Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lori Stephens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Lori thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
The story of how our brand is different starts long before our brand was even created.
I had started selling travel for diaper and grocery money when I was expecting my fifth and final child. I had four other children (11, 5, 2, and 1 year olds) and I was able to sell travel from home. It was a part time “hustle”. Really, I was just playing around in the business. Then, the unthinkable happened. A year after my youngest was born, I became a single mom to five young children.
In the first few years after my divorce, I battled depression, anxiety, grief, and extreme loneliness. Somehow, looking back now, I realize how blessed I truly was. I had my travel business, though it was far from booming. We were extremely low income, and I moved into a small 1000 sq ft, 3-bedroom apartment with all five kids. I had no idea how I would survive for 6 months…much less make it day-to-day with five kids at home.
Thankfully, I had surrounded myself with strong women who I could be completely vulnerable with. They knew my struggles, heartache and pain. I allowed myself to be angry, frustrated, sad, bitter, etc. with them. I also allowed them to speak into my life. These friends chose to go above and beyond to show me love and respect….even when I didn’t love and respect myself. They got in “the mud” of my life with me. They chose to meet me where I was and do life with me and my children. They walked through some very dark times with me, reminding me of my worth, value, and that my life mattered. They loved my children and went above and beyond to help me with them, bring dinners, even just sat with me when I was an emotional wreck, and the kids were outnumbering me.
Having five young children all at home, and being the primary breadwinner was one of the most stressful times in my life. And, when you factor in the immense grief and loss I was experiencing, I was a hot mess express. These friends met me where I was and loved me anyways. They helped provide for my children at Christmas, they gave us hand-me-down clothes, and gifted us with hot meals, regularly. They came and kept the kids when I needed a break, they helped me clean the house when I was overwhelmed, and they were ALWAYS willing to give me sound advice. Because of their generosity, unconditional love, and emotional support (along with all my clients who believed in me professionally and trusted me with their vacations…and even some who let me book their trips simply because I was a single mom), in five short years, I was able to grow my travel business to a million-dollar business and I was able to buy my children our first home.
Because of the generosity and love from these incredible friends, my capacity to love and give back grew. And because I had weathered the storm of my life in an industry that allowed me the flexibility to be there for my children, I had a love for an industry that I could encourage others to grow in. I was at every sports event, every school function, I took them to school and picked them up, I was there when it mattered. And the travel industry was the gift that allowed me to be present.
Fast forward…I had been single almost 7 years when I met my husband, and we married. It was a breath of fresh air! And even though it was at the beginning of COVID that we married, I began to dream of the day that the industry would recover and what I could do to grow my business.
When I had the idea to start Sojourney Travel, my husband was in full support and believed in my vision and the love I had for people and this business. And because travel truly changed the financial landscape of my family’s life, I wanted to help others find joy and abundance in the travel industry. Out of that desire, Sojourney Travel was born with the heart to shake up the travel industry. I had a vision to create an agency that would love, serve, and be different. And so, the “541 Experience” was born.
We at Sojourney Travel live by the “541 Experience”. The 541 Experience draws inspiration from one of Sojourney Travel’s foundational core values derived from the book of Matthew (Matthew 5:41), emphasizing the principle of exceeding what is expected. We believe in more than just meeting the baseline requirements of our advisors and clients. We, as agency leadership, believe we are to model going above and beyond for our independent contractors and employees so that THEY can go above and beyond for their clients.
Our advisors consistently aim to go beyond the anticipations of our clients to custom curate the adventure of a lifetime. It’s not just about arranging a client’s travel; it’s about crafting an outstanding journey that forges a deep emotional connection between our advisors and the clients throughout the entire travel planning journey.
In Matthew 5:41, it’s written, “If someone asks you to walk a mile, walk with them two.” Contextually, this passage comes from a time in history when Roman soldiers could command civilians to carry their equipment. While the law dictated one mile, Jesus encouraged going the extra mile willingly, surpassing mere obligations. Whether or not one believes in Scripture, the principle is one that anyone can adopt.
