.jpg)
Meet Crina
She is the founder of Inventum Aventures and Sojourn, a travel agency that places the "human encounter" and "the story each local artisan has to tell" at the center of each bespoke travel experience organised in and around Lyon.
With almost two decades of experience in the luxury travel industry, which allowed her to develop an in depth understanding of the field, and the ability to manage and exceed her clients’ expectations. A career that began as a great way to travel and see the world, soon turned into a life passion for providing unparalleled luxury service to her clientele. She spent 10 years travelling and working with two of the world’s top luxury cruise lines, Seabourn and Silversea, before founding her own luxury venture – Inventum Aventures, followed by Inventum Sojourn. Inventum Aventures was founded in 2015 offering all-inclusive off-the-beaten-path luxury experiences in Northern and Southern Chile.
With Inventum Aventures travelers are given the opportunity to explore some of the less known areas in an off-road vehicle. Following the success of Inventum Aventures in Chile, and a desire to expand the Inventum brand, she founded Inventum Sojourn for Lyon.
Sojourn allows tourists to be immersed in the culture and traditions of France.
They have the chance to engage in authentic experiences with locals, and to take a deep dive into the history, religion and gastronomy of the country.
Crina, tell us about YOU, what do you like doing in your daily life?
I have a very busy schedule and not always the chance to have a routine, as my work can be unpredictable at times and clients come first. I practice Krav Maga to keep my body and mind in place, I love cooking, travelling and off- roading, photography and reading. I am looking into maybe opening an animal shelter as I am very passionate about animals.
Can you summarise what you are currently working on?
It’s been over a year that I founded Inventum Sojourn for France. I am constantly searching for those local artisans, MOF’s (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) and service providers who share the same mindset and views as myself, with regards to service quality and uniqueness, and who I can partner up with to create authentic travel experiences. I am currently working on organizing a virtual tour of a vineyard with a local wine maker followed by a wine tasting of his own crus. I am sorting out the logistical details to adapt to this new quarantine situation in order to be able to offer this to the Sojoourn expat community.
What’s your best advice to someone starting a business?
As far as I am concerned, preparation is the key word. Asking as many questions as possible, getting professional advice in fields like accounting, finance, legal and marketing.
Being an entrepreneur is a learning curve, not everyone gets it right from the first time, but preparation is definitely a key word for me.
What do you find beneficial being a part of Sojoourn?
I recently joined this wonderful community. It is always important to be part of a group with like-minded people and create meaningful relationships. I am happy to build new connections and share my passion and knowledge of Lyon.
Do you have any advice for people who are moving to Lyon?
I have an interesting connection to Lyon; as it happens I came here for my first job interview. Then decades later I decided to move to this city as a result of an extreme life changing situation. It’s been 7 years now but I still find the city mystical and full of secrets. It is a beautiful place and fell in love with it. I spend quite a lot of time in the archives of Lyon reading about its history and digging for secrets, I can be a nerd from that point of viewer.
Life motto:
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” It is a quote from my favourite book, The Little Prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I’ve read it several times over the years. It has so many things that we can learn from, it also serves as a reminder and it helps me to stay grounded or get back to the essential things in life.
Discover Lyon and its region with Inventum Sojourn.
Follow Crina on Facebook.
Do you want to join us as an entrepreneur? Check out our offers for Tribe Leaders or join the RING.
Comments