How it all Started Part 1

I still remember the strong desire that compelled me to start my travel business back in March 2019. I yearned for a creative outlet and an independent source  of income. As soon as I saw the words “travel advisor,” I thought “That’s for me!” and signed up.  But it was a long and winding road that led me to where I am today.  

That first spring and summer, I spent most of my weekends completing training for travel suppliers and learning all about destinations and properties—but not so much about the business of running a business.  

Growing up, I was not exposed to people who owned businesses. My only role models were my mother,  a stay-at-home mom, and my father who went to work every night and brought home the money to support the entire household.  Although I had a strong desire to have a business, I had no real knowledge about the expense or logistics of what that actually entailed.  

It would be inaccurate to call me a beginner, however.  After high school, I fantasized about running my own business to the point where I planned out several business concepts. I later attended a university that encouraged an entrepreneurial mindset and surrounded myself with business and coaching professionals.  Despite taking many business-related courses, I did nothing concrete with the knowledge I gained.  

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right, though.   

Every time I saw “My services are free.” on the agency’s marketing materials, I would cringe.  I felt the resistance building up in my throat as I held back the scream that ached to be released, “No! I don’t work for free!”  

I’m not sure why it was such a big deal to me, but it was.  I didn’t want to feel like I was begging clients for every dollar.  I had a job that paid the bills, but I still wanted to create my own unlimited abundance.  

My love of travel wanted to express in a way that could be shared with others and encourage them to have similar experiences.  My strong desire emerged to show people that there is much more to life than what they may have been exposed to in their formative years.  More than anything I desire to be an uplifter of people..  

I still recall my enthusiasm for the month I would be living and studying in Nuremberg, Germany.   While standing in a corner deli in a small town, I encountered an older woman who exclaimed, “I’ve never left this state!”  She seemed very proud of herself, and it was obvious that she could not comprehend why someone would want to leave the place they were born--even briefly.   I really wanted to tell her that she should hire someone to drive her to the neighboring state since it was only 20-25 minutes away, but it was clear that she had no desire to venture beyond her immediate surroundings.  (To be continued. . . .)