Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vivian Gamez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Vivian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I grew up with a single mother. She did everything to ensure that I had everything I needed, but the idea of lavish vacations was simply just not attainable. While several of my classmates growing up took annual vacations to Disney destinations, my mom opted for roadtrips to visit family as it was more in line with what we could afford. Now please make no mistake – these are some of my most treasured memories. I’ll take a roadtrip over a flight any day! And I truly think that these road trips as a child really contributed to my love of travel as an adult.

Fast forward a few decades and I’m now working as a travel agent. The most meaningful vacations I get to book are those that otherwise seemed impossible financially. Whether I’m able to find a good deal, or help families prioritize their must-haves in order to save some money, it means so much to me when I hear “we never thought this was possible for us”. Being able to create something magical within someone’s budget and give them a vacation they didn’t think they could ever have – that’s why I do what I do. Impossible things are happening everyday (points to whoever read that in Whitney Houston’s voice lol)

Vivian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For those who don’t know me, my name is Vivian Gamez (formerly Colter). I am an Arizona girl, born and raised in Tucson. I’m a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a creative and a travel agent. In 2015 I graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelors in Communication, and a minor in Spanish. I returned to pursue my masters a few years later, and graduated in 2019 with a masters of Journalism, focusing specifically and Digital Journalism. This is where the “creative” comes into play. As my final masters project I produced a documentary titled “People Who Look Like Me”, which focused on media influence on racial identity. Since graduating, I worked in marketing and social media for four years, before officially leaving the work force to focus solely on raising my son. This is when I unexpectedly began another journey…

My love for travel has been lifelong, but my journey as a travel agent began in January 2023, when I took a chance and applied for a position with a local agency: Briar and Main Travel Boutique. While I had no experience planning vacations apart from my own, I felt my attention to detail and passion for seeing the world were a perfect fit – and it turns out I was right!

As an agent, I take on all aspects of planning my clients vacations. From researching the perfect destination or resort, managing their payments and booking, providing customized reminders, destination guides, personalized itinerary, and 24/7 in-destination support. My main destination focuses are Disney destinations (Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney cruises, Adventures by Disney, Aulani, etc.), Universal destinations (Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando) all-inclusive resorts and Europe.

What sets me apart in my craft is the personalization. I don’t sell travel. You can buy travel anywhere. I provide a personalized vacation experience catered to your wants and needs. I get to know YOU and answer all of your “what if” questions that pertain to your vacation. The vacations I book are the ones you can’t get through a one-size-fits-all booking engine, and that’s something I’m really proud of. Not all vacations are created equal. You probably have questions. Your traveling party probably has specific needs. Being able to create something customized to my clients is something I take a lot of pride in.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As I mentioned previously, I was working a traditional 9-5 after finishing my masters program. While I loved my job, and especially the people I worked with, it came to a point where it was no longer sustainable for several reasons. I had never been without a job before. I had never not had a consistent paycheck. I had gone to college (TWICE) – and for what? But it simply didn’t make sense anymore, and so I had to shift my thinking. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s given me the balance I never thought I’d be able to achieve. I’ve been able to not only focus on raising my son, but focus on myself as well. I’ve found a love for physical fitness I never knew I had! And, of course, found a new career as a travel agent that still allows me to have that balance. It was a huge shift in my thinking and my previous perceptions I had for my life, but it was all worth it.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth! When you provide a good product or service, your clients are going to talk about it. They’re going to share with their friends and family all about the amazing trip they just had and how they didn’t have to do a thing besides show up and enjoy themselves. And with any luck, those friends and family members or going to reach out to you! And those initial clients? They’re going to be loyal to you and come back again and again. It may seem obvious, but that’s been the best source of new clients in my business. And to those clients who have come back and sent others my way: THANK YOU. It means the world to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vivian-briarandmaintravel.myflodesk.com/viviangameztravel
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veeheymann/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089775318332
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2p4nOuJUu59-i9Hzjqucg
• Other: My masters project documentary: https://looklikemedoc.wordpress.com