Today we’d like to introduce you to Dere Hney.
Hi Dere, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always known I wanted to build something of my own. I was studying for my doctorate in business administration and had experience in network marketing, but travel was always the thing I was drawn to. I was usually the person planning the trips, and I loved the anticipation, the change of environment, and the memories created along the way.
After my grandmother passed away, travel took on a deeper meaning. We were planning a trip to the Dominican Republic, and she was so excited when her passport finally arrived. She passed away four months before we were supposed to go. I remember thinking, I wish she could experience this with me. That eventually became the inspiration for Chosen Escapes.
I’ve traveled to 27 countries and lived in five, and somewhere along the way I started noticing something I couldn’t unsee. I was watching Solo Leveling and noticed a character who begins as one of the weakest, sacrifices himself for others, dies, and then is transformed into something of a savior figure. He enters another realm and is given a guide who teaches him discipline and prepares him for what he’s becoming. I remember thinking, “Wait… why does this sound familiar?”
Then I started noticing similar connections in Dragon Ball Z and other places. Once I started seeing them, I couldn’t stop. I began noticing them in travel too. Faith is required constantly when we travel. We trust someone we’ve never met to fly us across the world. We get on a motorbike in Southeast Asia. We accept hospitality from a stranger. We enter another country and trust that we’ll navigate our way through it. We do these things so naturally that we don’t even call it faith.
Living as a foreigner has also made me think differently about God’s Kingdom. I’m constantly crossing borders, entering places that aren’t my own, learning how other people live, and experiencing the world through a different lens. I’ve realized there are Kingdom principles woven into those experiences too.
It’s changed the way I travel, the way I create, and ultimately the way I build.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and honestly, I don’t think entrepreneurship is supposed to be. There have been financial challenges, unexpected setbacks, and plenty of moments where I’ve had to figure things out as I go. But one of the biggest challenges for me lately has been learning what stability and stewardship look like while building a life and businesses that are constantly evolving.
I’ve been in Vietnam for four months now and have stayed in more than 26 hotels. I love travel, but even I have to admit…26 hotels in four months is a lot of check-ins. The constant movement has made me realize how much I value having a place that feels like a headquarters: somewhere I can receive mail, work consistently, receive products and samples for my businesses, and simply have a little more stability.
At the same time, I’ve had to confront the financial realities of building multiple businesses. There have been moments when I’ve wanted to move faster than my resources allowed, and I’ve had to learn that stewardship isn’t always about acquiring more. Sometimes it’s about taking exceptional care of what is already in your hands.
That’s been one of the biggest lessons of this season: learning to build without forcing. I can have a vision for where I’m going without pretending I have control over every step it takes to get there.
My faith has been a huge part of that. I’ve had to trust God when the path wasn’t obvious, make decisions without having every detail figured out, and remind myself that uncertainty doesn’t mean I’m off course. If anything, it’s taught me to become more discerning about what I’m supposed to pursue, what I’m supposed to release, and what simply needs more time.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but I’m grateful for that. The friction has made me more intentional about what I’m building, and even more aware of who I’m becoming while I build it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Chosen Escapes & TCO . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Chosen Escapes is a boutique travel planning and management brand creating thoughtful, highly personalized experiences for individuals, groups, corporations, and communities. We specialize in leisure travel, group experiences, and travel designed around the needs of organizations and businesses, with hospitality, advocacy, and intentionality at the center of what we do.
What sets us apart is that we don’t believe travel should be one-size-fits-all. We’re not simply booking a hotel and putting activities on an itinerary. We want to understand how someone wants to experience a destination and build around that. And when something doesn’t go according to plan, our clients have someone in their corner. Being genuinely cared for when you’re thousands of miles from home is a different kind of luxury.
I’m proud of how Chosen Escapes is expanding beyond traditional travel planning. We’re growing our work with corporations and communities, and this month we’re also opening the waitlist for Signature Stays! Signature Stays are our collection of stays built around the luxuries of slow travel, culture, and culinary experiences worth traveling for.
Our first Signature Stay is Above Your Senses: The Richness of Vietnam, taking place in April 2027. The experience is an invitation to experience above your senses, to encounter Vietnam beyond the obvious and beyond the way it’s typically presented to travelers.
Vietnam is often positioned as an affordable escape, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, I wanted to ask a different question: What happens when we stop asking how inexpensively we can experience a country and start asking how richly we can?
That question shaped Above Your Senses. Guests will experience Vietnam through elevated stays, thoughtful hospitality, culinary experiences, opportunities to learn about Vietnamese brands, culture, movement, and the unexpected. It’s designed to feel intimate and immersive..almost like a brand trip, a retreat, and a culinary journey had a very intentional baby.
Richness isn’t the destination. Richness is what happens when the destination is thoughtfully experienced.
And while my faith deeply informs the way I create, Signature Stays isn’t a religious retreat. The faith behind the vision is mine; the invitation is for everyone. I want to create experiences that allow people to encounter the world differently, to slow down, pay attention, and experience more than what initially meets the eye.
Ultimately, that’s what I want Chosen Escapes to be known for: not simply getting people somewhere, but helping them experience where they are in a way they may not have thought to experience it before.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is building forts with my siblings around Christmas. My mom would have Christmas music playing, my dad would be making his famous stuffing, my oldest brother Jay would pick the Christmas movie, my brother Nate would lead my younger sister and me in building elaborate forts out of pillows and blankets, and Angel would be baking the most delicious pastries and helping everyone out. My grandparents brought even more warmth to the house, and somehow the whole evening always ended with everyone eating, watching a movie, and enjoying being together.
What makes that memory so special to me isn’t just Christmas, it’s seeing everyone naturally lean into who they are. My mom created the atmosphere, my dad expressed love through food, Angel cared for everyone through baking and service, my brothers brought creativity and leadership, and my grandparents brought warmth. There was hospitality, joy, quality time, and laughter all happening without anyone having to plan it.
Looking back, I think that’s part of why those things mean so much to me today. I love when people use what comes naturally to them to make an experience better for everyone around them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chosenescapes.org/booknow
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chosenescapes/
- Other: https://chosenmoments.my.canva.site/group-retreat-travel
