We recently connected with Brittany Velez and have shared our conversation below.

Brittany, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents sacrificed a lot for my siblings and me. My parents wanted to go to college but never got the chance, so they had to enter the workforce right out of high school. One thing my parents always instilled in us was the power of learning and education. They ensured they did everything to save for all three of us to go to college. Even after my first four years of college, my parents always supported my drive to earn graduate degrees, try new things, and learn new skills! This continues to motivate me to continue my education with travel suppliers, learn new parts of the travel industry, and continue to grow my knowledge.

Another thing my parents did right, was make me a Disney girl! My parents love Disney and it was the main location of family vacations when we were kids. My mom was a meticulous researcher and planner when it came to our trips and my dad was on the ground park guide! I was always impressed that he never needed a map, and now I don’t need one for any of the Orlando theme parks. My parents planned and created the most incredible childhood memories at Waly Disney World and it not only fostered my love of Disney but my love of planning those memorable experiences and moments.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My travel agent journey started with my love for Disney and planning all the details of the trips I took with family and friends. I was born and raised in Coral Springs, FL and Orlando was the popular vacation spot for my family growing up. I did not start traveling outside of Florida until high school when I quickly caught the travel bug! It was not until I planned a fully themed 30th birthday party in Disney that the idea of becoming a travel agent crossed my mind. My friends and family always raved about the trip I would plan and how I would always handle the details of everything! I have always been a firm believer in giving the gift of experiences over material items and I loved the idea of being able to help families create those memories.

Becoming an agent with Friend Like Me Travel Co. is more than a dream come true! I get to help families turn their travel dreams into memories that last a lifetime. My clients are able to really focus on time with their loved ones while I handle all the details!

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

Before I had the opportunity to become a travel agent, I originally wanted to start a Disney Blog and travel to all Disney theme parks around the world in one year following my 30th birthday! I had the plan, the blog site started, and made the Disneyland reservation. Unfortunately, my 30th birthday was July of 2020. By the time travel started opening back up again, I was newly pregnant with my daughter so major travel plans were on hold.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Honestly, word of mouth and old-fashioned networking have been my best source for new clients this year. People love to travel and living in Florida theme park trips are always a topic that comes up so is been easy to share the travel business and my specialization in Disney Destinations and Universal Theme Park.

I have to thank all the referrals I have gotten from friends, family, and current clients! It truly has been helping my business grow

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendlikebrittanyv/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendlikebrittanyv/

Image Credits

Tiffany Maysonet Photography