ELLEN ADES
WHEN JULIE DANZIGER WAS 21 YEARS OLD SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO. THE ONLY THING SHE DID KNOW WAS THAT SHE NEEDED A JOB. SEEING JULIE STRUGGLE WITH UNCERTAINTY PROMPTED HER MOTHER TO SAY, “YOU LOVE TO TRAVEL AND YOU’RE VERY ORGANIZED. WHY DON’T YOU LOOK FOR A JOB WITH A TRAVEL AGENCY?”
It made sense, so Julie followed the advice. Through friends she found an internship, followed by a paying job in a brick and mortar travel agency. After that first year, Julie moved to a larger agency where she met Jack Ezon.
Today, Julie is co-founder of EMBARK Beyond, a globally recognized luxury travel advisory with affiliated offices and agents around the world. Her co-founding partners are Jack Ezon and Eli Ashear.
Yet, if you ask, Julie will tell you that she never planned to own a business or be an entrepreneur. In that sense you might describe her as being an “accidental entrepreneur.”
Most people are interested in learning how to become successful. The ‘how to’ part is usually not glamorous and stays remarkably consistent across industries and histories. Hard work always plays a role as does ‘timing.’ In Julie’s story she adds that her success was also a result of perseverance.
From the time she first began working, Julie was patient. She rolled up her sleeves, and showed respect to those who had more experience and knowledge. She focused on bringing value. Her time working as an employee prepared her. When the opportunity presented itself to become a business owner, she was ready. Succinctly summed up by Julie, “You can’t cross the finish line without running the race.”
Jack Ezon says he appreciates her consistent execution and how she trains the people around her to be the best version of themselves. Over time Jack says he’s learned that, “Julie is the ultimate team player and captain. She is always focused on making everyone around her thrive. She focuses on the win for the team, not for herself, every time.”
Eli Ashear praises “Julie’s ability to understand what specific experience each client is seeking. She is a great co-founder and partner because she represents our brand and embodies who we are.” He went on to add that, if there is one thing he’s learned from Julie, it is the tenacity necessary to advocate for a client. He states, “It’s one thing to assist someone with a booking. It’s another to stick with them through thick and thin, which is what defines us as part of their story.”
Over the years, Julie married, and gave birth to three beautiful children. She has been raising her family with her husband, Joe. Having a supportive husband has been key to her success as a business owner, a mother and a wife. Even with great support, managing the challenges that inevitably pop up is far from easy. One unforeseen event popped up soon after opening EMBARK Beyond. Julie was invited to join a hotel chain advisory board. This is an honor and strategic career boost to anyone in the travel industry, but she had to attend an event in Europe. Initially, Julie accepted because it was mid-week and she calculated that she could attend and easily be home for Shabbat. Shortly after accepting, she found out her daughter was having a siddur party at school that same week. Julie backed out of attending the European event and therefore being accepted on to the advisory board. It might have set her career back a bit but it satisfied her desire to be a good parent.
Julie said, “When you’re a working mother you have two jobs. For me, my home job as a mother and wife always takes precedence.” When one of the children is sick, fortunately, Julie has a husband who offers to stay home so she can go to the office. That kind of support is key to her well-being.
According to Julie’s husband Joe, “No matter how much she has on her plate the children always come first.” Therefore, it is certainly no wonder that all three children—ages 7, 10 and 13—have positive feelings about their mom being a business owner. The oldest describes his mom as being a lot more fun than other moms. Her middle child appreciates traveling to really cool places. The youngest admits to missing her mom when she goes to work, but appreciates that she can occasionally work from home. She also loves the popcorn machine in her mom’s office.
Julie is most proud of the growth her business has experienced in a relatively short time. She never thought she’d be in business for herself. She was happy working in the travel industry and being around people that made her happy. “I am grateful to be working with amazing, incredibly honest, hardworking, thoughtful people all over the world,” she said. Regarding her personal life she shared, “I am proud that Joe and I are part of a supportive, loving, incredible family.”
At the onset of our interview, Julie was adamant about describing herself as a “regular, average person.” She stated, “There was never anything special about me. I was average in school. My family was a typical community family.”
In spite of her many declarations to the contrary, there is much more to Julie Danziger than meets the eye. By her own admission, she has high standards. Professionally, she wants to keep learning. Being a working mother means she always strives to be a better mom. Most importantly, her message is profound and key: You can achieve great things if you like what you do and you’re willing to work hard at becoming the best.
Julie knows what she values most and she makes decisions that honor those values. That is a master class on how to feel comfortable in your own skin.
To get in touch with PROPEL: call 646-494-0822, email info@thepropelnetwork.org
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Ellen Ades is a PROPEL career coach.
