Photographed by Audrey Snow Owen for The Scout Guide Naples Volume 11

Megan Howard Forbes, founder of Range Curated, offers full-service lifestyle curation to elevate every celebration for her global clients. As your personal travel concierge, local expert, and experience agent, Range Curated develops ongoing partnerships to craft intimate, bespoke, and special moments tailored specifically for you. Here, she shares a peek into her day-to-day, including what she’s reading, what she’s wearing, and what’s most important to her.

Where are you today? Beautiful, sunny Naples, Fla.

What is on the agenda for this week? A corporate event in Miami, finalizing details for a private party here in Naples, and a client meeting and site visit in New York, to name a few.

What is a typical day like for you? No one day is ever the same, but it always begins very early—I do my best work before the sun rises! Emails with corporate customers and partners overseas are first, then outlining agendas for my team. I always fit in some daily movement, and then we’re off to in-person meetings, site visits, or virtual touch bases with clients and vendors.

What’s always on your feet? Being on the go all day has made me a loafer girl, but I also live in Chloe sneakers. I have three colorways and considering more!

What is your most important hosting tip? We live by the mantra: “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

Do you always quote Benjamin Franklin? I find inspiration everywhere and definitely study the greats of all industries.

Who else inspires you? My mother, and my long lineage of entrepreneurial women first and foremost. I also have many mentors and am perpetually inspired by our clients in their 70s and 80s whose thirst for life and general energy can run circles around many of us. We love traveling to different cultures, and look to high fashion, interior design, and culinary trends to curate new experiences for customers.

What are you currently reading? I’m re-reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Is that your favorite book? It has a lot of poignant messages, but Unreasonable Hospitality is one of my favorites. I’m about to read that for a second time. I’m a creature of habit, so I stick to what I like.

Tell us some of those habits. Eating as clean as possible, prioritizing exercise, lots of hard work and long hours, reinvesting in myself and our business.

What are you currently obsessed with? Black licorice toothpaste from Marvis. If you have not tried it, it’s a game changer. But, you have to like black licorice, of course.

If you could give your style a name, what would it be? Classic. Since I’m petite, great tailoring is imperative. I invest in well made neutrals and pair them with great patterns and prints. Traveling between New England, New York, and Florida requires well made layerable looks.

What do you always have in your bag? Snacks! Larabars, nuts, trail mix. Anything that can help fuel a busy day on the go.

It’s March, are you sticking to your New Year’s resolution? Yes. On a personal level, my husband and I have checked many goals off the list—however, we are perpetually under construction! For the business, we are on target to exceed our objectives and diversify our offerings to customers internationally. We are really excited to have the opportunity to service our clientele in more places than ever. 

What makes Range unique? With our private clients, our unique strength is supporting them on their life journey and adapting to their growing family needs. While many planning companies offer momentary assistance for singular occasions, we prefer to work with our clients and their loved ones holistically over the course of years rather than months. We use each experience as a jumping off point for continued partnership and strive to service them throughout every milestone. Whether we have been entrusted with planning a distinctive celebration, composing a unique travel itinerary, curating a special experience, or doing a bit of all three, our primary objective is to learn about our clients so deeply that we can anticipate their new needs. We pride ourselves on creating lasting memories and dynamic moments designed exclusively to them.

It’s your sixth year in business. What do you see for the future? We’ve been witnessing the desire to have discreet private gatherings amongst close friends, colleagues, and family grow and the investment in experiences over commodities increase. These are taking place in both their private residences and at exciting travel destinations. Our clients want highly customized, personalized attention and require unparalleled communication. Despite having access to more information than ever, our clients use us as the encyclopedia of vetted options and trust that our partners are the best in class. We continue to diversify our talent base and test collaborators globally in order to serve their growing needs. Continuing to train our subcontractor pool is also top of mind. You’ll see we finally launched our Instagram last year, although we are not using this for traditional marketing. We merely see it as a beautiful portfolio and an invitation to dream. Our clients are not broadcasting their personal affairs or wealth on social media, so it’s imperative that we uphold the same discretion. That’s why you’ll continue to see the Range team tactfully promote our offerings while remaining almost 100 percent referral-based.

What has been your biggest lesson along the way? Develop a core set of principles, and you will find your niche clientele. Stay authentic, genuine, and transparent. All of our clients want trustworthy, hardworking, and honest-to-goodness partners, and a lot of sweat and hustle have gone into vetting that Rolodex of rightful collaborators. 

You have clients all over the world. What is one common thread? Family is everything, and time is our most precious commodity. Do not wait for your “golden years;” the time is always now. 

How do you stay cool under pressure? After more than 16 years working with corporate luxury fashion brands and some of the world’s most discerning clients, you develop a high tolerance for stress. You learn how to pivot on a dime and always be solution-oriented. Living in and around New York City for almost two decades has also provided a hard knock’s education. It gives you a thick skin and teaches you composure during unpredictable moments. All of our clients are extremely accomplished in their careers, and we are constantly taking notes from their playbooks, as well.

What’s a cause that’s dear to your heart? Definitely No Child Goes Hungry and The Edible Schoolyard.

What advice would you give to your younger self or someone just starting their professional career? If the door doesn’t open, it’s not your door.