Hi, I’m Courtnie Nichols
Luxury Travel Advisor + Business Strategist + Travel Industry Disrupter
Seven years ago, I was responsible for a 50 million $$$ budget as a major gift fundraiser at the University of Florida (we were in the middle of a 3 billion + campaign and trying to move into the top 5 of National Public Universities) and I got bored.
Yep, you heard me, I got bored and started thinking about my future. I also realized that if my husband moved one more time I probably wouldn't be in the best position to further my career in this space, especially in the role that I thought I desired or deserved.
See, I am also a College Basketball Coach's wife who has moved eight times in the last 15 years, so staying put has not been something I am accustomed to. This has probably worked out well, seeing that I have found my place in the luxury travel space. I always said I was going to be a CEO like my dad one day, and one of my goals came true at the age of 30.
I left my fundraising behind to do just that. I had a little nudge from the travel agent who was responsible for all of the travel for my very own destination wedding. That push led me to start a career in travel that has taken me all over the world, 53 countries. I said I would give it one year in 2017, and if I didn't make the money I wanted, I would go back to fundraising. Well, in June of 2018, I quit my day job as a major gift fundraiser and set off on this adventure of entrepreneurship. Since then, I have been featured in Travel Leisure, The Washington Post, and Travel Weekly. I even authored my first ebook, Passport to Paradise Destination Wedding Guide, an Amazon best seller.