From Magazines & Restaurants to Travel Advising: The Perfect Career Pivot for Pam Murphy

Image courtesy of Pam Murphy

Pam Murphy didn’t really start traveling until her thirties. She and her husband, who is a chef and also half-French, would explore Europe in tandem, sampling the local culture and off-the-beaten-path gems. 

Her husband had grown up all over Europe and when she traveled there with him, she explained that she experienced its destinations as a local would. 

“You don't have to do the touristy things. You can just sort of live in a place and be in a place,” she said. “Not everything has to be super planned.”

This slower, more organic pace informs how she books trips for her growing client base. 

“You can sleep late and you can sit in a cafe and you can just absorb what's happening in the city,” she said. “You can just wander and find things and walk for hours.”

This ethos, combined with her exceptional taste and penchant for finding those under-the-radar spots, is part of the reason people flock to Pam to book their trips. She’s been a Fora Advisor since November of 2022. Although she admits that there was a learning curve when she first started, everything fell seamlessly into place.

“It felt like, ‘Oh, this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing,’” she recalled. “I'm good at this. This is for me.”

A Renaissance woman

Images courtesy of Pam Murphy

Pam’s entrepreneurial career across different industries set the tone for her success as a travel advisor. She earned a graduate degree in magazine journalism from New York University. Upon graduating, she worked in magazines for a while: Mirabella, Glamour, Elle. She started her own fitness magazine, and another called Madison (a publication she described as “sort of like a W meets New York Magazine”). 

Next, she applied her editorial skills to film production and an online lifestyle magazine called the Select 7, which was essentially Madison in digital form. Select 7 featured profiles on notable personalities throughout the week. Each day had a different theme: philanthropy, food, wellness and beauty, travel, fashion, interior design and technology or social media.

Working in magazines made her an expert at curation. So when she moved into restaurants, doing branding and marketing for her husband, it was a natural transition. Restaurants, too, were a form of curation. 

Then the pandemic hit, and she wondered what was next. She was always drawn to travel, as well as bringing others joy through sharing her curated tips on the best places to visit. Being a travel advisor, she thought, was a natural fit. 

Pam talked to a friend, who, at the time, worked for Henley Vazquez. (Henley would later go on to co-found Fora.) Pam’s friend said that travel advising probably wasn’t for her, so Pam put it on the backburner. 

Right place, right time

Image courtesy of Pam Murphy

But eventually, Pam learned about Fora, and her interest was piqued. She was tempted to give travel advising a try. She spoke with Evan, a co-founder, discovered that Henley was also behind the business and decided to join. 

It was a “right place, right time kind of a thing,” Pam recalled.

When Pam joined Fora, there was a lot to learn, but she said everything nonetheless felt natural and frictionless. 

“I've been in hospitality for the last 15 years,” Pam said of her pre-Fora career. “That's in my blood.”

It ended up being a perfect fit. And while certain parts of travel advising can be frustrating — a difficult client, for instance — Pam is accustomed to occasional snags and unexpected snafus: “I worked in New York City restaurants for 15 years, so….”

Producing the best trips

Images courtesy of Pam Murphy

It turns out that Pam’s careers in magazines, film production and restaurants informed her work as a travel advisor. 

“It's just like attention to detail in production,” she explained. “It's putting pieces together, staying on top of things. It's production, basically.”

And the best productions, she added, “create full experiences.” She’s mindful, for instance, of where a restaurant is in relation to a client’s hotel, or an upcoming activity. She tailors her trips to each client, rather than “slapping on” identical, formulaic itineraries — a testament to her expertise in curation from her earlier careers.

Two of Pam’s clients will soon be celebrating their 20th anniversary in Italy. They’re very into wine and cooking, so Pam organized a slate of excellent cooking classes, mozzarella making and wine tastings. The itinerary has been perfected, but Pam goes beyond what’s planned. She's thrown in a few extra-special surprises for the couple throughout the trip, too.

Another client, whose son will be going to the qualifiers for the English Open this summer, wanted a trip that combined golf and history. The client’s grandfather fought in World War II, so she also wanted to see the beaches in Normandy. Pam crafted a trip around France’s best golf courses, while also ensuring the family got to experience that essential piece of family history.

The most important part, she said, is “really making your clients feel cared for. That's ultimately what people want.”