On most days, there’s at least one moment where I wonder how I got so lucky to do what I love most in life. And then, I think of the people, especially the women, who have supported me and shown me that the impossible is indeed possible. This International Women’s Day hits an especially important note for me, given all that’s happening in the world. One thing is for certain though; no matter what, I will always advocate for women’s education and women’s rights.

Sometimes The Universe Will Test You

If you look at our website, we have a majority of women on the team. I am proud to say that every one of them was hired for merit. We’ve had exciting updates to the team this year that reflect the growth in our business. One of the most meaningful was bringing on Dannica, who is our new Chief of Staff. This is the first step to hiring a divisional Chief Operating Officer, as well as promoting Marina on our Editorial Team to run our online magazine.

I bring up Dannica because I was tested when we hired her. Dannica was five months pregnant when she joined the team. Clearly, it will be a major business disruption to have someone on maternity leave so soon after joining. We had other candidates, but Dannica was the best.

This was one of those character-defining moments that tested how genuine I am in my support of women. I’ve always found that when I do things from my heart, it almost always works out. Needless to say, I already don’t know what I would do without Dannica. I would say, though, that most people wouldn’t do the right thing — but rather what is easier.

Women Matter

I appreciate International Women’s Day because it’s the opportunity to say “thank you” to all the women in our lives who inspire and support us. With all that’s going on in the world, it’s more important than ever to support women’s education and rights. Galavante’s Foundation has big plans this 2025 to do exactly that. Save the Date for May 6th to join us for our annual event. As many of you know, I also sit on the Board of Trustees of the only university that continues to educate Afghan women. Why is this important? For so many reasons, including national security. Men with educated mothers, sisters and wives are less likely to join extremist groups. It’s not just about the impact on Afghanistan, but also adjacent countries, continents, and eventually, our own doorstep here at home. Women matter, and this is the time to advocate for their rights and education.

Women in Travel + Food

International Women’s Day was also the chance to look at the industry that I work in. When I asked the team to pull the top hotels run by and/or owned by women, it’s no surprise that they were the top hotels in the world. What did surprise me, is that in the adjacent industry of food, only 6% of Michelin-star awarded chefs are women. But those who make their way to the top in these industries regardless, are a special breed of bada**.  So here’s to all the bada** women out there. Thank you for inspiring and supporting my hopes and dreams.

All the best,

Christine Drinan, Founder

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