In the year 2000, Diamond took a 70% pay-cut to shift away from the film industry and restart her career in travel. (Spoiler alert: The gamble paid off.) Seven years later, motivated by a desire for innovation, Diamond started her own company with a team of three and a single client. "Diamond PR was started based on an instinct that there were members of the travel and tourism world that wanted something different," she says. Today, the award-winning company boasts 30 clients across the US and Mexico, Southern and Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
We caught up with the entrepreneur to discuss her experience in the travel industry, and the difficulties and opportunities presented therein. (Unsurprisingly, "seeing the world is the most magnificent perk.") Though she works with magnificent villas in Tuscany, luxury cruises in the Galapagos, and romantic resorts in the West Indies, Diamond is hesitant to play favorites: "Asking a PR person to choose a favorite client is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. My mind wanders to the blue waters of the Caribbean, the culinary brilliance of Mexico, and the long summer days of Iceland. I'm homesick for all of them."
Homesick for faraway lands is a familiar feeling for many readers in quarantine, and Diamond shares insight into how to support the tourism industry during these challenging times. In fact, our conversation is perfect for restless, would-be globetrotters hoping to satisfy a bit of wanderlust—of both the professional and personal variety. Read on for career advice on the business side of travel, and expert tips for making any flight instantly more enjoyable. Happy travels!
