Jamie Biesiada
In 2010, Dana White, now the owner of Lead Explorers in Boston, and her husband, Greg, packed up their four children and hit the road for a full year.
"We explored all seven continents and 31 different countries with our goal of really creating shared experiences and to make the kids better global citizens and show them that where they were growing up was really a privilege and not an entitlement," White said.
The Whites targeted destinations that likely wouldn't be the same in 20 years.
Little did she know that year-long adventure would lead to more than the memories made with her family: It would morph into her agency, Lead Explorers, which helps other families see the world.
White wasn't involved in the travel industry prior to her trip. But when she got back, she was trying to figure out her next move.
"I would get calls from people asking for advice, and I realized that I had a lot of knowledge and could really turn that into an advisory business," she said.
Lead Explorers was founded in December 2013. White doesn't do any marketing; almost all of her clients find her via word of mouth. That's part of her strategy: "I believe that if I do a good job for my families, then they will recommend me to their friends or families," she said.
Her clients tend to be high net worth, luxury travelers.
In addition to shorter trips, each year, White manages one or two around-the-world trips, which range from two months to one year in length.
"Those are a ton of fun because it's knitting together lots of individual trips, but most importantly getting the pace and the flow right," she said.
She is a member of the Europe-based consortium Serandipians, whose network of DMCs she works with closely in planning her clients' travels.
White also draws from her own experience. When she pulled her children from school, she and her husband opted to homeschool them on the road.
"There were definitely some holes in their learning, but, for example, they know that in Vietnam, it's called the American War. It's not the Vietnam War," she said. "That kind of perspective was really valuable."
For White, exposing her children to so many different cultures and experiences was a highlight of her year on the road.
"Travel is transformative. Period. It just is," she said. "Travel is about getting out of your comfort zone, dealing with adversity, dealing with unexpected outcomes. I think in terms of resiliency, it was very valuable."
But the best value for the Whites was the time together: "350 days with just our family."