We recently connected with Judith White and have shared our conversation below.

Judith, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I don’t know who George Halas is, but he said this – “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”

I was raised to go to school, make good grades, get a nice job and work hard for everything I want. I did that for years. I was raised to be very risk averse, “keep it safe” was the motto in my household. Sounded good at the time and I lived and breathed that.

When my son graduated college, I asked him if he was going to do his Masters. He said, “why mom?” I was floored. I said, “so you can get an even better job son.” His reply shocked and angered me.
He said, “mom, why don’t we encourage our children to be entrepreneurs.” To which I said, “son, that is the dumbest thing you’ve ever said. What is wrong with you?

I came home and cried. I thought my son was going to be a bum, struggling in a business and I would take care of him for the rest of his life because how as he ever going to make money having his own business.

BUT,

I have to admit, his words kept nagging at me to the point when he approached me about a travel opportunity, I said sure. You see, the risk didn’t seem that big because I still had a full-time corporate job so if the travel opportunity didn’t work, I still had stability with my company.

Then the bottom fell out. I got laid off.

It was bitter because I was no longer going to have my security blanket. But it was sweet because I really was beginning to love the travel industry but didn’t know a whole lot except planning all our family vacations.

However, I did what I was always taught – do everything with love, integrity and prayer and God will take care of the rest.
I immersed myself in the business. I read every book, went to every trade show, listened to every webinar I could get my hands on.

On my first FAM trip, I was like a kid in a candy store. I took notes and pictures and studied different marketing techniques. I was exhausted with the magnitude of things to learn and implement. It was a huge lesson in patience and faith, for sure.

I was blessed to form some relationships with leaders in the industry who took me under their wing and provided some mentorship and my tenacity and determination to “get it” was a driving factor. Because “failure” is never an option.

Then the “ha-ha” moment came. I realized that travel is just too huge to be an expert in every destination or discipline. So, I did some soul searching and realized my whole life was about love and romance. Well, then I decided to specialize in romance travel. And as I dug deeper, I thought it should be even more specific.

On April 17, 2007, I broke from the travel company I started with, and White Sand Travel was launched as boutique travel agency that specializes in romance travel in the Caribbean and Mexico.

Although I loved designing travel, the income was not sufficient, so I went back to my corporate job.

Here comes the big risk – wait for it!

I decided that as much as the corporate job was paying bills, I was miserable. I loved designing travel more than I loved the paycheck. I decided to take the risks to make White Sand Travel a real priority and not a hobby. I invested more time and money to learn, to implement and grow the business.

Today, I no longer work a corporate job. White Sand Travel has grown so much and so have I.

I absolutely love what I do. It is my passion. And when I get feedback from clients who tell me that I have changed their lives through travel, I know for sure I made the right decision.

Judith, 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?

My name is Judith White, from that gorgeous island called Jamaica. I love the Caribbean.

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

My grandmother used to always say “Judith, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” She also said, “do everything from the heart and with integrity and you’ll never have to worry about attracting what you want”. I live by those two sayings because it is very true. So, I say this to say, my best source for new clients is not the expensive ad campaigns or trade shows. It is word of mouth – advertisement that I don’t pay for.

I will share a story.

One night, my office phone rang around 9:00pm at night. I picked up and it was Shanna. She was planning a honeymoon to Bora Bora and had spoken to several Travel Agents and they all told her she would not be able to get her “dream honeymoon” based on her criteria. Within 5 minutes of the chat, she burst into tears. We talked and I went to work. Fast forward, Shanna got her dream honeymoon, introduced her mom to me and they both book all their vacations with me as well as refer others.

80% of my clients come from another client referral. And that is super rewarding because it tells me that people like my work.

I cherish the relationships that I build with my clients. They make White Sand Travel what it is today.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When I first started in the travel industry, I knew there was a need to make thing simpler for travelers who were confused or frustrated with the ton of information on the web. Granted, a lot of travelers can design satisfying trips on their own, but I had to take some time to evaluate what I could bring to the table that would help them even more.

Could I save them time?
Could I save them money?
How about increase the value of their vacation experience?

I was particularly interested in romance travel because it took me back to my own honeymoon and how disappointed I was with the arrangements.

I think clients really started to resonate with my own experience and that made me more relatable.

You may be aware that the Caribbean and Mexico are two of the leading destinations for romantic getaways. Because I am from Jamaica, many travelers are comforted in my knowledge of the island so that has helped me to build a reputation for being a specialist in the Caribbean.

I think one of the most important things that draws people to me is they actually can sense that I care. When you are passionate about what you do, you care about others and you work from the heart, that is irresistible.

My clients matter. They are not a transaction. They are real people looking for a travel experience and I meet their need with my gift of service.

I live for the moments where I can help my client build memories that they can treasure for a lifetime. I thank God for my gift of service.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://whitesandtravelagent.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitesandtravel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteSandTravelJW

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