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

Hi Tara, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Funny enough, leaving the path of a “regular job” is what brought me to the travel industry. I jumped straight into the world of recruiting after graduating college in 2016, and I stayed in that world for nearly eight years. During that time, I felt that I was doing the thing that I was supposed to do – corporate job, steady income, normal life. I won’t lie though, the occasional thought of “am I really supposed to do this for 40+ years?” while sitting in a beige cubicle definitely crossed my mind once or twice. But, the stability of a 9 to 5 seemed to pull me back in whenever my thoughts wandered to what could be.

As I advanced throughout my career, the feeling of being unsettled became harder and harder to shake off. I was familiar with the saying “some people live to work, others work to live”, but I could not understand why there wasn’t an option somewhere in the middle. Surely, I could love what I do without making it my entire reason for living? Looking back, the juxtaposition of rose-colored glasses and increasing burnout was one hell of a feeling to navigate.

I’m assuming that the career gods heard my complaints when I was unceremoniously laid off from my recruiting job in August 2023. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise. I was beginning to get into the throws of planning my wedding, and the gnawing feeling of not enjoying my work was stronger than ever. With my fiance’s support, I went through what I could only describe as a career rumspringa. I explored jobs in UX/UI, organizational development, copywriting, virtual assistance, and everything in between. After discovering travel advising after nearly a year of exploration, it really felt like the perfect fit for what I wanted to do.

That’s all to say, in a very convoluted way, that I am happier as business owner. Despite the frustrations that come with building your career from the ground up, the feeling of freedom and self-reliance is pretty hard to beat.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi! My name is Tara, and I’m a travel advisor!

If you’re not familiar, a travel advisor is someone who can book hotels, activities, and other vacation needs on behalf of a client (like you!). This is perfect if you don’t have the time/patience/sanity to research all of the little details that go into the perfect itinerary. Working with a travel advisor allows you to hand off that burden to an expert, and our relationships through our travel agencies will ensure that you get as many perks and upgrades as possible. More often than not, you don’t have to pay your travel advisor for these services since we earn commission through these bookings, so it really is a win-win situation.

I joined my “umbrella” agency, Fora, after spotting an ad on Instagram (very late millennial of me, I know). My onboarding and training took a couple of weeks to complete, and I became a certified advisor in late August. Since then, I’ve been building up my social media, personal branding, and all of the little things that go into a positive travel advising experience.

I specialize in trips focused in culture, comfort, and cuisine. I’m a huge foodie who loves to learn about the place that I’m visiting, and I hope to emulate that vibe for my own clients. That said, I’m not strictly limited to this type of clientele, so please don’t let that deter you if you’re interested in learning more!

While I’m still pretty new within the industry, I hope my potential clients know that this is something I genuinely, deeply enjoy. I’ve been lucky enough to travel throughout the U.S. as well as internationally, so extending that expertise to others feels like a no-brainer. The best comparison I can make is that arranging an itinerary for someone is like completing a difficult jigsaw puzzle. Making sense of the pieces and watching them fall into place is indescribable, and weirdly enough I have a ton of fun during the process!

At the end of the day, I hope to be a valuable resource when you want to make the memories of a lifetime. If all of this sounds up your alley, then I really would love to chat with you!

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Right now, I’m in the process in creating a monthly email newsletter to those who subscribe through my website. It’s not the sexiest marketing tool, but providing industry updates and making sure your voice is still in the mix can go a really long way. While there’s a good bit of work up front, it can lead to a steady way to keep a line of communication open with current and potential clients. Also, you can create a level of exclusivity through newsletters that can help clients feel like they’re ahead of the curve when it comes to updates and announcements.

On the flip side of that, I’m putting a lot of work into my social media presence. This is such a crucial aspect since it is often the first thing that people will check out when discovering your business. This means creating recognizable branding, having a consistent voice across posts, and trying to find the right “hook” when attracting new clients. Even if my posts aren’t going viral, the goal is to show that I’m readily accessible and open to keeping in touch with clients. Plus, I feel like having a creative way to show off my personality is a fun problem to figure out.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Yes. My training through Fora was crucial in developing my expectations in entering this industry. They also maintain an online forum for advisors that allow us to share tips, tricks, and advice amongst ourselves. While it’s just a small part of my philosophy, knowing that other advisors have gone through what I have is really comforting, and it feeds into opportunities in paying it forward one day.

While a little unconventional, I’ve found great nuggets of wisdom through Reddit (particularly on r/travelagents and r/entrepreneur). Coming across the occasional post that poses interesting questions or presents interesting problems can lead to a treasure trove of information. While not every bit of advice is sound, it helps me think outside the box and work through issues in creative ways. As for more traditional avenues, I’ve always enjoyed exploring work by Malcolm Gladwell, Nedra Glover Tawwab, and Kim Scott, among others.

Finally, I’d like to shoutout my dad, another small business owner. He showed me day in and day out just how HARD it is to run a business on your own, and how success doesn’t just fall into your lap from pure luck. Being 100% responsible for your family’s livelihood lends itself to a level of mental fortitude that I can only dream of accomplishing one day, and I’m very lucky to have him as an example on how to do things right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tourwithtara.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tourwithtara/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarajcondon/