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

Alison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

What it takes to be successful is subjective. What one person sees as success can be completely different than another person. Some believe they are successful with the amount of money they are bringing in or the amount of clients they have.

For me personally, I measure my success by seeing my personal growth and sustainability. The ability to overcome challenging obstacles, staying self motivation, but knowing when to take a mental break is what it takes for me to feel successful.

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

I became an independent contractor travel advisor with FDV Global in January of 2016 because of my love for Disney. I thought it would be just a hobby for me. I got to talk about what I was interested in and got paid for it. Later that same year, I gave birth to my third child, so this job remained a hobby for a few years. It wasn’t until 2019 that this hobby started to become a full-time career. What started out as a love for Disney has grown into a love for all travel.

As a travel advisor, I play many roles. I can do as little or as much of the planning process as my clients would like. I search destinations, formulate quotes, do the bookings, create itineraries, and really cater to what my clients want. Each client’s needs are different and I have to take that into account when planning their trips. I try to do as much as possible for my clients so all they have to do is pack their bags and show up. I can help anyone with any type of trip but I specialize in Destination Weddings, Honeymoons, and Bucket List trips.

A few months before I became a travel advisor with FDV Global, I started my own photography business, Alison Shane Photography. My main focus being on weddings. I was growing both businesses at the same time while also trying be a wife and mother to three kids three and under. At that time in my life, I felt like I didn’t know what my career path was supposed to be.

I have now started to combine the two businesses and really cater towards those couples getting married. I am more than just a photographer for a their wedding and I am more than just a travel advisor for their honeymoon or destination wedding. Wedding planning can be stressful enough with all the different vendors you need to contact, I am two in one.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Like most small businesses, the shutdowns due to Covid really brought on the biggest challenge for myself and everyone else in the company I work for.

2020 was set to be my biggest sales year yet, and it all came crashing down. With so many unknowns of what was going on, countries shutting down travel altogether. I experienced multiple cancellations with no sight of when people would rebook or even when destinations would reopen.

The hardest part of all of that, besides feeling like I let my clients down, was that I didn’t get paid for any of that work. I worked solely on commission and wouldn’t get paid until after a client traveled. I reached a point during those closures that I thought I would need to quit and find something more sustainable.

I wouldn’t allow myself to give up though, being a travel advisor is what I was passionate about. As the world started to reopen, I decided I needed to change my business plan completely, along with my mindset.

I’ve suffered from depression for many years of my life, and still do. Remaining positive in a time that was so dark was not an easy task. I had to pull myself out of that hole during 2020. I had to first value myself before others would. Once I learned how to manage my mental health, I was able to become a better travel advisor over all.

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

This is actually something I am still actively working on trying to figure out what works best. When I started charging service fees, I lost a lot of clients who didn’t value me for what I did. I learned that quality is so much more valuable than quantity. Today, I really try to emphasize why I am valuable to hire. I have implemented a client loyalty and referral program to show my appreciation to every client I have. I also have monthly newsletters I send out, which is more than an email about a sale or promotion going. I make it more personal, almost like a blog, so they can get to know me better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fdvglobal.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/diamondsandpassports
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/diamondsandpassports
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-galloway-123106179/
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Main Photo – Alaina Rene Photography