We were lucky to catch up with Caroline Christiansen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Caroline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
For me finding your why in life is the most important thing you will do for your own personal growth. Some might call it finding your purpose but I like to think of it as finding my “WHY.” It’s the drive behind your passion and it is the force for good that you have found that completes the circle. Personally, it was the final puzzle piece that completed the picture. My why was being able to share and spread joy.
If you look up the definition of joy you will find numerous meanings. One is “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness” but most importantly it’s a “feeling.” Joy can come in numerous forms. From making a sale, good fortune coming your way, or a sense of well-being. For me personally it’s spreading joy and happiness to my clients. Joy is an “inner feeling” where happiness is an “outward expression”. Cultivating Joy for others is my why. It’s something you can’t physically hand someone but can cultivate and customize personally for each person. It’s the feeling of planning something for yourself or others and seeing it through to completion. The ending result is joy for both parties. The one that created it and the one that experienced it. It’s a beautiful cycle.
It is watching my clients’ experience that joy and knowing I hand a hand in creating that moment or memory for them. It’s turning the corner onto Main Street U.S.A. and seeing Cinderella’s Castle shining brightly and cheerfully back at you. The smiles, the memories, the magic. It’s the feeling I get from sharing that joy with my clients. It’s how the customized itinerary that I created specifically for them made their trip that much more special. It’s not just booking the trip. It’s customizing it personally to their own preferences, wants, and needs..
That’s what gives me so much joy. It’s my why. It’s why I do what I do. It’s why I get up at 5:00AM to book dining or magical extras for my clients. It’s why I plan every single detail of their vacations the way I would my very own. Disney’s ever-expanding portfolio is always evolving. My love for Disney is what brought me into advising travel for my clients. It’s what sustains me when there’s a problem to solve or a complicated answer to research and find. Finding your why is incredibly important. It is what will keep your personal drive alive when you aren’t feeling motivated.
Caroline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have always been a fan of Disney. There is so much magic encompassing every aspect of what makes Disney different. The “Disney Difference” is obvious to anyone who visits. If you’ve been to a non-Disney Park after visiting any of Disney’s Parks you know this firsthand. From Disney’s cast members to the cleanliness and organization of every moment on property. My love of Disney started when I was very young. Beyond the parks and the “magic” lies a very certain feeling of belonging when you arrive on Disney property. Where anything can happen and magic is always at your fingertips.
My love for planning my own family’s Disney vacations is what brought me to the travel industry. I researched different travel agencies and kept coming back to Cara Goldsbury and Glass Slipper Concierge. It was her team of luxury travel advisors and their extensive knowledge that really caught my eye. It has been the best and most rewarding job I have ever had. There is a level of excellence and comprehensive attention to detail that goes into every single moment of planning with Glass Slipper Concierge. Cara’s team of luxury travel advisors will leave you knowing you are in exactly the right hands.
I have learned so much in the last year. My clients are set up for success because I am set up for success. Disney knowledge goes beyond the theme parks and resorts. Disney is consistently expanding its portfolio of destinations and methods of travel. Whether you are traveling by land, by sea, on a guided tour with Adventures by Disney, or private jet, there is something here for everyone and every budget. I am always learning and honing my craft as a luxury Disney travel advisor. I first fell in love with travel from walking down Main Street U.S.A.. So, planning Disney will always be my first love. Additionally, there is so much luxury travel beyond the Disney portfolio. We love planning luxury travel for our clients whether it’s specifically at Disney or beyond. Our difference is in the details. We plan extensive and customizable Disney Vacations for each of our clients. It only makes sense that we are also able to handle all travel for our cherished clientele within Glass Slipper Concierge – GSC World Travel.
Caroline Christiansen Travel LLC was created in October of 2022 and I have enjoyed every single moment of learning, researching, and expanding my knowledge of travel to Disney and Beyond. I am incredibly grateful for the leadership at Glass Slipper Concierge and to Cara Goldbury, who literally wrote the book on luxury Disney Travel. Also, to her team for giving me an opportunity to see how far I can stretch my abilities and performance.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
The key to social media is consistency. There’s so much to consider when you are marketing yourself and/or your product or brand on social media. By no means am I an “expert.” However, I can say that I have learned so much in the last few years on how to win for myself on social media. Consistency is key. Plan ahead and spend time getting to know your audience and what gets them excited. For me, travel is a big deal. Those who follow my pages or accounts also love travel. So, I showcase my personal travel and specifically Disney! I will explain and showcase how I made life easier on my last trip. I also showcase the beautiful places that I am traveling and exploring. That way my friends on social media know that when I post something I have firsthand experience in that area. Social Media can be a “make or break” place. There are always going to be people that say negative or hurtful things. It comes with the territory. It is important remember that most people are there to lift you up and support you. Likewise, support others.
