We recently connected with Kendra Julion and have shared our conversation below.

Kendra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken just happened a few months ago. I was working full-time in the Public Health space and being a Travel Agent part-time. I was doing well in the Public Health space but I knew that I wanted to work for myself and that my true passion is being a Travel Agent. With the full-time job I couldn’t dedicate the time/effort it needed to make my business flourish – really pushing my social media efforts, developing group trips, attending trips for Travel Agents to learn about destinations, and learning sessions. The opportunity to take a part-time job dropped into my lap and without thinking too much about it I went for it. Within the past month of having the time to focus on my business I’ve received so many trip inquiries, have tripled the number of trips booked and I’m heading to Rwanda for a Travel Agent trip. It’s like the universe is rewarding me for jumping off that very scary cliff and focusing on my passion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Heyyyy! My name is Kendra Julion and I’m a Travel Professional with sublimeXcursions. I got into the travel business after attending a group trip with sublimeXcursions in 2018 where we were on a 2-week cruise to Greece & Italy. Before the trip I really got into researching each of the stops for my immediate family and trying to figure out where we should stop, what we should be eating, what we should be doing and realized I loved having everything mapped out for myself. I spoke with Annette, the owner and the organizer of the group trip about my interest and she immediately took me under her wing as an amazing mentor and supported me with getting my training done and starting to work to attract clients.

I love making everything super easy for my clients. The most work I want you to do as my client is to figure out your packing situation. I’m really passionate about creating itineraries for my clients where you have your excursions booked with my trusted partners, you have food recommendations on-hand (I’m obsessed with good food and don’t want you eating meh food on vacation), the hotel is ready for you, the transfers are there waiting for you, and you feel confident in having everything you need to make your vacation as seamless as possible. I think one thing that sets me apart from others is that food/itinerary piece, but also I’m truly passionate about working with those small minority-owned businesses in the destination so you get a personalized experience with people I’ve vetted, worked with myself, and know is going to give you that authentic experience where you leave knowing more about the culture, vibe and you got a taste of chilling with the locals.

When I first started, I was really focused on learning about any/every destination, learning about the suppliers, trying to figure out how to attract partnerships with suppliers. As the years have gone on I’ve definitely developed a passion specifically for the Caribbean (yes the usual spots but also specifically those islands that aren’t as mainstream), the Mediterranean, East and West Africa, and starting to explore South American destinations.

I want potential clients to know that I’m an advocate for all of my clients before going, while you are there, and I’m in your corner until you arrive back home. I know how important vacations are and what they mean for people to take time out of their usual life to reset and relax. I’m here to provide expert recommendations and unbiased advice, do all the research for you, give you access to deals and perks that are only accessible to travel agents, and customize your trip to exactly what you want to experience..

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I do this a couple of ways: I send thank-you gifts to my clients before they go on vacation. I have an amazing partner, Carita’s Creations, who creates custom items for my clients. My favorite is the “Oh-Shit Kits” which include everything you will need that you usually forget to pack on vacation- so the Pedialyte, BC, hand sanitizer, Listerine, bandaid (I literally always leave with an injury lol), Advil, and tums. After the trip, I send an email thanking them for using my services, I highlight the pictures they share with me on their social media, and I send a handwritten note at the end of the year wishing them a Happy New Year.

I also maintain contact with a monthly newsletter where I share up-to-date travel news, travel deals, group trips I’ve curated, and travel inspration.

Before the trip I really got into researching each of the stops for my immediate family and trying to figure out where we should stop, what we should be eating, what we should be doing and realized I loved having everything mapped out for myself and would like to do it for other travelers.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Referrals! Yes, I get some clients that know no one that I’ve worked with but the majority of my new clients come from people who were asking about a travel agent and their family/friends immediately referred me. I also get some people on my social media page that have been following me for a while and are finally ready to book using my services.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sublimexcursions.com/
• Instagram: k_cinique
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=15919250

Image Credits
First picture by Jamaizing