---
title: "Chidi Ashley of Luxe Tribes: How Focusing On Community And Crisis Management Built A Multi-8-Figure Travel Enterprise"
url: "https://authoritymag.co/articles/chidi-ashley-of-luxe-tribes-how-focusing-on-community-and-crisis-management-built-a-multi-8-figu"
publisher: "Authority Magazine"
author: "Maria Angelova"
authorUrl: "https://authoritymag.co/authors/maria-angelova"
interviewee: "Chidi Ashley"
company: "Luxe Tribes"
category: "Business"
datePublished: "2023-01-09T13:37:30.684Z"
dateModified: "2026-11-12T19:24:07.180Z"
tags: "Business"
---

# Chidi Ashley of Luxe Tribes: How Focusing On Community And Crisis Management Built A Multi-8-Figure Travel Enterprise

*Chidi Ashley, founder and CEO of Luxe Tribes, shares how she leveraged digital nomad experiences and rigorous risk management to build a premier luxury travel brand for millennial professionals.*

> Money comes and goes but reputation and building trust with your community is so important and I chose to prioritize this over profits.

---

T*hankfully, the world is open for travel once again. Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings?*

*As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chidi Ashley.*

*Chidi Ashley is the CEO and founder of Luxe Tribes, a luxury travel service and community designed to create stress-free bucket list travel experiences for millennial professionals globally. She has traveled to over 35 different countries and has lived in Thailand, Bali, Peru, England, and Dubai as a digital nomad while building a multi-8-figure travel business at the age of 25. Today she is based in Dubai and manages an international team of travel experts at Luxe Tribes.*

---

**Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your Childhood backstory?**

My parents are Nigerian, I was born in Canada but I spent most of my childhood in South Africa and the later part of my teenage years in Nigeria before moving to New York to study business economics and Marketing at NYU Stern business school.

**What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.**

During my time in university at NYU, I had many different side hustles to make money. I did focus groups, I rented my room on Airbnb on holidays and I worked online building websites for people and managing social media accounts which was quite fun, at the time when businesses were just figuring out how to leverage platforms like Instagram so I enjoyed being able to revamp their online presence.

I would save all of the money I made and spend it on travel every chance I got. I just had it in mind that my life would essentially be over once I graduated and started working a corporate job and I wanted to make the most of the time and freedom I had before being stuck in the rat race.

I began to take every opportunity I could to travel, from road trips with friends to spontaneous international solo trips. I used whatever money I had at the time to travel and I made it a point to go even if no one else would come with me!

After graduating, I started working as a business analyst at a tech company in New York. Growing up I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur but starting a travel business came by surprise and was a natural evolution after years of personal travel and sharing my experiences online. In December 2018, I wanted to visit Bali but none of my friends were able to come with me, so I threw an itinerary together and I posted it on my Instagram inviting anyone who was interested to join me. I got over 200 responses within 3 hours and I was like Wow! I never have to travel alone again. After years of sharing my personal travel experiences online, I had amassed a small but loyal community of women who wanted to travel just as much as I did.

The business came about in recognizing that there were other people like myself who were tired of waiting on friends to travel and that there was an opportunity to use my personal travel experiences and connections to curate trips for other people.

Since then we have grown into a full-service travel company with a multicultural team of over 28 full-time travel experts based in Greece, Bali, Kenya, Mexico, Italy, Thailand, and beyond.

We not only create a safe space for women to travel and network with our group trips but we also curate customized trips for families, couples, corporate events and so much more.

**None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?**

I love this question, the term self-made often gets misused in the context of entrepreneurship but as business owners we have to have the right network, create a community around our vision and build the right team in order to truly be successful.

My parents truly have been my biggest source of inspiration. I grew up watching my parents work as a team and build businesses from the ground up, they weren’t shy about the ups and downs of running a business and the often volatile nature of money when you take risks as an entrepreneur. So going into business on my own I never felt that failure was a factor because I had seen my parents lose everything and continue to build.

I remember my dad telling me right before the pandemic happened, to stay conservative about finances, keep my head down and to not count my chickens before they hatched. I took this advice seriously, kept my overheads low and put money away, which ended up being my saving grace during the pandemic when the travel industry was at a standstill.

I have never had a dime of external financial help in my business but I have received a wealth of great advice from my parents and I believe that instilling confidence in your children from when they are young and providing them with ongoing encouragement is a form of generational wealth that is often overlooked.

