Meet Jordan Habberstad
LOCAL FOREIGNER’S TEAM OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
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Photo Synthesis
Anyone can take out their iPhone and snap a picture of the sunset, but true travel photographers are a rare find, and Jordan Habberstad has the eye. Growing up in a tiny town in Southern California, travel was meaningful to Jordan because it got her out of her bubble; after graduating high school in a class of 30 kids, she studied Mass Media Communications and Marketing at the University of California Santa Barbara, and an inevitable career in travel was off to the proverbial races. “During college, I started as an intern at a travel publication and worked my way up to director of advertising and sales. I would be up in California wine country, staying in beautiful hotels and going to vineyards, getting these brands to advertise in the magazine, and it opened my eyes that this is a whole industry – that you can work and experience new places at the same time.”
After a post-grad detour into a “real-world” job in medical sales left her feeling unfulfilled, Jordan’s then-fiancé encouraged her to get back into what she loved. “He knew that I wanted to be in the travel space, and encouraged me to put myself out there. I started cold-calling and emailing hotels in Southern California as a freelance photographer, and within six months, I was working with the Rosewood Miramar Beach, the Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore, and several boutique properties doing luxury brand photography for them. That naturally expanded to include social media as well.” When her husband’s job in the film industry moved them to Europe, it was an easy extension to working with hotels and brands on the other side of the Atlantic.
“During college, I started as an intern at a travel publication… it opened my eyes that this is a whole industry – that you can work and experience new places at the same time.”
-Jordan Habberstad
if the shoe fits
This unique combination of aesthetic sensibility, entrepreneurial spirit, geographical flexibility, and travel experience had Jordan perfectly poised to transition into planning travel. “We were in London for seven months last year, and in Prague for seven months the year before that, and we had amazing access to travel all over Europe. I love bougie hotels – we did a six-week honeymoon throughout Italy, and Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco was my absolute favorite. We had the most insane room, and the slippers by the bed are your exact size – it’s just *chef’s kiss.*” And it seems shoes are truly the way to her heart – “I absolutely love Soho Farmhouse, where you’re scooting around this beautiful place on bikes, and when it rains, they have your size wellies ready for you.”
She’s also not afraid of striking out on her own – heading out for a one-woman trip through Cornwall when her husband’s London filming schedule precluded him getting away – so whether it’s solo exploration or a romantic getaway, Jordan’s sweet spot is helping her clients live the good life. “I love working with everyone from honeymooners and empty-nesters – people who have time to really enjoy a multi-stop itinerary and get into the food, the wine. My husband loves small, boutique properties, and I like to sprinkle those into a trip. I don’t just want to go where the bloggers are, and I don’t need fine dining for every meal. But I also love a boat day to Capri, staying at a hotel with immaculate service, where you ask for a cappuccino in the morning, and it arrives immediately.”
“I love working with everyone from honeymooners and empty-nesters – people who have time to really enjoy a multi-stop itinerary and get into the food, the wine.”
on the horizon
Jordan’s excitement about travel is infectious, and her bucket list is only getting longer – “I want to pop around the South of France and drink rose on the Cote D’Azur. I am a snowboarder, but I want to learn to ski in Zermatt. I want to take the Orient Express from Paris to Venice and then stay at Aman Venice. I need to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. I want to visit the Blue Zones. My husband loves to sail, and we want to sail the Greek Islands and Sardinia. There are so many beautiful places out there, and I love to talk about them – and at the end of the day, the best part of working in travel is that the job is talking to people about the places and experiences you love, and getting to share that with them.” That outlook sounds pretty beautiful to us.