Simply put, anyone can “book a trip.” Even our clients can visit an online booking website and take the steps to reserve a trip on their own. In fact, prior to working with Sojourney Travel, this is how many clients booked their travel. This type of transaction merely involves making reservations and providing confirmations. However, the 541 Experience transcends mere transactions. Clients approach us and seek our service, expertise, and tailored recommendations that perfectly match their desires. This level of service exceeds what an online booking service can provide a client with. And truly, our clients become like friends and family to us.
We are curating authentic community within the context of a business relationship. And there is SO MUCH JOY in doing business this way! And now, our “family” has extended. We get calls about new babies, loss of loved ones, advice on raising children, and the like. We are truly becoming the authentic human beings we were created to become. And the generosity and love that flows from learning to be vulnerable has a ripple effect on our advisors and clients’ lives. The hope is that each person we encounter is changed somehow by the love we show them, and in turn they grow and love others better and more completely. It’s like throwing a stone into the water…we want our ripple to be far-reaching. My motto has become “Be a Fountain, Not a Drain”. I want to spread love, hope, and the joy of travel and the travel industry with others! And I want to influence others to do the same. If we can all choose to be a fountain, I believe we can truly change the world.
Lori, 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?
I kicked off my travel industry career at Delta Air Line in 1998, and that’s when I caught the travel bug. Fast forward to 2011, and I turned my love for travel into a part-time career as a travel advisor. In 2014, I became a full-time advisor and quickly began to excel in many niches. This allowed me the flexibility to raise my kids and not compromise any time I had with them while pursuing my career. Over the years, I put in the effort and secured a top sales position with an agency that had hundreds of advisors.
Then, I decided to start my own agency. With just 9 advisors, Sojourney Travel was founded in January 2021. We’ve since grown to over 75 advisors, and we’ve continued to grow and serve our clients who have trusted us since the beginning. Sojourney Travel truly is a boutique agency. We’ve selected our advisors based on their passion for travel and their willingness to serve others. Overall, I’ve built my business with the goal of attracting like-minded individuals – both in terms of advisors and clients. People who are passionate about making memories and people who are passionate about helping others make memories. This is who we are. We love to serve and attracting those people is our goal.
Sojourney Travel is a broad-spectrum, global-focused travel agency dedicated to curating luxury travel experiences that change people’s lives. We specialize in crafting personalized itineraries, ensuring that travelers embark on unforgettable journeys that are tailored to their unique preferences.
Our travel advisors cater to many interests, offering personalized experiences for individuals, families, and groups – no matter the destination. We have partnerships with travel companies worldwide, allowing us to offer unique packages to our clients.
Beyond being trip planners, our advisors are active listeners, destination experts, problem solvers, and advocates for our clients. We go above and beyond basic requirements, consistently aiming to exceed our client’s expectations by custom-curating adventures. It’s more than arranging travel; it’s about creating an exceptional journey that fosters a deep emotional connection between advisor and client throughout the entire planning process. And we are always looking for individuals who have a desire to work in the travel industry, serving others. We are actively engaging contractors, and we are always on the lookout for people who want to sell travel either part time or full time.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Planning and booking a vacation itinerary is just the beginning of our business. It would be easy for us to to think that we’re JUST selling travel when the truth is we are in the relationship business.
At Sojourney Travel, we are committed to going above and beyond for our clients. Every journey should be an exceptional one, filled with unforgettable moments. The 541 Experience enhances leadership’s relationship with our advisors which in turn influences our advisors’ relationships with their clients. This represents our unwavering commitment to providing an elevated and extraordinary customer experience. From personalized attention and seamless planning to insider experiences and 24/7 travel support, we strive to create unforgettable journeys that surpass our clients’ expectations.
Through the 541 experience, the client gains a strengthened relationship with their travel advisor, built on trust and a shared commitment to creating unforgettable experiences. The focus on love and servant-heartedness shared by our advisors ensures that every interaction is more than a transaction; it’s a genuine connection with someone who is dedicated to creating excellent travel plans and memories.
