Episode 89: Girls’ Guide to Paris and Beyond, with Doni Belau
What business you start will many times come from what you are most passionate about. Doni Belau, founder, and CEO of Girls’ Guide to Paris, started exactly that with her fabulous women’s travel company that goes far beyond Paris. In our conversation, Doni details her story and drive in building a company around what she loves … safe travel with and for women … and encourages all women to consider taking an entrepreneurial road like she did.
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Doni also shares about an upcoming program that she’s offering called Women’s Travel Wisdom, with a retreat to a beautiful part of California for four days. This wellness retreat, however, is also a journey into learning more about us as individuals, something that is so important to creating a joy-filled life. Yes, eating right and exercising are important aspects of wellness, but self-discovery, mindfulness and empowerment are all key factors in the success of your business, too. Listen as Doni Belau gives us insight into this different but necessary type of exploration.
Resources and links in this episode:
Girls’ Guide to Paris website
Doni’s upcoming excursions
Women’s Travel Wisdom website
Carolyn Ray at Journeywoman
Lola Akinmade & Loung Ung (speakers at Women’s Travel Wisdom)
Conscious Connection: Reframing Mental Health to Create a Thriving Life by Sarah Wayt (book available at Amazon)
Red Tent by Anita Diamant (book available at Amazon)
Eve Ensler, author of “Vagina Monologues” writes on women and power (author page at Amazon)
Tara Brach, meditation teacher, psychologist and author of several books including international bestselling Radical Acceptance, Radical Compassion and Trusting the Gold. https://www.tarabrach.com/
Extraordinary Women magazine is the “must-have” digital magazine for women looking for inspiration, tips, and support to create a fabulous business, or just the next chapter. In a nutshell, for women who are ready to make their dreams happen.
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Episode 89: Girls’ Guide to Paris and Beyond, with Doni Belau
Transcript:
Sharri Harmel: Hello, and welcome back to the Extraordinary Women podcast Episode 89. We have a great interview coming up with myself and Doni Belau, who is the founder and CEO of Girls’ Guide to Paris. A fabulous women’s travel company that goes far beyond Paris. Yes, Girls’ Guide to Paris puts together trips that are women only, and always in small groups so that you can make connections while being on a tour.
Sharri Harmel: So, if you’re nervous about traveling alone, Girls’ Guide to Paris puts together trips that are women only, and always in small groups so that you can make connections while being on a tour. Girls’ Guide to Paris will be your best friend. And as I always say, what business you start will come from what you are most passionate about. And Doni did just that she will also share in our conversation about an upcoming retreat that she’s offering called the women’s travel wisdom.
Sharri Harmel: It’s a bit of literal travel to a beautiful part of California, but also the retreat is about that journey. We all take as we go inside to learn more about ourselves. Something that is so important to creating joy filled life. Now, before we step into that conversation, if you could take a minute and subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you use, that would be so fantastic.
Sharri Harmel: And you’ll then automatically get notice of the podcast each week. Because we publish every Monday, ladies, we are committed to this podcast world and have lots of fun and interesting conversations coming up. Now I invite you into my conversation with Doni Belau, founder, and CEO. Of Girls’ Guide to Paris.
Sharri Harmel: You are listening to the Extraordinary Women podcast, a podcast for the woman, entrepreneur, where we have candid conversations about the journey of starting a business, you’ll get valuable tips and advice. As you launch yourself on your own entrepreneurial journey. I’m your host, Sharri Harmel. The editor of the Extraordinary Women Magazine Circle.
Sharri Harmel: And I embraced my own entrepreneurial journey as a woman of say a certain age. And if I can do it ladies, so can you, I now divide my time between Paris and Boston, which fulfills my desire to create this life reimagined while building a business I love, I am so happy you are here. So, let’s jump right in.
Sharri Harmel: Hi, Doni. I’m so excited. And thank you for joining me today. I can’t wait to hear all of your good shares and good advice and great wisdom. Cause you you’re a lady that knows what she’s doing. Uh,
Doni Belau: I hope so sometimes but thank you so much for inviting me. I really am so glad to be here.
Sharri Harmel: Yes. Well, I’m thrilled to have you, so you own Girls’ Guide to Paris and beyond way beyond Paris but share with everyone what Girls’ Guide to Paris is really about what this travel company is and what it consists of and all the options for those of us who love to travel.
Doni Belau: Thank you. Um, basically I tell people it’s a women’s only tour company for people who wouldn’t be caught dead on a tour. So, so that is, um, you know, a lot of us have a fear, um, me included of big tour buses, following a flag, you know, listening to people on earphones. And I don’t want to sound elitist though, because that sometimes is the only way you can get to Europe because it’s a lot more affordable because they have 40 people.
