courtnie nichols
Courtnie Nichols: Travel Entrepreneur By Age 30
courtnie nichols
30
Story by: Jacki Donaldson
C
ourtnie Nichols
Courtnie takes care of all the
school. I have been on five
records all of her goals
details during an excursion.
cruises. I lived overseas with
in a planner.
If you want rum and not
my husband when he played
When she was 21, she wrote
vodka in your hotel mini-
professional basketball.”
that she would own a business
fridge, Courtnie makes
Courtnie’s husband, Darris
by age 30. And sure enough,
it happen. If you have a
Nichols, whom she met in
she did.
food allergy, Courtnie
college, is an Assistant Coach
Now 31, Courtnie is the
communicates your dietary
on the University of Florida
proud owner and travel
needs to the hotel staff. If
Men’s Basketball staff, and the
architect of TravelBash, a
you end up stuck in Nairobi,
couple has moved five times
travel boutique she started
Kenya, you call Courtnie.
for coaching jobs.
in late 2016 and launched in
If you just want to show up
“This is the first time we’ve
January 2017.
and enjoy yourself while
been with a program for more
Courtnie specializes in
someone else handles all of
than two years,” Courtnie,
romance travel and girls
the details, Courtnie, with her
who is often on the road
getaways and retreats in
young, vibrant, passionate
supporting the Gators, said. “I
Mexico, the Caribbean, and
personality, is your girl.
am a natural-born traveler.”
Europe. TravelBash is not the
Courtnie’s attention to
A self-proclaimed city girl
typical travel agency of years
clients is what makes her
from St. Louis, Courtnie has
past.
stand out. So does her vast
always loved experiencing
“I don’t consider myself
travel experience.
new cultures, and because
a travel agency,” Courtnie
“Ever since I was little,
people always ask her for
said. “I do more than book
my parents exposed me to
travel advice, starting a travel
travel. Booking travel is
travel,” Courtnie said. “My
business was a natural move.
transactional. I am more of a
dad took me to Greece for
Courtnie, who has a
personal travel concierge.”
two weeks when I was in high
professional background in
development and fundraising, started her travel business as a passion project and has developed it into a full-blown venture that keeps her plenty busy. She employs one parttime virtual admin who lives in UK (a friend from West Virginia University, where her husband played basketball); one UF intern; and one part-time digital guy, also a UF alum, who lives in Los Angeles. Courtnie and her team do
