October 14, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of the Chats with GiGi podcast, host GiGi Diaz emphasizes the importance of nurturing both the business and the woman behind it for sustainable success.
GiGi chats with Crystal Kelly, a travel entrepreneur who transformed her passion into a thriving business, catered to luxury travel experiences.
The discussion covers the importance of personal growth in entrepreneurship, the value of professional travel planning versus DIY, and the unique challenges and rewards of the travel industry.
Crystal shares her journey from a 9-to-5 job to running her successful travel agency, the impact of travel on her personal and professional life, and the significant role luxury travel plays in providing entrepreneurs with the relaxation they need.
Listeners will gain insights on how to elevate their travel experiences, the benefits of working with a knowledgeable travel agent, and why investing in high-quality travel experiences is essential for recharging and business growth.
Contact Crystal: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlustjetsetterllc/
GiGi chats with Crystal Kelly, a travel entrepreneur who transformed her passion into a thriving business, catered to luxury travel experiences.
The discussion covers the importance of personal growth in entrepreneurship, the value of professional travel planning versus DIY, and the unique challenges and rewards of the travel industry.
Crystal shares her journey from a 9-to-5 job to running her successful travel agency, the impact of travel on her personal and professional life, and the significant role luxury travel plays in providing entrepreneurs with the relaxation they need.
Listeners will gain insights on how to elevate their travel experiences, the benefits of working with a knowledgeable travel agent, and why investing in high-quality travel experiences is essential for recharging and business growth.
Contact Crystal: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlustjetsetterllc/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's the thing about my approach to entrepreneurship. I believe
that the business has to be nurtured. Obviously, we have
to think about the things like increasing our sales and
our profit margins, and our marketing strategies, our content strategies
and all the things. But the truth is that when
the entrepreneur, when the woman behind the business isn't also expanding,
(00:22):
growing and being nurtured, at some point, the business is
going to plateau or fall apart altogether. Because your business
is a reflection of you. If you've been around my
ecosystem for even five minutes, you've heard me say that
at least five thousand times. And so at Seizing Happy,
we believe in nurturing the business and the woman behind
(00:43):
the business equally, because if you're growing, your business is growing,
if you are getting outside your comfort zone, you can
do the same in your business. When you are really
fully empowered in your personal life to create the right
boundaries and to have open communication and to stand your
ground and the things that matter to you that add
to the joy in your life and that align with
(01:05):
your values, you will do the same in your business.
And when you can't do those things in your personal
life when you don't have those natural skills developed or
maybe not natural because they're not always natural to everybody.
But when you're not actively developing those skills of growth
and self improvement and personal expansion, there's no way that
you could implement those tools and resources in your business
(01:28):
because you don't have those tools to use right And
so a lot of times we focus so much on
what we need to do for our business and we
don't pay enough attention to how and when we need
to pour into ourselves, whether that is via rest, whether
that is via hiring a coach to help us work
(01:49):
on our mindset, to help us work on our personal growth,
or in the case of this episode of the Chats
with Gg podcast, luxury travel, being able to bring yourself
out of the day to day, out of the mundane,
out of the hustle and bustle of your business growth
and all the strategies and things in leadership that you're
(02:10):
putting into place, and allowing yourself to be led, and
allowing yourself to receive and allowing yourself to be pampered,
and allowing yourself to reap the true benefits of the
work that you've put in and to be on the
receiving end of life. And I feel like when we
can create these shifts of allowing ourselves to be led
(02:33):
and to receive, and to be pampered and to be
loved on, we shift and energetically enhance our ability to receive.
And that is also palpable, palpable and perceivable in our business.
It impacts our business. When we improve our ability to
receive in life, we also improve our capacity to receive
(02:53):
in business. And so we're going to talk about luxury
travel what that means to entrepreneurship. We're going to talk money,
We're going to talk we're going to talk destinations. We're
going to talk all things with my dear, dear friend,
Crystal Cully. If you were at Move Breath Grow this year,
you already know Crystal. She's an entrepreneur who turned her
passion for travel into a thriving business. Leading a powerhouse
(03:17):
team of all female travel agents. She's dedicated to creating
unforgettable experiences for clients while fostering a supportive work environment
for her team. When she's not planning dream vacations, she's
at home, spending time with her dogs, or traveling with
her husband and exploring new destinations and hidden gems to
share with her clients back home. For Crystal, travel isn't
(03:39):
just a job, it is her lifestyle. And we're going
to also talk about what it takes to create a
business structure that is catering to your passion, to your values,
and to the thing that brings you the most joy.
For Crystal, that's travel, and that's exactly what she's done
with her business. This is with gg a podcast for
(04:02):
women who are ready to step into their power, get unstuck,
and create more freedom in all areas of life. I'm
your host, GGDZ certified life and business coach, media personality
and multi passionate entrepreneur. I've helped hundreds of women find
the necessary clarity, confidence, and courage to build their dream
(04:26):
life and achieve success with less stress. If you're seeking
weekly motivation, practical and spiritual advice, and tangible resources to
scale in life and in business, then you're in the
right place.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Are you ready? Here we go.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Before we get started with this episode of Chats with Gig,
here's a really important message in today's workplaces. Too many
Latina professionals are overworked, overlooked, and undervalued and they carry
the weight of survival instead of the power of purpose.
That's where Alexis Beserra comes in. As a trauma trained
licensed therapist and leadership coach with over a decade of experience,
(05:09):
Alexis helps Latinas heal from workplace trauma, reclaim their voice,
and lead with confidence, clarity, and authenticity. She's a first
generation Mexican American who's lived what she teaches, blending mental
health education and leadership expertise into a coaching approach that's
both trauma informed and culturally rooted. Her mission to help Latinas,
(05:33):
like us Latina change makers, stop shrinking to fit systems
that were never built for them, and start leading from
a place of wholeness, purpose, and power. You can find
her on Instagram at It's Alexis Besserra, where she shares
real talk, healing tools, and leadership insights for Latinas Ready
to Rise. Crystal, I have to tell you I am
(05:54):
first of all, I have like a total professional girl
crush on you because you're always flawless. You're like always
all over the world in a real way. I feel
like there's people that are like, oh, I'm a no
my traveler, but like your level one thousand traveler, and
it's just always so much fun to talk with you
and to learn from you and to just like hap
(06:16):
into your brain and like, oh man, what a nice perspective,
what a different way to view life. And I feel,
as someone who's traveled a little bit, definitely not as
much as you, but a little bit, I feel like
that shift in perspective about life in general is so
easy to acquire when you travel and when you expose
yourself to different places and cultures and foods. Can you
(06:40):
tell me how travel has changed you as a person,
not just an entrepreneur, just as a woman.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, I mean it's changed me entirely. I think travel
is the best form of education out there. If people
can pull their kids out of school and travel for
a week, I'm like, please do, because you will learn
so much about biology and animals and culture and understanding
the world. I mean, I grew up in the time
(07:07):
of nine to eleven and the Middle East was a
scary place. And Middle East is one of my favorite
places to travel. The people that I meet there from Iran,
from Afghanistan that move into these other countries surrounding their
country that they were fleeing are some of the nicest people.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
In the world.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And we grew up in an era where oh no,
don't you know, talk to them and all that stuff.