Doni Belau: But when you say the word “tour,” that’s kind of what comes to mind to people. And I thought it would be interesting to have, you know, a kind of a community of women who were able to take tours together. Um, with the guide, it started out just being me. And now we have about 18 partners. Um, and we take women all over the world typically for about a week.
Doni Belau: And the driving force behind that is camaraderie, friendship, and sisters. So, we’re going from everywhere from Italy, of course, France, Mongolia, Butan, you know, anything that is interesting that I can kind of come up with or create, or find someone who’s an expert in, but we keep the groups really small, six to 10.
Doni Belau: Uh, they’ve actually gotten smaller over the years. So, the reason why those big tour groups are more affordable is, you know, it’s like the Walmart is they should have something in bulk. Of course, they can afford to, to give you something for less. So, this is kind of a little bit more expensive. But it is a way to travel with other women together to all different kinds of locations.
Doni Belau: And we’re always looking to do something a little different go at a different time of year, shoulder season, also to, to really, um, learn about what it’s like for women in that particular culture. And then we do a lot of things that gals delight, like cooking classes and going to gardens and shopping and all that.
Sharri Harmel: Yeah, well, I should disclose, you know, obviously I was on one of your tours and that’s how I met you Doni and was introduced to Girls’ Guide to Paris and oh my God, it was everyone. It was fantastic. It just, the group of exactly what you said, that comradery of women, you know, both in terms of experiencing the place, as well as the conversations around the dinner table or the lunch table or whatever.
Sharri Harmel: Um, it’s, it’s really joyous is how I would describe it.
Doni Belau: I love that word. Joyous is such a wonderful word. You know, I think we’re all striving for that and, you know, um, but I think you’re right that I always say to people and I talked to everybody before they come on one of our trips, but I always say the best souvenir you can bring back from anywhere that you go is a new friend or a bunch of new friends.
Doni Belau: And we actually have. And a lot of our groups have had this experience, but this one in particular, I always highlight, they came last year to my region of Bordeaux in France. And we did a writer’s retreat, um, with couple of amazing, um, writing instructors and, and, um, novelists and so forth. And they connected, you know, really closely during that.
Doni Belau: Um, I think when you’re writing too, you’re really, you know, discussing a lot about yourselves. One woman had just recently lost her husband and they really connected. Um, I obviously facilitate that, but it’s really what women want to do. What we need, you know, for our soul is to connect with other people.
Doni Belau: Anyway, the bottom line is they stayed in touch on what. They ended up starting a book group. And they recently just got back from New Orleans where they did a tour together that they organized having nothing to do with me. And now they’re going to Guatemala next and Paris, because one of them who’s like turning 83 is having a birthday party in Paris as you do apparently, and then people from 30 up to her age are attending.
Sharri Harmel: So, it’s just makes this, makes my heart sing to hear these boys, but you bring up a very interesting point and maybe we can, I could have you share a little bit about the Women’s Travel Wisdom group. If I’m saying it correctly, that it’s sometimes it’s experiencing a place.
Sharri Harmel: So, the writer’s group is an example. They were experienced, you know, that particular part of France, but they were also there. For another purpose, which was to be envelops in whatever, you know, writing workshop that they wanted to participate in their writers, their interests. Right. Share a little bit about that. Cause it’s not just going to a place and looking at
Doni Belau: Well, you’re trying to, um, you know, I already have a very nice thing and its women only. So, and we’re going all different places. But, um, we like, I think, and I do, I mean, a guy basically designed this company and I think all of your women would be women.
Doni Belau: Entrepreneurs are already entrepreneurs that you help. But I think it’s important to design whatever you’re going to sell or offer to be something that you really believe in, you’re passionate about and that you would do. I mean, so I decided things that I think are really cool. That’s basically it. I don’t ask anyone else.
Doni Belau: Is this a smart place to go? No, I don’t. I can’t please everyone. And at my age, I’m just saying. This is what I think is cool. And so far, you know, about 95% of the time it works. So, um, anyway, we have two things we have, you know, Girls’ Guide to Paris, which is my company that I’ve had for 13 years, and we do trips tours and.
Doni Belau: And adventurous. That’s what I say. So, so something, uh, adventure would be, you know, we’re going to Mongolia and going from year to year, and you know, that’s really exciting and we do Christmas trips, like you went on to, to, um, Alsace. So, a little bit more normal, shall we say then? Um, I also do retreats like we’re writing.
