Tracy Komlos - Wellness Travel and Manifesting Magic Into Your Life.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Tracy Komlos, Founder of Pangea Dreams, and get a 10 question mental download on everything from her entrepreneurial journey, life mantras, to her wellness travel routine. 

Our favorite tactical takeaways from our conversation with Tracy? The Zigii-esque products on her packing list.

Warning: expect to be inspired, and a few amazon purchases deep after reading. 

Before we dive into Q&A, here’s an overview of what Tracy’s up to in the world:

“Tracy Komlos is an experience designer, a global community builder, and the Founder and CEO of Pangea Dreams, which has been acclaimed as the #1 industry leader in women's educational and creative retreats. Through her work with Pangea Dreams, Tracy is empowering women from all over the world to embrace their passions by learning the skills needed to create a sustainable business and positively impact their community. As a result, Tracy is recognized as an international speaker and leader in the women’s educational and creative space focusing on digital entrepreneurship.”

Q: So much of your content on instagram is in the form of uplifting and positive messaging to share with your community. If you had to pick one quote or mantra that you live by, what would it be? 

A: My favorite quote by The Dalai Lama absolutely. When asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

“Man. 

Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.

Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.

And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;

the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;

he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

I read this about 7 years ago, and it struck me to my core. There’s no greater truth for me, and gives me so much perspective when I reread this mantra. I strive to live fully in the present moment, and believe in never compromising my physical and mental health knowing that it’s at the core of happiness in all other areas of my life.

Q: In 60 seconds or less, how did you land where you are today with Pangea?

A: When I was just starting out as a digital creator and solo-entrepreneur, I often found myself lonely, and at a loss when looking for other like-minded women to co-create with. I was craving a sense of community and support, but I simply couldn't find it. Turns out, I wasn't alone. In 2016 I decided to solve this problem and host a retreat for female creators and entrepreneurs just like me to come together to learn new skills, collaborate, and connect. We very quickly proved our concept - in less than two weeks, we sold out of three back to back retreats that took place in Bali. Now, after 3 years running, Pangea Dreams is the #1 industry leader in women's educational retreats. We are dedicated to building a global community of female change-makers, thought leaders and creatives. Through our intensive week-long educational retreats, we empower women with the necessary tools & skills to succeed in the digital world.

Q: We love using technology to “hack" the travel system and we’re always hunting for new ways to make jetsetting cheaper yet more luxurious, for an overall smoother journey. From your travels, what are your 3 favorite travel tech hacks?

A:

1. Having a credit card that rewards you for traveling is such an essential. My favorite, and what I am currently using, is the AMEX Platinum card. With this, I get access to all of the Centurion lounges as well as the Priority Pass lounges all over the world. So, when I am traveling and have a long layover, I know I can go and relax in these lounges that have wifi, food, and comfy chairs. 

 2. My next hack that saves me so much time and stress is Global Entry and Clear. These TSA programs keep me from having to arrive at the airport 2 hours early, I no longer have to wait in long security lines. And overall, the airport process goes much smoother for both departures and arrivals.  

3. My third travel hack is an app called Breeze, which one of my good friend’s Annabel Lawee launched last year. Breeze is an on-demand food service for when you’re traveling in airports. You can curate healthy meals and snacks and have them delivered within 15 minutes. I love them, and they are completely changing the game in the food space at airports. I absolutely love food and overall experience. Breeze offers healthy food options like avocado toast and coconut yogurt parfaits, which is unheard of in the airport world! They’re completely changing the game in the food space for traveling, and I strongly recommend checking them out. 

Q: How do you manage to eat healthy on travel days?

A: Staying healthy when I travel is essential to maintain my lifestyle. When I am traveling, I either always do a mix of the following things. 

1. Fasting.The first is fasting completely because I try to stay away from any airplane food, which is packed full of sodium and preservatives to keep it fresh at high altitudes. Overall, anything served to you in the sky is bound to be horrible for you, so I steer clear. Additionally, most airport restaurants don't accommodate my vegan and gluten diet.

2. Snack packs: I’m always sure my bag is full of wellness snacks. Some of my favorites at the moment are Moon Juice snacks and Superfat nut butter pouches, they’re clean and delicious and easy to throw in my carryon. *link both Moon Juice and Superfat.

1. Shameless plug, one of my favorite things to do when traveling is ordering a Zigii bundle straight to my hotel or airBnb destination

Whenever I know my travel schedule I get a bundle shipped to my end address. It takes so much stress off of packing, and Zigii literally functions as my travel health insurance. I love your company because I know that no matter what the craze of travel throws at me, I’ll have a box full of healthy travel snacks and superfoods waiting for me when I arrive from amazing brands that I love! Besides, who doesn’t love presents?! We had Zigii’s bundles in our January Pangea Dreams Palm Springs Alumni Retreat gift bag and they were a hit.  

Q: What are some essentials you always make sure to have pre-flight and in-flight?

