Meet Laila Small | Travel Advisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laila Small and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laila, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I hail from Queens, NY which first stoked my love for culture! Growing up in such a diverse atmosphere made me love learning about new cultures and I eventually wanted to experience them for myself. As I began to travel in 2017, I realized sharing and creating these core memories with my family and friends brought me so much joy and happiness. In turn, I started organizing group trips and fell in love. I want to share the gift of travel and expanding horizons with everyone. I have been officially in the travel industry since 2020; it has been a wonderful experience. My doggy daughter Aubree misses me when I’m gone but she always gets a sweet treat when I get home.

One thing that I’ve learned growing up from my late grandmother is “it’s always better to give than it is to receive” this phrase has guided my every move and decision I make. I strive to be a person that gives and helps others unconditionally. During my travels, I was introduced to a South African phrase that aligns so much with who I am today. “Ubuntu” means I am because we are. By always helping others as a society we can get further in life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My thought process for starting my own business was simply to find a way to combine my two passions: helping others and traveling. I must say, starting a business during the pandemic was pretty crazy but with the right support and being a part of an amazing agency, I am crushing goals and perfecting my craft.

Around the World with Laila was created so I could share the gift of travel and expanding horizons with everyone.
I’m not just building itineraries for my clients, I am creating memories that become legacies.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Let’s say my best friend didn’t live in the area (which she does lol) I would take her to my favorite go-to places: Brunch: Kitchen & Kocktails or Snooze AM Eatery or Common Table in Frisco
Dinner: Spatch Kitchen and Cocktails
Desserts: Cake Bar in Trinity Groves
Entertainment: Federales in Deep Ellum or Sidecar Social in Addison
Nightlife: Uptown or Deep Ellum for a good bar crawl

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my late grandmother. Everything that I strive to do is all because of her love, support, motivation and encouragement that she poured in me while she was alive. I want to honor her and meet all of the expectations she had for me. She was a very strong force in my life and without her I don’t think I would be the person I am today! So thank you Annette Small for always being there for me when I needed you most and for being my guardian angel that continues to help guide my steps.

Website: www.aroundtheworldwithlaila.com

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