind and you can just be that curious individual in your backyard, even if you just like, you just have to change your mindset to it.
00:21:40
Speaker
Yeah, and it's beautiful because I've been coming across these like blogs or these posts or these pages about money and passion. And you will hear a lot of people, maybe some entrepreneurs, CEOs, they say, don't follow your passion.
00:21:54
Speaker
Go get a job that you can make money and then allow that money to fill your passion. So I'm like, OK, I get that. But I don't totally agree with that synopsis. Right. Because it's telling people to go get the money to actually invest or build their passion. So what I think happens is if and that unless you're creative and you can kind of figure it out, is people get a job that makes good money. They're so tired from the job, but they have the money that they don't have no energy for a creativity or their passion.
Balancing Passion and Financial Stability
00:22:24
Speaker
And my entire career, I have always at some manner, at least being in LA for 15 years, made money off my passion and what I love to do. And that's helping people. And I think that's been a challenge is how do I scale what I love, make good money and enjoy it?
00:22:41
Speaker
Because I think some people get into like entrepreneurship or following that passion, but they're not really in it for the passion of it. They're in it because they think their passion is going to make the money. You know, they're not really engulfed in it. And so then they give up.
00:22:54
Speaker
Right. Because it takes energy. It takes time. It takes patient. And I'm learning even people who have money, there's not in their passion. They're not fulfilled. Right. Totally. Oh my gosh, I have so much to say about this. Yes. like feel like this is like my career. When I was working at a hotel, like that wasn't my passion. That was my day job. You know what i mean? But then when I take a step back, and even still, there I have several aspects to my business. Sometimes the ones that I'm more passionate about, the more creative aspects of my business, don't necessarily pay the most. And I'm okay with that because I'm okay with that sort of balance. And maybe it's the Gemini in me that I thought I read like a little bit of bulk, but that's how I just moved through life. I worked and I did my job so that I could have this money and this good people were saying like, when did you start like monetizing? And I probably took the slow route because I had to do it right, coming back to integrity. And so it's like I was probably making content online for like seven years before I started making money from doing that. and But I wanted to do it the right way. And I was also doing it in a way that other people weren't doing it because i was like, this is truest to me. So I was doing video before like anybody was doing video on Instagram and all that. So, you know, like your case, you're lucky that you've been able to make money during your passion for so long.
00:24:07
Speaker
And sometimes people can do that. I've got a friend of mine. He's a magician. He started getting paid as a magician at 15 and he's been a professional magician his whole life. And I'm like, that's amazing. Some people get that. And sometimes you just have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and I will do the work and roll up my sleeves and I will be scrappy. And I'm like, even still to this day, I'm like, I've been doing this for how long? Over a decade, I've proven myself, but I will still do the scrappy work for the bigger picture in the long run. And it always comes back. But I think people sometimes are afraid of doing hard work. I agree.
00:24:42
Speaker
And here's the thing. The timeline is that I had a government job coming out of college, just paying decent money. I didn't like a cubicle life. So I'm like, I'm going to L.A. I took a thousand dollars. I left. And my first job with a college degree with honors, I worked at a shoe store. I sold sneakers, $8 an hour. I'm like, wow, I'm not making no money. Very humbling, right?
00:24:59
Speaker
So that's when I got into like, I need to start reading books, self-help, as a man think of, think and grow rich, the secret. I did not get a job at Amber Carmel and Fitch as a manager. Like, oh, cool. So I had jobs. And then I said, you know what? At 25, I want to be a life coach. That was the intentions. So i was like, I don't have life experience, but I can personally do physical training. So that was my gateway to get into life coaching. I've never worked for anyone when it came to physical fitness. I mean, I worked with people who kind of give me opportunities, but I never worked at a gym or studied kinesiology. I just did what I felt. And over time,
00:25:34
Speaker
I was still trained on the side and I would get a job. So this way shifted for me. I quit Iamber Crombie, went to go start training and I failed. I would hit the wall, wasn't making money. i was like scared, like how am I make money? So I went back to get side job, which was a nightclub working as a door guy. And I would like really write down everything I made, spent, like I was my own accountant. And so two years in that year working at the nightclub, the second year going in, I said, you know what? I'm to do Uber, right? Because I'm going to do what it takes. So I was doing, working at a nightclub three days a week. I was doing Uber, selling water machines, hanging water machines, and doing personal training. So when I look back at my books on like how much I was making in Uber, I'm like, I make twice as much money doing Uber than I do working at this nightclub. Right? wow, I should just work for myself. I make more money.