So it's been so eye opening to sort of get
out of that bubble and just be able to go
and meet these people and go to these places that
people say may be scary and just experience it for myself.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah. And I actually just realized I'm so excited to
chat with you that I skipped over the first question
I usually like to ask, and that is, how are
you seizing happy today? Oh?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
My gosh, I'm seizing happy every day. Well, I have
my dog here sleeping on me during a podcast interview.
I get to make my own skew every day. It's
the fourth of July, and I choose to work. I'm
not forced to work. And I just got off a
great phone call with a new lead that came in
from a YouTube video, which is something I work super
hard on. So whenever I get a lead from one
(08:13):
of those, I'm like, oh my god, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So today's a good day.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I just I love this little life I've created over here,
So no complaints.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And tell me about that. Tell me about this little
life that you've created. You have always loved travel, but
what was the point or tell me the whole story.
But I especially want you to share the point where
you said, this is going to be my life. Not
the thing I like to do, not my hobby, not
what I look forward to for a week or two
out of the year, but my lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Actually I didn't really grow up traveling, believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
My parents really didn't travel.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Some domestic stuff, you know, down to Orlando to Disney World.
My sister has a husband in the Coast Guard, and
so I would go to Houston and New Orleans wherever
they lived at the time. That was my extent of travel.
I got in the mail when I was sixteen something
about a study abroad program for a summer and it
(09:11):
was in Paris, and for some reason, I always wanted
to go to Paris. That was like the top place
on my list that I envisioned as a teenager, and
so I said to my mom, I want to do this,
and she was like, you don't even want to go
to summer camp, Like why would you all of a
sudden want to take off by yourself and go to Paris?
And that instance definitely changed my perspective and my life
on travel.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
It got me out of my comfort zone.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
I had to meet new people and sort of navigate
the city on my own.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Of course, we had mentors we could go to, but
we were very much on our own. I don't think
my mom.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Knew that at the time, but we were out there,
and that was definitely my shaping moment for the travel
aspect of things.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Now, I went on with my life and work jobs
here and there.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
I got a real estate license at one point, I
opened a pizza truck at one point, believe it or not,
and just did all these random things. I worked in
and out of restaurants. But when I was twenty four,
I was working this sort of desk job that you know,
was stable in a nice little job at the time,
but it offered thirteen paid vacation and sick days a year,
so I had, like, no, I couldn't afford to get sick.
(10:16):
I just could afford to travel for two weeks out
of the year and have two vacations. So that was
sort of the point where I said, you know, I
want to do this more often.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
How can I create.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
A job a career out of travel, and so I
looked into becoming a travel agent. Ended up because I
have the entrepreneurial spirit and I don't want.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
To work for someone.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
How do I open my own travel agency and started
that when I was twenty four. Of course, it wasn't
a success off the rip. It took building, it took momentum,
all of that stuff. But today I've created it not
only into this lifestyle where I can travel wherever I want,
but also travel to the type of places I really
want to because in the early days it was you know, budget, affordable,
(11:02):
et cetera. And now I've really built this reputation with
these brands that are five five star. Oh gosh, Dog
is here?
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Hi Buvvy Pubby easily Buddy, We're very dog.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
That's why I'm holding you. He has his little fourth
of July tie on stars. Look at you.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So when you were talking about the beginning, the beginning
of business, I feel is always kind of messy, right.
We're doing a lot of mile and error. We're figuring
out what our business is meant to be, what we
wanted to look and feel like, and then we're trying
to figure out even who we are as entrepreneurs. Right,
(11:43):
And especially I talk about this often when you're coming
from a corporate space and you're going into entrepreneurship. There
are so many shifts that need to happen in your
mindset and your approach to like what even is your
definition of work, et cetera, And what would you say
in those beginning moments. I've wanted to throw in the
(12:06):
towel a thousand times, you know, in my entrepreneurial journey
and all of the businesses that I've either run or
helped to launch, or have otherwise been involved in. Right,
What was a moment for you where you were like,
this has always been my dream. I have this travel
agency now, but I just don't know if I want
to fucking do this shit anymore.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
And it brought you what brought you back in?
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, I mean there's been multiple The early days weren't
so difficult other than the fact that cash flow wasn't
as great because I was building the company. But I
did have sort of a nest egg of being able
to have that flexibility, and that's that's, you know, the
life that I built at that time.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
I came and prepared like, hey, listen, I'm going into
a commission based business.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And cash isn't going to be the easiest thing right now,
So that wasn't actually as hard as people would think.
COVID was the biggest hit. I would say for us,
it almost took us out entirely. I didn't think we
were going to make it through. It was a very,
very scary time for our industry, highly effective on your
mental health, like just across the board. One of the
(13:12):
worst times of my life. So that was that was terrible.
What got me through is progressing and just continuing to
go with the.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Flow and see how things went.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
And we ended up twenty twenty two, three four, and
you know, onward being busier than ever because I think
it also showed people travel is sacred, you know, we
can have it ripped away from us, as we did
during twenty twenty one leading into twenty twenty leading into
twenty twenty one, so it actually made people want to
travel more after that was all said and done. And
(13:44):
then even now I'm dealing with legal things that I
can't talk about just yet, but there are times where
I'm like, oh my god, not that I want to
throw in the towel. I'm very strong now and proud
of what I've built. But at the same time, you know,
being an entrepreneur isn't easy, and that's that's why a
lot of people can't do it. Having people work for
you is not easy. You're growing in general. The more
(14:06):
I grow, I mean, Biggie said it best, more money,
more problems. It's true, like the more money you make,
the more people come after you, the more people think
they can get something out of you. And that is
an absolutely true statement. Partly what I'm dealing with right
now that like I said, one day I'll be able
to get into but it's it's difficult. But at the
same time, I'm just sick in the head and love
(14:28):
working and love what I do, and just I can't
imagine doing anything else.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I feel like that's the key. You know you're in
the right industry and you've opened the right business if
when you think when when it gets really tough, and
you do feel like, God, did I even make the
right decision?
