As I sat at our table sipping a Long Island Iced Tea and listening to Deborah Peniuk, owner of AYA Life travel, talk about her company, her clients, her life, etc., I couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. I mean, I’m talking to this amazing woman – who could give Liz Taylor’s spunk a run for its money – and enjoying some great nosh on a beautiful patio in downtown Toronto…and that’s when it hit me. I’m on a beautiful patio, in downtown Toronto. Not even twenty minutes into our conversation and Deborah (pronounced Deb-OAR-ah) had successfully convinced me that I should be enjoying a castle just outside Paris that overlooks a historic town – like one current group of her clients – or I should be partaking in a yoga getaway on an isolated Greek island – like one of the retreats she is currently in the process of planning.
Deborah has been in the travel industry in one capacity or another for the better half of two decades. Raised in Vancouver, BC but now a Toronto transplant, she acquired a taste for travel in her late teens. She has vast knowledge and schooling in the Travel and culinary industries, and has lived abroad, such as her two-year residency in England. Deborah has been at every level of the travel food-chain, working, as she says, “from the front to the back [of the office].” After years of paying her dues and learning the ins and outs of running a travel company, she has branched off and started AYA Life, which specializes in retreats for the Yoga community, Life and Business Coaching communities, and novice to professional photographers, as well as focusing on the Destination Wedding/Honeymoon market.
A contributing factor to Deborah’s success is her attention to detail and her commitment to treating every client as the most important client. Her philosophy is to take a basic trip and build it to something amazing. This starts as early as the first consultation, and carries through to when the client is somewhere on a beach, in a grand metropolis, or even enjoying their rented castle – Deborah doesn’t have an end-point with clients. “I have a love of travel and a love of making people happy,” says the thirtysomething brunette over her French onion soup. “That’s how I get my buzz.”
A mix of Ukrainian, Norwegian, and German, Ms. Peniuk has a past peppered with heartache and struggle; what’s notable, however, is no matter how dark a time, Deborah would put to use her extensive “outside the box” problem-solving skills and wade through. This is what led her to choose the term AYA for her company; AYA means “fern” and is a symbol of endurance and resourcefulness. To this end, Deborah finds it important to help others prosper as well, including a “give-back” component in her travel packages – charitable donations, volunteerism, fundraising – with a focus on empowering women and children internationally. Look at her commitment to Youth in Motion’s Opportunities Unlimited mentorship program. In her second year as a mentor, Deborah has helped guide three women at different times throughout the program.
The lovely Ms. Peniuk is a great example of successful entrepreneurship: She learned the ropes, paid her dues, and started her company with concrete experience. She values all her clients equally, and works to ensure all of them get the luxury experience they deserve. AYA Life is to be lauded, as is the woman with the fern tattoo who loves an international iced tea.
To book a consultation or learn more about AYA Life, contact Deborah via email, call her directly at 647.347.6693.
Follow Deborah on Twitter (@TraveliciousDee) or check her out on Facebook.
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