00:26:24
Speaker
And then that's when I realized I can do this. So I do want to tell people you have to try to see yeah if you have the body confidence and cellular confidence to do the thing. And that's when I made the switch. And thank God I was learning and working on myself because it still was tough times. TV came. Mm-hmm. And then TV taught me how to have trust in the universe because I still had to pay my rent when I went on TV. It was $2,000 a month. So I say all that to say, based on what we're saying, it's not that you can't have a job, you can't make money off your passion. I just think we got to get really within integrity of what our spirit and soul want and not what the world old is telling us. Because a lot of people come from a mechanical mind, the 3D, which you can see. We fortunately live in l L.A. where there's a lot of opportunity. You can run it into one client, change your entire life.
00:27:13
Speaker
So for you, I feel like you've always followed your bliss, like the flow of water. The reason I'm asking that question and I'm bringing these things up because I think that's where the world is going now. And you can't depend on a real job because what is a real job?
00:27:27
Speaker
Totally. Well, and I love that you say this because this reminds me, and I kind of glossed over at the beginning. So like I was working at the peninsula, Beverly Hills. Like, yeah I still think it's the best hotel in the city. And it was great and I was making good money. But I was like, i don't want to blink and like be here and like
Strategies for Building a Brand While Working a Day Job
00:27:44
Speaker
70. It's like a lot of people, they're lifers. they're there I go back now and it's like it's been 15 years since I've worked there. And it's like still the same. So many of the same people and nothing wrong with that. But I was like, I knew that wasn't my route. And so I quit without a job lined up.
00:27:56
Speaker
And then I bounced around for a little minute and I like whatever. And then I ended up and I turned down an offer at like the be Hotel Bel Air. I didn't get an offer at the Four Seasons, but it was good. Then when it came to the London, they were like, you're overqualified.
00:28:12
Speaker
They hired somebody else. They ended up firing him after week and then they came back and they hired me. All that to say is like, again, also trusting like what's meant for you will find you. There's that. But then the other thing is that I really had to get over in my mind. I was like, I'm used to working at the highest place. I'm used to being representing the best, getting a lot of money, all of that.
00:28:31
Speaker
But I was like, there's only so much time and effort you have in the day. So if I'm at this place and it's taking up 90% of my energy, only have 10% of my energy left to give to put back on my business. So maybe if I just like still make money off of my day job, but maybe I don't do as stressful of a job. So instead of something that takes up 90% of my energy, I go someplace that's just a little bit easier. Maybe it only takes up 60% of my energy. Well, now I have 40% left of my energy and my reserves to go towards building my business. And then I specifically structured my day that I would work at night so that when I was freshest and the most energy, I would wake up and I would work on my business every morning and then I would work at night. And people were like, you have so much seniority. Why do you work nights and weekends? And like... That's just to pay the bills. I'm keeping myself at my freshest available to build my business during times when I'm feeling good. I've got the most energy that I can put towards it. And so that's like how I ended up building it. But again, it was like very much understanding like, OK, if you've only got this amount of time, you just use it like a seesaw. Finally, then it's like more and more energy. And all of a sudden I was like, I was only working one day a week.
00:29:38
Speaker
I'm like, okay, we can cut this now. Like you can definitely work fully for yourself. So that's, I think, a wonderful way of like looking at it when you're really trying to figure out like, how do I take my side hustle and like grow it into something in a way that you might feel comfortable, you know, if you still need to like make sure you're covered.
Prioritizing Travel Despite Financial Constraints
00:29:55
Speaker
Yeah. And it's just patience. I think we live in a world now and everybody wants it right now. And it's like, give yourself grace, have patience and it will pay off and it will come to fruition. I want you to speak right now. And if you can, because I know there's a lot of people out here and out there in the world that don't travel.