I try to be the support and encouragement to others that I want to see in the world. The kind of love and support that I also need in my own life and journey as a small business owner. The Disney Community online is remarkable. I have found some of the most genuine and supportive friends on social media. We are all striving to make the world a beautiful and better place. That will come with pushback of course. However, if you remember that everyone has a bad day and continue to lift up others you will start to see a beautiful result from your love and positivity.
Being consistent is important. There’s also the aspect of what is happening analytically. You can track when your posts do better so that you can post at certain times during the day. You can track what types of videos your “followers,” or as I like to call them my “friends,” like to see. It takes time to build and capture the data you need to track your performance. So, take your time and remember to be consistent. Take an afternoon to plan out your posts for the next week. For me that’s specifically travel and traveling. I need to travel to the destinations I am showcasing so that I can better expand my knowledge of a certain area.
Expand different aspects of your knowledge and try to remember that building a business or a brand takes time. You can’t post every day for a week and then fall off social media for a few months and expect to come up with great results. It’s all about being consistent and trying to better your knowledge and interest in a subject or brand. People want to feel confident that they have chosen the right guide in a certain area. So be that guide for them. Be that guide for yourself, too. Try out new experiences. Showcase yourself genuinely and authentically and you will always position yourself for a positive outcome.
Be reasonable with you goals and your definition of success. Success means something different to each person. My goals will look different from your goals. At the end of the day, you must remember to be consistent. You need to build your brand and your level of expertise by surrounding yourself with the right people, the right places, and at the right pace. Everything of worth has a price and payoff. It will be different for each person. Your job is to figure out what that means specifically for you and your brand. Once you figure that out then you will have a path ahead to travel on. Perfect that path and success will be yours to gain as your forge ahead on your journey. Building a strong foundation is important. Give yourself and others grace and you will find that the community that you build and surround yourself with will support you on your journey.
Finally, remember that your social media accounts and business postings are not for your friends and family. That might sound harsh but hear me out. When I was starting out I felt bad always posting travel, Disney, my books, etc. I felt like I had to be annoying everyone. Then I remembered that I am not in business or striving towards these goals for them. This isn’t about them. This is about the audience I am striving to reach for. It’s for the social media community that I am building and for the end goal that I am chasing.
Yes, people will get annoyed but those are not the people you need to be worrying about. Your page isn’t for them. Therefore, their opinion on your travel post or brand that you are pushing or building isn’t for them. You aren’t going to get very far if you are worried about everything you post, every time you post, and what people think about your posts. Those that are there to support you are going to like your posts, your brand, and want to celebrate you and what you are striving for.
At the end of the day. You are in business for you. It’s your passions, your dreams, your why. Not Aunt Martha or your best friend from 7th grade that you keep up with only on social media. You must learn to put yourself out there and “sink or swim” you are going to give it your best effort. Not everything is going to land the way you want it to. However, give it everything you got, give yourself grace, and at the end of the day that is something to be proud of.
You are building something. Yes, some people will unfollow you because your content changed but remember that some people will follow you because you did your research and you have the kind of content they are looking for. That’s your community. Those are your people. Feed into those relationships, support others, and in return they will support you. It takes time so have patience, be consistent, and remember your WHY.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Do the work! Do the research! Strive to be the best in your field. For me, there were many different aspects to building and beginning. For one, I had to become the type of person I’d want to invest in. There was a lot of personal growth for me as a woman and as business owner the last few years. You must learn to persevere and find your place. You need a process in place before you have clientele coming in. This is the time to perfect your craft and build out your process. If there isn’t a firm foundation to place your business on then it will sink quickly and easily. You also have train yourself to start. We all have amazing ideas but the way to take an idea and make it something real is to simply start. It may be bumpy at the beginning and you’ll make mistakes but go for it. Give it everything you’ve got and then watch it grow!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carolinechristiansen.com/travel
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinechristiansentravel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinechristiansentravel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-christiansen-3352b51b7/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carolinechristiansentravel
- Other: https://tr.ee/B_YpmXlJ5d
Image Credits
Christin Suzanne Photography, Disney PhotoPass