Meet Our Team
Halle Eavelyn
Founder
Halle Eavelyn, the founder of Transformational Tours & Retreats, has been leading spiritual tours for fifteen years. As the tour creator for the famed Eat Pray Love tours as well as dozens of other successful trips, Halle has been interviewed by Time Magazine, USA Today, Good Morning America, and many others. Her spiritual travel articles have appeared on many major blogs, and she was a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. After her spiritual awakening in Egypt, she wrote the spiritual travel memoir, Red Goddess Rising, which tells that story combined with many entertaining anecdotes from the subsequent tours she has led up the Nile. Halle is also a Transformational Coach, speaker, and writer who helps people break out of their old patterns so they can live their best lives, the ones they always yearned for. Her work is deep and extremely fast, intended for those who are ready for extraordinary growth.
Sandy Babin
Managing Director
Sandy Babin is the former Vice President of Marketing for Apple Vacations, one of the largest tour operators in the world. She brings 25 years of experience in travel to Transformational Tours & Retreats as Managing Director. She has worked as a travel marketing liaison for the governments of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama, and for hundreds of popular hotels and resort chains. Additionally, Sandy has lead group tours for top radio shows in major markets across the U.S., as well as major sports teams including the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles. Sandy also has served on advisory boards for the country of Mexico, the state of Quintana Roo (Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel), and Hawaii, among others. When Sandy felt the need for change, she took an inspirational tour that was truly transformational, and ultimately, was a life changer. It inspired her to create tours that will help others discover their inner calling.
Karen Valerio
Travel Advisor
Karen’s career in travel started when she was 12 and helped research and plan her family’s vacations all around the U.S. During her career, she worked for several Hawaii tour operators and became an expert in love with the Aloha State, traveling there well over 100 times! Her travel expertise and personal journeys also expanded to include Europe, then the rest of the world! Karen’s skills expanded as well, especially as it relates to searching out the best air options and prices, making hotel and sightseeing recommendations, as well as providing trip insurance options – she’s our team member who will make sure all the details for your flights and travel insurance are covered.
Holly Johansen
Client Coordinator
After spending a year studying and traveling throughout Europe, Holly Johansen knew she wanted to blend her passion for travel with her career and went on to spend 10 years in the marketing department of one of America’s largest tour companies. During that time, she coordinated with government tourist boards as well as top hotel chains to provide exceptional travel experiences for vacationers to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. For the past decade, Holly has remained busy coordinating travel adventures for her family of five.