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Like right would I?
Speaker 1 (14:49):
What else would I be doing if I wasn't doing this?
And literally nothing comes to your mind.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I even nothing.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I get like generic emails here and there about people
acquiring the company, And of course I know the more
I grow.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
The more I can sell it for in the future.
So that's not happening right now.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
But I think to myself, even in twenty years, I'll
be in my fifties.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
What would I even do if I wasn't doing this?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
So I really think about that now, you know, like
what would I what would I do?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Maybe by then I'll have a different mindset, different priorities.
But for now, I'm like, I just love it. I
love I love work, I love what I do. I
love the people I work with, and I love that
I can do it from anywhere, from home with my
annoying dog, you know, from from wherever around the world.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Tell me about your business structure, right, so there's a
beautiful element to being able to travel the world and
go to the most luxurious places ever and on Instagram,
Like I stalk your Instagram all the time. You know,
it all looks beautiful, it all looks glamorous, it all
(15:58):
looks amazing. But tell me about the heart work that
it takes to get there and the behind the scenes
part of a business structure like a travel agency that
those of us that are following your journey don't really
get to understand or see.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah, I mean the journey of getting there is you
sort of have to self fund your travels for the
most part in the beginning, Like if I want to
sell luxury travel, I wasn't getting opportunities discounted or freestays
or any of the things that I might have now
back then, so I had to prove that I was
capable of selling these things. The sort of strange thing
is they don't want to give you these opportunities until
(16:35):
you sell their property. Well, how can I sell your
property if I've never been there and seen it myself.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So you have to do the.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Research, watch the YouTube videos, look up everything online and
really sound like you know what the hell you're talking
about to sell the properties. Now, of course we get
to go to a lot of them firsthand, which is
again the best form of education for us as travel agents,
you know, so we can sell it more seamlessly. And
then on the flip side, the thing that I going
back to Instagram, that I don't think people realize is
(17:02):
part of our job is literally living like our clients would,
so being on vacation, trying the cocktails, going out to eat,
experiencing the water sports, whatever it is, but at the
same time, I still have a thousand emails in my inbox,
so I'm vacationing, but I also need to set aside
time to do actual admin work, actual you know, client
(17:22):
email work.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
So it's seriously like not a time offer us. When
we travel.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
It's actually more chaotic than being home and just working,
you know, during the day and having kind of a
chill night. That's one thing people definitely don't see. There's
been many comments made about.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Me like, oh, she's not working that hard, she's on
vacation all the time. Yeah, if you only knew.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
I love that you say that, because I think also
the just the element like putting aside the emails and
the clients that are still trying to get a hold
of you because they're trying to book their own thing
and they're trying to ask you questions about like hey,
did we already confirm this? That are like the people
that you're serving your actual c Aside from that all
of that, I don't think people truly understand the amount
(18:05):
of time, effort, and energy that it takes to create content. Yeah,
like when you're on vacation quote unquote right, and you
are not just tasting the cocktails. You're creating quality content.
You're recording and editing and making sure that you're getting
the angles that showcase the best parts of the property,
that showcase the know all of the little things about
(18:26):
the food, Like you literally can't sit there and just
enjoy your freaking dinner because you have to make sure
that you document all of the parts of the experience.
Like it's not the same.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
No, it's not, and it's it's a blessing and a curse,
right because I wouldn't have these opportunities if I wasn't
doing that. But at the same time, but we also
have it sort of double because we have a monetized
YouTube channel and we need to do it for like reels, Instagram,
et cetera. So it's literally like two cameras. Have to
get food with this one, have to get food with
(18:57):
this one. It's it's just it really is a lot.
It's so much work.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
But again, at the end of the day, I really
wouldn't change it for anything. I love it.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
And that's the part too of being able to develop
a business and a business structure that fits your purpose
and your passions. Right, if your passion is travel and
that's the thing that brings you the most joy, and
you can develop a business structure around it. Yes, it's
going to be work. It's never just got you know,
you can't own a business. I don't care what anybody says.
(19:26):
There is no such thing as passive income. Even the
most passive sorts of income streams still require your attention,
They still require your knowledge, They still require your adaptability
because these passive streams of income often are either dependent
on a shift of either the stock market or the
way that algorithms work, or searches or seo like, all
(19:48):
of these passive forms of income still require energy, and
so I feel like that's why it's even more important
to find a business that makes you so happy. To
find something that when you are having to pause, if
you're starving and you're having to pause to take video
with two different cameras, because these are two different platforms,
(20:10):
in two different you know, ways that you advertise your services,
it is going to be okay. It is going to
underlying feeling is still going to be joyful. It's it's
kind of like this is kind of a pain in
my ass sometimes, but also I would rather do this
than anything else.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah, It's like the old saying, what is it like
do something you love, You'll never work a day in
your life.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Like, yes, it's work.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
It's hard sometimes, but at the same time, if you
love it, it doesn't feel so much like work. Like
sometimes I'll walk my dogs in the morning around Brickle
and I'll see people like in their suits going into
an office and I'm like, oh my god, I could
never go into like a corporate you know job right now,
and you just you're so thankful. And for some people,
they love that and that's what they worked hard and
that's what makes them happy. But like for me, just
(20:54):
having that flexibility and creating this life, I don't think
I ever take it for granted.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so let's talk about travel as
it pertains to our listeners. Luxury travel. The difference between
you know, planning your own vacation, doing all your own booking,
you know, handling all your own stuff, and then having
Crystal do it for you at these five star locations
(21:21):
where you have direct connections and access. You know, let's
talk about the difference for the women that are listening
to this podcast, entrepreneurs who are working hard to make
their money and you know, are thinking, well, I could
just do this myself, right, I could book my own thing.
I could google and book my own thing. What you know,
how what's the difference between that and hiring you?
Speaker 3 (21:43):
There are so many Just a real time example, Italy
is in big strikes right now. We're getting some trains canceled,
flights canceled, and we have to reroute people everywhere. Now
imagine you're in Italy, this happens to you and you
have to do it all. Instead, we're like, we'll take
care of it. Go do your coliseum tour, and by
(22:03):
the end of the day, we'll have an email update over.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
To you, you know, with your new plan.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Basically, So there's that like real time while you're traveling support.
The research portion of a trip is massive. I don't
think people realize how much research they end up doing,
Like from the very first stages of Google and TikTok
and all those things, down to the booking and the
(22:29):
organizing and itinerary and putting it into a word document
or an Excel sheet or whatever you do. That's a
whole other aspect. And then back to the luxury travel part.
