As a Black woman who owns a luxury travel agency, CBO Custom Travel in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cathy Brooks-Oliver has faced two main challenges: visibility and representation.

During a panel on diversity at Global Travel Collection's Elevate the Journey virtual conference last week, she was asked how she overcomes those challenges.

"To be honest, I really don't feel like I have," Brooks-Oliver said. "What I do is I show up. I truly believe we all have more in common than we have differences. I travel extensively, I share my experiences; I engage in conversations frequently about race and equality, even when the topics are uncomfortable…”