We recently connected with Jenn Doyle and have shared our conversation below.
Jenn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?
Taking a vacation when you wear all the hats can be a challenge. I try to travel at less busy times, give my clients plenty of notice and be ready to jump back into action if i need to. That means making sure I have any information I might need on my phone and that it is always charged. Yes, there are always battery packs in my bags. I love my new Magsafe charger.
I’ve changed things for clients while I’ve been waiting in lines or having lunch. I also try to check my mail often to look for any fires that I need to handle, but I never promise to look at a certain time.
I’ve learned that wearing all the hats is stressful and getting a break from that is the only way to truly refuel your creative mind and your soul so you can keep going.
Traveling isn’t easy, but my soul tells me I don’t do it enough. I’m upping my trips this year and adding in a summer adventure.
Here are my three best tips if you have to mix work and personal adventures:
Be prepared just in case, but set and hold your boundaries.
Put your phone away as much as possible unless you are snapping pictures
Be clear about your availability and limitations ahead of time so there are no surprises. Be sure to set your autoreply to reflect the changes.
Have fun and feed your soul so you can put your best foot forward when you are back at work.
Jenn, 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 became a Travel Professional in 2020. The pandemic gave me time to really immerse myself in learning so that as the industry has opened up I have been ready. Even before becoming a travel agent, I traveled every year with my family and those trips and the new experiences and excitement I felt were key to becoming a travel agent. I want my clients to feel that same sense of adventure and ease when they head to their vacation destination. I believe that customer service is incredibly important and I treat my clients the same way I would want to be treated. I don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to make their trip extra special.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I send thank you cards to clients after their trip. Real actual paper cards with a short message since my handwriting is terrible, but I want them to be personal so I fight the urge to have them printed. :) I also add them to my email list so I can let them know when other trips they might like are available or if there is a deal for a destination I know they want to visit. I have clients who want to visit Disneyland Resort. They are huge Starwars and Avengers fans, so I will be reaching out to them when 2024 dates are available to book. I also send holiday cards. I don’t want to overwhelm anyone, but I do want them to know I am still thinking of them even though their trip is finished.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I am an introvert and being the face of my business and putting myself out there has been challenging to put it mildly. I’ve gradually taken advantage of more opportunities and I even go live on Facebook and Instagram every Friday at 4 Eastern. The thought of doing that when I first entered this industry would have sent me running for the hills, but by gradually stretching my comfort zone I can honestly say I look forward to it.
The other thing that has really helped me grow is having the support of like-minded professionals. Having the support of a business group, coach or even a fellow business owner in a different industry can be a source of support. It can be an in-person group or an online community, but it will be priceless to you and your business.
2020 was also a very rough time to start a business especially one that was focused on travel, but I’m so glad I did.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendlikejenn20/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendllikeJenn https://www.facebook.com/friendllikeJenn
- Other: https://linktr.ee/friendlikeJenn
Image Credits
All the photos I provided are ones that I took and do not need to be credited.