We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alex Floyd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alex below.

Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I love this question. Since I was young, I always wanted to be different, to stand out. I find the quest to be unique quite rewarding. Since I started traveling internationally in my 20s, I thought there was a “way to do it” and that way meant you had to have a lot of money. When I started traveling, I was working several part time jobs just earning enough to pay my rent and then a little bit. That little bit went to the cheapest flight I could find, and then the next month’s little bit went to the hostel to stay. Then I would find my way around with what I had, either saving as much as I could manage until the trip, or putting things on my credit card to pay later. Some trips were long; like 40 days in East and South Africa, and some were short; a long weekend in Bogota, Colombia. The trip was always filled with learning; about myself, about new cultures, about travel. After years of travel by myself, with friends, with partners, I decided one of my favorite parts of travel was the planning. I decided to start a travel design business.

My goal is to fill the void of individualized travel. Something I understand very well is that everyone is different and no cookie cutter trip is going to scratch the itch for everyone. Also, most people don’t have a lot of time or energy to plan their perfect vacation. They often don’t know where to start either. So, hiring someone, typically a travel agent would be their go-to. But travel agents only offer help, suggestions, and bookings for a limited number of things with a limited number of options. They offer the flights, hotels, and car rentals that they’ll receive commission from. A travel agent appears free, but they’re selling you travel that benefits them to make money. (No shade). But I want to offer something different.

I want to provide people ALL their options and not be in anyone’s pocket except my client. That way the client knows I have their best interests at heart. It’s important for me as a first step to get to know the client. Where do they want to go? And why? This will help tremendously with how I cultivate their travel plan. How do they want to travel? Maybe it’s flight, train, boat, or car. Maybe they are foodies and want the bulk of their budget to go to the best restaurants in the destination. Everyone is different and I create travel plans based on the uniqueness of each person.

Another way that I am different in the travel industry is that I empower people to be in charge of their own trip. I don’t book anything for people, but teach them how to book it themselves. That way, all my type A folks have their confirmation numbers and contacts in their possession. I’m not the gatekeeper of how to travel this particular way. And yes, maybe some people can get that hotel for a little cheaper if they work as a travel agent, but I’ve proved that you can travel for next to nothing, without the help of a travel agent. It just takes a lot of time learning and experience. And that is what I’m offering to others for a reasonable cost. I’m a travel advisor, you can ask me all of your travel questions and I can answer them. I’m a travel coach, I help push your boundaries and comfort zone limits by encouraging somewhere different! I’m a travel designer, I design a personalized itinerary that suits your needs in all the ways.

My first client was a friend who hadn’t done too much solo travel, and couldn’t decide where to go. We looked at Thailand, Mongolia, Bhutan, Peru and many others before deciding on Peru. He took 5 weeks. I helped him plan his accommodations, private rooms in hostels so he could have his alone space but make it easy to meet people. I found him a company to visit Machu Picchu and other activities with on his trip. I gave him advice and suggestions over the course of months when it came to what backpack to bring, how many coats to have, what adapters did he need, and more. As his journey unfolded, I was a proud friend. I watched him grow and learn and come back with a new sense of being. Since then, I minimally helped him with a second trip to Europe the next summer, and advised on several trips since then. Now he rarely needs me, I’ve done my ultimate job: empowering someone to travel. He’s addicted to travel and the growth that it brings just like me and I can only assume we are both making the world a better place because of it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my own business, Go Away Alex Travel Design, in 2021 during the pandemic. Everyone was itching to travel and I was asked to plan a trip to the Balkans for my cousin’s graduation by my aunt. I loved every step of the planning, and decided this is what I want to do. I help people with whatever they need regarding travel. My ultimate package is offering a fully customized itinerary with options and help along the way. For example: when and how to book flights, options for accommodations that suit you, options for all activities available that suit your interest, a list of restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails, and transportation options. I also offer answers to all travel questions along the way. Do I need travel insurance? What kind of adapter do I need? How much should I pack? etc. I help solve all the problems with your future vacation. And it is all up to you depending on what you need. You can pay a la carte style, by the hour, or for the full package. I organize the cost by how many stops you’re making, and what components you need from me for each stop.

I love what I do. I love to travel and I love to share that experience with others. Empowering people to travel is my goal and I’ve been accomplishing that since I began my business. I’m proud that I created something that I absolutely love, and that it is starting to become something I can rely on for stability. People will love working with me because I’m attentive and I truly care about making your vacation special. I love sharing my knowledge with folks, and I’ve been on the ground level of travel for over a decade. I’ve been incredibly lucky and determined to travel to every continent and over 50 countries. I definitely have the experience needed to help anyone for any vacation, for any budget and any destination. It makes me unique in the industry. I’m not selling a trip to Europe or a Caribbean cruise. I’m able to find you a destination that truly suits you and can make it happen the way you want! Of course, not everything will be perfect because let’s face it, it’s life and travel always presents opportunities for growth. BUT, I do the best I can to make planning easy for you.

Even if you aren’t traveling soon, and just want to learn more about travel, you can sign up for my blog or email list. I send two emails a month with travel tips and useful blogs on how to travel. So you can be a part of the small business fun even if you’re just watching.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I have gone through a lot of shifting when it comes to keeping in touch with clients and fostering brand loyalty. I try to keep how I like to be treated in mind. For example, at first, I was casting a wide net and offering a multitude of messages from instagram posts and reels to youtube, tiktok, facebook, and emails. Then I realized, the wide net was exhausting. So I’ve been in the process of paring down what actually needs to be available and said.

I really focus on making my blog useful and intentional and I put 2 out a month. With those two blogs, I send an email also twice a month to my clients/email list with the blog link, a useful travel tip, and some updates. And let me tell you, MORE people read it when it’s not as frequent. When I put good content in there and make it special to me.

I made this change because I am personally turned off when I receive multiple emails a day, or witness an overbearing strategy. I think there’s a beauty to small businesses and that’s keeping it small! I don’t want to be expanding into massive territory when I can only handle so much. I want to keep my business intentional and customizable, and having to please too many people will make that impossible for me.

I think word of mouth has been one of my best friends with getting new clients. People who have used me then tell their friends about their vacations, and send me their friends. Another key to growing community and clients is patience. It’s not all going to come at once and that’s a good thing. I’ve had steady waves of clients, and then sometimes no clients! And sometimes I feel panic and like I should quit, and then another client comes along. So there’s something to be said for patience and trusting that it will work out if it’s meant to.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Clients talking about me to their friends has been the best asset to building my reputation. Reviews are always a handy tool, but when the information is coming from a friend who just got back from their dream vacation…that’s a major selling point.

My reputation is also always being built my my own travel journeys. I plan travel for others and I also plan it for myself. So when people see me traveling, they know that I know what I’m talking about and what I’m doing. Being on the ground level of your own field is rare and so important. If you don’t know what’s going on at every level of your business, you become out of touch and your business will suffer.

Also, I believe I accidentally did a lot of legwork before I started the business. Since I had been traveling around the world and posting about it, a lot of my friends already looked to me as a travel advisor. So when I started to do it as a job, it made sense and I was already on the radar of most of my facebook and ig friends. This helped begin the business with friends and made it less pressure for me. Then the friends told their friends and now I’m getting stranger clients but ones who already have trust in me. It’s a wonderful place to be in business and I’m so grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goawayalextravel.com
• Instagram: @goawayalextravel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goawayalexblog
• Youtube: @goawayalextravel
• Other: tiktok: @goawayalextravel Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Drew Wilson, Mick Lambuth, Elizabeth Dominic, Mara Marski, Md Sabbir, Alex Floyd