Doni Belau: And then this year, um, and I’m thank you for mentioning it. I’ve designed and I’m working with a partner. Her name is Carolyn Ray. Um, she owns the publishing, uh, media, um, community called Journey Woman. It’s actually the oldest women’s only travel community on the planet. It started pre-internet in the nineties.
Doni Belau: Wow. Not by her, by someone else. Um, but, um, What I love about what we’re doing, and it’s called Women’s Travel Wisdom. So, you can find it at women’s travel wisdom.com. It’s a first of its kind, women’s only travel and wellness retreat. We’re going to have about a hundred women. And this is a five-day, four-night retreat.
Doni Belau: And we’re talking about traveling deeper. This is something that I have really always felt, and we’ve gotten, just keep honing in on this idea. And I think it’s kind of what all of us are after is not just to say, oh, I’ve been to Paris, I’m checking off Italy. I’m checking off. You know, like all these places.
Doni Belau: It’s about learning about a culture. And also, when you travel, you’re learning about yourself and you noticed even just going to, you know, you have a place in Paris just going to the assets. So, it’s a completely different culture, two hours away by train. You know, we learned about how it went back and forth between Germany and France.
Doni Belau: And of course, the pretty horrible things that happened in that area. So, you not only learn, and we all know this, we learn history and so forth on a tour, but when you’re traveling with other women or so low, um, you learn to connect with those women. You learn, you know, how to be patient, how to go with the flow.
Doni Belau: Um, the more you travel, the better you get at that. These are all just like a life lesson I feel. And also, I just wanted to have this conversation, uh, at this retreat and, um, traveling deeper and have wellness is connected. And when I say wellness, I’m not just talking about, you know, eating right and exercising, but the big scope of wellness is self-discovery is mindfulness is empowerment.
Doni Belau: Is all the things that you do, you know, for your clients and what you’ve been doing for years. And that’s why I really wanted you to be involved in next time when you’re available that you’re there as a speaker, because you’re exactly right. The kind of person that we have coming to speak. We have an unbelievable list of women.
Doni Belau: You can see them at the website, but just to name a couple, one is named, uh, Lola Akinmade. I met her at another women’s travel festival. She’s from Nigeria. She lives in Sweden. So, she’s flying all the way out to California, or we’re having this in October for us. And she is an award-winning NatGeo photographer.
Doni Belau: She’s also author of three books, one, which is a best seller right now called, “In Every Mirror She’s Black” her first novel. So, um, she’s just a rock star in every row. Oh, she’s just an amazing, amazing woman. When I heard her speak before she brought the whole audience, including myself to tears, so she’s deep.
Doni Belau: Now I have another lady who’s going to close out the retreat. Her name is Loung Ung. She is from Cambodia. She’s a survivor of the, um, killing fields. She wrote a book called, “First They Killed My Father.” Obviously autobiographical. It was later made into a movie by Angelina Jolie on HBO. So, she, she has an unbelievable story to tell that’s incredible, not just sad, she has a sad, sad story.
Doni Belau: And a lot of us do, not maybe to that extent, but she is so inspiring. She’s on the board of Omega Institute. She talks all over the world. She is, is going to get us like marching. So not only are we going to learn, uh, grow connect and you know, um, talk about all these deep topics, but once you feed yourself, then you have that energy to go out.
Doni Belau: Do something to better the world to help your family, to help your community, whatever that looks like for you. So, we don’t want this to be a retreat. That’s just about ourselves because we women know we’re responsible. Really for, you know, bettering slash saving the world. Cause we’re gonna find it at that point.
Sharri Harmel: Yes. Yes. I agree. Wholeheartedly. I love the kind of metaphorical travel aspect to this workshop also because yeah, as I hear you, I I’d be traveling within myself as well as you know, with the women in the room and I was just. A side note. I was reading a really interesting book. I think it’s called connection, but it’s really about how connections are so important in our mental health, um, fighting depression and all of that, which I think after COVID and the isolation, we all feel a little bit at this stage of the game.
Sharri Harmel: So, this connection is super important.
Doni Belau: Yes, it is. It is, uh, it is absolutely critical, I think to one’s mental health, even if you haven’t suffered a trauma, which we all globally just experienced worldwide trauma. That is nothing like anything any of us have ever seen, even those that are still alive that were during, you know, World War II.
Doni Belau: There were countries that didn’t experience World War II that were, you know, on the sidelines, you know? So, um, this was every single country, and every single person was affected by this thing. Right? There couldn’t be a better time to relearn how to connect. And I think it’s more important almost it’s a human need, but it’s really important for women sociologically anthropologically.