I mean I've done pretty much. I've never stayed at
like a hostel. But I've done like three, four and
five star stags throughout my life, and there is a
massive difference. If you want a truly enjoyable experience where
(22:51):
you're being catered to, that's where five star comes in.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It's it's just really that's going to bring you the
most real.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Laxation, like not having to get up and do every
little thing because you have a butler service coming to
do something for you or deliver you food and beverage
so you don't even have to go up the bar
and grab it yourself. And just all these little little
things add up to make your life so much easier.
There's like sunscreen, you know at the pool, So, oh,
I forgot my suns screen in my room.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
No, it's right here. They offer it for free.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
All those little things add up and make for a
much more enjoyable experience, which is really only found out
a five star property.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
And what would you say is the mental impact on
a vacation like this for an entrepreneur versus a vacation
that they've planned themselves.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Again, they're putting so much time and effort into planning
that trip. If something happens, we've talked about lost luggage.
So many variables that can happen while you while you're
traveling that can impact your trip in a negative way
and really just make you not happy because it's actually
more stress cold to deal with something while you're abroad.
(24:02):
And I've paid so much money for this and now
I'm stuck on the phone dealing with X, Y and Z.
Why not just have us be there as your support,
but also down to those little things I was talking about,
in particular at luxury resorts, again, you want to be
your most relaxed, You want to be your most pampered,
most catered to.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
So that's going to be your The way that you
truly relax and go back.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
To work and refreshed is going to be at a
really high end resort like that.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
And I think also there's like the you know when
you come back from vacation and you're like, oh, I need.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
A vacation from my vacation.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
That's not that's not the vibe, right, That's not what.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
You want, Yeah, exactly, And those people probably didn't use
a travel agent.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
And I think also, and we talked about this on
stage for a move brief Grow when you were when
you were sharing with our audience in the panel. I
think too, when when we're pouring so much into our business,
when we're pouring so much into our clients, when we're
pouring so much into the life that we're creating, the
(25:08):
empires that we're building, the teams that we are leading,
you know, the families that we are growing, all of
the hats that we wear, and then we go on vacation.
There needs to be a feeling of reciprocation there. There
needs to be a now, it's my turn to be
taken care of and to be led and to be
(25:28):
pampered and to receive. We give so much, especially as women,
that I feel that, you know, being able to just
sit back and receive being led by your team, like, hey,
we've got you. We can handle, whether it's you know,
restructuring the whole vacation while you're there because your strikes
in the country where you wanted to go. Nothing we
(25:50):
can do about that, but we'll make sure that you're
safe and that you get to point B. You know,
being able to receive. I think a lot of times,
and I see this a lot with with clients that
I've worked with, is we struggle to receive. We struggle
to receive the care and the support and the pampering
and the thank yous, and to be able to have,
like you said, somebody who's going to give us that
(26:11):
butler service, or somebody who's going to cater to us
when we're on vacation, who's going to make sure that
we don't have to carry anything or bring anything or
do any of that. All the heavy lifting is literally
done for us from beginning to arrival back home. That
shifts something in the mind of an entrepreneur, especially a woman,
when it comes to your self worth, when it comes
(26:31):
to what you believe that you deserve. You know, what
would you say, have been some experiences or anything that
you can share on that topic.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I mean, I'm big on manifestation in general. I really
believe in positive talk to yourself and not saying things
like I'm broke because you're going to stay broke and
all of that good stuff. So being in some of
these really high end places or flying business class, it's
a way of saying you're really worth it. You've worked
hard for this. People set aside a certain amount of
(27:04):
money every year, usually for travel, and so you literally
are working towards this vacation. If you think about it,
that's what most people look forward to. Oh, I have
to just get through the next three months of work before.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
I, you know, can go on my vacation.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
It's literally like one of the main things in life
people look forward to. And you're also creating these amazing
memories with family or your husband or whoever you're traveling with.
So by allowing people to do these things for you,
and trust me, it's not easy.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
First. Sometimes you're like, no, no, I got the bag.
I got the bag.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Like if you're if you're not used to it now,
I'm like, oh, thank you for taking the bag. You know,
you do appreciate it, and also have to say, okay,
that's their job. They like want to do this for
us because their job is literally too cater to us.
And once you allow that to happen, it definitely shifts
something in your mind that makes me like, I'm so
worth this.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I work so hard to be here and ultimately enjoy Yeah,
what would you say?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
They are some misconceptions that people might have, you know,
like you don't know what you don't know about hiring
a travel agent like yourself.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
There's sort of two main ones I can think of
both on the topic of money. One is that you
can get better deals or cheaper through a travel agent,
which isn't always true. Sometimes it truly is. We can
get the same price you would get, but at the
same time, you don't pay us a fee. We are
paid commission by resorts, excursions sometimes private driving companies to
(28:33):
create this.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Package for you.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
So we do get people who say, oh, I thought
it was going to be cheaper to go through a
travel agent.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
We're like, no, but this is why we're worth it.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
After we've already sent them ten emails full of information,
We're like hello.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Sometimes we do know of deals.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
That the general public might not, but we try not
to hone in or promote like cheaper deals, especially us
being more high end luxury. That's not really our focus.
It's more time saving, convenience, et cetera. But definitely most
people don't know that we are paid by commission, so
they think they have to pay an extra fee. Even
if it's just a quick four thousand dollars three night
(29:12):
Caribbean package.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
You're not paying extra for that.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
So you could do it on your own via Expedia,
or you could do it with us pay the same
amount you would have paid and have that support.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
I love that because I feel like it's almost a
no brainer. It's like, if my budget for this vacation
is four thousand dollars, or if my budget for this
vacation is fifty thousand dollars, I am going to spend
the exact same amount. The difference is I'm not going
to have to spend forty hours googling everything myself and
booking and then potentially because this has happened so you
(29:45):
know my husband, and my husband loves doing you know,
all of this legwork and stuff. But there have been
times that it doesn't matter how much you google something.
You don't know what you don't know about a certain
area you don't know, you know, you're not always going
to be if you've never been there before, you not
going to be as familiar as you would be. If
you're like I've already been to the spot. I've already
been there, I've walked around this area, I know what
(30:06):
everything is like, I know where the little gem spots
are at. You know I've experienced this before. I can
guide you in a completely different way than a Google
search can, you know, And so if you're telling me
that I can stick to whatever my travel budget is
and I don't have to spend forty hours during research,
and I don't have to risk maybe like clicking the
(30:27):
wrong thing because it looked really nicely online, but then
you get there and it's like, oh, wait a minute, this.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Is already what I thought.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
You know, and I also get the insights of somebody
like you who's been there, who might be like, Hey,
I know you really want to go to this place.
