Travel Advisor & Destination Guru

Meet the Gilded Gal, Tanya Hartman

I've been traveling internationally since I was thirteen. Fifty-three countries. Six continents. It's not a hobby, it’s an obsession. In 2024, I became a professional travel advisor and affiliate of FORA Travel. By 2026, I was invited to join FORA (X), an agency within an agency, comprised of the top tier of FORA advisors.

My travel planning style starts and ends in one place: I believe moments that matter most shouldn't be about managing logistics. They should be about being present.

Tanya Hartman in a pink dress and colorful scarf pulling a black rolling suitcase.

A narrow cobblestone street in a European town, lined with colorful buildings, potted plants, and flowers.

The Travel Story

Since as far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved telling stories about my travels. Back in the analog days, I kept written journals for each trip so I could remember what to tell people when I got home. When blogging first started, I launched Tanya’s Travels to record stories from my earliest adventures to Africa, Ecuador, and a Round-the-World Trip in 2009. When I met Richie in 2012, Instagram had become the next big thing and soon every trip we took was being documented for the ‘gram on our travel profile - The Rutmans. So it’s no wonder that when people think of me, the very first thing they think about is somewhere I’ve been recently.

In 2024, Richie and I took a trip to Finland to chase the Northern Lights. An emotional share on Instagram about finally seeing them garnered the same reaction from over a dozen friends:

"Can you just book this trip for me?"

Disney castle with blue roofs and tall spires under a blue sky.

Close-up of a lioness's face showing her golden eyes, fur, and part of her nose, with a desert-like background.

Around the same time, after years of posting planning tips during trips to Disney World, a friend joked, "I hope Disney is paying you for this!"

Almost as if Meta was listening, an ad from FORA popped into my feed that spring. “Become a travel advisor with FORA - the modern travel agency.” I was intrigued. I’d always been interested in making a living from my travels but just never really figured out how. I applied, was accepted, and kept booking all my own travel - but now I was booking as a FORA advisor. All of a sudden, my own travel experiences were elevated beyond what I had ever been able to book before. It was time to share this with everyone else.

Now I get to do what I've always loved: helping people plan trips they will never forget.

Why does that matter? Because travel planning isn't about finding hotels. It's about knowing which Disney World Hotel is the best one for your family. It's understanding that the best flight routes are the ones that build in options. It's recognizing that your family needs a certain pace or you won’t see what you want. It's knowing which special experience is worth the splurge and which needs just a standard ticket.

You can't get that from Google, Instagram, Hotels.com, or even Claude. You need someone who’s been there. Me!

Poolside area with lounge chairs and umbrellas, overlooking a scenic sunset view of trees and a distant horizon.

Stop Googling, Start Planning

Life Before The Gilded Travel Co.

2009: I took a 6-week, 15-destination solo Round The World trip.

Tanya Hartman standing in front of the Taj Mahal in India.

2010: I founded and ran a fundraising consulting firm for five years before joining the Ohio Treasurer's office.

Tanya Hartman holding a hundred-dollar bill in a storage room for a nonprofit foundation

2016: Richie and I got married at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole, and to this day, we are still featured on their wedding website.

The Hartmans wedding in 2016 at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole – feature on the wedding website.

Tanya Hartman founded Shop Gilded Social in 2018 - A bridal gown and dress alteration shop in Granville Ohio.

A small white dog, named Chewy, with long ears and black eyes, wearing a blue bow tie, sitting against a white background.

The Hartmans in front of the Cinderella Castle at Disney theme park, holding a bunch of colorful balloons.

2022: We became an unabashed member of Disney Vacation Club, and Walt Disney World annual passholders.

A white fluffy dog, named Chewy with a yellow bow tie sitting on a soft white surface inside a tent with green outdoor background.

The Hartmans wedding in 2016 at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

2017: We adopted our beloved shihtzu, Chewy. He’s the light of our life!

2018: I opened Gilded Social, a bridal styling and garment care studio, and we’re still styling to this day! Check it out.

What You Get

When you work with me, you're not getting someone who books basic, pre-planned vacations. You're getting someone who's up at the stroke of midnight to book a coveted reservation. Who's willing to tell you when something you want to do may not produce the result you’re looking for. Who’s made the mistakes so you don't have to. Who knows that a trip isn't about checking boxes—it's about seeing things with your own two eyes and remembering how it felt when the moment finally arrived.

I will create the experience you've been thinking about, so that it isn't just good - it’s legendary.

What adventure can I plan for you?

Let's Talk