Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorita Lattany.
Hi Dorita, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a planner. I found myself happiest when planning birthday parties, baby showers, or vacations.
Planning is something that comes easily to me even though I often thought myself to be pretty average at it. Most of my friends and family would seek me out for help or advice on events or projects and I would count myself as lucky to even be considered. You know when you have that group of friends that always says “Let’s do something!” I’m the one that will make it happen. Say less.
I am a native of the island of St. Lucia in the West indies. I was born there and moved to the island of St. Thomas USVI when I was three years old. At the age of 10, I moved again with my mom and dad to Georgia. I grew up on the eastside of Atlanta; Decatur then Lithonia, where my parents still reside and I visit often.
Although I grew up in the Atlanta area my upbringing was a rich mix of Caribbean culture and traditions along with the wholesome humbleness of growing up in the south. I always felt like I had the best of both worlds and my curiosity about culture, food, and tradition would soon grow into my current wanderlust for traveling and experiencing new places while helping others do the same.
Once I graduated high school, I attended Georgia College in Milledgeville, GA to pursue a nursing degree. At the end of my freshman year, I realized that nursing was not my passion, so I decided to change my major to Mass Communication with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations. I loved every minute of it. Shortly after I graduated with my BA, I had my daughter and two years later I married my husband.
Throughout the next 10 years, we would move from Macon, GA to Birmingham AL and now we live in the Savannah area. We now have a son who is 4, my daughter is 12 and we bought our first home a little over two years ago. I’ve always been so proud of our accomplishments as a young family. Although I did not get the chance to pursue a career within my degree, I have gained a wealth of experience in other fields and have met some pretty amazing people along the way.
During the Summer of 2020, I was furloughed from my job and got to spend the entire summer at home with my children and husband. Although, the reality of being on furlough was a huge hit to my ego because I had become one of those individuals that felt defined by their work. And that summer, I realized that I no longer wanted to feel disposable as an employee and I would rather work on creating a life where I could be with my family without having to sacrifice my career.
I had an epiphany that life can be so much more than our 9 to 5. Especially when our job is not our passion.
I went back to work in August of 2020 and the minute I returned I knew that something had to change. I did some inner work during that time and I really thought about what made me happy. I found myself at my absolute happiest while planning a marriage retreat for my husband and me with 3 other married couples to Helen, GA that fall. Throughout the years I had always had friends and family tell me that I had a talent for event and trip planning, but that year it stuck. So much so that I decided to become an independent travel agent in March 2021.
Since then, it has been a whirlwind of training, planning, and becoming better acquainted with the travel industry while still being able to help others plan their dream vacations. I decided to name my travel company after my IG handle @like.her.style. Like Her Style was birthed years ago when I was complimented by a family friend at a birthday event I was having for my daughter.
She commented that she liked everything about me, not just my fashion or the way I dressed my children but also the way I styled and executed the event, the way I carried myself, and the way I spoke to others. She was blown away and I was completely humbled by and grateful for her words. And it was a theme that rang true to anyone else that I would come in contact with.
Like Her Style Travel & Event Consulting was created to help individuals curate their dream trips or events in a fun and effortless way. I believe that life is just so much more fun when you have something to look forward to. When you have a new adventure around the corner and you know that that experience will open your eyes, feed your soul and stay with you for a lifetime.
The hardest part is planning it and that’s where I come in.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although I realize that I am still in the early stages of my journey, it has not been a smooth road.
One of the many obstacles that most first-time entrepreneurs face is still being able to balance your regular job while finding time to work on your business and still create space for yourself and your family. It’s all a balance and I haven’t found the secret formula for myself. I am still human. Some days, I am an absolute boss with how I handle all my responsibilities, and other days I struggle with being productive.
Another challenge is the ever-changing travel industry. There is a lot to learn and even more changes to keep up with. As a travel advisor, you are almost expected to know everything about everything. I have had to learn that there is no way I can have all the answers one year in. So learning to be ok with not knowing and giving myself the grace to take time to become more educated, has been very eye-opening and liberating.
I realize that the road ahead may be a long one with many challenges and tough decisions. I maintain my faith in God and myself, and with the wonderful support of my family and friends I know I will continue to be successful.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Like Her Style Travel & Event Consulting?
I mainly focus on domestic travel here in the US and destinations in the Caribbean and South America. I help to curate all types of trips; from finding a nice hotel for a quick weekend getaway to total vacation packages that include flights, hotels, transportation and activities/excursions, and even cruises.
I created this business to help others plan their dream escapes, everything from family vacations to couples retreats and even wellness getaways. I specialize in group and family travel. I believe that traveling with the people that you love is an amazing form of self-care and a great way to reconnect with yourself and those around you.
Self-care is one of the main things I try to focus on when curating a trip or event for my clients. After all, one of the reasons I love to travel so much is because it’s a way to do something for myself that I know will feed my adventurous side while still helping to ground me with an appreciation of new experiences.
My goal is to not just put a trip together based on the client’s wishes. I like to get to know my clients and figure out what they want to get out of this trip, what would make them happiest, and how I can make this process easy and fun for everyone involved. I like to pay attention to the details and suggest places or activities with my clients’ best interests in mind.
When it comes to event consulting I typically come in as a helping hand to my client. I help to find venues, locate vendors, create itineraries and map out the logistics of the event. In some cases, I have even helped to combine the best of both worlds, event consulting and travel, on my latest project with Hope Stone Services.
I have consulted with Hope Stone Services to offer Enlightened Escapes which is an intimate marriage retreat with a licensed psychotherapist. Enlightened Escapes is the total package deal, you get to vacation with your spouse and other close married friends while exploring a new destination and being provided with a marriage “toolbox” to help create more intimacy and communication in your marriage.
I am proud of myself for taking the leap to start this business and it’s been a great experience to help share my talents with others in a way that brings them joy and gives them something wonderful to look forward to. I hope to continue this journey and build this business by helping to create these wonderful memories and experiences for my clients.
This has also opened the door for me to continue to push for what I love to do and to experience the world through my love for travel and planning.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.likeherstyletravel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/like.her.style/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068072324546
- Other: https://www.hopestoneservices.org/shop/p/enlightenedescapes
Image Credits
Nelson Laporte of Photography By Laporte
