We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kaleigh Kirkpatrick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kaleigh thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

For as long as I can remember, Travel has been an integral part of my life. When my daughter was a baby, I always traveled with her, lugging her along as we followed Dad on work trips, tagged along with my Mom and Grandmother on cruises, and then started the treks to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, because what better place to take a child?!

From the first time we went, my daughter was in heaven, from many princess meets and greets to the time she got to ride the teacups solo with Alice (like the Alice in Wonderland!) and there was so much Magic, I knew we had to go back! We purchased annual passes and I realized becoming a Travel Advisor was a career path I might be interested in.

In May of 2016, I started what is now the Shameless Tourist specializing in luxury, seamless family travel. Having traveled extensively around the world as a young adult and now a Mom, I decided to not simply focus on Disney Travel, but all luxury travel as I truly believe our most precious memories with our family and friends are on a well-planned trip.

Kaleigh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The Shameless Tourist is an affiliate of Avenue Two Travel, a Virtuoso Member Agency. We specialize in Luxury and Seamless Travel. I always want the trips I plan for my clients to be easy for them– in the planning process and while they are away. Travel, as fun as it may be, can be stressful! I’m here to advise my clients on how to create the most value out of the big investment in your lives, both financially and in regards to memories, for your family or trip!

Although I have experience in planning travel all around the world, one of my specialities is Luxury Disney— don’t want to wait in lines? No problem, I have lots of ways to help families maximize their times in the park on differing budgets. Foodies? I know the best places to dine! Picky about your hotels? So am I.

I am most proud of the repeat clientele and referrals we have received over the years! It simply makes my day to have a repeat or referral client as it speaks volumes to how we run our business.

What sets me apart from others? I have been fortunate enough to experience a lot of the world and this first-hand knowledge has helped me in recommendations for hotels, excursions, activities, etc. From knowing the pacing I personally like from a trip to my favorite hotels, I try to share this knowledge with my clients. And if I don’t know the answer, I have a wealth of connections around the world who do. Also, with my affiliation with Avenue Two Travel, I am able to offer my clients so much more than they can get by booking on their own or even with many other Travel Agencies.

From a Disney Travel perspective, the experience with my personal travels and the experience of planning travel for clients around the world helps me in knowing what discerning clients like best. I also take my business very seriously and when I am traveling, it is always a mix of travel and work. Last month I went to New York City and was on the ground less than 48 hours. At that time, I managed to see 13 of the top hotels in the city and hit up several local hot spots, ensuring my time away was invaluable to my business.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve definitely learned my fair share of lessons in life and this business in general. I am a helper at heart and hate to turn anyone away — I always want to help create a successful and enjoyable trip for my all of clients. One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is that I cannot always help. In the past, I have accepted a few requests for trips that I did not turn away for various reasons, even though I knew from experience that the budget of the client did not match the level of service and experience that my company likes to provide. In these moments, I have had to rely on Expedia and TripAdvisor for ratings and have been sorely burned several times.

Moral of the Story: Online Ratings can often be biased and misleading. If you want the best experience possible for the time and resources you are investing in your travels, trust a professional. If your budget isn’t quite up to the baseline for that destination, perhaps chat with your advisor about where your budget might go further! There are so many amazing destinations in the world and the dollar goes farther in some places than others. We are here to guide.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started the Shameless Tourist with the intention of having a robust Social Media presence. It’s something I work at almost daily. The key to anything is knowledge! Never stop learning more, reading more, and perfecting your craft. There are lots of online resources where you can read about growing your following, marketing, creating a brand image, and more. The book “Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media” by Brittany Hennessy is a great one!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theshamelesstourist.com
• Instagram: @shamelesstourist
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/shamelesstourist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleigh-kirkpatrick-247b3513/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC79vSrM-HCPxEu_NqO4en_A

Image Credits
Jason Kindig for TSG Fort Worth