Life is like a road trip— every decision or choice we make takes us down a path that leads to a destination. Sometimes that path is as smooth as a newly constructed interstate. Other times, the path we are on is bumpy and full of obstacles like the long abandoned portions of old Route 66. Today, I thought it would be good to share with you a little bit about myself and how Grandeur Travel Planning came to be.
For many years I have had the dream of becoming self employed. I want to create a business that thrives because of who I am and the values that are represented in the way I run my business. In November of 2019 I took a leap and started my own catering company not knowing what was about to unfold just a few months later.
Everything was going good for me. I had lined up jobs through September of 2020 and was working with the SBA and one of their lenders to secure the necessary funding to convert a building I had purchased from a Chinese Restaurant to a Bistro. I had even been given preferred provider status at several local venues. I was excited for the future and everything was coming together nicely.
Then COVID came along and everything changed. The world stopped as stay at home orders were put in place and social gatherings were prohibited. In the span of a week, my 2020 business evaporated. Forward momentum on my loan application came to a screeching halt as lenders were focusing on PPP loans to keep existing business open rather than processing loans to start new ones. In a very short period of time my future went from an exciting well planed soon-to-be reality to one of total uncertainty.
Opportunities that were once there were gone and I found myself looking for new opportunities. I took a part time job that was a great learning experience and could not be more blessed by the experience. During this time I also kept looking for new opportunities to achieve my goals of becoming self employed all the while taking stock of my interests and skills.
The very moment stay at home orders had been lifted, I took advantage of the situation and went on a road trip with my new boss. We decided to spend a week on the road and see some of the national parks out west. To prepare for the trip, I put together a spreadsheet with an itinerary and cost analysis. Something I had been doing for myself, friends, and family since high school. I have always loved thinking about new places to go and mapping out all the cool things to see and do while on vacation.
After repeating a modified version of he national parks trip with my parents in the fall, I started thinking that I could do this kind of thing for a living. I spent the winter months and then the summer of 2021 researching different segments of the travel industry to develop the business model I have arrived at with Grandeur Travel Planning.
Until I started looking into different facets of the travel industry, I did not know that travel planning was business model that existed or could be successful. Initially I looked at becoming a tour operator and organizing bus trips. The idea of being a tour coordinator was very appealing to me. While researching this possible new venture, my life goals began to change a little bit. Then I stumbled on the world of travel planning and had a lightbulb moment.
I started researching other travel planning companies. Checking out their websites to see what services they offered, how their websites were laid out, and how much they charged. After talking with a couple of people in the business, I very quickly figured out that this business is something I can be successful at while achieving personal life goals concurrently. I finally found a business I could create that catered to my skills, abilities, and passions while giving me the opportunity to pursue some personal life goals at the same time.
I can take my passion for travel and use that to help people create an epic vacation for themselves, and that is an exciting prospect for me. Being able to set my own hours and work from anywhere that has an internet connection is so empowering and liberating as it gives me the unparalleled ability to balance my professional life with my personal life in a way that I have never been able to before.
As I wrap up today’s blog post, I want to say thank you for taking the time to read about my journey and considering Grandeur Travel Planning to help organize your next vacation. If you have made it to this point and you are wondering why you should choose Grandeur Travel Planning over similar services; the answer is simple. By giving me the opportunity to make your vacation dreams come true, you are making my dream come true. You are not supporting a big business primarily concerned with profits, you are supporting an individual chasing the American Dream. www.grandeurtravelplanning.com