Daria US News

The travel planner: How Diana Siegel orchestrates the Florida trips of DARIA members

Jan 31, 2025 | Mindset & growth, Business Community, Team Spirit

From the flight booking to the bank appointment: As Managing Director of DARIA Travel Service LLC, Diana Siegel ensures that DARIA members can enjoy their trip to Florida without any worries. A look behind the scenes of travel organization.

As Managing Director of DARIA Travel Service, Diana Siegel organizes trips to the USA for hundreds of members. But that was never her plan. "I'm a career changer, I had nothing to do with travel at all," she says.

She originally started out in sales after meeting DARIA directors Gabi and Andreas Lehner in Bulgaria, where she has been living with her family for two and a half years.

Diana Siegel - The travel planner

The turning point came in February 2024: after a successful start in sales, she was invited to Florida. There she met DARIA founder Frank Rahlf for the first time. "We had a great conversation," Diana Siegel recalls. "He has this gift of being able to read and assess people well." Frank Rahlf did not see Diana's future in sales.

 

From sales expert to Travel Service Managing Director

What was initially planned as remote work in the travel sector quickly developed into something more: just a few months later, Frank Rahlf offered her the position of Managing Director of a newly founded DARIA Travel Service company.

"I said: Frank, I have no idea, I have no contacts or any previous experience with travel organization," she says with a laugh. His reply: "That's not a problem. I know you can do it."

Today, Diana Siegel manages the LLC of the travel service agency together with Frank Rahlf and Patrick Lauber. From Bulgaria, she coordinates the trips of DARIA members who fly to Florida for their bank appointments. She particularly appreciates the personal contact with the members: "I sometimes spend an hour on the phone with a member. They feel so comfortable that they pour their hearts out to me."

From 2026, she will emigrate to Florida with her family - the next big step in her still young DARIA career. "I'm passionate about it and it's fun. I have full confidence in the project," she says. An attitude that is also reflected in her daily work.

The art of perfect travel planning

As Co-Managing Director of DARIA Travel Service, Diana Siegel pulls all the strings: from the first contact with the members to the return trip, she is the central point of contact. "I support our members right from the start." As soon as a new member signs up for the Infinity program, she gets in touch with them - whether by email, phone or WhatsApp.

The main task: perfect travel planning for the intensive time in Florida. This includes booking flights, selecting suitable accommodation and coordinating with the local supervisors. "I always look at what makes the most sense," is how she describes her approach. She always keeps an eye on the budget and the comfort of the members. "I'd rather spend 100 euros more so that people arrive safely and are relaxed."

DARIA-News_The Travel Planner_ How Diana Siegel orchestrates DARIA members' Florida trips

Between business and experience

She draws up a detailed weekly schedule for each group. The DARIA investors can expect a full program: from the Everglades tour to a possible visit to the Florida Panthers, everything is included. The exact details usually remain a surprise. "If something special is taking place, Frank will be happy to tell you personally on site," she reveals.

The coordination is a logistical challenge: Diana Siegel has to check the availability of the houses, coordinate the flight times of the various members and coordinate the dates with the bank and event managers. "I now plan five to six weeks in advance," she explains. Two groups can currently be looked after at the same time each week.

Personal service is particularly important to her. From reserving seats for overweight guests to ordering vegan meals on the plane - Diana Siegel takes care of all the details. "I'm the biggest critic of myself. I don't want to disappoint anyone." An attitude that goes down well with the members: many thank her personally for the intensive support.

The challenges of everyday life

"In the beginning, I couldn't go to sleep until the members had arrived at home," Diana Siegel recalls of her first few months as Travel Service Managing Director. The time difference between Bulgaria and Florida presented her with particular challenges: When the members landed in Florida at 9 p.m., it was already 4 a.m. in Bulgaria.

With two small children - eight and four years old - not an easy situation. "I'm not a person who can switch off. I'm fully committed to my work, fully committed to the members," she says, describing her way of working. She only introduced fixed working hours in October 2024 - even if she is still available around the clock in urgent cases.

Complex coordination

Another challenge: coordinating the various parties involved. From the bank managers to the event managers and property management - everyone has their own requirements. "We have to be careful that ten heads don't get involved because everyone thinks they know something," she explains. "That can also backfire." Clear responsibilities are therefore essential.

Diana Siegel also has to constantly strike a new balance between business trips and vacation trips. When members want to bring their family along, she sometimes has to mediate diplomatically: "Many forget that it's actually a business trip and not a family outing." This can cause additional stress, especially during important bank appointments.

Positive feedback and a well-coordinated team

But the positive feedback from members confirms her approach. "I had one member who cried so often and sent me so many voicemails because she couldn't understand: How can someone be so good to me?" says Diana Siegel. For her, this gratitude is the best confirmation of her work.

She now has the initial challenges well under control: "Everything has settled down." With a fantastic team on site, fixed processes and clear responsibilities, the organization of the trips now runs much more smoothly. "We all trust each other and we're all reliable," she says. "That's the most important thing - being loyal, honest and reliable. That's what sets us apart as a DARIA organization."

The next big step

The DARIA Travel Service agency is about to take the next big step in its development: expanding into a fully-fledged travel agency. In spring 2025, Diana Siegel will fly to Florida to discuss the details with Frank Rahlf. "We want to expand it so that other customers can also rent the houses," she explains. However, DARIA members will continue to enjoy special benefits.

Among other things, DARIA members will also be able to conveniently visit other exciting places in the USA in the future. The plans are ambitious: Luxury hotels, yacht excursions, special tours - the portfolio is set to grow significantly. Personal quality control is important to Diana Siegel: "Our DARIA members expect special highlights from us. We definitely want to live up to this expectation."

For this expansion, Diana Siegel will emigrate to Florida with her family in 2026. A decision she did not take lightly: The family had just bought a condominium in Bulgaria and her mother lives in the apartment next door. "Three days before the keys were handed over, Frank called me with the happy news that he would like to expand the business with me in Florida," she recalls.

But the prospects have convinced her and her family: "The company is growing, things are going really well," she says. With the expansion of the travel service agency, local employees are also needed. "The employees need to be managed, and that's not really feasible from Bulgaria," she explains. Personal contact with her team is important to her - because not all requirements can be solved in the long term with Zoom meetings alone.

"I long to work more intensively with people," says Diana Siegel. She is now getting this chance. Even if she sometimes doubts whether she can live up to the high expectations, the anticipation prevails: "The incredibly positive environment in Florida is very good for me. And what could be nicer than looking after members who are simply happy and thankful for what they have experienced there?"

With this attitude, she is ready for the next stage of her DARIA career. Her success proves her right: demand for the Florida trips is steadily increasing and the members are highly satisfied with her decision to join DARIA. "I could easily send five to six groups to Florida in a week at the moment," she reports. Who knows what else will soon be possible with the expansion of the DARIA Travel Service Agency.

Author Rouven Zietz
Rouven Zietz
Journalist and copywriter.

He is a communications expert (Master of Arts) with 16 years of experience in copywriting and marketing. Starting out as a local reporter, he still works as a freelance journalist for numerous magazines and newspapers. As a copywriter, his passion is to get to the heart of communication emotionally and clearly.

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