I can get you there, but also I know of
these other two or three options that might be really
great that you're not going to find on Google.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Yeah, and sometimes people don't even think about it, but
it could be a safety factor too, Like you're going
to a foreign country. A lot of the times, certain
Caribbean islands aren't friendly to gay people. We would never
send a gay couple there because, yeah, you might be
safe within the resort property, but the minute you step out,
you might not. In the Middle East, there's a lot
of countries that are very popular for tourism. If you
(31:10):
hold hands or kiss even your you know, husband and wife,
not even talking about a gay couple. In that situation,
it's illegal to hold hands or kiss in public. Certain
places in Europe that are no cars allowed, they won't
even allow you to roll luggage. You can get a
ticket just for rolling your luggage through the city center.
So there are things that aren't just suggestions but actually
(31:33):
safety or legal or you know, different tips that we
have because again, like you said, we're actually going to
these places, so we know we know those things to
advise you on before you go.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
And I think it's also important to talk about like,
not everybody that books travel is the right travel agent, right.
Can you tell me more about that?
Speaker 3 (31:55):
So you're saying not all travel agents are created equal, essentially,
how does that? That's a big one for me. Our
industry has no regulation whatsoever, So you don't need a license.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
We do need.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
As an owner, I need something we call an IATA number,
which is sort of our accreditation.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
So I needed to get that.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
But then anyone could work under me and be a
travel agent with no.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Sort of license.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
And again back to the whole people set aside a
certain percentage of their income to go on these trips.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
You're messing with a lot of money here.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
I mean, this is a this is a big portion
of someone's annual income, so really there should be more
regulation on it. And what we're seeing now is a
big MLM industry thing going on. So there will be,
you know, a travel agency up here that has this
number that I have, but they will hire two thousand
(32:50):
people thousands of people under them, make those people sign
up with a like a sign up fee, and they're
sort of just making money off all those sign ups fees.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
They don't really care how they act.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Or how they represent the company on a travel standpoint,
because it's more of like a pyramid scheme. So that's
a huge thing we're seeing, and it creates such a
bad reputation for our industry because there's way more bad
travel agents and there are good ones. And there's also
a ton of travel agents who just don't really travel,
so it's like they just sort of do it to
(33:26):
get like discounts on their own trips, and then they're
advising people and stuff they don't know what they're talking about.
And I think that's what really sets us apart. A
lot of people see that we get a lot of
opportunities even these massive companies don't get because of that,
which is amazing. But I also had to really prove myself,
my numbers, our website stands out, our LinkedIn stand out,
(33:46):
our headshots stand out.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Everything is a little.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Bit different, and for good reason, because we want to
be known as someone that knows what they're doing.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
I talk about that with my clients all the time.
It's like, dude, your brand has to present what you're
trying to sell. You know, there is no way that
you can convince me to give you a chunk of
my income. Right And when we're talking luxury travel, we're
not talking a little bit of money. If you can
afford a five star, it's going to be you know,
a five star, and you're going to be traveling for
two to five weeks and you're going to travel business. Classic,
(34:18):
we're talking money. If I'm going to give you that,
you need to convince me that my money is safe
with you. You need to convince me that I, my travel,
my family that's traveling with me is safe with you,
right like in all ways. And that means that you
need to show me that you've been there. You need
to show me that you have experience. You need to
show me that you look like a million bucks. The
places you go to are the same places that I
(34:38):
want to go to and you know, and that matters
so much in building trust, you have to you have
to embody the thing that you sell. That is true
for luxury travel, that is true for financial advice, that
is true for you know, business coaching, that is true
for for everything. You know, it's like having a fitness
(35:00):
coach that's you know, three hundred pounds overweight.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Like, yeah, I'm sorry, I know you had said earlier,
Like I'm always like looking put together, and that's sort
of a big thing for me because professionality and looking
more a little bit more on the luxury side, right
Like if I was in sweats all day every day,
which listen, when I don't have a zoom or I
don't have an in person meeting, I will be behind
the computer just like any other normal person, you know,
(35:25):
just like let me get the work done with my
hair up and whatever. But if I'm out in public
for the most part, you're going to see me well
put together, because that first impression with someone could make
a world of difference for me to talk about spending
two thousand dollars a night somewhere and look like, you know,
whatever doesn't align right.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
So I'm definitely out there living.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
The lifestyle I'm selling, trying to embody and look like
the lifestyle I'm selling, and not to be like financially irresponsible.
It's not like I'm spending a million dollars on design
or everything, but you know, just being well put together
and looking professionally. I think that also has really set
us apart, and why we do annual headshots and group
shots every year. We always want like a really nice,
(36:07):
clean cut look on our site of all of our agents.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah, that's so important. I love chatting with you. I
love the way that you are. You walk the talk,
and I think that that is something that I sometimes
find lacking in entrepreneurship from you know, different people I
meet from all all around and to have somebody in
my network in my circle who's the real deal is
always just so much fun. So thank you for being
(36:33):
on the show. Can you share with everyone that's listening,
what's the best way to reach you?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Best way to reach me www dot wanderlust jets dot com.
We have a little contact form button that's the best
way anyone can get a hold of us because it
gives us all the information we need. Or you can
find me on Instagram, at the Wanderlust jetster dot com
if you want to give me a follow.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of
the Chat with gdpodcast. If you loved what you heard,
it would light me up inside. If you rate, review,
and share this episode with a business vestie who you
think will benefit from tuning in. Sharing this podcast is
the best way to help it grow and to continue
(37:16):
to grow our tribe as well. In the meantime, join
me on Instagram at ggdas Live, or check out our
latest courses and programs for personal and business growth at
Seizinghappy dot com.
Here's the thing about my approach to entrepreneurship. I believe
that the business has to be nurtured. Obviously, we have
to think about the things like increasing our sales and
our profit margins, and our marketing strategies, our content strategies
and all the things. But the truth is that when
the entrepreneur, when the woman behind the business isn't also expanding,
(00:22):
growing and being nurtured, at some point, the business is
going to plateau or fall apart altogether. Because your business
is a reflection of you. If you've been around my
ecosystem for even five minutes, you've heard me say that
at least five thousand times. And so at Seizing Happy,
we believe in nurturing the business and the woman behind
(00:43):
the business equally, because if you're growing, your business is growing,
if you are getting outside your comfort zone, you can
do the same in your business. When you are really
fully empowered in your personal life to create the right
boundaries and to have open communication and to stand your
ground and the things that matter to you that add
to the joy in your life and that align with
(01:05):
your values, you will do the same in your business.
