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Maire Gorman

Owner, Hidden Gems Vacation

What inspired you to join/start your business?

I love to travel, I was tired of the corporate world and decided to pursue what I loved.

 

My goal is to help my clients create memories they will treasure forever. I feel a huge responsibility to ensure their vacation fulfills their expectations and is completely stress-free, so I offer a concierge-style travel service. I want to create a relationship with my clients and become their trusted advisor so they have the comfort of knowing that they can rely on me before, during and after their vacation.

What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?

I was lucky to have great mentors when I joined the travel world and their encouragement along the way, helped me to stay focused on my goal of creating the best vacations for my clients and learning to navigate the new business world I had entered.

What was your most satisfying moment in your career?

The most satisfying moment was talking to my very first clients and hearing how fabulous their vacation had been. It was a trip to Ireland so I felt comfortable creating their itinerary but I was still nervous as it was my first booked trip. My clients were so happy and have been repeat clients ever since.

How do you define success?

For me, it's creating incredible memories for my clients and hearing how happy they are when they return from their vacation. Their memories will remain with them forever and I feel honored and privileged to have had a part in their creation.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

Do what you love and you'll never work another day in your life... I wish I had listened to that advice 30 years ago but the good news is, I'm doing it now.

What women inspire you and why?

Oh my goodness, there are so many women who inspire me... Jane Goodall, Katherine Johnson, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Rachel Carson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Austin, Audrey Hepburn, to name just a few. They all have many accomplishments but for me, they are all so real, so authentic. They followed their hearts and achieved in the face of so much adversity. They blazed their own trail. They were brave.

What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?

Just do it! There are so many people who genuinely want to help new businesses succeed and if you have the drive to make it happen, you will. As they say, "Whether you say you can or you can't, you're right". If you have the belief you can make your business successful, then you will be successful.

Fill in the Blank:

  • When I face a challenge, I... stop, analyze, seek advice, create a plan, execute. (You can tell I used to be a project manager!)

 

  • If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… trust yourself; Believe in yourself; Pay attention to the positive influences in your life and ignore the naysayers.

 

  • The one thing I couldn’t live without is… travel. When I say I love my work, I truly do. Every time I create a vacation for my clients, I travel vicariously through them as I have planned every minute detail of their trip.

 

  • By this time next year, I will have… resurrected my business after surviving the pandemic and will be creating fabulous vacations for my existing clients and all my new clients who I was lucky enough to meet throughout the last year.

 

  • The best thing that happened to me last week was… that I was asked to be a CCSNJ Ambassador. What an honor! CCSNJ has been a lifeline for me since the pandemic hit. The Chamber has provided information, online events and enormous support to the small businesses of SJ and I am happy to be able to contribute to the Chamber in any way I can.

 

  • To get my creative juices flowing, I… get lost in my research. I can spend hours learning about countries and the "Hidden Gems" around the world. It not only gets my creative juices flowing but its soothes my soul and makes me better informed to help my clients.  
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