Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaleigh Kirkpatrick.
Hi Kaleigh, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story really starts with a love of travel and a curiosity about people and places that has been with me for as long as I can remember. I’ve always believed that travel has a way of expanding your world—not just by seeing new places, but by meeting people, experiencing different cultures, and coming home with a different perspective.
The Shameless Tourist grew out of that passion, but also out of realizing there was a better way to help people travel. I saw an opportunity to create something that was much more personal than simply booking hotels and flights. I wanted to build a company around the idea that travel should feel personal, and meaningful.
So, I took the leap and started The Shameless Tourist in 2016. This year we’re celebrating 10 years in business. In the beginning, it was very much me figuring things out as I went, building relationships, finding the right partners, and learning what it really takes to create exceptional travel experiences for clients. Over time, those relationships and referrals grew into a business and, eventually, now our team of 13.
Today, we are a luxury travel company focused on creating highly personalized journeys and connecting our clients with the people and experiences that make a destination truly special. I’ve been fortunate to travel to five continents myself, and every trip continues to shape how I think about travel and how I advise my clients.
What’s probably changed the most is that I started this business because I loved travel, and today I love what travel makes possible for people. Whether it’s reconnecting with family, celebrating something important, stepping outside your comfort zone, or simply seeing the world differently, that’s the part of this business that keeps me excited.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think anyone who has built a business from the ground up would say there are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and The Shameless Tourist has been no different.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to grow a business while staying true to what made me want to start it in the first place. When you’re small, everything is personal—you know every client, every detail, every moving piece. As you grow, you have to learn how to build systems, create a team, and delegate while still maintaining that same level of care and personal connection.
There have also been plenty of moments where I’ve had to get comfortable being uncomfortable. But honestly, those challenges have probably shaped the business more than the easy seasons have. They’ve taught me to trust my instincts, be willing to change course, and focus on what really matters. For me, that’s always been the client relationship and the experience we’re creating for them.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Shameless Tourist is a luxury travel company, but at its heart, we’re in the business of creating meaningful experiences and helping people see the world in a different way.
We specialize in highly personalized luxury travel planning, in every corner of the world. We plan travel for milestone celebrations, family trips, honeymoons, and more complex multi-destination journeys. We work closely with our clients to understand how they actually like to travel, what matters to them, and what they want to get out of a trip. From there, we use our destination knowledge, and trusted network of partners around the world to create a trip that feels distinctly theirs.
I think what sets us apart is that we don’t believe luxury travel is simply about the most expensive hotel or the longest list of amenities. It’s about how a trip makes you feel and the people you encounter along the way. A private guide who introduces your family to their favorite neighborhood restaurant. A local artisan who teaches you something you couldn’t learn from a guidebook. A hotel where the staff remembers your name and understands exactly what you need. Those are the details that can turn a great trip into a meaningful one.
We also take seriously the role of being a trusted advisor. Our clients aren’t just handed an itinerary and sent on their way. We’re there before, during, and after the trip, and we’re constantly thinking about the details they may not even know to consider.
That’s the kind of travel we want to help people experience.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was definitely a curious kid. I’ve always been interested in people, places, and experiences. I enjoyed fashion, history and even had a Paris-themed bedroom as a teen! I loved adventures and was the person who wasn’t afraid to try something new.
Travel wasn’t just about checking places off a list for me. I was fascinated by the differences between people and cultures and loved the idea of experiencing a place rather than simply visiting it. Looking back, I can see that a lot of the qualities that make me who I am today. I am still very curious, a people person, eager to experience things for myself, and occasionally willing to take a leap without knowing exactly where I’ll land. Those qualities were there from the beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://theshamelesstourist.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/shamelesstourist
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/shamelesstourist
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/the-shameless-tourist/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessTourist
- Other: https://substack.com/@shamelesstourist