And when you can't do those things in your personal
life when you don't have those natural skills developed or
maybe not natural because they're not always natural to everybody.
But when you're not actively developing those skills of growth
and self improvement and personal expansion, there's no way that
you could implement those tools and resources in your business
(01:28):
because you don't have those tools to use right And
so a lot of times we focus so much on
what we need to do for our business and we
don't pay enough attention to how and when we need
to pour into ourselves, whether that is via rest, whether
that is via hiring a coach to help us work
(01:49):
on our mindset, to help us work on our personal growth,
or in the case of this episode of the Chats
with Gg podcast, luxury travel, being able to bring yourself
out of the day to day, out of the mundane,
out of the hustle and bustle of your business growth
and all the strategies and things in leadership that you're
(02:10):
putting into place, and allowing yourself to be led, and
allowing yourself to receive and allowing yourself to be pampered,
and allowing yourself to reap the true benefits of the
work that you've put in and to be on the
receiving end of life. And I feel like when we
can create these shifts of allowing ourselves to be led
(02:33):
and to receive, and to be pampered and to be
loved on, we shift and energetically enhance our ability to receive.
And that is also palpable, palpable and perceivable in our business.
It impacts our business. When we improve our ability to
receive in life, we also improve our capacity to receive
(02:53):
in business. And so we're going to talk about luxury
travel what that means to entrepreneurship. We're going to talk money,
We're going to talk we're going to talk destinations. We're
going to talk all things with my dear, dear friend,
Crystal Cully. If you were at Move Breath Grow this year,
you already know Crystal. She's an entrepreneur who turned her
passion for travel into a thriving business. Leading a powerhouse
(03:17):
team of all female travel agents. She's dedicated to creating
unforgettable experiences for clients while fostering a supportive work environment
for her team. When she's not planning dream vacations, she's
at home, spending time with her dogs, or traveling with
her husband and exploring new destinations and hidden gems to
share with her clients back home. For Crystal, travel isn't
(03:39):
just a job, it is her lifestyle. And we're going
to also talk about what it takes to create a
business structure that is catering to your passion, to your values,
and to the thing that brings you the most joy.
For Crystal, that's travel, and that's exactly what she's done
with her business. This is with gg a podcast for
(04:02):
women who are ready to step into their power, get unstuck,
and create more freedom in all areas of life. I'm
your host, GGDZ certified life and business coach, media personality
and multi passionate entrepreneur. I've helped hundreds of women find
the necessary clarity, confidence, and courage to build their dream
(04:26):
life and achieve success with less stress. If you're seeking
weekly motivation, practical and spiritual advice, and tangible resources to
scale in life and in business, then you're in the
right place.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Are you ready? Here we go.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Before we get started with this episode of Chats with Gig,
here's a really important message in today's workplaces. Too many
Latina professionals are overworked, overlooked, and undervalued and they carry
the weight of survival instead of the power of purpose.
That's where Alexis Beserra comes in. As a trauma trained
licensed therapist and leadership coach with over a decade of experience,
(05:09):
Alexis helps Latinas heal from workplace trauma, reclaim their voice,
and lead with confidence, clarity, and authenticity. She's a first
generation Mexican American who's lived what she teaches, blending mental
health education and leadership expertise into a coaching approach that's
both trauma informed and culturally rooted. Her mission to help Latinas,
(05:33):
like us Latina change makers, stop shrinking to fit systems
that were never built for them, and start leading from
a place of wholeness, purpose, and power. You can find
her on Instagram at It's Alexis Besserra, where she shares
real talk, healing tools, and leadership insights for Latinas Ready
to Rise. Crystal, I have to tell you I am
(05:54):
first of all, I have like a total professional girl
crush on you because you're always flawless. You're like always
all over the world in a real way. I feel
like there's people that are like, oh, I'm a no
my traveler, but like your level one thousand traveler, and
it's just always so much fun to talk with you
and to learn from you and to just like hap
(06:16):
into your brain and like, oh man, what a nice perspective,
what a different way to view life. And I feel,
as someone who's traveled a little bit, definitely not as
much as you, but a little bit, I feel like
that shift in perspective about life in general is so
easy to acquire when you travel and when you expose
yourself to different places and cultures and foods. Can you
(06:40):
tell me how travel has changed you as a person,
not just an entrepreneur, just as a woman.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, I mean it's changed me entirely. I think travel
is the best form of education out there. If people
can pull their kids out of school and travel for
a week, I'm like, please do, because you will learn
so much about biology and animals and culture and understanding
the world. I mean, I grew up in the time
(07:07):
of nine to eleven and the Middle East was a
scary place. And Middle East is one of my favorite
places to travel. The people that I meet there from Iran,
from Afghanistan that move into these other countries surrounding their
country that they were fleeing are some of the nicest people.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
In the world.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And we grew up in an era where oh no,
don't you know, talk to them and all that stuff.
So it's been so eye opening to sort of get
out of that bubble and just be able to go
and meet these people and go to these places that
people say may be scary and just experience it for myself.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah. And I actually just realized I'm so excited to
chat with you that I skipped over the first question
I usually like to ask, and that is, how are
you seizing happy today? Oh?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
My gosh, I'm seizing happy every day. Well, I have
my dog here sleeping on me during a podcast interview.
I get to make my own skew every day. It's
the fourth of July, and I choose to work. I'm
not forced to work. And I just got off a
great phone call with a new lead that came in
from a YouTube video, which is something I work super
hard on. So whenever I get a lead from one
(08:13):
of those, I'm like, oh my god, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So today's a good day.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I just I love this little life I've created over here,
So no complaints.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And tell me about that. Tell me about this little
life that you've created. You have always loved travel, but
what was the point or tell me the whole story.
But I especially want you to share the point where
you said, this is going to be my life. Not
the thing I like to do, not my hobby, not
what I look forward to for a week or two
out of the year, but my lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Actually I didn't really grow up traveling, believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
My parents really didn't travel.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Some domestic stuff, you know, down to Orlando to Disney World.
My sister has a husband in the Coast Guard, and
so I would go to Houston and New Orleans wherever
they lived at the time. That was my extent of travel.
I got in the mail when I was sixteen something
about a study abroad program for a summer and it
(09:11):
was in Paris, and for some reason, I always wanted
to go to Paris. That was like the top place
on my list that I envisioned as a teenager, and
so I said to my mom, I want to do this,
and she was like, you don't even want to go
to summer camp, Like why would you all of a
sudden want to take off by yourself and go to Paris?
