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

Alright, Matt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

One of the most important things I have learned personally for my business is to take time away. It is truly one of the healthiest things you can do, not only for yourself but for your business as well. With the demands of owning a business, finding the balance between work and family can be difficult for entrepreneurs and small business owners. We can quickly find ourselves “burning the candle at both ends” if we aren’t careful. It is okay to step away. Being intentional about setting aside time to rest and recharge will do wonders for your family and for your business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been a lifelong resident of Jacksonville, Florida where I live with my wife, Rebecca, my 6-year-old daughter, Evie, and our newly adopted son, Eli. For my entire life, I have had a passion for travel. It has been my goal as a parent to share that love of travel with my children and to focus on giving them experiences over things.

In 2016, I became a travel advisor with Travelmation, where for the past 8 years I have been able to share my love of travel with my clients and help them make lasting memories in destinations across the world.

In addition to managing my personal book of business, I am a supervisor with Travelmation, helping and motivating other agents along their paths to success. I also have the privilege of producing Travelmation’s creative content and co-hosting the Travelmation podcast, where we discuss trending travel topics and provide practical advice for our clients when planning their vacations.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

For me, the most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been my goal of relationship-building with each client. I make it a point to get to know each individual’s interests, dietary restrictions, likes, and dislikes to be able to custom-create an itinerary that best fits their needs. I look at every trip through the filter of one simple question…How would I want this booking experience to go if this were for me and my family? Providing this level of detailed attention has been one of the biggest keys to the success of my business.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

At Travelmation, we have a set of Core Values. One of those values is “Don’t Let Discouragement Control Your Game.” As entrepreneurs, you are going to have some disappointing days. If you let that discouragement linger, it will only weigh you down. Take the time to process the situation and then do whatever it takes to take the next step forward to focus on what really matters, the success of your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.travelmation.net/matt
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelmationappleby/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TravelmationAppleby/