What is Lifestyle Management?
I have to address a common question that is repeatedly thrown my way: What do you do for a living? I know...it seems like a simple question at first yet those that know me are not convinced that I am a travel agent predominantly because I do a lot more than providing standard travel services. With that in mind, I tell people that I am a lifestyle concierge because, in short, it just sounds sexier and a lot more fun.
I thought I had the right answer. However, that response may not be as obvious as I thought which was crystal clear when I was going through customs at JFK. I was asked about my profession by a customs agent, which I was thrilled to answer. The lifestyle concierge response didn’t work because I found myself pulled aside by a large TSA agent with a terrible buzz cut for secondary inspection as they thought I was being a smartass and not cooperating with the questions they put forward.
I lost a couple hours of my life sitting in an isolated room which felt like a time out. This gave me some time to think about my actions whereby I came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, my job title isn’t as clear as I thought it would be. Now that I was set free, this is my opportunity to provide more details.
Defining lifestyle management is pretty simple if you think about it. It means having a service contractor (like myself) manage your lifestyle requests. These contractors, also referred to as lifestyle consultants or lifestyle concierges, specialize in certain areas to get the best possible results.
The word lifestyle is a general term that can include a wide range of personal wants and needs. Taking into account its extensive nature, lifestyle consultants can assist you in everything from managing personal errands, to achieving fitness and nutrition goals, to organizing once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Whatever you are looking to help fulfil gaps in your personal lifestyle, there will be a consultant available to address them. In my case, I assist with providing luxury travel, adventure travel and organizing bespoke experiences.
Now why would someone ask for my help? There are a lot of reasons to choose from, but most commonly we find that people are either too busy or lack the proper resources and expertise to get the best out of their requests. Additional assistance is therefore needed so they outsource their lifestyle wants and needs to a lifestyle consultant like myself.
So, let’s be clear:
Lifestyle consultants differ from personal assistants because they focus on a portfolio of clients rather than solely on one person;
They also differ from travel agents as their reach is beyond conventional travel services and experiences;
A concierge would be the closest similarity because they provide a broader spectrum of services to improve their clients’ lifestyle. As a matter of fact, many in the lifestyle management industry refer to themselves as lifestyle concierges which is a route I decided to take.
There are many providers who deliver a service, meeting their client’s expectations. However, the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question is: Did they include additional embellishment to ensure a memorable experience?