How a Chemical Engineer Pursued His True Passion with Fora

Image courtesy of Alberto Mussali

Alberto Mussali has always had the best recommendations. Friends and family flock to the Mexico City native for insider tips and advice on where to go, what to do and where to stay. 

“My passion for travel and getting to know everything from anywhere, even though I haven't visited the destinations — it gives me a reason to be,” he said. “When I don't have anything to do, I just read something about a destination, train about something, get to know all the special places the country has to offer.”

His loved ones have always been amazed. They wondered how he knew so much, even about the places he has yet to visit.

“I just like to know everything about everywhere,” he told them. 

He toyed with the idea of starting his own travel agency to pursue his dream job and monetize his deeply researched travel intel. But he didn’t know where to start. Then, he learned about Fora.

“‘I need to do this,” Alberto told himself. “I found Fora and it has been life-changing.” 

The ultimate self-starter

Images courtesy of Alberto Mussali

Alberto studied chemical engineering at Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, and completed his studies in 2017. He started a healthy food business called Bowl Bar with his family. The company sells thoughtful products — like nut butters, spiced dried fruits and vegan ice cream — to Mexican supermarket chains. 

Alberto’s chemical engineering background came in handy for his food business: he was able to perfect the texture of Bowl Bar’s vegan ice cream, despite the absence of sugar and milk, which contribute to the creamy, scoopable mouthfeel of traditional ice cream.

But Alberto is the type of person who is always looking for opportunities to learn, explore and grow. He has an innate passion for pursuing new endeavors. (Alberto is also a martial artist; he’s trained in kung fu and karate for years.)

He found Fora at the perfect time. Even so, he initially viewed it as a stepping stone. He quickly changed his viewpoint.

“My initial thought was, ‘Okay, I'll start with Fora and maybe then I'll move on,’” he shared. “I didn't have any plans. And now that I'm with Fora, I never want to leave.”

Community & collaboration

Images courtesy of Alberto Mussali

Alberto cited Fora’s strong community as one of its main draws. He’s a member of Fora X, our agency-within-an-agency consisting of our top bookers, and loves the support and good vibes prevalent in the Fora X WhatsApp group.

“They always cheer me on when I get a booking, a new review — everything,” he said of his peers. “They help a lot.”

Alberto values the collaboration and support from other advisors, and from Fora HQ members, Fora’s co-founders included. He said that, although he hasn’t met his colleagues in person, he feels that he has made dozens of new friends, all of whom are supportive and passionate about travel, just like him. 

In fact, Alberto spends most of his work day travel advising. He hopes to take his thriving business full-time. He said Fora’s integrated booking platform, Portal, has been particularly helpful: “out of this world, really.” Alberto is also very active within Fora’s community and a close collaborator with Fora HQ. He works with our training team, reviewing and providing feedback on portfolio submissions from advisors pursuing their Advanced certification. 

“This has also been very enriching,” he said, adding how he loves to connect and help his peers as they build thriving travel businesses of their own.

Well-earned travel, well-earned growth

Images courtesy of Alberto Mussali

Alberto specializes in luxury travel. He believes the hotel makes the trip (and we agree). 

“The hotel and the location give you a very in-depth understanding of the place,” he said, adding how he loves immersing himself in a destination via the property he’s staying at. During his honeymoon, for instance, he stayed at the Peninsula Bangkok. 

“If I had stayed in Bangkok at some other property, I would not have loved the city like I do now,” he said. “It's one of my favorite cities in the world. But 80 percent of that feeling is because I stayed at the Peninsula.”

He helps clients unlock similar experiences. They rightly trust him for the best hotel suggestions. Alberto is thorough, meticulous, detailed and organized. He recalled one particularly picky client who subjected him to numerous date changes and complicated requests for a last-minute international trip. Alberto admitted he was stressed, but his planning prowess shone: in the end, “everything was so perfect and so smooth.”

And things continue to go smoothly for him. He continues to craft extraordinary trips for clients. He designs dream itineraries tailored to his client’s unique taste. If someone is into culture and history, he’ll set them up with a stellar local guide. If they’re big foodies, he’ll schedule a local food tour. If adventure is more their speed, he’ll line up activities like kayaking, paddleboarding or scuba diving.

“It really depends on the client,” he said, adding how, when it comes to itineraries, “I do not leave any blanks.”

Alberto joined Fora in September 2023, and has set ambitious business growth goals with a September 2024 deadline. In the meantime, he looks forward to learning, growing and mentoring. 

“Fora has been life-changing for me,” he reiterated. “I'm very happy with my life now. I'm very empowered and I really, really love this travel agency.”