Inside the Tribe with Tonyell: The Truth Behind the Vision

Greetings Tribe 💛✨  

Let me take you somewhere today - not on a tour, not on a weekend escape, not on a coach trip to the seaside - but into the real behind-the-scenes story of how this movement was born. 

Because if you're going to walk with me into this next chapter, you deserve to know the truth. 

Not the polished version. 

Not the “brand story.”

The real one. 

The one that started in a place called Corona - yes, Corona - long before COVID made the name famous.

But let’s start at the beginning…

New York: Where the Dream Was Born

I was raised in the Corona section of Queens - one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in the world. 

Everybody around me was first- or second-generation something: Dominican, Colombian, Chinese, Guyanese, Nigerian, Jamaican, Ecuadorian - you name it. 

And there I was, an African American girl in America… feeling like the minority. 

New York taught me two things early: 

1. **The world is bigger than America. 

2. And America is already big as hell.**

Growing up in Queens made me curious. 

Hungry. 

Restless. 

It made me dream beyond my block, beyond my borough, beyond the country my ancestors were forced into. 

Because let me be clear: 

I am not Kenyan. 

My parents aren’t Kenyan. 

My grandparents aren't Kenyan. 

Nobody in my family had ever left America - not since the last of our ancestors were stolen and shipped across the ocean. 

In 1999, when I first went to Kenya, I was the first person in my entire family line to touch foreign soil. 

That moment changed me forever. 

Atlanta: The Grind Era

Fast-forward to 2016. 

My job relocated me to Atlanta - a chapter of pure hustle, determination, and reinvention. 

Atlanta is where the first spark of Tribe of Travelers was born…

Except back then, it wasn’t called Tribe of Travelers. 

It was SASA Inc - Sisters Assisting Sisters Abroad. 

American women helping destitute mothers in Kenya through travel and mission work. 

“Sasa” meaning “now” in Swahili - a sign from the universe I didn’t fully understand yet. 

Atlanta sharpened me. 

It taught me discipline. 

It taught me to build something from nothing. 

It taught me that movements start small - sometimes with just one woman and a vision. 

Kenya: The Awakening

After COVID hit, I was living in Atlanta, watching my boys lose their Kenyan identity - their culture, their roots, their connection to the Motherland. 

So when the world slowly reopened, I did what New Yorkers do best: 

I made a decision and moved with purpose. 

I packed up my boys and our lives…

And we moved to Kenya. 

But by then, they were teenagers. 

Fully Western. 

Fully American. 

The Motherland wasn’t in them anymore. 

So they chose to return to the US to live with their Kenyan father…

While their American mother stayed in Kenya alone. 

And Kenya? Kenya awakened me. 

It reminded me of who I am. 

It reminded me of the privilege of holding an American passport - the ability to go anywhere, anytime, without begging for a visa. 

It reminded me why travel matters - especially for Black Americans who rarely get to see the world. 

Kenya is where my spirit feels most alive. 

Where my ancestors whisper. 

Where my hunger for global connection ignites. 

Kenya is where Tribe of Travelers was spiritually conceived. 

England: The Calling

I read an article once that said: 

“British people are the most travelled people in the world.”

And something in me said: 

Go there. 

Build there. 

Start the movement there. 

My best friend had an empty flat. 

The timing aligned. 

The universe opened a door. 

So I flew from Kenya to England with nothing but my suitcases, my laptop, and a vision that wouldn’t leave me alone. 

Starting over here was hard. 

I knew almost no one. 

I hit the ground running - alone. 

But slowly…

Quietly…

Divinely…

The right people started showing up. 

Volunteering at the African Caribbean Centre changed everything. 

Every day I walked in, I felt embraced. 

Welcomed. 

Seen. 

Held. 

And that’s when I knew - not if, but how - 

This is where the Tribe begins. 

The Struggle: The Part No One Sees

Let me be real with you for a second. 

Trying to build a luxury curated travel brand in a country where people love: 

• budget coach trips

• cheap all-inclusive deals

• “flights + hotel for £99”

• and “we’ll figure it out when we get there” energy

…has been a JOURNEY 😭😭😭 

I wanted: 

• bespoke upgrades

• concierge-level service

• choose-your-own-excursions 

• Real Housewives-style itineraries

• curated, intentional, elevated experiences

And people were like: 

“Do you take Klarna?”

“Is there a coach option?”

“Can we bring our own sandwiches?”

I almost quit more times than I can count. 

But the vision wouldn’t let me. 

The Work: The Hours Behind the Scenes

People see the photos. 

The vibes. 

The energy. 

The tours. 

The Tribe Room. 

The editorial. 

But what they don’t see is: 

• the hours I spend studying travel trends

• the late nights building itineraries

• the research behind every destination

• the mood boards

• the luxury hotels 

• the restaurants

• the experiences 

• the digital marketing 

• the algorithms 

• the editorial strategy 

• the website rebuild

• the social media overhaul

I went from knowing NOTHING about digital marketing…

To running a luxury travel brand, monthly social mixers, and a digital editorial magazine that feels like the New York Times x Travel Gazette had a baby. 

This is not a hobby. 

This is a calling. 

The Friendly Fridays Cancellation: The Leadership Moment

Let’s talk about it. 

Because I’m not the type to cancel something and pretend it never happened. 

The heat was too much. 

The behind-the-scenes work was too heavy. 

The website and social strategy needed attention. 

And the experience needed protecting.

Sometimes leadership means pausing, not pushing. 

And I stand by that decision. 

The Invitation: Walk With Me

Tribe, 

I didn’t build this movement to be followed. 

I built it to be carried - by all of us. 

You don’t have to live in Leicester. 

You don’t have to live in England. 

You don’t even have to leave your house. 

If you believe in connection…

If you believe in culture…

If you believe in adventure…

If you believe in community…

Then you are part of this Tribe. 

And listen - I’m not trying to be cheesy…

But if you feel this movement? 

If you see the vision? 

If you want to support the journey? 

Share the link. 

Invite someone in. 

Bring them home. 

Movements grow through people - through us 💛✨ 

With love, 

Tonyell 💛✨ 

Founder, Tribe of Travelers

New Yorker. 

Kenyan at heart. 

British by destiny. 

Global by design.