We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marla Barto a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?
I would have to say like many others, the Covid 19 Pandemic was the biggest issue for me. Travel shut down due to the pandemic. The world shut down. Travel agents generally get paid from the suppliers after the client travels. Since they didn’t travel, I didn’t get paid. In some cases they pay us after final payment is made but since they didn’t travel, my commission was then recalled. When we book a trip with a client, hours of research and work is put into it before they travel. So if someone booked a trip in 2018 or 2019 for travel in 2020, for some I worked hours on their trips making sure everything is done but since they didn’t travel in 2020, I never got paid for all of those hours I put in planning the trip. I would say this was the most unexpected problem I faced since becoming a travel agent. Since travel has opened up, I have been continuously busy and building my client base.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi. I am Marla Barto. I am a travel agent and my company name is Owl Give a Hoot Travel. My tag line is “Owl take you around the world.” It is quite interesting how I became a travel agent. I graduated Hofstra University with my Bachelor’s degree- with a major in Psychology and minor in Elementary Education. When I was young, I always wanted to be a teacher. I was doing counseling when I graduated college but then I moved to Philadelphia to take care of my sick grandmother. I ended up working as a receptionist at a law firm. I then went on to get my Paralegal and Elder Law Certificates from Penn State. I worked as a paralegal for 12 years. My husband and I have been married for 20 years and we have a 19 year old son. Once my son was born, I was a stay at home mom and volunteered at his school. In 2012, I started selling Origami Owl Jewelry. Over the years I always booked my own travel and my family’s travel. I had relatives and my friend who was a travel agent say I should become a travel agent. Well that opportunity came up on Mother’s Day 2017 when I broke my foot. I was couch bound not able to walk for 8 weeks so I took the travel agent course to become a travel agent and subsequently signed up with a host agency to be a travel agent. When it came time to think of a name for my agency, I wanted to keep with the “owl” theme since I was also selling Origami Owl jewelry.
I book all types of travel, including but not limited to cruises- ocean and river, vacation packages (air, hotel & car), destinations, all-inclusive resorts, honeymoons and destination weddings, tours and excursions, group travel and trip protection insurance. It doesn’t cost you anything out of pocket to use me as your travel agent. The suppliers we book for you, pays us a commission after you travel. There are perks to use me as your travel agent. One thing I offer my clients are payment plans when you book in advance. When booking a cruise, I sometimes have access to groups that allow me to get you a better rate or perks such as on board credit. I do all the research and look for the best deals and options for you, saving you time. I get most of my business from referrals and repeat clients.
You have the same person to talk to about everything instead of going through automated prompts and getting somebody new each time you call. I am available to reach virtually anytime (when I am awake) via text, facebook, Facebook messenger, email and of course by phone. I work 7 days a week. I am with you from the time you plan your vacation all the way through your vacation. If you have any questions or problems while you are away, I am there to help. One of my favorite things about being a travel agent is when my clients are texting me and sending me pictures while they are away and telling me all the fun they are having. I love when people on social media ask for travel agent recommendations and my name is mentioned a few times by my loyal clients that have used me. I love the accolades and reviews they give me. I know I do a great job and give them my all but it is so nice to hear it from them.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I rely on social media for most of my business. I do not pay for advertising. Other than referrals and repeat clients, I would say that Social Media is my next best resource for building my client base. I had experience on how to build my travel business from doing the same thing back in 2013 with Origami Owl. I immediately created a facebook page for my business “Owl Give a Hoot Travel” as soon as I became a travel agent. Anyone can join and follow me. I post on there all the time. I also created a private VIP Group for my clients. I put all kinds of information, sales and group rates, etc in there. I am in many groups where I make note of the days you can advertise in there and post like clockwork in there. Every post has a tag to my business page in there for them to click on. I easily transitioned into social media for my travel business based on previous years experience.
My advice for new businesses building their social media presence would be to stay consistent, post regularly, and join groups. I believe you should not post or reply to any controversial issues that would cause you to lose credibility or put you in a negative light. Always be polite and respectful.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I have been networking and advertising since 2013 for Origami Owl Jewelry. When I became a travel agent in 2017, I relied on the same networking groups I was currently in and started advertising my travel business. I had already built relationships with them so they knew me already. They knew my work ethic and loved that I kept with the owl theme in business names to make it easier to remember what I do. People are always joining network groups so I met new people as well as the people I already knew. Between networking groups and Facebook, my business has been a success. I am constantly getting new clients, referrals and shout outs. I feel that because of my work ethic and me always being reachable and replying right away, 7 days a week, has helped me get the referrals and positive reviews from clients. This is why they continue to recommend me and rebook with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: owlgiveahoottravel.vacationport.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Owlgiveahoottravel
- Other: email: [email protected]