And that instance definitely changed my perspective and my life
on travel.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
It got me out of my comfort zone.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
I had to meet new people and sort of navigate
the city on my own.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Of course, we had mentors we could go to, but
we were very much on our own. I don't think
my mom.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Knew that at the time, but we were out there,
and that was definitely my shaping moment for the travel
aspect of things.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Now, I went on with my life and work jobs
here and there.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
I got a real estate license at one point, I
opened a pizza truck at one point, believe it or not,
and just did all these random things. I worked in
and out of restaurants. But when I was twenty four,
I was working this sort of desk job that you know,
was stable in a nice little job at the time,
but it offered thirteen paid vacation and sick days a year,
so I had, like, no, I couldn't afford to get sick.
(10:16):
I just could afford to travel for two weeks out
of the year and have two vacations. So that was
sort of the point where I said, you know, I
want to do this more often.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
How can I create.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
A job a career out of travel, and so I
looked into becoming a travel agent. Ended up because I
have the entrepreneurial spirit and I don't want.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
To work for someone.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
How do I open my own travel agency and started
that when I was twenty four. Of course, it wasn't
a success off the rip. It took building, it took momentum,
all of that stuff. But today I've created it not
only into this lifestyle where I can travel wherever I want,
but also travel to the type of places I really
want to because in the early days it was you know, budget, affordable,
(11:02):
et cetera. And now I've really built this reputation with
these brands that are five five star. Oh gosh, Dog
is here?
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Hi Buvvy Pubby easily Buddy, We're very dog.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
That's why I'm holding you. He has his little fourth
of July tie on stars. Look at you.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So when you were talking about the beginning, the beginning
of business, I feel is always kind of messy, right.
We're doing a lot of mile and error. We're figuring
out what our business is meant to be, what we
wanted to look and feel like, and then we're trying
to figure out even who we are as entrepreneurs. Right,
(11:43):
And especially I talk about this often when you're coming
from a corporate space and you're going into entrepreneurship. There
are so many shifts that need to happen in your
mindset and your approach to like what even is your
definition of work, et cetera, And what would you say
in those beginning moments. I've wanted to throw in the
(12:06):
towel a thousand times, you know, in my entrepreneurial journey
and all of the businesses that I've either run or
helped to launch, or have otherwise been involved in. Right,
What was a moment for you where you were like,
this has always been my dream. I have this travel
agency now, but I just don't know if I want
to fucking do this shit anymore.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
And it brought you what brought you back in?
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, I mean there's been multiple The early days weren't
so difficult other than the fact that cash flow wasn't
as great because I was building the company. But I
did have sort of a nest egg of being able
to have that flexibility, and that's that's, you know, the
life that I built at that time.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
I came and prepared like, hey, listen, I'm going into
a commission based business.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And cash isn't going to be the easiest thing right now,
So that wasn't actually as hard as people would think.
COVID was the biggest hit. I would say for us,
it almost took us out entirely. I didn't think we
were going to make it through. It was a very,
very scary time for our industry, highly effective on your
mental health, like just across the board. One of the
(13:12):
worst times of my life. So that was that was terrible.
What got me through is progressing and just continuing to
go with the.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Flow and see how things went.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
And we ended up twenty twenty two, three four, and
you know, onward being busier than ever because I think
it also showed people travel is sacred, you know, we
can have it ripped away from us, as we did
during twenty twenty one leading into twenty twenty leading into
twenty twenty one, so it actually made people want to
travel more after that was all said and done. And
(13:44):
then even now I'm dealing with legal things that I
can't talk about just yet, but there are times where
I'm like, oh my god, not that I want to
throw in the towel. I'm very strong now and proud
of what I've built. But at the same time, you know,
being an entrepreneur isn't easy, and that's that's why a
lot of people can't do it. Having people work for
you is not easy. You're growing in general. The more
(14:06):
I grow, I mean, Biggie said it best, more money,
more problems. It's true, like the more money you make,
the more people come after you, the more people think
they can get something out of you. And that is
an absolutely true statement. Partly what I'm dealing with right
now that like I said, one day I'll be able
to get into but it's it's difficult. But at the
same time, I'm just sick in the head and love
(14:28):
working and love what I do, and just I can't
imagine doing anything else.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I feel like that's the key. You know you're in
the right industry and you've opened the right business if
when you think when when it gets really tough, and
you do feel like, God, did I even make the
right decision?
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Like right would I?
Speaker 1 (14:49):
What else would I be doing if I wasn't doing this?
And literally nothing comes to your mind.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I even nothing.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I get like generic emails here and there about people
acquiring the company, And of course I know the more
I grow.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
The more I can sell it for in the future.
So that's not happening right now.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
But I think to myself, even in twenty years, I'll
be in my fifties.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
What would I even do if I wasn't doing this?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
So I really think about that now, you know, like
what would I what would I do?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Maybe by then I'll have a different mindset, different priorities.
But for now, I'm like, I just love it. I
love I love work, I love what I do. I
love the people I work with, and I love that
I can do it from anywhere, from home with my
annoying dog, you know, from from wherever around the world.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Tell me about your business structure, right, so there's a
beautiful element to being able to travel the world and
go to the most luxurious places ever and on Instagram,
Like I stalk your Instagram all the time. You know,
it all looks beautiful, it all looks glamorous, it all
(15:58):
looks amazing. But tell me about the heart work that
it takes to get there and the behind the scenes
part of a business structure like a travel agency that
those of us that are following your journey don't really
get to understand or see.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah, I mean the journey of getting there is you
sort of have to self fund your travels for the
most part in the beginning, Like if I want to
sell luxury travel, I wasn't getting opportunities discounted or freestays
or any of the things that I might have now
back then, so I had to prove that I was
capable of selling these things. The sort of strange thing
is they don't want to give you these opportunities until
(16:35):
you sell their property. Well, how can I sell your
property if I've never been there and seen it myself.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So you have to do the.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Research, watch the YouTube videos, look up everything online and
really sound like you know what the hell you're talking
about to sell the properties. Now, of course we get
to go to a lot of them firsthand, which is
again the best form of education for us as travel agents,
you know, so we can sell it more seamlessly. And
then on the flip side, the thing that I going
back to Instagram, that I don't think people realize is
(17:02):
part of our job is literally living like our clients would,
so being on vacation, trying the cocktails, going out to eat,
experiencing the water sports, whatever it is, but at the
same time, I still have a thousand emails in my inbox,
so I'm vacationing, but I also need to set aside
time to do actual admin work, actual you know, client
(17:22):
email work.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
So it's seriously like not a time offer us. When
we travel.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
It's actually more chaotic than being home and just working,
you know, during the day and having kind of a
chill night. That's one thing people definitely don't see. There's
been many comments made about.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Me like, oh, she's not working that hard, she's on
vacation all the time. Yeah, if you only knew.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
I love that you say that, because I think also
the just the element like putting aside the emails and
the clients that are still trying to get a hold
of you because they're trying to book their own thing
and they're trying to ask you questions about like hey,
did we already confirm this? That are like the people
that you're serving your actual c Aside from that all
of that, I don't think people truly understand the amount
(18:05):
of time, effort, and energy that it takes to create content. Yeah,
like when you're on vacation quote unquote right, and you
are not just tasting the cocktails. You're creating quality content.