00:30:14
Speaker
Yeah. And they haven't traveled out of the country. And the number one thing is so interesting. Money keep coming up in this podcast episode. And you, need the travel expert, is that it's always because of a dollar, ah money or time. I have to work. I don't have time off. And when I get time off, I got to sleep. My first time leaving the country was 28 years old. I went to the Dominican Republic, right? My cousin and I said, yeah, let's go to book a resort, you know, go to this hotel. Just staying and we went for four days. It was great. i was like, oh oh, my God, like I'm traveling for the first time I get a stamp on my passport. But I have friends and people in my life who barely left their state.
00:30:54
Speaker
Like they might go to New York, you know, from Baltimore, they might go to Miami, they might go to Pennsylvania. They don't travel. And it's always because of a currency thing. They don't have time or it's not even a thought.
00:31:09
Speaker
So what could you say to these individuals who literally want to travel? What could they think about to allow that space and energy to come through for them to have that opportunity? Because it's so beneficial for their life.
00:31:21
Speaker
I do think that we've shifted more into this since the pandemic. With more people putting value on experiences over things, that is a general shift that we've absolutely seen. Not just a tagline. So say prioritize it.
00:31:35
Speaker
you know like to prioritize it And, to you know, maybe it's like if, the you know, when you're looking over, you're planning your year ahead and be like, I want to go to three different places I haven't been to. So if you start kind of planning for it and then maybe you have to be depending on your where you are financially, maybe you have to be super strategic. That's fine. Maybe it's just kind of like you can kind of put it out there and you'll notice what things end up coming and working in your favor.
00:31:58
Speaker
There are so many ways that you can travel without necessarily breaking the bank. You can plan early in advance. Right. You can get into the points and credit card game. You know, you can do that. But I think it's just important to have something to kind of like plant those seeds. And again, the other thing that I always say to people is to like not judge your travel, like live in Bali for a month. Maybe the reality of traveling halfway across the world is that's a lot. That's daunting. It takes time. It takes finances, all of that. But then maybe it's like, you know what?
00:32:29
Speaker
I live in California. I'm going to make sure I go to Napa. So you know, which is like just as wonderful. I'm going to go to Mexico, whatever it is. So I think it's kind of planning. And like the more you just kind of plan these little like micro trips, the more that you'll end up like other trips will kind of like fall into your lap. You have to plan for them, but prioritize it. Because again, I think so many people are like, well, why would I go spend like $3,000 on a vacation? And it's like, because it's fueling you. Like we are so programmed to work all the time, but sometimes it's like,
00:33:01
Speaker
You have to step away so that you can like refuel yourself and then you can like work with a clear mind and maybe smarter or stronger moving forward. So to me, I feel like when they joke, they're like, oh, travel is my therapy. um And yeah, there's a tongue in cheek with that. But it is like it is like because it's fueling your soul.
00:33:20
Speaker
Yeah. And it's, you know, there's a thing about money where they talk about, I think is even after 75K 100K, the energy, once you make af over that, right, it's not as much different than someone making a million dollars. And so it's the experiences that you're investing in when you're traveling. And I also know when I used to book my flights when I had any money back in 2010, 11, 12, and I first moved to LA, I would book one ways and flights would be, I probably booked two, three months in advance flights from LA to Baltimore, like 141. Then after taxes, I'm paying like 158. And then so my overall trip total probably be like 282 or 328.
00:34:03
Speaker
But I still found a way to get home. So when people make an excuse about not traveling, like, no, you make it a priority. You can do it. And I think to go back to your point of perspective, perspective is so important because people allow their perception to be the actual perspective.
00:34:19
Speaker
We're perceiving like my trip to Costa Rica, like it wasn't that it was cheap, but it also wasn't too much that I couldn't manage. But in my mind, I'm like, oh, well, I got to spend it. But like, no, I didn't. I actually got a great price for, I was in a five-star hotel, everything included.
00:34:37
Speaker
So I think sometimes our perception is not our reality and we allow our perception to be our reality before the experience takes place. So when we don't have the experience and just the thought, we don't even move into the thought that we want because we think the experience is going to, but we perceive. It's like just because something costs more doesn't necessarily i mean it's better.
