We recently sat down with someone who’s no stranger to many of you: Jon Makhmaltchi, a longtime friend of Tablet who helped introduce Tablet PRO to the travel agency community. A native New Yorker, he began his hospitality journey on the West Coast, working in some of the country’s best-known luxury properties, then for nearly ten years as the VP of Worldwide Sales & Development for Small Luxury Hotels of the World, splitting his time between Los Angeles and New York.

In 2013, J.MAK Hospitality was born — and with a focus on personality, it’s no surprise that J.MAK represents some of our favorite hotels: Post Ranch Inn, Ladera Resort, and Troutbeck, to name just a few. Whenever he’s not working (which isn’t often), you’ll find him with his husband, Mike, and their four-year-old bundle of energy, Cannen Henry, mostly in Rhinebeck, NY.

Q: You’ve had a remarkable career — what led you to starting J.MAK?

J.MAK was born seven years ago after a long career working for a luxury brand and on-property at luxury resorts. While I love and respect my history, I wanted to do things my own way: a more fun and spirited approach with no rules or regulations. I think we often forget we’re selling fun! Travel is fun, and hospitality is not about a fancy hotel room, it’s about making — or, as I say, MAKing — people feel good.

Q: Do you remember the journey or experience that started the fire and inspired you to spend your career in this industry?

I traveled extensively with my family, mostly ski destinations, as my Dad was a big skier — so Colorado, the Alps, and really any fantastic place you could slap on some downhill skis and go. This included my beloved Catskills too, as that’s where I learned to ski so long ago. My folks would often find me spending time with the housekeeping staff, helping clean rooms and eating lunch with the ladies, as they gave me so much more attention. My mother insists my first words were “room service” too!

After traveling the globe with my folks for years I left my home island of Manhattan and moved to San Francisco. My cousin Lorry was an interior designer for luxury hotels, drapes and bedspreads, mostly soft-good renovations. I “hung out” with cousin Lorry on her sales calls, visiting all of these fancy hotels, and I dressed up in suits to make sure I didn’t embarrass her. I got lots of nice tasty lunches for free by hanging around, and got my first hotel break on one of her sales calls. The Park Hyatt San Francisco, now Le Meridien, was my first hospitality job. I began as a PBX operator working the graveyard shift and worked my way up to sales assistant years later.

Q: What’s something you’ve never said — but always wanted to say — to others working in luxury travel?

Funny enough, something I’ve always wanted to share with the industry is that I no longer love to travel like I once did. Maybe three million miles on American Airlines was too much? I enjoy shorter-range trips — and honestly, I prefer that our team members and our advisors enjoy these places now, so they can be experts selling them alongside us.

Also, I have a handsome four-year old at home, which has naturally led to some lifestyle changes. I’d like to save the rest of the world for when he’s older — my husband Mike and I look forward to showing him all that’s out there, together, as a family. Most people would probably agree that traveling is so much more rewarding when you get to do it with the ones you love most.

Q: How do you unwind? And what advice do you have for travel advisors when it comes to cultivating a healthy work/life balance?

My best way to unwind is a nap with my two beloved cats, or the Katzes, as I call them: Mr. Katz and Miss Mouse. No one on earth can relax me like my pets. Walks with them — yes, I walk my cats — and just playing outside with them and chilling in a hammock. Also, I love to swim, so a swim in the pool will definitely do the trick — but not with the Katzes!

My advice to travel advisors is that it’s 24/7/365 — our mutual clients want answers, and fast. Those that are lucky enough to work from home like me will always find time for life balance. Also I recommend using tools like J.MAK and Tablet PRO, among others, that can make life easier — we do the work while they collect commission!

— Interview by Daren Grisham