We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara Owens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara below.
Sara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a client that you appreciate them?
I send my clients personal, handwritten birthday cards. It’s such a small thing, but in today’s digital age, a handwritten card feels so personal. I love the unexpected nature of the birthday card; clients expect emails and check ins around the time of their trip, but birthday cards are such a fun, unexpected way to show gratitude.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a family travel designer. I help families of all shapes and sizes plan all kinds of travel, from cruises and all inclusives to short family road trips. We also offer group retreats. The group retreats are in a large, shared house with only moms and their children. It allows for great connection and friendship for moms and the kids love having built in playmates!
The business was born through my own love of traveling with my kids. So often folks would tell me that they want to travel more, but they’re scared that something will go wrong. I recognized the need for support for parents who travel, from simply handholding and telling them that they will have a great time even if the kids only eat chicken tenders in 10 new locations to doing the nitty gritty planning so they can simply show up and enjoy a relaxing vacation or an epic family adventure. Traveling with children requires more planning and careful consideration that when you’re flying solo, and we are happy to relieve families of that mental load.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I chose to focus on a specific niche. There are plenty of travel advisors out there, but my expertise in planning family-centered trips that are enjoyable for every family member really sets me apart. I’m able to offer things like child-inclusive packing lists, social stories for children with anxiety about traveling, and fully customized trips taking into account each family member’s unique needs. This attention to detail and managing multiple interests, energy levels, etc, makes The Traveling Mommune stand out from other travel planning services.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Most of my clients have found me in the local facebook mom/parent groups. The local groups are so supportive and full of information, so folks look to them for all sorts of recommendations. After I booked my first few trips for folks in the groups, the referrals came quickly!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thetravelingmommune.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetravelingmommune
- Twitter: @thetravelingmommune