00:34:58
Speaker
Yeah, that's good. and That's, I think, a big thing, too. I have this conversation with my clients all the time. They can afford to stay wherever. And they will say to me, they're like, we work with you because, like, we just want to know, like, what's going to be best for us. Because it's like we know just because it costs more doesn't mean that it's better for us. That's, I think, a really important thing that sometimes people are like, well, I'm not going to travel because, like, I'm not going to be able to stay in XYZ Resort. And it's like, you don't.
00:35:23
Speaker
have to stay in XYZ. So yeah it's funny because even though luxury hotels are so much a part of my DNA, because that's like where I work, I'm not a hotel snob. You know, I mean, there's like some minimum requirements I would prefer, but I'm like, you know what? Sometimes I just like want like a basic thing that's like clean, nice, fresh. And like we go from there. So again, it's all like, what are you wanting to gain from it? Spending more money on something does not necessarily mean that it's going to give you the best experience for what you need at that time.
00:35:52
Speaker
Yeah, and the things become, it's all relative. You know, the experiences are different, but the emotions are the same. And I had ah some people stand at the Four Seasons in Costa Rica, and they're like, they love it. But you know what was so funny about, because they joined me and my girlfriend at my hotel for dinner, and they were saying, it's just peaceful. And i'm like, but that's what you want? They're like, yeah, it's like maybe too peaceful. And I was like, interesting. interesting iss like they wanted to leave to come out to have dinner where I was.
00:36:20
Speaker
Yeah. But I'm like, you got the five star for a season. One of the, you know, in my perceptive mind, I didn't visit. And it was interesting that they left to go somewhere else on based on a prices that, you know, it's just interesting. like you said, everything that shine is not a diamond. So true. And again, it's like what you give value to. And so that's the other thing. It's like, because sometimes like people get all like, oh, I'm only going to fly first class to Europe. And I'm like, fine, if you want to spend money on that, for sure. But like for me, I'm like, I'm going to be in the plane for eight hours or 10 hours. I'd rather spend less on the flight and like...
00:36:57
Speaker
more when I'm there doing experiences or that. So again, it's all like, and how you can like play with it and like what you give value to. For me, I'm like flying first class. Yes, it is absolutely lovely. But sometimes I'm like, is it worth that value for this experience for this short of a time? Yeah. Cause I just talked to someone who they spent a lot of money on some flight. And I was just like, how is this even possible? Cause I was like, what?
00:37:21
Speaker
But before we get off, I got two questions. The first question is, what is spiritual fitness to you? And the second question is, how does one qualify or how does one work with you to get into your space to have a beautiful travel expert like yourself help them with anything they want to do abroad or in state? Like, how does that work?
Spiritual Fitness and Practical Travel Tips
00:37:41
Speaker
So for me, spiritual fitness is just like, it's really taking the time to like check in with yourself um and stay in tune with yourself. Just like how like we go to the gym and like we work out, you know, and like we're working these muscles, like whatever, you know. You're doing different things that you need to stop and you need to do that with yourself.
00:38:00
Speaker
And that might mean finding moments to of like peace. So meditating and however that translates to you, whether it means journaling. I think a lot of spiritual fitness comes down to reflecting. That's always been part of me. I remember being like 12 years old, 13 years old. I have a natural instinct that I check in with myself three different times a year. One's like in October, another one's like in March, and then there's another one that's like in like June or so. And that's been a weird natural rhythm that I have that is strange. a teenager would not normally have, but I did. And still to this day, like I have these moments where I'm like, yo, I need a minute to unplug.
00:38:41
Speaker
And like check in with myself because like I get it like there's the grind and all of that. But if you just unplug and listen to yourself, it's amazing what will bubble up as far as what's true, what's working, what's not. And we have the beauty of always being able to change what's not working for us. It may be scary if you're constantly checking in.
