A journalist by profession and a Road tripper by heart! I, Kunjal Karaniya, am a travel nut, passionate photographer, travel blogger, journalist, and not just a dreamer! I am always up for exploring new places and searching for exciting experiences – Maps, DSLR, and walking shoes are the perfect matches for me. Had explored 35 countries as yet, a new destination, unforgettable journey, and an unusual experience are always on my charts.
Kunjal Karaniya – My Story
Almost four years ago, I decided to quit my profession of 10 years to follow my passion for travel and started a travel company. We are a boutique travel company based out of Mumbai.
I was born & brought up in Mumbai and hailing from a Gujarati family. I had a colorful childhood with loads of relatives, travels, and food! My dad and my brother own a business, and my mom is a homemaker. Doing a job didn’t quite come quickly for them as hardly anyone had chosen that path, and on top of it, a job as a journalist was alien and problematic for them initially.
I pursued BMM (Journalism), and along with studying, I started internships and gradually started working full time with various publications, broadsheets, and magazines. Gradually the scenario at home eased down. They proudly told the world ‘their daughter is a journalist. While working, I pursued LLB (hence an advocate too) but never practiced as journalism was always my first love.
After working for ten years and reaching the pinnacle in journalism, I overnight decided to stop working and started something of my own. During these working years and even before that, I traveled a lot with family, friends, or work, which gradually became my passion. Road trips and off-beat places were my callings, and even my husband is an ardent traveler. Friends used to take advice for travel planning even before I started my own business, so after a push from my husband, I finally decided to start my own boutique travel company “Unplugged Moments.” I had a blog page under the same name, which I had converted to my business.
I started my company in Feb 2017. Planning was started in Dec 2016 but launched only in Feb 2017. I rolled out my website and did some marketing activities to let the network know about the venture. Fortunately, the response was and is positive.
So Unplugged Moments is not a traditional travel company. We cater only to references and customized travel planning using my experiences of traveling to 35 countries until now, and we specialize in self-driven road trips. Travel planning is a thoroughly detailed one keeping in mind the traveler’s need.
Finally, in terms of traveler, I can see people traveling in a true sense and not just being a tourist. They are open to exploring new places and ideas, which is very positive and exciting. Also, travel has become a priority over many things owing busy life. In terms of entrepreneurs, India sees a startup boom, and the conditions look favorable. It is always a struggle in this competitive world, but you need to keep doing your best.
No regrets! I have always cherished all my failures and success. Most of the time, I made my own choices. And It was a very critical move when I decided to quit a well-established career to follow my passion for travel and travel planning. But that first brave step is all you got to take and then keep working towards it. It took me six months for my first client to come through. I felt low in between but never quit. And the feeling is fantastic. I feel proud of myself for taking this decision when I look back.
I plan to keep growing “Unplugged Moments” and entering new segments like charter, luxury, and group tours.
Here is a small message to other women entrepreneurs. Just trust yourself and go for it. There might be hindrances, but once you set in, give your best shot, and the world will surely appreciate you and applaud you. Times have changed, women entrepreneurs are taken seriously; hence it’s the perfect time to dive in.
My advice is just to go for it. Take that first step. The rest will follow. Keep doing your best!
I invested my own earned money since it dint require many funds. Initially saw thin margins, but gradually, it picked up. But it has never been all about profit, but travel being my passion, I always want my clients to live travel and come back with beautiful stories. As I was a stranger to the travel industry, I used my journalism skills to network in the industry and learned on the go.
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