A: Before boarding my flight, I always make sure to have at least one to two liters of water depending on the length of the flight. I also always bring a packet of Athletic Greens and a packet of Liquid IV (which I found and became hooked on through Zigii actually). On days when I’m rushing, having these with me makes me relax knowing I’m getting all my vitamins and minerals in and staying hydrated during plane rides.  

Once we are on the flight, I always bring a face mister to mist my skin and a face oil serum. Favorite brands in my bag right now are John Organics and Four Sigmatic Face Serum. My skin gets super dry on flights so these two items keep my skin moist. Most importantly, I cannot live without my eye mask and earplugs, especially if it is an overnight flight. 

Q: We love podcasts during any sort of commute. What are your 3 go-to podcasts to listen to while you’re traveling?

A: I’m a huge fan of Mark Hyman’s Doctor’s Farmacy. I have been listening to it for the past three years and have learned so much about the health space from this medium alone, it has truly enhanced my life. Dr. Hyman really helps you level up your knowledge so you can make educated decisions about the food you eat and the lifestyle you live.  

The second podcast I’m loving right now is Goop. Goop covers a wide range of different subjects in the health, wellness, travel, and lifestyle arenas and they always have amazing guest interviewees. They cover all of my weird obsessions and passion areas and I know they always have covered the latest and greatest happenings in the wellness world.

The third podcast would definitely be Tom Bilyeu’s Impact Theory. He brings on really inspirational and incredible people not only talking about health optimization, but he’s also huge on relationships and entrepreneurship and I always feel like I have some actionable business takeaways for Pangea after each episode. 

Q: You are one of the most well-traveled people we know. Tell us some fast facts with your past personal travels as well as the locations you’ve hosted Pangea Dreams retreats in. 

A: I'm so privileged to have been to 39 countries, and over 100 cities. I have most likely taken well over 600 flights in my lifetime, and the more I learn about the affects of airplane travel I know how important it is to take care of my body in the air. I could definitely have used Zigii during the earlier years while I was globe trotting! 

On the Pangea Dreams front, we have hosted 30 retreats in 10 countries around the world. We have 11 retreats planned for 2020, and have just under 300 women that have joined us from our inception. We’re adding Morocco and India to the mix this year, so will have touched down in 12 countries total by the end of 2020.

Q: How do you immerse yourself in a culture when you travel? Tell us about some things you What are some activities you like to do when visiting a foreign country to elevate your experience? 

A: I always try to have the most authentic experience possible which correlates to really trying to connect with locals of the destination I’m in. Some ways I do this is by having conversations with local people like waiters and store owners, and I always ask them what are the top things I should see and do while I am visiting their home. I always make sure to let them know I’m not looking for “the touristy things.” So many amazing experiences come out of these local face-to-face conversations.

I have been invited to people’s homes for dinner, I have been able to go to waterfalls that were off the beaten path that I would have never found on my own, and I have just been able to see and do things like a local rather than a tourist. Not only does this make for a more authentic experience, it really changes the way I travel and see the world. I also love researching to find different types of cultural experiences or traditions going on such as special holidays or religious ceremonies, if I’m lucky enough to find them I try to participate or just witness and learn from them. Food-wise, I always have to try the local cuisine by taking a cooking class or going on a food tour. Experiencing the local flavors and dishes shares a lot about the people and their country or city and makes me feel more connected overall to that culture.

Q: 600 flights means 600 TSA lines, which is no joke. How do you stay sane and what is your mindfulness routine around travel?

A: I try to do this everyday, but its absolutely a non-negotiable on days when I’m about to embark on a travel journey.  When I wake up, I remind myself of three things that I am grateful for. This has really changed my life and my mindset. Stepping into a new day, it sets me up in a positive place where I can show up from a place of love and gratitude. I have also been enjoying Calm, a meditation app where you can choose different kinds of meditation, depending on the theme or what you're doing. I’m currently into their sleep, self care, and inner peace meditations. 

Q: In the spirit of gratitude, we want to thank you so much for sharing your story and giving us more insight into your world! To close, can you leave us with a piece of advice you’ve learned from all the countries and people you’ve been able to experience?

A: Pangea’s mission is “Empowered women, empower women.” One thing I know for certain, and that I constantly share with my community is that we truly are stronger together. Collaboration and community is why I started Pangea and while community has different rituals and patterns depending where you are in the world, diversity and lifting each other up is what moves the world forward. I truly believe in the power of community building and connection, because together we rise :)

More On Pangea Dreams:

Pangea Dreams is the #1 industry leader in women's educational and creative retreats. We are dedicated to building a global community of female change-makers, thought leaders, and creatives. Through our intensive week-long educational retreats, we empower women with the necessary tools & skills to succeed in the digital world. Pangea Dreams was built to address the over 111 million female entrepreneurs around the world who need access to a community and a support system of like-minded women that will allow them to thrive and build their businesses with confidence.

They’re launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for 16 scholarships - support and share here (can edit based on tracy’s notes).

You can find Pangea Dreams Instagram Here.

And Tracy’s Personal Instagram Here.