We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annie Dunkel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annie below.
Annie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?
Although I loved traveling to many destinations growing up, my favorite destination was always Walt Disney World. There was something about the magic of being there and all the experiences that could be had. Each trip could be different! When I met my husband, our first trip together was to Walt Disney World and he proposed to me in front of the castle. We had our honeymoon there, have taken the kids on many vacations, and branched out to many other Disney Destinations such as Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and I made sure I was trained and knowledgeable in all Disney Destinations including Aulani, a Hawaiian Disney Resort and Adventures by Disney. Disney Destinations were the bulk of my business for the first year and a half. And then covid hit………
I knew I was ready to learn more. More about travel, other destinations, what interested my current clients, and what was going to be places groups wanted to vacation once the world started opening up more and people could travel again.
I took time to train in many destinations over the next 3 years. Universal Destinations, All Inclusive resorts, many cruise lines, and I just kept learning. I found support in previous Disney clients, and we worked together to get their vacations all planned out.
It may seem like an easy jump to add on more variety to your services, but it was a big jump for me.
Disney was what I knew like the back of my hand so I made a goal to know other destinations the same way. Forming relationships with suppliers is another scale up tactic. Having a scooter rental go to, a stroller go to, a transportation go to, and all of these comfortable relationships is icing on the cake for your guests. These partnerships have come in clutch many times!
This is my 5th year of being an official travel advisor and my business has over doubled since I became a specialist in a variety of destinations. It has allowed me to work with so many amazing people and their families. It has also pushed me to be better, set goals, and continue to learn and grow!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Annie Dunkel. I reside in Indiana with my husband and 3 children who love to travel as much as I do. My husband noticed my love of Walt Disney World and was observing me helping friends plan their vacations and giving tips and tricks. He told me I should pursue this as a career. Become a travel advisor! I started looking for agencies that I felt could be a great fit. I stumbled upon My Mickey Vacation Travel and was so excited when they wanted to know more about me. The process took several steps. I took online test to see my knowledge, had skype interviews, and even had to do some pretend quotes and scenarios. One day, I had a contract offer in my inbox and I accepted with so much excitement!
After weeks of training, I started having dream discovery conversations with potential clients. My first booking was from a family friend I had known my whole life and was an avid traveler. She told me, “I will be your first booking!” and she sure was!
What makes me proud every day is the support I get from not only family and close friends, but the families and people I meet and form relationships with. Seeing everyone’s memories come to life in photos and videos is exactly why I do this job. It truly means the world to me.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
When you are a travel advisor, being creative in marketing and promoting your business is crucial. I didn’t want to just be the type of agent to say, “Book with me, I know my stuff!” I wanted to show how much having clients meant to me and that their trips and vacations were truly important. I hosted trivia nights in my hometown, did online series on destinations with giveaways at the end, and even was interviewed by our hometown magazine.
These fun events were especially important during the pandemic when you wanted your clients to know you weren’t going anywhere and would return and be ready for them when travel was up and going, again. And I wanted my clients to feel the love of travel like I did! If it meant having trivia night online and playing fun games to keep the close-knit relationship, I was going to do it! I will say it all day, people work hard and deserve the trip with an agent behind them every step of the way. Supporting each other is key! And it is so rewarding!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
What makes my business grow is simpler than you think! It is the referrals! My business thrives off of referrals. I melt with joy every time someone tags me in a post or I get an email saying a previous client recommended me! It is the biggest compliment, and I am so grateful each time I gain a new client.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: travels_with_annie_dunkel
- Facebook: Annie Dunkel-Dream Designer-My Mickey Vacation Travel
- Other: email: [email protected]