We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amber Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amber below.
Alright, Amber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.
The first time I got a client who was not a friend or family member was last year in one of the summer months because I remember it being warm outside. I checked my email and saw that someone had filled out my quote request form. I read through the request and was so excited because I saw that the client to go on a multi-destination trip to Europe to celebrate his 50th anniversary with his wife. I called him right away to get a bit more information and I discovered that he found me through my Google business page. It was a very special moment because the clients that I had booked for previously had all been friends and family so I was very happy to get a brand new client who decided to trust a local small business to plan such an important vacation for a major milestone in his life. That trip was my first multi-destination and Europe booking. Those clients are currently on that trip and I have been in contact with them through email and they are having an amazing time so far. I am so appreciative that they trusted me to book that vacation for them!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Amber Smith and I just recently turned 32 years old and I am a proud mommy to an amazing 3 year old girl. I am originally from Chicago but having been living in Nashville since 2015. I have always enjoyed traveling but did not realize how much of a passion I had for it until a few years ago. I got into the travel industry in December of 2021. Around that time it seemed like the world was slowly starting to open back up and at that time I had been a stay-at-home mom since my daughter was born in September of 2019. I came across 3 different posts about becoming a travel agent within a short period of time and decided that I would give it a try. I have a realized that I love the Caribbean and enjoy being on island and in the water, so the Caribbean is where I enjoy booking the most but I am a Full Service Travel Advisor. I can book anything such as flights, hotel accommodations, all-inclusive resorts, rental cars, excursions, activities, sports tickets, concerts and more. I am here to give my clients peace of mind and alleviate the stress that can come a long with booking a vacation. I may not have been everywhere in the world yet but I have taken lots of training and continue to learn about the world so that I can be up to speed on the may changes that come along with the travel industry. I am here to answer any questions that my clients may have so that I can make sure they feel comfortable about their vacation. I thrive to ensure that I am giving my clients the best possible experience that is tailored to their specific wants and needs. I am most proud of how far I have come so far and that I have not given up. It is definitely not easy being a business owner especially while also being a mom and working a full-time job. I would like people to know that I will always give my best effort at creating a memorable vacation for my clients and I am passionate about travel and love what I do!
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I am essentially an Independent Contractor under an Host Agency but we are also considered to be small business owners as well and all of the other travel advisors in our company are considered my business partners. Last year at our International Convention I was able to meet many business partners in the company. And the entire event was so much fun. Not only was I able to visit Las Vegas for the first time, but that was also my first time attending such a large event. It was so amazing to network and get meet so many business partners in person and have live conversations with them. We had so many amazing trainings where I was able to learn about different ways to continue to grow my business but I also met many of the Business Development Managers that we have connections with on the travel side. It was also amazing to meet our Founder and CEO and take pictures with them. It was an unforgettable experience and I can’t wait to attend more conventions in the future.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me has been word of mouth and referrals. I am definitely still new to the industry and I am still growing my brand and my business but the majority of clients I have gotten have been through referrals whether that be someone who I booked for telling someone else of my services or just friends and family referring me to help me grow my business which I greatly appreciate. I still have so much more to do and learn and I am ready to continue on this journey, continue learning and continuing to create fun and memorable experiences for my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/aesvacations
- Instagram: @aes_vacations
- Facebook: @AESvacations
- Youtube: @aesvacations