Tangibly, this looks like being super responsive to clients’ needs via email, phone calls, or text messages. We have a strong social media presence and engage with clients regularly via our private VIP groups (We have cruise groups, Disney and Universal-focused groups, Europe-centric groups, and more!) We are active in email marketing, keeping travel ideas and value-offers in front of clients. We also recently produced our first travel magazine and it will be mailed several times a year, along with brochures and print marketing, which is proving to be an extremely effective way to market. And NOT just to the older demographic. We are getting calls from Millennials who have received our print campaigns and they are actively booking with us and engaging with the brand because of these printed pieces.
We also send cards for major life events, sickness and death (when we hear about it), and post cards. We also love surprising clients on occasion with special gifts or experiences. We also are curating group travel opportunities to “Sail with Sojourney” or “See Europe with Sojourney”, etc. We love creating engaging reels and TikToks that our clients follow. We share ideas and travel hacks on Pinterest. We use most social media outlets to get in front of clients and potential clients.
Something new we have tried and it is a FABULOUS way to build brand loyalty is to offer clients the opportunity to “travel with your advisor”! We recently had 60+ people including advisors, family, and clients on an Alaska sailing and those passengers are begging for more opportunities to vacation WITH us! We have chartered 3 European River Cruises for 2026 (come with us, we are currently filling those spots!), and we have active groups for 2025 to Europe, Caribbean, etc. THIS is why we love what we do! Ware here for it! WE LOVE to travel with our clients! They are truly like family to us! We LOVE building brand loyalty by creating authentic relationships and community. It’s SO much more than “just travel”. We are here to change people’s lives in positive ways….travel is the tool we use to accomplish this.
By working with a Sojourney Travel advisor, clients gain the assurance that they are not just another traveler; they are at the center of a service that prioritizes their satisfaction and well-being. Our advisors are more than just trip planners – they are active listeners, destination experts, problem solvers, and advocates. We are friends. We are family.
Any advice for managing a team?
The best advice I can offer for managing a team is to instill confidence in your team members. For our industry, we believe it is essential for us to educate and empower the advisors serving clients. This ensures they feel supported and capable in their roles. Simultaneously, we strive to instill confidence in travelers by demonstrating that they are in excellent care, that we are advocates for them, and that we are committed to their memories and dollars spent making them.
We work to build advisor confidence by offering vulnerability ourselves as leadership. We cannot expect that our advisors will trust us with their insecurities and be vulnerable if we do not offer these traits to them in our relationship. Because most of our team members are contractors, we have to treat their business as their business. But we offer support and encouragement, mentoring and education that will enable them to serve their clients well. When we, as leadership, manage our emotions and intentions well, we are curating the environment for our contractors to do the same. This works synergistically. When you are vulnerable and real, transparent and honest, it breeds the same. This is where the magic happens, and everyone experiences growth.
Fostering an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback is essential in running an effective business. Although our advisors work remotely (and most are independent contractors), we have collaborative meetings, educational seminars, and roundtable discussions to ensure that our businesses are collectively moving in the same direction – providing brand congruency and efficiency in serving our clients well. Additionally, we have countless one-on-one meetings, and our team knows that help is just a quick private message away.
We live by the phrase, “rising tides raise all ships.” Does this mean we do not have conflict or misunderstandings? By no means. But it does mean that when we have issues that arise, we are able to deal with them in love and respect…laying emotions aside to deal with facts, yet allowing space for our advisors to vent, express frustrations, even have emotional breakdowns. Our team-space is a safe space. We treasure the sacred foundation of honesty and transparency. More than a workplace or run-of-the-mill travel agency, Sojourney Travel is a community of like-minded individuals that lifts others to achieve their highest potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sojourneytravel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sojourneytravel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SojourneyTravel/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/75073046/admin/dashboard/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sojourneytravel
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sojourneytravel
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sojourneystudents
https://www.facebook.com/groups/souvenirsbysojourney
https://www.facebook.com/groups/journeysoffaithwithsojourney
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cruisingwithsojourney
https://www.facebook.com/groups/744924964411310
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1132197111107977
https://www.facebook.com/groups/disneydreamdestinations
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sojourneytouniversal
https://www.tiktok.com/@sojourneytravel?lang=en
