We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Boyson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.
Hi Amanda , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
You could say SYNT has always been an idea brewing. We’ve been friends for over 20 years and are both avid travelers. We’re known as the “go- to” people for travel advice. One day I (Amanda) made a comment that if I wasn’t working in my current job, my dream would be to run a travel advisor business. Lauren said “we can do it together, why not”. From there, the idea just snowballed, and quickly. We truly are the perfect duo. Lauren is a certified sommelier with a hospitality background and truly has a passion for food and culture during her travels. Amanda is an adventurer at heart, traveling to remote locations, finding the best and most unique hotels, and never misses a detail while keeping trips organized. We knew that together we could do this. Once we came up with “See You Next Trip” aka SYNT, we acted fast and have built our foundation and are continuously gaining momentum ever since. We have a strong client base and a vision for the future.
Amanda , 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?
My name is Amanda Boyson. I’ve actually worked in the healthcare field for almost 15 years. Honestly my urge to travel and love for it stems from my years of treating cancer patients. When a person is diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, they begin to look back on their life and have regrets. A lot of my patients had told me they wish they would have seen the world with the people they love by their side. I guess this just stayed with me and at a young age I began my world travels. I’ve summitted Mt Kilimanjaro, I was married under a waterfall in Iceland, and I’ve swam with humpback whales in Tonga just to name a few. I’m a true traveler and adventurer and I’ve always helped others plan and organize their trips. Combining myself and Lauren’s experience and skills, we truly make the perfect team as travel advisors.
My name is Lauren Samson. I am a certified Sommelier, hospitality professional, and bona fide vagabond! With almost 2 decades in this industry, I’ve grown a passion for travel and connecting through gastronomy. I believe there is no better way to experience a culture than through food. My mission is to guide people to the most authentic and memorable culinary adventures this world has to offer. I grew up in South Florida and have known my business partner Amanda since we were kids. We always shared such a dynamic relationship even through all life’s twists and turns. As we grew older we simultaneously grew our passion for travel. We set out on our first international trip together and from there we’re hooked.
It wasn’t until recently, after years of travel, that we knew we had to share our passion with others. We began noticing a common theme among our friends and family: they all wanted to know our secrets! How we navigate destinations, decide activities, choose eateries, ensure safety, and find the best deals. Recognizing this widespread interest, we aimed to cater to the many who yearn to travel but feel lost. Our offering is an all-encompassing, white-glove style of travel. We handle everything, from inception to conclusion. Getting to understand your preferences and vacation desires, we meticulously research, plan, and arrange every aspect of your trip, organizing it in an easy-to-use itinerary. Our goal is to stay within your budget while curating an experience that matches your vision. The beauty of our service? You won’t have to lift a finger! Save time, save money, and rest assured that your dream vacation will materialize. We differ from the average travel advisors, as we act as your personal concierge, before, during, and after your journey.
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
Sometimes you just have to trust fate, the universe, whatever it may be. Here is a great marketing story . When we first began, we had been aggressively marketing and decided to send out mailers to random homes in our area. I (Amanda) received a phone call from a gentleman who wanted to give praise on our mailer. He said he was, at this point in his life, too elderly to travel anymore but truly appreciated the “hustle”. After his initial praise he said “I guess I should explain who I am so that this is more relevant. I’m since retired, but I was the CEO of a very successful( and still successful) travel host agency (I won’t name) . I was also the first person inducted into the travel hall of fame” . At that moment I got goosebumps- how did my random mailer end up in the hands of a travel legend?! He then said he would love to “adopt us” and have us for coffee so we could talk marketing and business. We did just that. This man has since been a mentor and someone we have in our corner helping to guide us towards the most success possible. Marketing is all about WHO you know and WHO you get your product / service to.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Social media. We are so fortunate to be in a time where we can connect with people across the globe with the click of a button and for free. We stay consistent with our posting and engagement with followers on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. The majority of our clients have been through Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.synttravel.com
- Instagram: @synttravel
- Facebook: See You Next Trip
Image Credits
We took all images ourselves.