Lawyer gives up career to start travel business...

Rena Guseynova worked as a highly successful international lawyer before giving it all up and setting up her own boutique travel agency. Law and More wants to know why and how...

Reading your CV it’s really quite hard to believe you’ve squeezed so much in such a short amount of time! Could you go through your career timeline in a bit more detail?

I have spent last 15 years studying and training in UK.  I spent my high school years in USA and came to do my A-levels in Canterbury.  I then graduated from UCL (University College London) with LLB Degree and spent another year doing Legal Practice Course in London.

After that I did my MBA  in Rome and came back to London to do my training as a solicitor at Mishcon de Reya LLP.  I qualified as a solicitor in their corporate/commercial department and subsequently took a job at Curtis, Mallet, Provost, Colt and Mosel  LLP, a US law firm based in New York, Milan and  Moscow   Following that I worked for Watson, Farley and Williams LLP doing shipping finance and general asset finance.

Have you completely given up law to focus on Carte Blanche or do you still have some affiliations?

For the past few months Carte Blanche Travel has been my priority and, as with the launch of any new company, it has completely taken me over!  I am still very much in contact with past employers and old colleagues however my time has been and still is spent on the various phases of Carte Blanche Travel’s formation.  I have been focused on getting Carte Blanche Travel up and running, starting with the name and brand creation to ensure that the company’s image reflects the style of travel which I am offering, whilst determining which hotels, camps and lodges to feature.  Its been a busy time!

Your extensive travels across the globe during your time as an international lawyer must have inspired you and equipped you with the inside info into the leisure industry-do you think your  legal training has also helped you set up your own business?

Definitely! My strong legal background was a huge bonus and it has helped me in dealing with various issues that came up during the set up – notably with the registration of the company, drafting memorandum and articles, the terms and conditions, agreements the ground handlers and hoteliers etc. My legal experience gave me great organisational, management negotiation skills.  However the main benefit of having been a lawyer is the attention to detail which you learn to give everything – so crucial in this business.

How did you come up with the idea for Carte Blanche?

The name Carte Blanche reflects the ethos of the company.  I chose it as it implies that they have the complete freedom to paint their picture perfect holiday and that we will make it a reality by transforming their ideas and aspirations into the perfect break.  Ultimately, Carte Blanche Travel is offering a first-class tailor made travel service so no request will ever be unachievable and nothing will be too big or too small for us.

You have personally visited most resorts Carte Blanche promotes and you know most of the resort owners you work with. How do Carte Blanche clients benefit from this and how do you differ from other bespoke tour operators.

Having in-depth knowledge about the properties we recommend helps us considerably when we tailor-make each itinerary.  Having personally visited over 75% of the properties we feature, Carte Blanche is able to propose a variety of holidays to suit all budgets and requests – whether it be a romantic long weekend break or an adrenalin filled 2 week holiday. We recognise that no one person is alike and each and every one of our clients has different interests, requests and preferences when it comes to what they are looking for from their holiday, and where they would like to stay.  We therefore apply this detailed knowledge of ours of the areas we specialise in to our client’s individual preferences, thus creating a bespoke and unforgettable holiday experience for them.

Was it a big risk for you to give up law and do you have any regrets?

Starting anything new is always a risk and starting a new business even more so - especially one in a field that you have not had training in!   I believe that if you really want to achieve something you have to step out of your comfort zone and take that risk or you will end up wondering what may have been.   Life is too short to and so long as the ‘risk’ has been calculated and considered as far as possible its worth taking.  I do sometimes miss the comfort of working for someone else and all that it provides however the excitement of setting up your own company, one which also is a great passion of mine, even on the days when the challenges seem insurmountable, overrides any doubt about my decision.

How has your lifestyle changed and what was it like when you worked as a lawyer?

To be honest my life has not changed much.  When I worked as a lawyer I worked 17 hours a day sometimes more in order to get things right.  I am a perfectionist.  At the moment I work more or less the same hours because it is my own business, a new one at that, and I want it to succeed.

You’re lifestyle has always been very jet-set, where are you based now and what are your plans for your and business’ future?

I do still travel quite a bit however at the moment I am fully focused on Carte Blanche Travel and so based in London, which is also where most of our clients are.

I have huge plans for Carte Blanche Travel, one of which is to continue our development in relation to responsible travel, an area of personal interest and importance to me.  We are currently working closely with various sustainable travel related projects in Eastern and Southern Africa and our clients have been very keen in getting involved too. 

I started the business focusing on safaris in Africa and now the other area of the business I am looking to grow is our product offering in India and Mexico too. 

Let’s touch base in few months time and I will tell you all about it!

Interview with Vanessa Wozniak vwozniak@lawandmore.co.uk