Moments Unfolded: Meet Ana and Her Journey with Us!

Favourite animal: Cats!

Favourite food: Sushi (or honestly anything asian as long as its vegan).

My hobbies: Baking (I do it a lot with my sister!) going out with friends (preferably for a drink or two), and travelling (not sure it’s even a hobby?).

A destination still on my bucket list: Bali.

Dream once-in-a-lifetime experience: I am very afraid of heights, but would love to try paragliding for the views.

Hello! I’m Ana, born in Berlin to a Spanish mother and a German father, so I’d say I’m a good mix of both cultures, German for the planning and organisation, and Spanish for the spontaneity and love of enjoying the moment! I’ve been with The Fixer for a bit more than a year.

When I was a kid I spent some time living in Spain, but completed my studies in Berlin - in a very international environment - then moved back to Spain to study Tourism & Hospitality, and that was where I had the chance to spend an exchange year in Edinburgh. That experience was a real eye-opener for me and I feel like it had an important impact on the person I am today. 

I then returned to pursue my bachelor's and master's degrees - at the same time - in fact it was tough, but it taught me a lot about managing my time, setting priorities and, probably the most important, knowing how to keep going when things get busy! Also because if that wasn’t enough already, I also started searching for an internship, and received a few offers from hotel groups… but something didn’t quite feel right. I had the feeling that the environment wasn’t where I wanted to take my career. I was looking for a role in which I could genuinely develop and with at least some flexibility, and that’s when I came across The Fixer. To be honest, I had never heard of anything quite like it before, so I was immediately curious. 

I began as an intern, supporting the lifestyle managers with elements of larger requests, such as research of hotels and restaurants, drafting itineraries. Over time, my responsibilities grew gradually until I was involved in every aspect of lifestyle management. Almost all of my practical knowledge of operations and coordination has been learned here, as it is quite different from my earlier experiences. However, having grown up in such a multicultural environment as Berlin, I felt comfortable from the start working with people from different backgrounds, communicating across languages and adapting to different ways of working. 

I feel like I’ve developed a stronger sense of emotional intelligence through my experience here. Especially in the luxury industry, you hear a lot about anticipating clients’ needs and going above and beyond, and at first, these things could sound a bit like business buzzwords. But working at The Fixer has helped me understand what they actually mean in practice. Paying attention to the little things, reading between the lines and recognising that sometimes what a client asks for isn’t necessarily what they truly need.

I’ve learned that the more you understand someone’s personality, preferences and expectations, the better you can tailor an experience to them. And I think that’s one of the most interesting parts of the job: getting to know different people and realising that the same recommendation will never be right for everyone. That’s also what makes the creative side of my role my favourite. I love designing itineraries, sourcing unique experiences and researching hotels and restaurants around the world, often discovering places I’ve never even heard of before. 

In terms of challenges, of course there have been many. Suppliers can take time to respond, prices and availability fluctuate - for tours, tickets, rooms - and can change quickly while a decision is still pending. Honestly, I feel like I am currently still learning to accept the elements that lie beyond my control and to focus on what I can really influence.

What makes those moments easier, though, is knowing that I’m not dealing with them on my own. We all operate individually, but I’ve never felt like I’m working alone. We have become a close and supportive team, and I think being at a similar stage in life has helped us connect on a more personal level too. There is always someone willing to listen, share an idea or simply say, “I’ve been there too”, and this is reassuring in stressful times. This year I had the chance to experience my first work trip with the team, and it made the whole difference for me. It allowed me to get to know everyone beyond our day-to-day work and feel more connected to the people behind the screens. I came back with a much stronger sense of belonging and confidence, and I found myself letting go of the hesitation I sometimes had about asking questions or seeking guidance from colleagues. It made me realise how much easier it is to grow and learn when you feel comfortable enough to speak up, ask for help and be yourself. 

One of the things I’m most excited about is the opportunity to get more involved in the networking side of the business and build lasting relationships with our partners and other people in the industry. I’d love one day to attend industry events, meet new people and gain a better understanding of how these relationships develop over time. It’s fascinating that behind every journey we curate, there are people and connections that make it possible, and I’m excited to potentially become more involved in that side of the business, learning from the people around me, gaining confidence in representing our company and building a network along the way.