Cruise Convos Season 2 is out now! Don't miss episode 1 as Claudine Pohl is joined by industry trailblazer Denella Ri'chard, named in The Network Journal’s "25 Influential Women in Business" and Legacy Miami's "50 Most Powerful & Influential Business Leaders" of 2018.

Denella sheds light on her path that led her to a career in the cruise industry and shares amazing stories working for Norwegian Cruise Line & Holland America line.

Plus, the pair discuss starting your own business in the pandemic, and celebrate Denella's new success as a television producer and host, starring in award-winning travel shows streaming across the globe!

What is currently happening in our cruise industry today? Join me for Cruise Convos as we discover and learn from cruise industry leaders across the globe, all within 28 minutes! Hello cruise community! Welcome to Cruise Convos. today. I have a very special guest with us today, my good friend and Denella. Welcome to Cruise Convos.

Claudine! Thank you so much. I'm so excited to catch up with you. It's been a little while!

it's been a minute Denella. Tell everybody who you are.

All right. So I'm Denella Richard and I am the executive producer and host of the award winning TV award winning travel weekly Magellan award winning nationally syndicated globally streaming on American Forces Network in 168 countries. And you can watch us on Kuwait and Turkish airways. So have that amazing television show. Traveling with Denella Richard.

I love it. Award winning boom boom boom. How many awards Did you win this year?

Oh my god. So this year so far, we've won two Television Awards to Telly Television Awards, won with AmaWaterways with the show we produced on the romantic Danube. So featuring, you know, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and it's an amazing show we did in partnership with ALMA to really showcase the river cruising, you know, and the experience with Alma waterways, which is absolutely

How do they do that? How do they do that back on the ship? I find that so interesting. Tell me more.

Well, know, even the first day we arrived, we arrived in Germany, and, you know, it was it was in October. So they had a whole Oktoberfest experience just off of the ship. So literally walked down the gangway. And right there is this whole, you know, Oktoberfest beer fest, I get a chance to meet the beer queen, you know, traditional and plane versus the whole nine and then

with the tourism boards, or with the cruise lines, right? Because like you, I am a 20 plus industry professional. So I build a career in this industry, you know, having leadership roles in sales and marketing. So traveling with the nella is all about showcasing our cruise lines and our destinations and all the places to go. It's really about supporting our industry, and inspiring people to travel

It's amazing. Congrats. I remember back in 2020, in the pandemic is where we first met online. And we started talking, and you had just started working on your project. And looking at you now winning awards going everywhere. Your agenda is completely full, you're filling up for next year even more. Congratulations, Danella. It's amazing to see. And you know, I'm really proud of

Yes, so I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that is my home city. I went to college in Baton Rouge at Southern University, which is an HBCU. A lot of people have heard that term, historically black college and university and my last year of college at Southern. I was told about a program through Syracuse University where there was an opportunity to go and study abroad with

worker, this Headhunter had contacted him about a position in Brussels, Belgium. And he jokingly came by he's like, No, this company contacted me about moving to Brussels, Belgium, I gave him your name. And I was like, what he's like, Yeah, I give him your name. So the headhunter calls me and they're like, you know, we have this position and we think you would be ideal for it. Would you be

lady by the name of Camille Olivary and I ended up having a call with Camille Olivary she flies me to Miami for an interview she hires me and dome that is how I ended up in the cruise industry. So I started my career in cruise industry with Norwegian Cruise Line and I was brought in to help introduce the big ships so this is when the whole you know epic and then like breakaway class came out so

Right.

