Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristin Hawkins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kristin , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My passion for travel planning began back in 1996 while I was planning my honeymoon to the Island of Maui. This was the first trip I had ever planned as an adult so I worked with a local travel consultant recommended by my parents. After working with this consultant, I thought to myself, this is something that I could do and I would be good at it. I love working with people, I’m extremely organized, I love researching where to go, where to stay, things to do and see. I just knew I would be good at it and would treat each client’s vacation like it was my own. After our honeymoon, I reached out to the consultant to find out how to get started in the travel industry. Her reply was I needed to go to travel school. Being a fairly recent college graduate with a business degree and already working in IT, there was no way I could financially go to travel school. So, my dream of becoming a travel consultant was quickly squashed. I continued to plan trips for my family and help family members and friends plan their trips. Fast forward to 2017, I happened to be chatting with my son’s tennis coach about my dream of becoming a travel consultant. He said well, I know someone who owns a travel agency. So he put me in contact with that person. I just wanted to find out how to get into the travel industry. After two hours of me drilling her with questions, she offered me a position with their agency. I was still working in the IT industry full time, so I began my travel consulting business on a part time basis, mainly on nights and weekends. Fast forward to 2020, we all know what happened then. I was laid off from the IT company I had been working for for 22 years. That hit me hard. I started looking for a new job and was finding that I just didn’t have the passion and desire to go back to that industry. It wasn’t what I wanted to do. My husband was so supportive and told me to go for it. Follow my dream of being a full time travel consultant.

Kristin , 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?

Life is busy and my client’s time is valuable. My goal is take travel planning off my client’s “To-Do” list so they can relax more and create lasting memories.

I treat each of my client’s vacations like it is my very own. I provide personalized service at no cost to you. Your happiness and satisfaction is my top priority. I will make sure your vacation is tailored to you.

I am always there, before, during, and after your trip.

I am my client’s advocate. Should something derail their trip, I will get their trip back on track.

I help each of my clients plan the perfect vacation, whether it’s a cruise, a family trip to Disney, couples or girls trip to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean or a trip to Europe.

So many people to thank. During the pandemic, I met an incredible group of women from the U.S. and Canada during an online mastermind course on Travel Agent Social Media techniques. We really got to know each other on a personal level, sharing our stories and everyone was so supportive of one another. Nothing was ever a competition. To this day, there’s a small group of us who gather once a month over Zoom to catch up, share stories and ideas and get advice from one another. We also stay connected in a private Facebook group. They have been invaluable to me.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source for new clients is referrals. I take pride in providing exceptional service to my clients and so many times those clients have referred their friends and family to me. That is the best form of flattery for me.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The last two years, anyone working in the hospitality or travel industry needed to have resilience. Many, in fact, decided to leave the industry. I didn’t want to do that. Becoming a travel consultant has been a dream of mine since 1996 and the thought of quitting never crossed my mind. I have stuck with it, and as a result, my business is the best it’s ever been.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.travelmemoriesawait.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelmemoriesawait/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelmemoriesawait
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-hawkins-0521995