We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katrina Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katrina below.
Katrina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Everyone has their own definition of success – for me, its solving customer problems, even if it doesn’t go “my way”. Coming from corporate America as an accomplished Product Manager in the tech startup space, I have learned a few key steps to get from having a problem, to solving a problem and which led to success. As a product manager, you own a product from start to finish, listening to customers to hear their issues and determining a solution that works for the customer and your business partners (like your boss, the board, stakeholders). Its not always a simple one and done solution but finding out the WHY and the reason they need a solution, helps steer the team in the right direction
In travel, I am able to use my same recipe for success with my clients – ask the questions, find out the WHY and implement the solution to solve their issue.
For example, a new client wants to travel to Italy after a cruise but isn’t sure what to do. They’ve never been to Italy, they’ve never stayed in a location after a cruise nor do they really have the patience or drive to do research ensuring a good trip. This is where I come in, as a travel curator, to ask the question WHY? Why Italy? Why stay after the cruise? Then I follow up asking what they want out of it, who recommended Italy, what are they travelling styles ( shopping, foodie, historical, beach). This all paints a picture of what they are hoping to get out of the trip – what solution to their problem they are hoping to see. This gives me a target to hit, x marks the spot. Now I know if I need to curate a trip focused on food, or did their family member see a local church and said it was an absolutely must see — then I know I must include it as well!
Taking a moment to get to know the client, why they have the problem, lets me figure out the best solution leading to success. And sometimes, it doesn’t mean success for me. Perhaps after researching a trip to Italy, the client thinks its too expensive and scratches the whole trip. While I didn’t have success financially from booking a trip – I did have success in building credibility, trust and a relationship with a client. And a client’s referral, feedback and testimony is priceless in the travel industry.
So while success looks different for everyone, for me, its asking the questions, following up on questions to find out the WHY and then provide a solution to their problem, meeting the WHY and leading a client to success and in turn leading to my success.
Katrina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As I was growing up, my family travelled every holiday and I brought that practice into my career.
As soon as I started in corporate America, I made the most of my limited PTO. Even I was on PTO, I was travelling and not sticking around home. As I started out in Product Management, I quickly honed my skillset of working hands on with customers, listening to their problems and learning to see their point of view and how to help solve their issues,
While working as a Product Manager in the tech space, I also started consulting on the side within the family business, Active Web 4 U, which was aimed at helping non profits and small businesses make the most out of their websites, SEO and IT setup. I really enjoyed working with those that may not have grown up with technology and needed a little assistance with getting their businesses up and running. My favorite thing was putting together a solution – say with their Google Workspace, and creating detailed How To Guides, to leave something behind, empowering them to feel involved in their IT and not at the mercy of a consultant.
This introduced me to seeing a need and discovering a solution without having to have a wide team of developers to solve the issue – instead I could help with my own skillset, knowledge of IT and drive to help. I now own Active Web 4 U, LLC and provide IT Solutions to small business but during covid, I discovered that I wanted to step out of IT and into the travel industry – where I could help those same small business owners, only this time, helping them plan their well earned paid time off through curating unique travel experiences. Finally, I found a career path the my past travels, combined with my technology and product management skills would combine to help create unforgettable experiences!
Now, with Blue Star Experiences, LLC, I am creating unique, custom travel itineraries for customers, helping select the best options for a brand new cruiser or just giving recommendations on what to do around town when out-of-town family stops by. My PTO during my time in corporate America was treasured and I am glad I can give back to the community in a way that everyone enjoys their time off a little more – with less stress and knowing someone is backing them, helping them every step of the way with their travels.
What sets me apart from the rest is my experience – while I may not be in the generation that can cruise around the world each year, I am in the generation that can easily use technology, find great experiences and be only a call away when things go wrong. I love being that grand child that can help “grandparents” with technology and I bring that passion to my travel agency. Everyone travels differently, everyone has different skillset in using technology and everyone, and I mean everyone, wants a great travel experience. Together with my technology background, management skills and honed travel skills, I can provide the best as a one stop shop for the traveller – making the most of their PTO or their retirement!
How did you build your audience on social media?
With so many business and social influencers vying for one’s attention on social media, you need to really differentiate ones self. In the travel industry, a lot of people just post great travel deals but I took a different approach. As I want to get to know my customers to curate great travel experiences for them, I want them to get to know me and have a reason to trust me with their next travel plans. With that, I created a hands on approach where I showcase things about me – showing that I am a real traveler, have encountered my own travel issues and successes along the way, I currently wrapped up a Netherlands Trips Tours and Tulips post series where I highlighted things I really enjoyed on my trip to the Netherlands. This way I can showcase things I’ve actually experienced – both the good and bad – to build my credibility in the travel space. While I don’t advertise special deals, I focus more on the trips I curated for myself to showcase how I can do the same for customers – driving my social media following and turning into actual leads.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn is that everyone wants to travel how my family travels. For example, my parents grew up pinching pennies and while travel was a luxuary in their eyes, it was still to be done on the forgale side. I learned a lot on how to make the most of my money when it comes to travel but after becoming a travel curator, I had to unlearn the lesson that saving money = travel success. While a travel itinerary may be the least expensive, I had to realize it may not have all the necessities that a client may need. Easiest example, when travelling to Europe, a private transfer from a cruise ship to a hotel may be the least expensive with one supplier but when the supplier charges extra fees PER BAG – then that supplier may not be the least expensive in the end and cause more headache frustrating the traveler who then has to pay an unexpected fee. This not only makes the travel agent look out of touch with suppliers as well as with how much luggage one may travel with.
With that said, sometimes its better to spend a little more to get better customer service, smoother transportation options or safer vacations.
While I still love to save a buck or two on my own personal vacations, I now know to ask how important ease of travel is over saving a few bucks as every person has a different travel style. I’m ready with my own experiences to recommend where someone should pay a little extra and where its okay to do the least expensive and still have an amazing travel experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bluestarexperiences.com
- Instagram: bluestarexperiences
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluestarexperiences
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinasjohnson/
Image Credits
Katrina Johnson