Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Bryant. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amanda, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

The risk I took was to become a travel agent toward the end of COVID and follow that with opening my own travel agency less than a year later in October 2022.

I began my journey as a travel agent in December ’21. The world was generally closed or just starting to open and I began to educate myself about the industry and what the opportunity presented. It was a big risk…to enter a “new to me” industry where the future was uncertain. When would the world open again? What would travel look like? Would people want to travel with the risk of falling ill? Could I deliver as a travel agent amidst the turmoil?

Needless to say, I dove in to understanding the ins and outs of the industry as well as the best ways to serve my clients during this tumultuous time. I began to closely follow the new guidelines for each country as it related to travel. What vaccines or tests did one have to show to enter the country? What were the processes for entering each destination. The details changed daily, monthly but in travel, this was a macrocosm of the details in creating custom travel itineraries. As a travel agent, you must know the ins and outs of the country your client is visiting from what are the government requirements, cultural requirements, locations, tours, and all the fun things – the list can be lengthy!.

My background in event planning gave me a solid foundation for planning the intricacies of travel. I never doubted my skill. I also did not doubt entering the industry but I also recognized the risk as nobody knew what recovery would look like or how long it would take. At the same time, it was obvious how quickly things were changing that made it a fantastic challenge.

I knew I would love being a travel agent but I didn’t know how much I would enjoy the learning around being a travel agent. Today, I own Inspired Itineraries Travel, an agency of myself and three team members who enjoy creating custom itineraries to destinations worldwide. My favorite part of what I do is to serve clients by providing stress free, custom travel plans so they can experience the culture, history, or beauty of a different country, and make memories with those they love. The initial risk was what would that look like post-pandemic. The reward is to have company that provides the ability for others to enjoy what the world has to offer.

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?

About me:
I was a part of the Olympic sports world for 20+ years. I planned all types of events from small meetings to large, fan-experience events and truly loved the work. Creating activities for families of all ages to participate in around a large sporting event is so much fun! My career transitioned around COVID and my focus shifted a bit to my family. I am a wife and a mom to two sons. The pandemic provided the opportunity to reflect on what was important to me and start my travel journey.

Somewhere in the process, I realized it make me happy to create amazing experiences for people. That is my calling. And when I realized that I could transition this passion from the larger corporate sports world to a travel agency, it was an easy decision.

Why travel? I grew up traveling the country as a kid and have explored much of Europe as an adult. I have fond memories of trips with my family and my own children to national parks, beaches, mountains, and cities around the world. I love to share that opportunity with my clients.

What I do – I provide the opportunity for couples, families and loved ones to go on vacation and make memories without worrying about the details. Planning a vacation is stressful, time consuming and overwhelming. I remove these elements by doing the work to create the vacation our clients dream of. We are trained in resorts and destinations around the world and have local relationships that support our clients on the ground as they travel. I believe that travel should be inspired meaning that travel should inspire you to…make memories, unplug, challenge yourself…the choice is yours.

I want potential clients to know that using a travel agent is an easy process that allows them to truly enjoy their getaway and make memories of a lifetime.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Throughout the building of Inspired Itineraries Travel, my family has experienced the loss of a parents/grandparents and the responsibility that comes with being a part of the sandwich generation. With this, I have had to shift goals and priorities each year given the need of our respective families.

As a part of the sandwich generation, we are presented with opportunities to share our love and grace in ways we cannot understand until we are asked. Our growth may not happen as fast as we’d planned but we’ve managed to continue to stay grounded and show growth each year.

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

The clientele I have built has mainly come from referrals and in-person networking. When I began the business and as it grew, I relied on my experience and reputation as an event planner to build my reputation as a travel agent and agency owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.inspireditinerariestravel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspireditinerariestravel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredItinerariesTravel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-sanchez-bryant/