00:38:59
Speaker
Like that's where you can make the change. And like we've seen probably the meme online a million times or whatever a quote. But it's like if you get it on a train going the wrong direction, the sooner you get off, the less you have to backtrack. You know, like I'm constantly reminding myself, like, got to check in because it's like so much rather being like, oh, this is not working. Make that change sooner than further down the line. So that for me is definitely like a big part of spiritual fitness. I'm a big fan of that and getting out to nature. But as far as like working with me, I mean, it's, you know, it's pretty easy. I mean, I've got my website, askaconcierge.tv. mean, guests can always email me directly, sarah at askaconcierge.tv as well. So S-A-R-A-H and then at askaconcierge. But I mean, it's pretty simple. And then like we kind of talk about it and we figure it out and figure out if it's like a right, like right fit, you know. So again, for me, it's all about like maximizing the experience and the type of clients that I generally work with. It's not about nickel and diming, but it's about getting like the best value. Yeah, I love that And that's great advice when people listening and traveling. It's about getting the best value for you and not for what the world is telling you or what their prices are telling you on their website. What do you feel in your body? What is that energy traveling in your body to book a stay? But more importantly, I think the most important thing,
00:40:17
Speaker
Go to Sarah, book a consultation and talk to her and really allow her to help you like she helped me get the best experience out of your stay. And I wanted to add, you know, the hotel was so great. The food was incredible. The El Manor Grove that you preferred.
00:40:32
Speaker
And we had a moment where we had cleaning service and we had a young woman come by. And my girlfriend was really admired by her service. And it reminded her of herself when she was young. And I was telling her, I was like, I think we should tip her nice, like a nice tip.
00:40:52
Speaker
And on top of that, you know, we gave the young woman the money. She was so happy. But more importantly, my girlfriend was like, you know what? She did such a great job. I'm going to call her supervisor. And tell her how much I appreciate her. And this young woman was so like happy, like genuinely happy. And I could cry because I'm like, that's life to me.
00:41:12
Speaker
That's fu fulfillment. That's success. All because of the energetic you helped me choose for that experience to take place. So if I go back to Costa Rica, that's a space that I will refer based on what you, I trusted in you.
00:41:28
Speaker
We had ah such a great time. You know, it's those moments why it's important to have a concierge, to have a travel agent, to have someone who's been there, who's experienced it, who understand the lay of land to book travel and stay in all these phenomenal places of the world. I just want to draw attention to what you said. it kind of goes back to kind of what we talked about before. And when i talked about generosity being so important, yes, there was a financial element to it, but going that extra step to call her supervisor, that's what I mean by like generosity. and Generosity of spirit is to make that extra step that will really you.
00:42:05
Speaker
them And that didn't cost your girlfriend anything. The time and effort, it took her time and effort. That is where I feel like that's the special place is like, if you can be generous of spirit and time, it's amazing what comes back to you. And you're right. In those little moments, those subtleties, like I spoke earlier is where life changes the most. And she said,
00:42:25
Speaker
i said i love She said, i love nice places. She said, I don't care how nice a place is if the service is not A1, if the service is not great. She said, I'm all about service over the experience that someone told me I should have. If the service is not great, she said, when I go to a nice place, I expect certain things because that's what comes with it. But service to me is the most important thing in any environment or space. So i want to say thank you for honoring that experience for us.
00:42:53
Speaker
ah We had a great time, but people follow Sarah on Instagram at ask a concierge, right? Yep. Website. I'll put everything in the show notes. And um she's an incredible source of energy and light and spiritually attuned. And she travels a lot and she understands how people think based on the service space and hospitality. And also you have a book out. What's the name of the book?
00:43:15
Speaker
hospitality from within. and It's about the people make the difference and it's them showing up with this genuineness to care or to serve. And that's the part that makes a big difference. It's not about the thread counts. It's not about bubble floors. It's about how people are showing up. So I love that your girlfriend was into that because that's everything my book is about.
00:43:34
Speaker
So it is. Well, thank you, Sarah. People, subscribe, download, follow Sarah, and we're done with another spiritual fitness podcast. Peace.
00:43:47
Speaker
Thank you for joining us on the Spiritual Fitness Podcast. We hope today's episode has inspired you and provided valuable insights for your holistic health journey. By blended spirituality and physical wellness, you can strengthen your body, mind, and soul.
00:44:03
Speaker
If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Until next time, stay strong, stay inspired, and remember, it's miracle season.