**It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?**

I had just started my business and we had a group of 16 ladies in Greece for a luxury summer getaway but it turns out we booked the 3-star sister hotel rather than the 5-star main property we had promised. As a company that prides itself on a specific standard of accommodations and experience, this was a major blunder!

The first question I ask our team whenever a problem arises:

Did we do our due diligence?

The answer, in this case, was no, we had made an error in the booking process and ultimately I had to make the decision to rebook all 16 girls at a brand new 5 hotel in Greece, at the peak of the summer season. (No refunds received from the previous hotel)

The new bill totaled over $42,000…whew!

Money comes and goes but reputation and building trust with your community is so important and I chose to prioritize this over profits. This was a major learning experience for me and challenged me to go back to the drawing board and assess my processes as a business owner but as we moved forward from this I learned that it’s okay to make mistakes in business, even large corporations get it wrong sometimes, what really matters is how you create systems to avoid these situations going forward. So when mistakes happen, I give myself grace, focus on finding a solution, and spend time looking at what I can learn from the situation.

**Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?**

“Ask yourself what’s the best that could happen!” I simply would not be in the position I am today had I not taken a chance on myself. We are trained to analyze all of the things that could go wrong but we don’t give as much thought to the possibilities that lie ahead if we take risks and pursue our dreams. What drove me to pick up and leave New York, move to Bali, Indonesia, and start my business idea was visualizing everything good that could happen as a result of simply starting.

I am someone who likes to assess and plan for potential downsides but I am not one to sit around and search for signs to make something happen.

**What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?**

One of the biggest projects I am working on now is Readyhubb — during the pandemic as we all saw travel and other industries were significantly impacted, I started exploring other business ideas and emptied my savings to bootstrap this tech start-up.

Readyhubb is a marketplace and software solution designed for independent beauty professionals, freelancers, and small businesses! We’re making it easy for these busy professionals to manage all aspects of their business directly from the mobile app. Unlike businesses with employees, departments, and processes, these freelancers are handling every aspect of their business by themselves! They juggle customer inquiries, appointment scheduling, marketing to find new clients, collecting payments for their services, and more while still having to render their services!

They wear a lot of hats which ultimately leads to burnout and poor customer experiences. It’s exciting to be able to work on a project which is focused on solving these problems.

**OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. In this interview series we’d like to discuss travel and personal growth. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to personal growth? Can you share a story?**

Travel has a way of showing you what your strengths are. I moved to Bali right when I started my business and from there I was able to visit many different countries. Most of the time I was traveling solo, I visited countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Colombia and more and in each destination I connected with incredible locals who were business owners, artists, tour guides etc.

I spent my time building relationships even despite the language barriers and it taught me how to find common ground to relate to people even when there seems to be none. This period of my life plunged me outside of my comfort zone, I got great at sparking up conversations, reading people and I built a network as I traveled.. These experiences had a direct impact on how I do business today. At Luxe Tribes we have a global team and we get to source the best talent from all over the world, primarily because I was able to get so comfortable with working cross-culturally.

**A recent survey from Psychology Today showed that over 80% of participants found that travel helped them with problem solving or decision making. Why do you think this is true for so many people?**

The time I spent traveling and my experiences with the wide array of cultures really shaped the woman I am today whose greatest assets are adaptability, risk-taking and open-mindedness. I have come out of these experiences with stories to tell, from dealing with lost baggage and having to shop for a new closet in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to figuring out how to navigate my way back to my hotel after a day spent in Cusco, Peru.

Being out of your comfort zone in new environments forces you to learn how to manage your emotions in high-stress situations, create relationships with people — even when they may not necessarily speak the same language as you and think on your feet.

Travel is truly all about adapting to new cultures, cuisines, and environments, being able to juggle all of this is such an incredible confidence booster which has had direct effects on my confidence in business. As a business owner, I have been able to take issues head-on and pivot quickly without feeling the need to lament over situations that weren’t in my control.

**Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of?**

Travel absolutely strengthens our sense of gratitude for our health, for the lives we lead back home, and for opportunities we have that we may have typically overlooked.

As I traveled I became particularly aware of the fact that people around the world still struggle with issues like access to clean water, access to electricity, healthcare, and education. I was in Bali when the world shut down and saw first-hand how villages and communities that depended on tourism to survive were severely impacted and couldn’t afford to feed themselves.

It is easy to be consumed with our day-to-day lives and take some of the perceived luxuries we get to enjoy especially in the western world for granted. When we change our environment we become more aware of the vast differences in financial, economic, and sometimes even social circumstances that exist in other countries. We not only become more grateful and mindful but we can become champions for others and spread our awareness of the world.

