I first started following EMBARK Beyond in 2020 while locked down in London, and I was immediately inspired by their forward-thinking approach. Fast forward five years, and the company has achieved even more.
Julie Danziger, Co-Founder of EMBARK Beyond, is now also a Founding Member of my Breakfast Club, making this journey even more special. I was delighted to have the opportunity to interview her and gain deeper insights into both her story and the incredible work of EMBARK Beyond!
How did your career in travel start and whats your earliest memory of a great travel experience?
I was in my early 20’s and not feeling fulfilled with what I was doing. My mom suggested I become a travel agent due to the fact that I had a passion for travel, was well organized, and loved to plan. So I took the advice and gave it a go. I started working for “free” (otherwise known as an internship) for 6 months, followed by a minimum wage ($8 an hour) job for about a year or so. It led me to a wonderful company I was with for about 14 years which then led me to (alongside my 2 amazing business partners) launching EMBARK Beyond. Safe to say I am no longer getting paid $8 an hour.
My earliest career travel experience was on a familiarization trip to the Czech Republic where prior to the trip I spent the weekend in Prague solo, until I bumped into Queen Latifa and LL Cool J who I spent the evening hanging out with at a local bar in Prague. Quite memorable and a great way to kick start my travel career!
A humbling and memorable experience to this day, I always recall is as a kid, once a year my parents would take us on a family trip – nothing fancy but we had the best time. It reminds me daily that sometimes you don’t need all of the fluff, just being in a beautiful place with the people you love can make any destination shine bright as the moon.
How did you decide to create EMBARK Beyond?
We were looking to take our industry and business into the future and to the next level. Combine that with a passion for creating a clear career path for the next generation of travel advisor and EMBARK Beyond was born.
What are some of your favourite destinations in the world and why?
Is it cliché to say there’s no place like home? Because there just isn’t. As many places as one can visit, I always love coming home here to New Yor
In terms of a destination I truly enjoy traveling to – tough to choose and really depends on who I am with and what season! In general though, my happy place personally is Cape Cod. I just keep finding myself going back there year after year where most places are once in a while or once in a life.
It checks off all of my boxes, and it is a place that when I visit I feel good. It makes me smile. The people, the vibe…. I feel comfortable when I am there. I feel like I can be me. It’s always hard to describe a “feeling” but that is what this place is for me. Specifically Chatham Bars Inn hotel has been that place.
Outside the US, I can visit Italy multiple times a year. The food, the culture, the hotels, the shopping, and did I say the food? It’s a place you can visit with friends, with family, with kids, just about anyone and have an exceptional experience.
3rd spot I will shout out is South Africa. It is a place that is spiritual and changes you as a person. There aren’t many places in the world that you can say are life altering and truly have the soul that South Africa has. If I can say one more I would say Israel. Why? It’s home. Aside from New York, Israel is the place that even though I don’t live there I feel like I am home when I visit.
What are travelers demanding right now and what do envision to see in 2025?
Travelers are demanding quick response time and someone that can really give them what the average person or the average AI cannot. Personal experience and ideas and places that fit well for them. People are looking for somewhere they can feel safe, secure, and experience the world but in a mindful way. We have more and more travelers that value comfort and luxury – sitting in the front of the place, taking the better quality suite, and having someone to take them around.
We are seeing more people traveling together in small groups; maybe 15 people who want a wellness journey together, or friends that want to go to a concert or sporting event, traveling for a “purpose”. Their purpose may be wellness, may be shopping, or may be a Taylor Swift concert… but they are traveling not just for the destination itself but for the experience they will have in the destination.
Your favourite spots in NYC?
Restaurant: When it comes to dining in NY you can’t just have one place. There is a place called Novita that I have been going for years. It never disappoints. In terms of specific for cuisine, Sugarfish for Sushi, for a business lunch Zaytinya is my go to (its also close to my office), Xixa in Brooklyn for Mexican, Jean Georges at the Mark or Daniel when I feel fancy, Bar Pitti for Italian. And when in doubt, a slice of Pizza in Brooklyn, anywhere… but for me Pizza Time; best kosher slice you will ever have.
Bar: One of the best cocktails in NYC has got to be the Caviar Martini at the Mercer. Come to think of it the restaurant there is amazing as well, and the hotel itself is quintessential NY.
Shop: Paris Pop; It’s a small boutique in Brooklyn that most people don’t know but has really great women’s clothing.
Places: Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game and City Winery for drinks and a show. I also happen to love the ballet at Lincoln Center. And any farmers market – I am a sucker for fresh produce.
What is your advice to those setting up their own business?
Patience. Things take time. and surround yourself with great people, with kind people.
Mostly About Coffee 