Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Rivers-Mitchell.
Danny, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Black Girls Travel Too started in January 2015, however, I was introduced to this idea way back in 1988/89 but on a smaller scale. I grew up in an overlooked and underserved community in Mobile, Alabama. I was inspired by my Mother; who is my strength and one of my reasons for going so hard. However, during my early childhood, I lacked the motivation, direction, passion, purpose, and identity. In school, let’s just say I was most definitely not a scholar. Living within my environment didn’t require much out of you than just to exist. During my seventh grade school year, I met a woman by the name of Ms. Lovegood who was a school counselor and she created trips for children that lived in underserved and overlooked communities. Let’s just be clear; travel was not even a part of my vocabulary, let alone my environment. However, Ms. Lovegood curated a weeklong trip to Washington DC over spring break.
To be honest, I never actually wanted to go on this trip, being that I had never left home at such a young age. However, my best friend wanted to go on the trip, so I wanted to go with her. What I did not realize was that by me going on this trip my entire life would change. I distinctively recall begging and pleading with my mother to let me go on this trip and being taunted by her responses of “no” every single time. Which wasn’t the bad part about it, what was most hurtful was going back to school every day and telling Ms. Lovegood that I was going even though my mom told me I wasn’t.
But on this last time, I asked my mother to let me go on this trip that I knew we could not afford she said “yes.” I watched my mother pawn our television and only VCR just, so I can be able to go on this trip. Its funny how I didn’t realize as a kid; what sacrifice she had to make, being that there were other family members residing in the house as well. I remember stepping onto this fifty-two person coach bus and all the cool people would sit in the back; so I obviously had to sit in the back too because I thought I was cool. I was determined to get a window seat, and I was sitting in the seat next to the window and as we journeyed towards Washington DC; it was like we were transitioning from black and white to color. It was on this ride that my perspective started to change. It was almost a black cultural shock to see people who look like me walking out of skyscrapers, driving nice vehicles and looking like someone of importance. There are three things that I really honed on during my one week experience. One was that my visit is that the Sony Museum assisted me in connecting with what I was learning in school; I was in awe. I recall visiting the Arlington Memorial Cemetery in amazement at how many people fought and served for our country. I remember walking down the steps close to the tombstones and looking for miles and seeing the perfectly manicured grave sites, not knowing that one day I too would serve my country.
And last but not least, the Lincoln Memorial. I had never seen a Memorial of this Magnitude in my life, imagine as an eleven-year-old from a small town looking at the Lincoln Memorial. I had to have walked up sixty plus steps to stand before this replica of President Lincoln. While everybody was reading the writing on the North wall, I stood before the statue of President Lincoln and that’s when my entire perspective on who I was and what life can be for me changed. I had decided in that very moment that I was going to rewrite the narrative on myself. I don’t know if this happened to the other fifty people on that coach bus, but I knew that my life would be changed forever.
Fast forwarding, I would go onto not only graduate high school, I would join the United States Army and serve my country for four years. After serving time in the military, I had several careers but none of them seemed to complete me; I felt empty. I knew that my existence here on earth was meant for something bigger and greater and I would go on for a couple of years trying to figure that out. Until one day, I just stopped and asked myself “Danny, what was your crossover in life? What was your huge transitional point in life? What guided you from who you used to be as a kid to who you are now physically and mentally?” I automatically thought of the trip to DC and remembered that essentially travel saved my life. So, I came up with the bright idea of if that one experience saved my life; what if I could duplicate and create experiences such as that one, how many more people I could save. This was the beginning of Black Girls Travel Too!
With this idea I knew that I did not already have people that would invest in these type of experiences; so I would have to learn while doing. Since we are in the space of social media I had decided to learn at least one platform that can showcase people of color traveling; Particularly Black Women. At the time, I knew very little about Facebook and knew nothing about Instagram from a business standpoint. But what I did know is that I knew business, being that I had run a couple of businesses before the Black Girl Travel Too venture. Needless to say, it was business, so I drove into a personal commitment with Instagram where I would launch a feature account showcasing Black travel.
Initially, I decided to post anywhere from ten to sixteen times a day. My mindset was to visually and publicly change the narrative for Black Travel. Now, what’s funny is that during this time I was traveling and trying to encourage my friends to travel as well. I always got the response I don’t have the money, I don’t have the time or black people don’t travel. These responses pushed me and encouraged me even more with creating Black Girls Travel Too because what I knew to be true is that 1. Black people do travel because I was traveling and I saw other black people traveling and two. That travel doesn’t have to be expensive and three. That people make time for what they value most.
As much time as I spent on building Black Girls Travel Too social media presence, I spent equal time traveling and putting together itineraries that I felt would be of value to our target market. Black Girls Travel Too curates seven days/six-night experiences to places like Barbados and London, however, there are exceptions depending on destinations, for example, our Cuba experience is eight days/seven nights. Our experiences are intimate with no more than fifteen persons on a trip at a time, that way we are constantly able to provide a higher level of service. Black Girls Travel Too Experiences has been responsible for taking hundreds of Black women all over the world. We look forward to 2019 experiences as we will be venturing off to Thailand, Australia, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest just to name a few.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. First and foremost it has been very difficult to me as a black woman to sell to people of color being that I have had individuals who have accompanied us on our experiences prior to arriving at the destination and they were afraid that Black Girls Travel Too wasn’t a legit company. They were told by friends and families that black businesses are not legit. They have it built in that Black Businesses are not socially acceptable to do business with. They would rather purchase from white people. With my business, they searched the better business bureau to make sure that I was legit as opposed to with Caucasian businesses the thought had not even crossed their mind. My second challenge is running a Black-owned business while building in a white space. I ran into some challenges where certain vendors did not want to partner or did not want my business because of our name, or because they felt that too many people of color would be a problem.
For instance, I’ve had friends to call get and get a rate and when I would call and specify who I was and what I was doing, I was required to put down a larger deposit. Meanwhile, my friend who was not black would not have to put down a deposit at all. At times, I was given rates that were so ridiculously high that I had no choice but to say “no” to this partnership. I’ve been to travel conferences where I was overlooked and seen as non-valuable just because of my race.
So, despite these obstacles, I found creative ways to increase our credibility within the Black Space as well as decided as a Black Women that I do not ever have to ask for a seat at the table when I am bringing the table, and the chair and offering all the seats, and bringing dinner.
My advice for other women just starting their journey is that Hard things are hard. However lean deep into your vision and know although there will be obstacles if not you, then who?
We’d love to hear more about Black Girls Travel Too.
I am a serial entrepreneur and I specialize in women empowerment. I just so happen to be the owner of a premier travel company to Black Women. I am known for creating spaces to inspire and empower women. I am most proud of the ability to rewrite the story and create a space for those who desire to travel. What sets me apart from others is that I am living out my God-given purpose, it’s as simple as that. I am exactly where God has always intended for me to be.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
The biggest barrier is being taken seriously. If you are not an aggressive woman with a strong attitude, you will not be taken seriously by your male counterparts just in my opinion. This goes across the board, even as a businesswoman. If you are not mean and take no prisoners so to speak; you are not viewed as someone with authority.
Contact Info:
- Address: Black Girls Travel Too
8553 N Beach Street Suite 138
Fort Worth, Texas, 76244 - Website: www.BlackGirlsTravelToo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/BlackGirlsTravelToo
- Facebook: facebook.com/BlackGirlsTravelToo
- Twitter: twitter.com/BGtraveltoo
Image Credit:
Black Girls Travel Too
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