@michaellaoconnor

This review is really about Sarah, the on-site community manager who supported us for three weeks on a Noma Collective trip in Belize.

Sarah was exceptional. She didn’t just manage logistics, she held the entire experience. Group activities, excursions, transportation, last-minute changes, and all the little personal things people needed help navigating along the way. She was responsive, steady, warm, and deeply competent, which made a huge difference over a 3 week stay.

My work is centered around supporting women to see that it’s truly possible to travel the world and grow a successful, meaningful business at the same time. Watching Sarah support exactly that, in real time, was powerful. She embodied what remote work and leadership can actually look like when done well.

Having her on site elevated the experience in a way I haven’t seen on other retreats or group trips. Things felt smoother, more human, and more cared for because of her presence (Plus, everyone seems to know her, and she’s infamous in this town.)

Any constructive feedback is more about Noma Collective than Sarah, which I appreciate is what this review highlights, but when you could review the company from trip to trip, the reviews could be wildly different. There were a few areas where expectations around programming and costs could have been clearer upfront. Even then, Sarah handled those moments with professionalism and grace, often smoothing things out for the group.

I also personally think that three weeks is a little too short for this type of experience. Depending on your workload, it can make things feel a little tight. I think four weeks would be more appropriately spacious.

Bottom line: Sarah is the reason this Belize experience worked as well as it did. She’s an incredible asset to any community or team and I’m grateful that there are companies like Noma, who offer these trips for those of us who really get that you don’t have to only do life one way.