We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jayne Sanders. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jayne below.
Jayne, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve taken many risks, both personally and professionally. I’ve started three businesses, moved across country alone three times, I ride my horse nearly every day, I’ve bungee-jumped and done a sky dive, and more. I think many people are most surprised at the sky dive.
In my 20’s and 30’s, I was drawn to doing a sky dive. I would often tell myself, “Okay Jayne it’s this year!” But it didn’t happen. I kept putting it off, my procrastination fueled by fear. Then one day in my mid-thirties I woke up and knew this was the time! I was SVP of Sales & Marketing for an international graphics design firm. The owner, Keith, was the best boss I ever had. I called him at home early that morning to tell him I wouldn’t be coming in because it was the day for my skydive.
Keith did not want me to do it, he feared he would lose his top sales person. I told him about the statistic I had researched – that 10% of first-time jumpers break an ankle, but very few are killed in the process. And most of that small number due to the plane crashing. Those statistics didn’t help him but they did me! And allowed me to set aside my fear and commit.
The jump school was 2 hours east from where I lived at the time near the beach in the Los Angeles. I had to stop at gas stations three times on my way…so much for putting aside my fear, I had just pushed it down into my intestines!
I had decided to do a Level III jump called an accelerated free fall. (The other options are a jump from only 3,500 feet with the rip cord automatically pulled when you jump out of the plane, and a tandem jump where you are strapped to the instructor and he/she does all the work, you are simply along for the ride. I figured if I was going to do this, I was going all the way!) The AFF jump starts with a 2-hour class about how to jump, how to land, etc., then an instructor jumps out of the plane with you but lets go of you when you pull the rip cord. The helmet has a speaker in it so you can hear the instructor on the ground talking you down.
The worst part of the whole thing? I get so motion-sick that just the short plane ride up to 12,500 feet made me so nauseous I was hoping I wouldn’t throw up before my jump! I made it, phew.
Time to jump. I got in position at the open door, the instructor said “GO!” as my body screamed “NO!” He said GO again, I couldn’t move. So he helped me and gave me a shove, which I appreciated very much. I did not wait this long and take a class to chicken out. In a way I did I guess, but I tell myself if the instructor thought I was too freaked out he wouldn’t have ‘helped’ me.
Words cannot describe the feeling of nothing under you when you are thousands of feet, 2.4 miles actually, above the ground. The first part of that drop is terrifying and exhilerating at the same time. The videographer was busy shooting while I waved and acted stupid, including the silly “Hi Mom!” stunt. I was so busy clowning with the camera that I wan’t watching my altimeter and dropped past the ‘pull ripcord” point. The instructor still had one hand on my parachute strap and shook me to get my attention, pointing at the rip cord. OOPS! I reached back with his help fighting the wind, and pulled. The parachute opened quickly and jerked me hard back up in the sky, then settled in.
Funny note: During the class we were told several times to hang on to the ripcord, if we lost it we would be charged $10. “Well that’s silly, why would I lose the ripcord?” I asked myself. Up in the air, as soon as I pulled the ripcord, I tossed that baby aside to focus on holding onto the straps. HA!
As I floated down, enjoying the gorgeous view that I felt totally enmeshed in, the instructor occasionally gave me directions, guiding me to the drop site where they were waiting for me. Thanks to the class I took, I braked at the right time and landed very softly, then tumbled to my side as instructed as the wind pulled the chute over. Success! Or was it?
I could tell the instructor felt bad as he told he wasn’t sure he should ‘pass’ me since I spaced out about pulling the rip cord. (Now that will kill you – pulling it too late.) I honestly didn’t give a hoot and completely understood. I wasn’t planning to do that again and didn’t need the points for a class or anything. I had done it. I had jumped out of a plane 2.5 miles above the ground and lived to talk about it!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an Independent Travel Agent who helps others become their own travel agent! I’m new in this industry, travel is growing exponentially. So many people are traveling and many want to travel even more. I was approached by a friend I trust and respect, and knew if he was recommending this I needed to look at it. For many reasons, one being I want to travel more too!
Once I studied the business, and talked with my friend, I thought, “Why wouldn’t I do this? Especially since I want to travel more. It makes so much sense! I’m in!”
I help people save money on travel AND earn commission on it too. Being their own travel agent, which is inexpensive, quick and easy, also allows them to access amazing perks and tax benefits. So I help them travel more for less money, make money on it, get crazy travel deals, and pay less tax too! They can book travel for others if they want and earn a nice side income, but if they prefer to book travel only for themselves that’s perfectly fine too. There are no quotas or minimums, no MLM if they’re not interested in that, and no financial risk because the company will refund the difference after one year if they haven’t saved/earned the fees they paid. (Only $180 one-time, then $40 a month; that’s only $620 the first year and only $480 per year after that. One international trip’s commissions usually will cover that!) Check it out here https://www.purposewhisperer.com/travel/.
Our hosting agency is one of the largest in the world with 30 years experience and over 80,000 agents. InteleTravel created the at-home travel agent industry and has a Platinum rating with all the travel partners, which is the highest possible.
I love this work because I get to help people bring more joy, fun and memories into their lives via more travel! One of the most fun parts is seeing how excited they get when we show them how it works, what prices they can access and how much commission they can earn. Plus the deals they can get from travel partners (cruise lines, hotels, resorts, etc.) are amazing!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
I have another business, I am a Master Scientific Hand Analyst. This work is not palm-reading, the lines in your hands mimic the neural pathways in your brain. Scientific Hand Analysis (SHA) is so accurate that FORBES wrote about it. I mention this because past SHA clients are my best source of new clients for me! I have credibility with them, and their contact info,
My second source of new clients would be the networking groups I participate in. And my third source is Facebook.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
My sales story – I was 21, in my first full-time job as a sales rep for the Foodservice division for a major food company. I sold food products to restaurants, hotels, schools, theme parks, etc. I had made an appointment with the buying committee for a university.
I was going to demonstrate one of our best sellers, a thick canned cheese sauce. Our favorite way to show how thick it was involved opening the can, turning it upside down, and giving it a good shake. The product was so think it would remain in the can. I had 4-5 decision makers around me. As I opened the can in one of their kitchens, I was touting about the quality taste and thickness of the cheese sauce, and different ways to use it. Like I had done many times before, I turned the can upside down, gave a good shake, and promptly covered my feet in Golden Cheese Sauce!
I had forgotten the can had been in my car for several hours on a 90 degree day!
Embarrassed beyond belief, I quickly pulled out a dry cheese mix I had with me. I told them it’s qualities, including that it wouldn’t betray anyone by jumping out of the bag onto their feet. I think they felt so sorry for me that they bought it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purposewhisperer.com/travel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayne.sanders.1297
Image Credits
Photos by Natalie Morrow of Good Morrow Photography