Meet Stephanie Fisher
LOCAL FOREIGNER’S TEAM OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
This post is part of our series celebrating our Independent Contractors and Hosting Program. The Local Foreigner's Hosting Program provides a platform of systems and support for independent travel advisors.
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in the middle of it all
Locate the center of action and the chances are you’ll find Stephanie Fisher. Chatting with Stephanie about her life is like reading a 21st century Twain novel, full of colorful characters, unlikely adventures, and more than a few moments meriting a good belly laugh. “I was born in Germany, then at age five moved to Saudi Arabia, where I grew up in a global compound attending an international school. My father was a US Army Corp chief engineer, which allowed us to attend events like the opening of the king’s camel racetrack, which he helped build in two weeks in the middle of the desert. Later, we moved to northern California, where the valley girls gave me culture shock at its finest. I may have been asked by the ‘mean girls’ where I parked my camel.” A college theater major, her thesis project was the WordBridge Playwright’s Development Lab, which continues to this day.
This led to a stint with the Sundance Institute, her last post being the ticket coordinator for the Sundance Film Festival. During this time, she was an Assistant Director in Feature Films, working on locations as disparate as aircraft carriers out at sea to the Carolinas. She had couples’ date nights with a Charlie’s Angel, dinner with the Sundance Kid, and still enjoys a friendship with a Titanic villain. Then, it was off to achieve a Certificate of Culinary Studies from Boston University, where she connected with Julia Child. “To this day, I cherish my time spent with her over tea in her iconic kitchen in Cambridge.” Do we have your attention yet?
“It’s always been about people – I am happiest when learning about others (even better when it’s done over a cocktail.)”
-Stephanie Fisher
all the world’s a stage
With her global background and upbringing, it feels fated that Stephanie would eventually find her way to travel with her first clients being family. “When I first met my husband, we decided our children should have a larger life perspective and global experience. Travel was always part of my life, and the best part is sharing cultures and finding moments of connection. It’s always been about people – I am happiest when learning about others (even better when it’s done over a cocktail.)” Her two kids are now in their early twenties, and she’s made good on that promise. “The first time we took the kids to Europe, they were five and seven. I would tell them to go figure out how to order a croissant or a crepe, and at first, they’d look at me like I was crazy – and then they would go figure it out. I’m also proud that both kids drive manual cars, which came in handy driving the ‘three on a tree’ Russian Trabants in Berlin.”
person to person
As the family continued their international adventures, friends started asking for advice. “I would create itineraries for my family, and then my friends would give them to their travel agents and ask them to recreate them. People in the industry started reaching out, telling me I should give it a shot. About the fifth time someone asked me, I decided to go for it.” Her vast knowledge and innate creativity make her invaluable to her clients. “I love to focus on a client’s personal details to elevate their travel and connect them with meaningful moments. Recently, a close girlfriend had an overwhelming health impact that created mobility challenges, but she of course wanted to continue traveling, and this caused my perspective to change drastically. I reached out to Virtuoso to raise further awareness and training for ADA clients, and was featured in a Virtuoso podcast on accessibility in the industry. It is not just about an ADA room – It’s about how we make each experiential destination accessible for all bodies. Does each hotel maintain a list of ADA accessible restaurants? It requires thinking beyond the immediate, obvious points.” After all, often the initial challenge is what makes an interaction meaningful.
“I recently returned to Saudi at an Al-Ula art exhibit, and there were three school buses of young girls on a field trip. They were learning about female artists and possibilities for what they could do with their own lives, and it was incredibly meaningful to see their dreams, which now are possible.”
Speak and ye shall find
“I love to sit in a village and learn about someone’s life experience, without even speaking the same language but somehow finding a way to communicate,” she says. The conversations that eventually led Stephanie to join the Local Foreigner team happened over several years, in disparate corners of the globe. “I met Alex Hanover in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, during what feels like a million years ago, and then Brooke Lavery and I connected later at a dinner for the Ritz Paris. I was always so impressed by their process from afar. I loved the technology, the energy, and crushed on the positive collaboration process that Local Foreigner prioritizes.” Then in 2023, she finally joined the team. “Best decision ever!”
Stephanie is a multi-linguist, but she doesn’t just connect with people verbally – she also values connection through art. “I recently returned to Saudi at an Al-Ula art exhibit, and there were three school buses of young girls on a field trip, all of whom were around the age that I was when I left. I practiced my Arabic with them while they practiced their English with me. They were learning about female artists and possibilities for what they could do with their own lives, and it was incredibly meaningful to see their dreams, which now are possible.” We can’t think of a better role model for showing women how to live life to its fullest, wildest potential.