Meet Mark Herman
LOCAL FOREIGNER’S TEAM OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
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A Yes from Me
Mark Herman is a self-described “sure” guy. “I am a ‘yes’ person, a ‘sure’ person. As long as it’s safe and I am not going to die, sure! I’m in.” It’s an expansive openness that’s immediately apparent upon meeting him - he’s one of those people that you know is just fun and game for an adventure. His parents, both retired educators, instilled this in him early. “Every summer, we’d travel to a different destination - it was how we learned, outside of the classroom. Our neighbors would go to Florida every year, but we did New England, California, Mexico, Glaciers National Park, Alaska.” And during the school week, when he wasn’t exploring, travel wasn’t far from his mind. “One of my favorite shows growing up was Great Hotels with Samantha Brown. I’d get home from various sports practices and have it on, mentally adding to my list of where I wanted to go next.”
During college at the University of Illinois, Mark headed to Europe to study abroad - but he didn’t choose a classic spot like Florence or Paris. “My background is German and I had studied the language, so I went to a tiny program in Kiel, a port city just north of Hamburg on the Baltic Sea. There were two other Americans, who were not even my age, and one girl from Estonia, and that was basically the group. I bought a bike and made German friends. We’d be at beer halls and they would cheer me on, like ‘Speak German to us!’” On weekends, he’d bike to small neighboring towns, going to town markets, learning not only about the country and the culture, but also about how travel made him feel. “I was used to being in a frat at this big university, surrounded by things and people that were familiar to me. But when you’re traveling alone, you have to sit with yourself, and be happy in the happy moments, and sad when you’re sad.”
The Scenic Route
“No matter where we are, I get up in the morning and go for a run to see the city. I have a route I do in Paris, a route I do in London. And I can do it in about 90 minutes, so even if the rest of our trip is just great restaurants, I feel like I’ve experienced the place.”
-Mark Herman
After graduating, perhaps channeling his inner Samantha Brown, Mark headed to Chicago for a job with Travel Channel, Food Network, and HGTV, working in digital ad sales. “It was so fun as a 20-something, because I got to meet the chefs and all the network characters. You’re talking to your parents about what you do, and they know the celebrity talent on these shows - they can relate to the brand.” After five years in the Windy City, he headed to New York and ultimately transitioned into print marketing, working at Food Network Magazine, where the majority of accounts were travel brands and tourism boards. As he realized it was the travel more than the print that was interesting him, he moved to Marriott International in Global Partnerships. It all added up to a sterling resume for a travel advisor, but he had one more big detour ahead before landing at the Local Foreigner.
In 2019, Mark married his now business partner Brendan Monaghan in Harbour Island, and after the wedding, the two took some time to discuss their immediate future. “We wanted to have a big adventure as newlyweds, and Brendan’s career in magazines meant there were a few major cities that made sense. He said he could do London, Paris, Milan, or Hong Kong - and we chose Hong Kong.” They headed to Asia in September of 2019. “I had never been to Hong Kong before, and didn’t really know much about it. The first morning, I woke up surrounded by the mountains and the skyscrapers, and I thought ‘Wow, we live here now.’ We were staying in the penthouse at the Upper House hotel, and I felt like Eloise at the Plaza - a traveler’s dream to live in a five-star hotel!” But the onset of Covid meant what was supposed to be an opportunity to travel all over Asia changed scope; undeterred, the pair kept their contract and embedded themselves in the city’s social scene. “We couldn’t leave Hong Kong, but that meant we explored it so much more and embraced where we were. We joked that we went on 50 first dates, but for friends. We were out on the water in the harbor all the time, did a staycation at the Rosewood with a big group, and generally just made the best of a terrible global situation.”
On the Run
“We plan travel for people who want to explore and also have a luxurious base to come back to, who might go out for a bike ride or a hike and then come home for the best deep tissue massage and a cocktail by the pool. To me, that’s the good life.”
They also got to know the Upper House team well during this time, who uncovered one of Mark’s other passions. “I got into running after college - I signed up for a marathon on a whim, and I loved it. I’m up to 14 marathons now. Running feels like therapy, and it’s where I get so many of my creative ideas.” It’s also his preferred way to explore a new place. “No matter where we are, I get up in the morning and go for a run to see the city. I have a route I do in Paris, a route I do in London. And I can do it in about 90 minutes, so even if the rest of our trip is just great restaurants, I feel like I’ve experienced the place.” Once the hotel staff cottoned on to his talent, they roped him into being the hotel’s running coach. “I would take guests and staff on runs through Hong Kong so they could see the city from a different perspective.”
After 18 months in Asia, Mark and Brendan moved back to New York, where Brendan launched Coolidge & Co. and Mark founded a caviar business inspired by the hospitality the two had experienced abroad. But in living and traveling together, it was inevitable that Mark would join Brendan in planning travel. “Brendan and I each used to travel in opposite ways - he would find a place he loved and stick to it, and I would always be tempted by the next new thing. We’ve worn off on each other - he sees the value in diversifying, and I love the comfort of returning to your favorite beach or island. And we’re both suckers for having a pool and an ocean view.” And as Coolidge & Co. has grown, they’ve found their sweet spot in that balance. “We plan travel for people who want to explore and also have a luxurious base to come back to, who might go out for a bike ride or a hike and then come home for the best deep tissue massage and a cocktail by the pool. To me, that’s the good life.”