Doni Belau: We know this, you know, the men might’ve been out there on their own hunting, but we were by the fire raising the baby. And you know, obviously things are a little bit different now, but that, that need for connection is so, and you know, absolutely know, uh, the most inner part of your brain driven, don’t you think?
Sharri Harmel: Yes, I absolutely do. And I think as women, we had to connect, uh, for our own survival, um, you know, “The Red Tent,” that old book that was, I don’t know, 15 years, 20 years ago, we needed each other because we could not raise children alone in solitary. Uh, it was very, very difficult to do and, and we’re wired different.
Doni Belau: I mean, I think we’re wired different, so, and you know what I’m working with Carolyn who’s, who’s an amazing branding expert actually. That’s where she comes from, but we are, we are really, um, and you hit the nail on the head talking about journey in, in every sense of that. Exterior interior, because look, even if you can’t travel to Butan, like I’m getting, I get to do next year.
Doni Belau: Most people are not going to ever get to do that. That’s incredibly, that’s a piece of luck and a gift that I, that I’m able to do this and, and just, you know, uh, some of us can travel and some of us can’t, but I, my message is that there is. That is necessary to do journeying that’s necessary to do. And you can just do it by going to the library.
Doni Belau: If you know, money is a big issue, but also, I was listening to this great travel podcast the other day. And this one lady said her first trip to Europe, she was a teacher Spanish teacher, and somebody invited her to help 14 kids, I think, oh my God, that sounds like a nightmare. Anybody… who wants teenagers?
Doni Belau: I did one time with my son, and I barely survived it and he barely survived. Anyway, traveling with the ladies is a lot easier, but yeah. She got to Paris because it was the first time. Um, you know, it was the first city that they were going to go to, you know, five cities or whatever. And she said she just fell hard, hard, hard in love with Paris, which I know you’ve done.
Doni Belau: Obviously, I did too. And she said on a schoolteacher self. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m coming back here and I’m coming to Europe every single year and now she’s made travel her life. So, I think even on a teacher salary and I actually almost most women on my Mongolia trip are teachers. So, it is possible if you make it.
Sharri Harmel: Absolutely. Well, and what’s good about Girls’ Guide to Paris is that you take care of everything. So, if I wanted to go to Mongolia as an example, which would be very daunting to think about trying, am I picking the right company? Am I, you know, do I have all I need? And that was something because you, you actually managed our group through COVID in terms of when could we go and how did we need to be prepared. And the rules were changing while we were on the trip. And so, I saw you in action, and then that’s the one thing, you know, especially, and I get this question from so many women, whether you’re married or not, that want to travel solo is they’re terrified, it’s scary.
Sharri Harmel: And that was the one piece that I thought, oh my God, I don’t have to do anything. I can just lean into the experience. So, to speak. And Doni and her team will take care of everything with, oh my God. It was, if you can do it through COVID, you know, you can manage it through any kind of a situation as seriously.
Sharri Harmel: Um, but go back how’d you like, you know, I’ve read your bio and you know, you obviously had a career before having children. You were a stay-at-home mom for a while. You started a nonprofit. You know, where’s this travel idea come from. Cause I always say we, if we’re going to start a business, we have to start a business doing something we absolutely love because it’s to be hard.
Sharri Harmel: It’s not going to be easy. But talk about this. How did a girl from Nebraska? Fall in love with, well, maybe that’s why
Sharri Harmel: exactly. We just want to, you know, go somewhere. Cause we can see everywhere, but
Sharri Harmel: everyone though, how, how does he fall?
Doni Belau: That’s so cute. Um, it’s true. I used to say, um, Nebraska was a great place to go grow up and then leave. Um, so which I did at 15 to go to boarding school, um, I definitely got the love of travel from my dad. Um, he was, uh, an adventurous soul. My mother was too, they were both fairly fearless in this area.
Doni Belau: Considering they’re both from Nebraska. My dad was the first in his family to go to college. Um, so they, they were interested in other cultures and they really, you know, read that in us. But, you know, I, the only place we ever went was we drive around the United States, as you did back. And then, um, there was.
Doni Belau: The thought of going on an airplane, um, that would be way too expensive. We went, you know, by car to Mexico, we drive all the way down to like the waddle O’Hara. We stayed there for a month. So that was pretty exotic. Yeah. When I was eight or whatever, you know? So, I definitely had that in my heart. Um, the desire to travel and move around, and then, you know, I really did.
Doni Belau: Things, um, earlier in life that I was interested at first, um, was the film business. I was in television commercials. I’ve produced them. Um, you know, obviously worked my way up from the, the girl who gets the coffee for the other girl who actually, yeah. So, and did that in my twenties then stayed home, um, which was just such a gift that I was able to stay home for eight years with my kids.
