Community Highlights: Meet Madison Wayne of ICON Itinerary

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Wayne.

Madison, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am from Detroit, Michigan. I am co-founder of ICON Itinerary, a female owned, luxury concierge service based in Scottsdale, AZ, that takes the hassle of planning your trip off your hands for all travel and events. From the time you land until the time you leave we handle all reservations for lodging, transportation, restaurants, nightlife, golf tee times, spa services & more.

I was raised by hardworking, parents who taught me to be humble, take risks, be true to myself and build my own dreams. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so since I was a kid I have watched businesses succeed and fail. I’ve enjoyed the celebrations of success but have also endured the hardships of the pressures of the unknown that families of entrepreneurs face. Above all, I was taught to never give up and to trust in myself.

I grew up visiting Scottsdale with my dad every summer (yes, for some reason we chose to come every June so I was well aware of the heat before I moved here 🙂 ). Since my first visit when I was 10 years old, I have been saying that when I grow up, I’m going to graduate from Michigan State University and move to Scottsdale, Arizona and that is exactly what I did. I graduated from Michigan State’sEli Broad College of Business with a major in Marketing and a minor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation in May 2019.

I’ve always been interested in entertainment and so growing up I dipped my toe in lots of different activities like singing, modeling and theater. In April 2018, I was approached by the owner of Martin Sports Productions & Entertainment, David Martin, to be an event manager in Cleveland, OH for the 2018 NBA Playoffs & Finals for the Cavaliers vs. Warriors. Excited and eager to get started, I got in my car and drove down to Cleveland. On the day of our first fan fest – usually ranged between 10,000-20,000 people– the woman who was the Cavaliers emcee for these events called in sick about an hour before the show. David looked at me and said, “Maddy, get ready. You’re going to have to host the show tonight.” With the very little time I had, I prepared myself, called my parents for encouragement and proceeded to grab the microphone and host my first fan fest for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was exhilarating. From there my career in events and entertainment began. That year I was the official host of the Cleveland Cavaliers Fan Fest and Watch Party for the 2018 NBA Playoffs and Finals as well as for the Boston Bruins, New York Yankees, Triple A All-Star Baseball Game and University of Notre Dame Football.

My life changed forever when In early 2019, I decided to audition to become a presenter for the national auto show circuit. For the past three years I have been traveling across the United States as a brand ambassador for Chrysler Dodge representing the company’s newest and hottest vehicles. Because of this, I have had the privilege of experiencing many incredible cities and meeting the most remarkable, generous human beings.

Later in 2019, I also auditioned for and became the In-Arena Host for the Detroit Pistons and was responsible for executing promotional elements including on-court contests and in-crowd moments for all home games at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

And then…the pandemic hit. In March of 2020, I lost all four of my jobs in 48 hours…yes 4. I was a Brand Ambassador for Dodge, a Corporate Recruiter for Blue Chip Talent, an indoor cycling instructor at Cyclebar, and the In-Arena Host for the Detroit Pistons. Even though in that moment my life felt like it was in shambles, I took that as an opportunity to make the move I had been dreaming about since I was a little girl. Friends and family questioned my decision to pick up and leave everything behind during this uncertain time. While I may have been out of my mind, I knew now was the time to take the chance so against all odds my best friend and now business partner, Ryenn McAdory, and I decided to pack up all of our belongings and move to the desert!

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?
One of the challenges of being an entrepreneur is even though I have an incredible support system, I have to be the one to motivate myself each and every day. I don’t have someone else setting goals for me or encouraging me to hit a quota or, setting up important meetings. I have to rely on myself. That is where discipline, mental health, determination, and grit come into play.

I have been working 3-4 jobs since I was 15 years old and finding a balance is something I struggle with to this day. I often put too much on my plate and have a hard time saying “no.” But I recognize this flaw and am always trying to learn, grow, and get better. Also when starting your own business, as soon as you think you know it all and have learned everything, give it 24 hours and life will throw something crazy your way. Be willing to adapt and roll with the punches.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about ICON Itinerary?
Within our first few months of living in Arizona, Ryenn and I had more than 50 friends and family reach out asking for recommendations on where to go and what to do while vacationing in Arizona. We I found ourselves making “mock itineraries” and sending them out to people all over the country. More months passed and the requests kept coming in! We realized we were on to something so, in January 2021 we decided to start our own business – “ICON Itinerary,” a female owned, luxury concierge service in Arizona that takes the burden of planning your trip off your hands for all travel and events. From the time you land until the time you leave we handle all reservations for lodging, transportation, restaurants, nightlife, golf tee times, spa services & more.

Word of mouth and referrals is how we have gotten a majority of our clients. Our goal is make our travelers feel special when they are visiting Scottsdale. There is magic that is untapped in this town so as part of our itineraries we try to showcase hidden gems that you might not be able to find on your first Google search. We want to make not just Scottsdale but all of Arizona and its incredible businesses more popular than they already are.

What sets ICON Itinerary apart from other travel concierge services in Arizona as well as travel agents is that we are here in person for all of our guests. We personally meet with local business owners to create the reservations, personally decorate the Airbnbs, check in throughout the weekend to make sure everything is okay, meet at bars and restaurants if anyone is having issues, and occasionally even swing by for a celebratory drink with our clients! We are the most hands-on travel concierge business owners you will find in the valley and I am 100% confident in that.

Seven months into ICON Itinerary has taught me more about myself and my own determination than I could have ever imagined. Ryenn and I are fortunate to be responsible for people’s fun and share in some of the most memorable times of their lives. We plan golf trips for grooms and decorate Airbnb’s for brides before their big days. We celebrate anniversaries and engagements and birthday parties. It is the most rewarding and challenging experience I have had in my life.

I would not be where I am today without my incredible business partner, best friend, and fellow Spartan, Ryenn McAdory, She pushes me every day to be the best me I can be and to keep going even when I feel like our world is caving in around us..

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I would not be where I am today without my support system back home. My family and friends build me up when I feel like giving up. I texted my dad the other day letting him know I finally got 8 hours of sleep and his response was, “Awesome. Now get up and go conquer the world.” My parents are the reason I am the hardworking businesswoman I am today and they bring me the most happiness.

In my work life, being able to share in my clients’ joy, see their faces at the awesome places we send them, and being able to actually help make their lives easier when they travel is the reason I get up every day and do what I do. I am responsible for people’s happiness and fun which in return brings me great happiness.

Contact Info:

• Email: Icon.itinerary@gmail.com
• Website: iconitinerary.com
• Instagram: @iconitinerary