So that was just such an exciting time to be at Holland American. We had Oprah Winfrey as the godmother, man, we were just, we were just on top of the world and then to have the chance to sell with her on the girlfriend getaway. When we opened the girlfriend getaway, we sold out in daresay, 48 hours, but I believe we sold out the first 24 hours. So you're talking about we

time. So during that time of the pandemic, just being on lockdown, and I'm watching this industry, and so many people I personally know, who have now lost jobs. They're out of work, we're on lockdown. We can't travel borders are closed, we can't even travel if we want to. So it was during that time at a friend of mine that I used to work with in television, and he had launched his new streaming OTT

awards. But you asked how I got here. You see, my dream was to retire from the cruise industry. My dream was that one day I would be the first African Americans female president of a cruise line. That was my dream. But unfortunately, COVID stole my dream. So in COVID, stole my dream, I had to make a pivot. And the pivot was really out of the pure intention just to inspire people to travel

Good to know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be working with South Africa next year, I should hook you up. Yes. You will be epic.

I would love that love that. And like I said, I spent so much time in southern Africa, in South Africa, you know, and would love to return love to film South Africa. So please, please!

Yeah, I will connect to because that would be amazing. And, you know, for anybody who's trying to get more exposure, and to have their destination seen in different parts of the world, especially the US working with you is a no brainer, because your exposure is so huge. And it's not just online. Like you're everywhere. You can be seen on TV, you can be seen the, you know, on

Or Godmother like Oprah say?

I want to be a godmother or ferry! I'm gonna I'm gonna start low. I'm going for ferry... Any ferry's out there? Claudine? I'm in for a godmotehr!... Work my way up to a cruise. Yeah.

We have to speak things into existence in order for them to happen. There. You gotta

listen. I listen, we're having seatrade cruise global next year, I think it'd be so cool to do something around, you know, black history and tourism and integrating it. You have any ideas of something that we could really do, because I think diversity, we touch it, it's important. But I don't feel that we're, well, I don't want to say we I don't feel that like I'm doing enough to

you know, it's interesting things. So as I've worked with cruise lines and destinations, but I'm really focused right now, just for a second on the destinations, as we've traveled to different destinations, and we would work together on the itineraries, there was an interesting thing that always stood out for me. And of course, for me as a brown woman of color, right, I will look

amazing job. Not only with Chris, you're already

invited. You're invited book the dates.

Thank you. So yes, Sign me up. up, you know, we can talk a little bit more about what that conversation would look like. But there is definitely a gap in cruise and tourism experiences when it comes to making sure they're highlighting those multicultural experiences in the destination that are going to appeal to all people, all people, right.

And I, you know what thinking about your show, and you saying that you specifically do that and look for those specific multicultural, I can see it. I'm thinking of New Orleans, you were very spaced out, you had all the experiences and different cultures. So really, really cool. To know that we're almost up in time. And I'm talking to you for hours, because you're just one of

You gotta call me back, you know!

And we got a cake. Yeah, we look. I have the last question for you. And this is the question we asked all of our guests. If you look back at your younger self, what one piece of advice or what advice would you give your younger self? That you know that you where you are now? Like what advice would you give your younger self?

Oh... the younger self, you know what I'm gonna give this advice, which I would give my younger self, I was on a panel a few weeks ago. And there were a lot of college students in the audience. And the advice that I gave them is, if you don't see it, create it did not see someone with a show like mine, during the pandemic. So I created it. And even when I look at my career in the

You are an inspiration. You are you're a role model. You're a wonderful human. I completely look up to you. And I think the world of you. It has been an honor a huge honor having you here. I you know, thank you for giving us your time. Thank you so much. Where can people check you out the nela? What are your social handles? Yeah, where do we want to go to follow?

Yes, so definitely on social Instagram, Traveling with Denella. And then on your Smart TV, you can check us out on Tubi. Again, Traveling With Danella on to be our Go Traveler, as well as another streaming app that you can check us out on as well.

Amazing, epic.

You are epic and let's not end this call without giving kudos to you and your business. And you also got started in the pandemic right Claudine?

That's how we roll!

That's how we roll!

Whoa, that's it. That's it. Girls who created businesses is that amazing or what!?

It is amazing. It is great. Thank you so much for being part of Cruise Convos today. I look forward to seeing you at Seatrade Cruise Global next year.

I'll be there.

Let's work on something.

I love you.