Doni Belau: But my brain, you know, is always trying to create and do something, which I know, um, all of your clients are probably the same. So, I got also from my dad and my mom was always interested in politics, big news junkie. I got involved in politics, just local, very local when I was, um, you know, with the kids and, um, was able to do some of that, you know, while staying home and.
Doni Belau: Juggling things. Um, but got pretty involved. Um, hardcore worked for a not-for-profit I then, uh, which was, uh, saving the river rivers called Riverkeeper. We then, and then I ended up on, um, finally on, uh, Obama’s national finance committee, first woman on after. Penny Pritzker. So, kind of proud of that. Uh, I was kind of a big fundraiser that, so in a sense, I’ve always been in sales, so it started with marketing and then sales and because it’s sales and politics, you’re selling an idea, but it’s sales and then.
Doni Belau: I really get burned out in the not-for-profit world. I helped start up a not-for-profit in South Africa, serving kids with HIV. Um, so we had an afterschool program for about eight years, and then it was taken over by another, not for profit, but we saved like 200 people’s lives. So, I felt like, you know, I’ve really.
Doni Belau: Done something here, you know, in the caddy shack line, you know, I got that going for me. So, um, uh, but, uh, you know, I decided I had done all this, save the world stuff for a decade. Now I need to, um, I really want to just do something fun.
Sharri Harmel: Okay. Women entrepreneurs, I want to let you know about a fabulous. The Extraordinary Women magazine is only 2,999 a year. And with that minimal investment, you’ll receive four issues of the digital magazine, which are just chucked full of inspiring interviews, subscriber, highlights, valuable tips and ideas for you, the entrepreneur, regardless of the stage of your business.
Sharri Harmel: But this is a big, but this is more than just a magazine. During the year. You will have opportunities to connect with other like-minded women who are supporting each other and sharing ideas as they go along their business journey, as well as invitations to valuable workshops on topics that you need to plant bloom or grow that business.
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Doni Belau: And, um, I, it took a while to transition, and I will say. And shout out to what you do because I have this great coach, a life coach. Her name is Debbie Phillips. She is actually headlining our event. Uh, I think I told you about her. No, though,
Sharri Harmel: that you collaborated with her when you were thinking of starting your business or.
Doni Belau: Yeah. I’ve been working with her and originally like maybe 15, 20 years ago, I was struggling after staying home. Like how I do, anyway, I was, I’m the type who’s bent a lot of for and conferences women’s things. And so, I met her at a thing called winter. And power, not women in power, but women and power.
Doni Belau: Meaning we have a very weird relationship with power. We don’t know what, you know, we kind of want it, but that’s not cool or whatever. Eve Ensler put it together. The lady who wrote “Vagina Monologues,” but anyway, I met her. And just sitting at lunch and I said, what do you do? She said, I’m a life coach, but I used to be in television and politics.
Doni Belau: And I was like, wait a minute. I was in television and politics. I don’t know what a life coach is, but I’m pretty sure I need one. And that was like, nobody had heard that word before. At least I had, um, she was really one of the first, so I started working with her. Expensive. It scared me because it was expensive, but because it was expensive.
Doni Belau: I did all the things we wrote down in this sort of, we had thing called vision day and you go down to our house and you spend a lot of money. You really get to dream and then create exactly what it is that you want to do. And I did everything on that list, and I have had a thing for becoming an entrepreneur and starting something when I had no clue what I was doing and then keeping the faith.
Doni Belau: Uh, she. Helped. And that was the best money I’ve ever spent. Yeah.
Sharri Harmel: Yeah. But you know, you bring up a very good point that you come out of sales to some extent. And that jump from sales to entrepreneur is not that big of a jump because when you’re in sales, you’re very, you have to be very self-motivated.
Sharri Harmel: You have to have specific goals for yourself. You would already start. And ran and then launched or transition the non-profit. So, you had that experience. So, there’s something to that though. And if you don’t mind just sharing with people, women, other women who are thinking, I, you know, maybe where you were 20 years ago. I want to start something, you know, what is a good way for what are some of those qualities that just have carried with you? You’ve been there, there into integral, is that the right word, you know, in everything that you’ve done and it’s what has propelled Girls’ Guide to Paris to success?
