Today we’d like to introduce you to Romira Young.
Hi Romira, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In June 2016, 14 of my friends and I took a trip to Cancun, Mexico, to celebrate my 25th birthday. What was only supposed to be a birthday trip turned into a life-changing experience. Shortly after we returned, a passport picture that we took went viral. More than 100k people shared the picture in less than 24 hours; we couldn’t believe it. A few weeks later, I created a post and shared that I wanted to travel abroad again, but this time with strangers. More than 200 people replied, 30 move forward, and 13 of us traveled to Jamaica next. This destination went viral, too and Melanin Globe was created.
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?
This journey has been an experience. Experience has been the best word to describe what’s happened over the past five years. One day I’m finishing school and looking forward to applying for the police department, and the next thing you know, I was accepted to grad school at Prairie View A&M, and Melanin Globe went viral a second time. This was the first time I was able to see how powerful social media truly is. There were so many people who reached out to me expressing how interested they were in traveling abroad for the first time, and they shared how they thought it was cool to travel all over the world with people that you don’t know.
The most challenging part was finding my way in the travel industry and learning how to do “Good Business,” because again, going viral and taking this task on, there was no time to practice. I had to learn and learn fast! I had to learn how to run a business without a mentor or a business coach. I needed to learn about contracts, how to create a website, trademark the business, and a number of other tasks. When Melanin Globe first began, I was using cash app as my form of payments for destinations. Thank God people trusted me back then because I don’t think that would work now, not even a little bit.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Melanin Globe turns five on June 24, 2021. In this short period of time, we have hosted more than 50 global destinations with travelers from all over the world and visited five out of the seven continents. I am also the founder of a nonprofit organization, Melanin Globe Foundation, formerly known as One Impact. Our mission is to provide York County, SC, with community outreach programs that service the needs and economic challenges of underprivileged youth. We achieve this goal by establishing mentorship, academic support, and cultural awareness. Melanin Globe Foundation strive to encourage family academic involvement in education, mental health support, community leadership and expose youth to global service initiatives.
I am most proud of the fact that despite all of the challenges that we’ve faced, the most recent one being the pandemic, we have always pressed forward and focused on how to get better as a travel brand. What sets Melanin Globe apart from others is that we are all about servicing our own community. When I first started, I was anxious to give first-time travelers an experience. This experience would include flying for the first time, having a reason to apply for their passport, and the most exciting part was checking their “dream trip” off of their list.
What matters most to you? Why?
I believe strongly in ‘first-hand’ and ‘hands-on learning. Navigating through the travel industry has always been hands-on for me. I have had to learn the importance of researching a country or city before promoting it. I have had to learn what it means to be personable but professional. I have had to understand the importance of accurate information, details, and setting expectations at the beginning of the booking process so that our clients have a great experience from the beginning to the end. Great customer service matters to me the most. Now it’s obvious that everyone may not always be pleased, but our job is to make sure that we provide exactly what we advertise, and again, set the correct expectations ahead of time. While it has been a challenge, here we are, still standing and growing in this fast-pace industry, and we’re excited to see what’s next.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@melaninglobe.com
- Website: MelaninGlobe.com
- Instagram: @melaninglobe
- Facebook: Melanin Globe
- Twitter: @melaninglobe
- Youtube: Melanin Globe
Image Credits
@denisebensonphotography