**Surely not everyone who travels automatically becomes an exemplar of human decency. What are a few reasons why some people completely miss out on the growth opportunities that travel can offer?**

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when traveling is not going into travel experiences with an open mind and a willingness to be flexible. Coming into a new country or environment we have to abandon our preconceived notions and learn to observe, respect and appreciate the differences in how we operate across cultures, religions and societies. Travel opens our minds up to the world beyond our bubbles and people who are unwilling to set aside their preconceptions and embrace the newness of a destination tend to miss out on the growth and opportunity for learning that the experience has to offer.

In addition, we live in a world where everything has a filter and looks glamorous online, we see beautiful pictures and videos on social media of other people and their travels so it is easy to hold an image or view in our minds of what the perfect vacation looks like but travel isn’t always glamorous and it can be unpredictable, like bad weather on a planned beach day. We have to be flexible and preserve our spirits even when things don’t go according to plan.

**Thank you for that. Now for our main question; What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Personal Growth?”**

1. **Self reflection —**I always suggest taking the time out of your trip to spend time with yourself, disconnect and enjoy your own company. Even when solo traveling it is easy to miss opportunities for self-reflection so it is important to be purposeful about incorporating this into your travel experience. I loved to use sunrise and sunsets while traveling as a time to sit, take in the views and think about where I am in life, where I am going and express gratitude.
2. **Adaptability-**This is the number one most important factor when it comes to travel! I have had to learn how to quickly pivot when plans are changed last minute especially when running a travel company with so many factors like flights, covid-19, and weather in play. Give yourself the opportunity to embrace change while traveling.
3. **Open-mindedness** — I remember visiting India for the first time and it was complete sensory overload! I came into the experience with zero expectations and came out of that trip longing to continue to see more of the world. India completely burst the bubble I had been living in, I saw how religion was deeply rooted in aspects of everyday life, I learnt about the social and economic dynamics of the country, I enjoyed the incredible food, appreciated the beautiful architecture and made lifelong friendships. I allowed myself to come into the experience with no preconceptions and took the time to appreciate each experience as it came, I believe this is how we should approach travel.
4. **Empathy** — I believe that empathy is something we have to learn and then constantly practice. Traveling helps us step into other people’s shoes and see the world from a different perspective. As I traveled through countries like Ghana, Brazil, and Colombia for example I have been able to see first-hand how history has shaped our individual present day experiences, this provides context for how to think about global issues.
5. **Listening**— Get comfortable with asking people questions about themselves! I love doing this while traveling, ask people about their background, where they come from and what they do for a living, what traditions they hold dear etc. I used these starting questions as a way to connect with people as I traveled and it gave me a deeper understanding of the destinations I visited.

**From your experience, does travel have a negative impact on personal growth too? Is there a downside to travel?**

As with anything not done in moderation or with a plan, traveling can take its toll. It can be difficult to maintain a routine and have a sense of structure as a frequent traveler or digital nomad trying to keep up with changing cultures and environments. I recommend finding ways to preserve aspects of your routine that are important to you like fitness but overall the benefits outweigh the potential downsides.

**We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)**

Whitney Wolfe Herd! I love the Bumble brand and the clear mission of empowering women to be bold and get out of their comfort zones which is what we are all about at Luxe Tribes. The picture of Whitney holding her son at the NASDAQ opening for Bumble as one of the world’s youngest self-made billionaires was iconic and truly reinforced to me that the sky can still be the limit as women in business.

**How can our readers further follow your work online?**

If you’re looking for a bucket list worthy travel experience you can visit [www.luxetribes.com](http://www.luxetribes.com) and join in on our group trips or request a customized travel experience for your dates and budget.

You can find me personally on Instagram and on YouTube where I share lots of behind the scenes clips, travel reviews and insights from my journey as a business owner.

[@chidiashley](https://www.instagram.com/chidiashley/)

[Find me on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCejhbxPGkN-TEOvvskrf-Rg?view_as=subscriber)

**Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.**

---

A*bout The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of*[Rebellious Intl](https://angelova.mykajabi.com/)*. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at*[angelova@rebellious-intl.com](mailto:angelova@rebellious-intl.com)*. To schedule a free consultation, click*[here](https://www.rebellious-studio.com/contact)*.*

---
Source: https://authoritymag.co/articles/chidi-ashley-of-luxe-tribes-how-focusing-on-community-and-crisis-management-built-a-multi-8-figu (Authority Magazine, Business). Interviewee answers are first-person statements of the guest. Index of all pages: https://authoritymag.co/llms.txt