Doni Belau: Hm. Well, what I want to say to anybody who’s thinking of starting a business, is, I did it. And if I can do it, I know that you can, because I am a big ideas person and I do have confidence, which obviously is the thing that we women struggle with the most. But, you know, I did not have a business plan. I don’t recommend that. Um, it’s not that hard to figure out how to write a business plan, there’s books on it. There’s stuff online and you can get help. Um, so I didn’t do that. I could write a book on how not to start a business. I always tell people that I did every single thing, um, you know, you don’t have to go to Harvard business school to start a business. Women start the most businesses of anyone in the United States and in women that are older too.
Doni Belau: So, you know, I, I, there’s actually really pretty encouraging data for women now out there. You know, if you listen to, you know, how I built this as a great podcast, every single person that, um, Sean, Sean Carbidonta interviews is always says, you know, they failed and they failed and they failed. And then finally something went right.
Doni Belau: And I remember in those early days, you know, I started a website. I did have my husband helping me just in terms of saying you build it, they will come, we’ll figure it out. Don’t worry. You know, he was someone I could ask …
Sharri Harmel: great cheerleader.
Doni Belau: So, he was in tech. So, he understood. If you have a website, you need to get eyeballs and you know, he, he, so he was helpful, but do you need to find some kind of mentor that really.
Doni Belau: Or joined another women women’s entrepreneurial group or get a coach like yourself. Right? Which is, you know, obviously was the thing that saved me. But you know, each month as I’m spending all this money and not making any money and trying to figure out how to monetize this thing, it wasn’t. Three or four years, or maybe more before I was making any money at all, I was losing money, you know, so it was but what I said to myself was a lot of people don’t have that luxury.
Doni Belau: We were lucky that we could invest that, but I kept saying to myself, I will not quit on this thing. I am not going to quit on myself. I am going to make this work come hell or high water. It was. Little train that could, you know, remember that story. And I was like, I think I can. I think, I know I can, I was not going to get this.
Doni Belau: I had given up on myself before, you know, I was in pretty high levels of politics, and I didn’t get like the appointments and the stuff I wanted. I didn’t end up running. You know, I did things that kind of, I let myself down and I decided this is the third time, you know, I, with the film business, I had to quit because I had kids not had to, but I chose to, so this time I was like, this is going to.
Doni Belau: So, it’s like, there’s somebody puts something in your way. You’re going to walk around it. You’re not going to get discouraged. You just keep, you have to be your own cheerleader. You really, really do.
Sharri Harmel: Yeah, you do. But you bring up such a good point, Doni, and that I’m hearing don’t be, you know, distressed or.
Sharri Harmel: You know, buy into that. Well, my other ideas didn’t work out or I stopped before. I really got to the position that I wanted. I, you know, because part of it is giving up is, is like something we’d beat ourselves up for, oh God, I can’t believe you gave up on that. You know? Um, at the time it all felt right, but later on, we look backwards and say, gosh, why did that happen?
Sharri Harmel: But also. Don’t get, you know, don’t look in that rear view mirror because what you did back then, you know, may not be what you’re doing now, but also to really commit and stick to it. And, and then you bring up the point that you’re probably not going to be profitable right out the gate of the gate. Yes. D do you think you knew that when you did the vision board and really had, I’m assuming when you have vision day, you kind of laid out the travel idea was, is that
Doni Belau: yes, but it wasn’t a tour company.
Doni Belau: It was originally going to be an online guide to Paris, hence the name, uh, Girls’ Guide to Paris. So, it was good know, so folders, it was early days. So, 2009. I, we had a place in Paris, and I thought, you know, um, people walking around with photos, guides, it just seemed like now this is like, it’s too.
Doni Belau: We need to be finding this stuff up online. And of course, now we all do that. I mean, there’s really, I don’t even know how they sell those guides anymore. Cause you know, it’s, it’s a waste of money basically. Cause you get great stuff online from real people that live there. And um, anyway, and of course there’s still a place for that, but, but.
Doni Belau: I, I was going to be an online guide. I got to the point where I had a million readers a year, but I was making no money, no money.
Sharri Harmel: So, you had a blog. What was it, was it…?
Doni Belau: it was a blog and I got like hotels, restaurants, every day. A blog post of restaurant reviews, fashion advice, you know, the whole kind of lifestyle, Meg online magazine kind of deal, but it was a guide to Paris.
Doni Belau: It’s the number one most traveled city. I thought this is gonna work. And you know, I tried advertising. Nope. I try to fill it that. And I mean, you just can’t make enough money on advertising unless you get to into the millions per, per day or per month. Okay. You know, then I try to affiliate programs. They were pretty much in their infancy now.
Doni Belau: Uh, you know, Instagrammers are making huge amount of money with affiliate programs, the fashion ladies and, and stuff, um, cooking people. Um, but anyway, I couldn’t, I was like door number one. Nope. Finally, you know, the tour thing kind of worked out. But it did work out. So, but in the beginning, it was like, Ooh, this is really hard.
