Why I Didn’t Choose — I Multiplied
By Shawndra Long | shawndralong.com
Picture this: I’m sitting in a virtual strategy meeting, deep in a conversation about digital banking platforms and product roadmaps. My laptop screen is filled with sprint backlogs and stakeholder timelines. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m quietly thinking about a couple in Virginia who just said “yes” to Punta Cana for their wedding — and I’m already envisioning the details.
Two worlds. One woman. Fully present in both.
That’s my life. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Career That Built Me
I have spent over 25 years in the world of information technology and banking. I’ve held AVP-level roles. I hold SAFe 6.0 Certified Product Owner and Product Manager credentials. I understand enterprise systems, risk management, stakeholder communication, and the kind of precision that high-stakes environments demand.
That career didn’t happen by accident. It was built through years of discipline, continuous learning, and a refusal to settle for a seat at the table when I could help build the table entirely.
And it is still very much my career today.
I say that because I think it’s important for people — especially women — to know that I didn’t walk away from corporate America to “find myself.” I expanded. I didn’t trade one identity for another. I added to mine.
“I didn’t walk away from corporate America to find myself. I expanded. I didn’t trade one identity for another. I added to mine.”
Where Illusionz Travel Was Born
People often ask me how a tech professional ends up owning a travel and destination wedding agency. The honest answer is: it was always there.
I’ve always loved travel. The planning, the anticipation, the experience of arriving somewhere new and feeling the world get a little bigger. What started as a personal passion eventually became something I couldn’t keep to myself. Friends and family kept asking for help planning trips. Then couples started asking me about destination weddings. And one day I realized — I could actually do this professionally.
Illusionz Travel, LLC was born from that realization. Today, operating also as Illusionz Destination Weddings, we are a full-service romance travel and destination wedding agency headquartered right here in Hampton Roads, Virginia, serving clients across the US.
I hold credentials as a Certified Wedding Planner, and LGBTQ+ Romance Travel Specialist. I am a proud member of the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association (DWHSA), the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA), and a BBB Accredited Business.
Every credential, every membership — earned intentionally. Because my clients deserve an advisor who takes this work as seriously as any boardroom.
The IT Brain Behind the Travel Business
Here’s something most travel clients don’t think about: the person planning your dream destination wedding is also analyzing risk, managing timelines, communicating across multiple stakeholders, and solving problems before they ever reach you.
That’s product management. And it’s exactly what I do.
My background in IT has made me a better travel advisor. I approach every client engagement like a project. I anticipate what can go wrong. I build contingency plans. I ask the questions no one else is asking because I’ve spent decades in environments where the details matter and the margins for error are small.
When you hire me to plan your destination wedding or design your group travel experience, you’re not just getting someone who knows the best resorts in Punta Cana or which Kyoto ryokans are worth the price. You’re getting a systems thinker who will manage your experience from vision to return flight.
“My background in IT has made me a better travel advisor. I approach every client engagement like a project.”
And Then There’s Dominga Trendz
If Illusionz Travel is where I channel my love of experience, Dominga Trendz is where I channel my love of beauty.
Dominga Trendz is my jewelry and accessories brand — a carefully curated collection for men and women who appreciate pieces with personality. From everyday elegance to statement jewelry to a growing bridal line, Dominga Trendz exists because I believe how we adorn ourselves is a form of self-expression that deserves the same intentionality as the trips we take and the celebrations we plan.
Some people think it’s a lot — a corporate career, a travel agency, and a jewelry brand. I think it’s a complete life.
Beauty. Experience. Excellence. These aren’t three separate lanes. They’re the same road.
How I Actually Make It Work
I’m going to be transparent with you, because I think women especially need to hear the real version of this story.
It is not always easy. There are late nights. There are moments where I’m toggling between a stakeholder meeting and a client’s resort proposal at 10pm. There are days when I wonder if I’m spreading myself too thin.
And then a couple sends me a photo from their carefully planned trips. Or a client books a solo trip because I helped her see that she deserves to travel for herself. Or a customer receives a piece from Dominga Trendz and tells me it made her feel beautiful.
And I remember: this is exactly the life I built.
A few things have been non-negotiable for me:
Boundaries and systems. My IT brain insists on structure. I use tools, processes, and intentional scheduling to keep everything moving without burning out.
Continuous learning. Whether it’s a new banking certification, a destination wedding masterclass, or studying a new market for Dominga Trendz — I am always in growth mode. Recently I completed the How to Book Japan Masterclass, expanding my specialization into one of the most extraordinary travel destinations in the world.
Community. I don’t do any of this alone. I have a network of industry peers, mentors, and clients who have become friends. That community sustains me.
The Bigger Message
I’m writing this because I know there are women reading it who feel like they’re supposed to pick one thing.
One career. One passion. One identity.
I want you to hear this clearly: you don’t have to choose. You are allowed to be multiple things at once. You are allowed to be excellent in your career and entrepreneurial and creative and adventurous — all at the same time.
The world may ask you to simplify yourself. Don’t.
Your complexity is not a problem to solve. It’s a life to build.
“Your complexity is not a problem to solve. It’s a life to build.”
Come Into My World
This blog — shawndralong.com — is where all of it lives together. The career insights. The travel stories. The business lessons. The beauty. The real talk.
If you’re planning a destination wedding or honeymoon, I’d love to connect with you through Illusionz Destination Weddings.
If you want to explore the world with intention — whether that’s a solo trip, a group getaway, or a romantic escape — Illusionz Travel is your home.
And if you want to wear something beautiful while you do all of it, Dominga Trendz was made for you.
But most importantly: if you’re a woman somewhere in the middle of figuring out how to hold everything you are without dropping any of it — you’re in the right place.
Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.
Shawndra Long
Certified Wedding Planner | LGBTQ+ Romance Travel Specialist
illusionztravel.com | illusionzdestinationweddings.com | domingatrendz.com
Hampton Roads, Virginia | (804) 767-0862