We were lucky to catch up with Jerisha Hawkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jerisha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

Bleisure travel is one of the biggest trends in my industry right now. Bleisure is where business travelers combine leisurely activities with their business trips. This type of travel allows individuals to make the most of their time away from home by incorporating leisurely activities such as sightseeing, shopping, and dining into their business itineraries. It’s becoming more common as people are looking for ways to make the most of their business trips. Companies who are starting to embrace this idea, are seeing the benefits in terms of employee engagement and productivity, as well as cost savings.

Jerisha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have a corporate background with experience in various fields. I have huge passion for travel and exploring different cultures. I leveraged my background and passion to launch a travel agency, Love What You Do Travel in 2018 but had to pivot when the pandemic hit. I then founded Rethink Bleisure in 2022, a consulting company that helps entrepreneurs, employees and corporations think strategically about why they need to continue to travel and how to save on their business travels. My focus is the millennial traveler, as they are a significant segment of the travel industry and are leading in the way in Bleisure travel.

Rethink Bleisure is a company that provides consulting services to help businesses and entrepreneurs make strategic decisions about their business travel and find ways to help reduce travel costs. I help clients think about the reasons why they need to travel and explore ways to make their travel more efficient and cost-effective.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I literally felt like I had lost it all. Travel was completely shut down at the time. I wasn’t quite sure when it would resume. During the lockdown, I had a unique opportunity to observe what people really wanted in their personal and professional lives. The common thread on social media is that people wanted to travel. Many people were working remote at the time. They became accustomed to the freedom this type of work arrangement gave. Once business travel resumed, many employees expressed they would be happier and felt more comfortable if they were able to bring their families or friends on their business trips. In 2019, I attended the New York Times Travel Trade Show, they hosted a small segment on the Bleisure niche. I was highly interested. I had already been traveling this way for some time. I knew many employers hadn’t embraced the idea yet and I wanted to help educate them of the benefit. The Bleisure term is not a new term, it has been around since 2009. Many companies still aren’t aware of the overall benefits of this travel style.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The road to success hasn’t been a smooth one. Especially with the whammy of the pandemic hitting the travel industry in 2020. Despite this challenging year, I still managed to receive an invite to a Top Selling Agents Conference held in October 2021 in Aspen, Colorado. My sales in certain quarters qualified me to attend. I was so thankful to have reached this level. During the pandemic, although I was afraid at first, I still mustered up the guts to get out there and travel. My business depended on my consistent movement. I couldn’t stop despite the obstacles of COVID1.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rethinkbleisure.com
• Instagram: Rethink Bleisure
• Facebook: Jerisha Hawkins
• Linkedin: Jerisha Hawkins
• Youtube: Rethink Bleisure