By: Joshua Finley

Michelle Nohotima strives in an environment where change is the order of the day. She has carved a unique niche, turning challenges into opportunities. Currently working as the chief executive officer of Always Able Disability Service, Always Able Travel, she has successfully integrated her love for traveling with the commitment to offering amazing trips that people with disabilities would love to have.  Michelle also owns Always Able Pet Boarding and Aussie Pooch Mobile Camden Haven Area, thus integrating the businesses with each other.

An Entrepreneurial Journey That Began from Necessity

Michelle’s transition into the realm of business is not only empowering but also a matter of life change. “I used to work for a not-for-profit disability service… we had a lot of clients that wanted to go away on holiday but couldn’t because they needed help,” she explains. The highly structured and non-innovatory profession she had been in compelled her to take a risky step – to become an entrepreneur of supported holidays. “I left my job, my day job, and went out, and I got other jobs, worked those for a year, saved up the money, and started my own business taking people away on holidays.”

But this move was not without its challenges. Michelle performed these three activities, including establishing a dementia wing at a nearby nursing home, running a Subway, and even working the night shift at a bakery. This hard-working culture was underlined by her continued determination to her vision, which captured her philosophy that when one sees a gap, one fills it.

A Dual Mission: Transportation and Accommodation

To many, Always Able Travel is more than simply a travel trip; it is a source of hope. “We mainly do high-level people with disabilities, like wheelchairs… We take anybody, of course, but we specialize in the higher level,” said Michelle. It is not a travel agency that simply sells travel; it sells experiences clients want and require. From providing a ride in a racing car to a first-time holiday traveler, Michelle’s business celebrates the joy of travel. It ensures it is inclusive, community-oriented, and a direct service.

As a retail-based business in a community with numerous retiree populations, Always Able Travel strongly focuses on individual relationships. “They rely on us heavily as a walk-in face-to-face travel agency as well,” Michelle says. This approach improves the quality of customer services and fosters social relations, giving her business an endemic feel.

Overcoming Challenges with Resilience and Innovation

Venturing into business after the pandemic was more challenging in this case, given the unstable foundations of the travel business. However, Michelle had experience working during the pandemic with her disability service, and that gave her preparation for high-pressure areas. Though her workload tripled, her determination tripled, too. “During the pandemic, we were very busy with our disability service because our workload increased three times because the families couldn’t come and help out,” she recalls.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Michelle offers straightforward advice for those looking to make their mark: “Just go for it. You can always fall back on getting a job if it doesn’t work. But if you’ve got a creative idea, you definitely need to act on it and just do it.” Due to her own experience, Michelle shows the importance of willingness to take a risk.

A Vision for the Future

Moving to the future, Michelle has built her new business initiatives in addition to her initial pet boarding business and recently started a news agency business. She aims to benefit her community and offer services that might be required in that given community. “My aim is to build my wealth so that I can not only help my family but help friends, community members, and other businesses in the community,” she says. This community-centric approach guides all her actions to ensure she does not leave people behind as she rises to the top.

Connecting with Michelle Nohotima

Michelle and her business adventure can be followed through a Facebook account containing updates about her services and community involvement. When a new disability service website is launched alongside active social media accounts, Michelle Nohotima is a business owner and a real activist, selling holidays to people and making a change simultaneously.

Michelle Nohotima’s story is an inspiring account of an individual who identified a malfunction and took the bold step to address the challenge. From having to work three jobs to owning several businesses later, her story is encouraging and a perfect model for would-be entrepreneurial masters to emulate.

Discover your next adventure with Michelle Nohotima. Visit Always Able Travel to start your journey today.

Published by: Nelly Chavez