Doni Belau: I don’t know if I can do this, but you know, you get better. And then you get, and you learn it. It’s always a learning curve.
Sharri Harmel: Yes. And knowing what people want and what people will pay for, which are sometimes two different, especially in today’s world are two different questions. But knowing if you look at the statistics, you know, how, how many businesses.
Sharri Harmel: Close because they’ve created something, basically nobody will pay any money for, or they don’t want. Um, so those doors were really, oh, this is great information. This is great information. That’s what I’m hearing, but I’m not making any money. So, at some point I have to open a door. Where someone gives me money
Doni Belau: and he would sit there, I’d sit there and talk to my husband the hell, am I going to make this thing work?
Doni Belau: So, you gotta have somebody to bounce some ideas off of, but I also want, I say other thing, um, in terms of not giving up on yourself, like we talked about earlier, is that. I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself over the years, not just from a business point of view, but from a personal point of view. So, what does that mean?
Doni Belau: And how did that help me? You know, I had plenty of thing issues that I needed to deal with an issue with my mom. You know, I’ve done, uh, meditation learned meditation. I’ve gone to lots of spiritual retreats. I’ve done, you know, read every self, a lot of self-help. Yeah, I have had a therapist. I’ve had life coaches, so I out there trying to get help for myself to better myself so that I can be a cheerleader for myself because we do have that inner voice.
Doni Belau: That’s always saying, Hmm, no, you’re not smart enough for that. No, no, no, no, no. And you know that. Something that they’ve studied a lot and they caught some people called the monkey brain, but, um, Tara Brock, uh, you probably know talks really. Um, um, interestingly and profoundly about that voice that says no inside your head, which is the meanest person, you know, Right, right.
Doni Belau: Oh, somebody’s mean to you if that person. So, I started to name that person. I say, shut up, Phyllis. I’m not listening to you.
Sharri Harmel: That’s good.
Doni Belau: Cause, cause people think that somehow that is them. That’s not you. Now there’s a voice that says don’t put your hand in the fire. Right. But generally, as you’re going through your day, there’s a voice in there.
Doni Belau: That’s saying, oh, you shouldn’t have said that you should really lose weight. You know, just this main, main person that’s talking to you. So, I have decided to buy. Ignore that person. And I don’t associate with Phyllis. I don’t like Phyllis. She’s not coming to my house, you know? So, I think all of those things help an entrepreneur because entrepreneurism, if that’s word, I don’t think it is.
Doni Belau: Um, is it’s just about learning about yourself. It’s about connecting with others. It’s about. Right. It’s not about so much about creating a product that people love and making money. You know, to me, my life’s mission is to become more conscious, to become more at peace, to become more mindful, to connect with really interesting, cool people.
Doni Belau: Like you. All these amazing women I’ve got to meet. And Debbie definitely told me that, you know, if you look at what you’re already good at, you don’t have to be good at everything. Look at what you’re already good at. Do that. If you’re passionate. Because I was already the pursuit, planned all the travel for the girlfriends.
Doni Belau: I was always the one who said, you know, come on over, we’re having champagne or we’re having tea or whatever. I was the organizer for that stuff. I was the connector. I had a lot of energy. I had a lot of, you know, I wanted to go here and do that and so forth. And I just made that into a career.
Sharri Harmel: Yeah, but that’s its ladies. I hope you’re listening to Doni because this is so good. This is absolutely so good. You have to do that work on yourself, especially I think, you know, as we’ve gone through life and had all kinds of experiences, good and bad, we have to do the work. To be ready for whatever that next stage is. But at the same time, you know, let yourself believe that.
Sharri Harmel: Let yourself dream, let yourself imagine magic is going to happen in your life, which is so cool. Yeah.
Doni Belau: And why not? Okay. You are not what you know, if somebody is going to do it, why not? You, you don’t have to be the first. You don’t have to be the smartest. You don’t have to have the perfect plan. You need to be able to adjust.
Doni Belau: You need to be able to make some decisions, but there is room for a lot of people to achieve and to do well and to enjoy. I really believe that I don’t want to, I don’t compete with any other women’s only company with any other tour company. I work with people, I partner with people, and I will tell people who I, you know, who are interested in a tour.
Doni Belau: They said, well, you know, that’s a little too much money said, you know, you can do this on your own. I want you to travel. So, you know, if you can’t afford this, don’t worry, go on your own, you know, go, or go with a bigger tour company. That’s a little cheaper or, you know, staying at less lesser, you know, starred hotels, whatever.
