We were lucky to catch up with Matt McKee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Being a Travel Agent, Agent 1000 with Travelmation, brought with it an opportunity for me to fulfill a dream of mine. Now I, alongside my wife and fellow agent Jessica, get to serve other families and help them have the opportunity for their dreams come true as well.

Matt, 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?

When a family travels together, they create memories that last for years—even decades.
My wife Jessica, and I took our kids on our first big family trip when they were 5 and 3 years old. At Beaches Resort in Jamaica, we danced together in the sand, ate breakfast on the balcony, and fed the seagulls. We realized then the powerful connection a family can form when they travel together.

In 2019, when the kids were 15 and 13, we took a Mediterranean cruise with Royal Caribbean. We unpacked once and explored six cities in three countries. Our family was reminded the important perspective we gain when we travel.

Through the years, Walt Disney World has become a second home to us. It’s the place where we celebrate holidays, life achievements, and birthdays. It’s where our kids can wonder alongside their grandparents. It’s our retreat when we need to laugh together, have fun, and reconnect.

Because we’ve experienced the impact travel has made in our family, we desire to see that same powerful connection for our client’s families. We truly value your travel time, trust, and dollars. We’ll advocate and support you throughout the entire planning and travel process.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

On May 29th, 2022 I found out that I had stage 4 colon, liver, and lymph node cancer. It was the day before I was to board a cruise ship sailing from Seattle, Washington to Alaska. I had never been to Alaska before and this trip was supposed to be the big family trip of the year. I went to an Emergency Room in Seattle because I was having such intense pain on my right side. I thought it was my appendix but low and behold the diagnosis was much worse. I was given the option to be admitted to the hospital or fly home to Atlanta. After weighing my options and finding out that it would be 7 days before I could get in to see an oncologist I decided that I could rest on a cruise and see the amazing views of Alaska instead of the familiar view of my backyard. My family and I boarded the ship and I got to see my kids and my wife enjoy a trip even though we had received bad news. For me, the trip was more than worth it. It gave us time to reflect and connect in a way that as a family, we had never connected before. You see, new environments create new connections.

When I got back to Atlanta I spent 4 days in the hospital. I had to come face to face with the reality of cancer. Treatments started soon and they were not easy. The road ahead was going to be difficult which meant I had to find things to do that were both missional and meaningful. I was already an executive at a company called Bark Technologies that helps keep kids safer both online and off. The work I do there is very missional and extremely meaningful. That said, I wanted to do more. I wanted to support the people in my life who meant a lot to me. I wanted to be able to give people memories with their families like I had when my family traveled together.

My wife, Jessica, was already a travel agent with Travelmation. I have known Adam Duckworth even before he started the company. In fact, I consider Adam one of my best friends and I had the opportunity from the beginning of the company to advise him and other leaders of the company on strategies to grow Travelmation. I had the privilege to see the company grow from a handful of agents to thousands! I had seen the impact that they had on families. I saw the memories that they were helping create. It is a special company with an incredible mission and great leadership.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

While receiving chemo and going through my cancer journey I realized that I needed to cut things out of my life and focus on things that mattered. For me it came down to 2 things: 1.) Help protect and give hope to the next generation and 2.) Help families create lifelong memories. It was a no-brainer to say to my wife that “I want to help you with your business.” I had been doing that for years. I wanted to do more, though. I wanted to join in on the fun! I wanted to become a travel agent myself. In fact, I wanted to be the 1000th agent in the company. Why did it matter to be the 1000th agent? It meant that the company had grown past the point that we had dreamed of early on but also meant that the impact of the company would live on well past my influence. It meant that I got to help families personally. It meant I could focus on others instead of the poison that was going through my body. When you give a family hope of life-long memories then it gives you life-giving encouragement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.travelmation.net/mattmckee
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattmckee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mckeelive
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mck33/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mattmckee
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelmation5587
• Other: https://thetravelmationpodcast.buzzsprout.com/share