Doni Belau: I’m not trying to think. Small. I’m trying to think big, big in the, in the, in the mindful hurt, opening, connecting kind of way. That makes sense.
Sharri Harmel: But also, I will chime in and say that one. If you’re debating about price, look at it both from the standpoint of kind of mental health, personal development, as well as travel also travel does broaden the mind.
Sharri Harmel: And so sometimes we, you know, we’ve come from these tables in the United States, you know, Thanksgiving tables, Christmas tables, you know, Hanukkah tables, whatever. Polarized opinions. Travel does help because it gives us a perspective that you can bring back, you know, into your environment. It changes you if no one else it changes you.
Doni Belau: And that’s the only thing you can do. You can only change your perspective and yourself. It’s not easy to change yourself. Say I was listening to this great podcast and say, after twenty-five the brain is sort of locked in so nobody can change you. After 25, you can help a kid, but after 25, I’m having to be the one who wants to change.
Sharri Harmel: So, I want you to know what, what was your favorite place to visit and what was your favorite meal? Oh my
Doni Belau: God. Well, I have to say I’m in love with Japan. We are, we are doing two trips next year, but I first went to Japan with my husband for our 25th anniversary. It is one of the most romantic places.
Doni Belau: Because the Onsen bags, you know, and these reopens, the traditional ENS, it’s such an advanced culture. It’s, it’s an aesthetic culture, like the French culture. And there are so many, you see so many Japanese coming to Paris and so much, um, love back and forth between those two cultures. Cause they’re so. Uh, focused on beauty.
Doni Belau: And that is certainly something that, that drive fi beauty in every sense of the word, you know, and the biggest and the, and the most basic sense of the word best meal. Also, I’d have to say Japan. Um, so obviously I love French food, but I get French food. A lot of, I am spoiled, you know, so, and so are you, but, um, having sushi it six in the morning at the, um, the, the old easy market, which is the, you know, where they sell the fish globally, um, from Tokyo, they have actually since moved, but, and you, but you can still have the 6:00 AM sushi that will be on our trip.
Doni Belau: And it, my huge Japanese food fan, all of us in our family are, and it is. I will never forget that course, not only such fresh fish, but the key to great sushi is the rice. Not the fish is, is not so hard to get great fish. It is to get really exotic fish, but anyway, you just sit at the counter, and they just keep bringing fish until you say no more fish, you know, and it was, you know, oh my God, that it was, you know, that was my best meal to die for, the Last Supper, so to speak.
Sharri Harmel: Okay. You have inspired me. I’m checking out your website for the Japan trip, because that sounds fantastic, but it is. I know you had a limited time today, so thank you so much. We might have to have you back in, you know, a few months just to hear what’s happening with Girls’ Guide to Paris and beyond, you know, six months from now who knows.
Doni Belau: So, then I would invite anybody who ever wants to reach out to me to talk entrepreneurial stuff, it’s Doni (at) Girls’ guide to paris.com.
Doni Belau: Um, you know, I love to help other people like you do. I’m not as gifted or talented as you, but I really appreciate you being on the show. I really encourage people also to see, go to women’s travel wisdom. I’ve really, um, I’d love to have you there. There are so many wise women, including. All the people who are coming, uh, cause we’re really just coming to share our wisdom with one another.
Doni Belau: Uh, we have you, you saw it on our trip. When women get together, you can just learn so much from everybody. Everybody’s great story. Everybody has great tips. And if you open your heart, man, The world
Sharri Harmel: is your oyster. It does. And you learn, and we have more in common than we have differences, regardless of where we’re from or what has happened in our lives.
Sharri Harmel: And it’s so fun to talk about that and share it. So, I will make sure to post that in the show notes, all of that, so that people can easily access it. But thank you. Thank you. What a great conversation with Doni. She’s just so smart. And when she shared how there will be stops and starts as you get your business off the ground and how important it is to work on your inner self at the same time as you build your business.
Sharri Harmel: I wanted to shout for joy. When you go to Girls’ Guide toparis.com, you will see all of Doni’s trips as well as her retreat. She’s a super busy gal. So, I really appreciate her taking the time today to join. Again, check out the show notes for the links to all that we discussed. Now, if you enjoy this episode, I would so much appreciate you taking a minute to rate our podcast and subscribe.
Sharri Harmel: We’ve got lots of super interesting conversations coming. And if you subscribe, you’ll automatically get notice of each new podcast, which comes out every Monday. I’ll chat with you next week. But in the meantime, I’m sharing my new phrase and that is expect magic.
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