You're recording and editing and making sure that you're getting
the angles that showcase the best parts of the property,
that showcase the know all of the little things about
(18:26):
the food, Like you literally can't sit there and just
enjoy your freaking dinner because you have to make sure
that you document all of the parts of the experience.
Like it's not the same.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
No, it's not, and it's it's a blessing and a curse,
right because I wouldn't have these opportunities if I wasn't
doing that. But at the same time, but we also
have it sort of double because we have a monetized
YouTube channel and we need to do it for like reels, Instagram,
et cetera. So it's literally like two cameras. Have to
get food with this one, have to get food with
(18:57):
this one. It's it's just it really is a lot.
It's so much work.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
But again, at the end of the day, I really
wouldn't change it for anything. I love it.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
And that's the part too of being able to develop
a business and a business structure that fits your purpose
and your passions. Right, if your passion is travel and
that's the thing that brings you the most joy, and
you can develop a business structure around it. Yes, it's
going to be work. It's never just got you know,
you can't own a business. I don't care what anybody says.
(19:26):
There is no such thing as passive income. Even the
most passive sorts of income streams still require your attention,
They still require your knowledge, They still require your adaptability
because these passive streams of income often are either dependent
on a shift of either the stock market or the
way that algorithms work, or searches or seo like, all
(19:48):
of these passive forms of income still require energy, and
so I feel like that's why it's even more important
to find a business that makes you so happy. To
find something that when you are having to pause, if
you're starving and you're having to pause to take video
with two different cameras, because these are two different platforms,
(20:10):
in two different you know, ways that you advertise your services,
it is going to be okay. It is going to
underlying feeling is still going to be joyful. It's it's
kind of like this is kind of a pain in
my ass sometimes, but also I would rather do this
than anything else.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah, It's like the old saying, what is it like
do something you love, You'll never work a day in
your life.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Like, yes, it's work.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
It's hard sometimes, but at the same time, if you
love it, it doesn't feel so much like work. Like
sometimes I'll walk my dogs in the morning around Brickle
and I'll see people like in their suits going into
an office and I'm like, oh my god, I could
never go into like a corporate you know job right now,
and you just you're so thankful. And for some people,
they love that and that's what they worked hard and
that's what makes them happy. But like for me, just
(20:54):
having that flexibility and creating this life, I don't think
I ever take it for granted.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so let's talk about travel as
it pertains to our listeners. Luxury travel. The difference between
you know, planning your own vacation, doing all your own booking,
you know, handling all your own stuff, and then having
Crystal do it for you at these five star locations
(21:21):
where you have direct connections and access. You know, let's
talk about the difference for the women that are listening
to this podcast, entrepreneurs who are working hard to make
their money and you know, are thinking, well, I could
just do this myself, right, I could book my own thing.
I could google and book my own thing. What you know,
how what's the difference between that and hiring you?
Speaker 3 (21:43):
There are so many Just a real time example, Italy
is in big strikes right now. We're getting some trains canceled,
flights canceled, and we have to reroute people everywhere. Now
imagine you're in Italy, this happens to you and you
have to do it all. Instead, we're like, we'll take
care of it. Go do your coliseum tour, and by
(22:03):
the end of the day, we'll have an email update over.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
To you, you know, with your new plan.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Basically, So there's that like real time while you're traveling support.
The research portion of a trip is massive. I don't
think people realize how much research they end up doing,
Like from the very first stages of Google and TikTok
and all those things, down to the booking and the
(22:29):
organizing and itinerary and putting it into a word document
or an Excel sheet or whatever you do. That's a
whole other aspect. And then back to the luxury travel part.
I mean I've done pretty much. I've never stayed at
like a hostel. But I've done like three, four and
five star stags throughout my life, and there is a
massive difference. If you want a truly enjoyable experience where
(22:51):
you're being catered to, that's where five star comes in.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It's it's just really that's going to bring you the
most real.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Laxation, like not having to get up and do every
little thing because you have a butler service coming to
do something for you or deliver you food and beverage
so you don't even have to go up the bar
and grab it yourself. And just all these little little
things add up to make your life so much easier.
There's like sunscreen, you know at the pool, So, oh,
I forgot my suns screen in my room.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
No, it's right here. They offer it for free.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
All those little things add up and make for a
much more enjoyable experience, which is really only found out
a five star property.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
And what would you say is the mental impact on
a vacation like this for an entrepreneur versus a vacation
that they've planned themselves.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Again, they're putting so much time and effort into planning
that trip. If something happens, we've talked about lost luggage.
So many variables that can happen while you while you're
traveling that can impact your trip in a negative way
and really just make you not happy because it's actually
more stress cold to deal with something while you're abroad.
(24:02):
And I've paid so much money for this and now
I'm stuck on the phone dealing with X, Y and Z.
Why not just have us be there as your support,
but also down to those little things I was talking about,
in particular at luxury resorts, again, you want to be
your most relaxed, You want to be your most pampered,
most catered to.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
So that's going to be your The way that you
truly relax and go back.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
To work and refreshed is going to be at a
really high end resort like that.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
And I think also there's like the you know when
you come back from vacation and you're like, oh, I need.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
A vacation from my vacation.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
That's not that's not the vibe, right, That's not what.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
You want, Yeah, exactly, And those people probably didn't use
a travel agent.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
And I think also, and we talked about this on
stage for a move brief Grow when you were when
you were sharing with our audience in the panel. I
think too, when when we're pouring so much into our business,
when we're pouring so much into our clients, when we're
pouring so much into the life that we're creating, the
(25:08):
empires that we're building, the teams that we are leading,
you know, the families that we are growing, all of
the hats that we wear, and then we go on vacation.
There needs to be a feeling of reciprocation there. There
needs to be a now, it's my turn to be
taken care of and to be led and to be
(25:28):
pampered and to receive. We give so much, especially as women,
that I feel that, you know, being able to just
sit back and receive being led by your team, like, hey,
we've got you. We can handle, whether it's you know,
restructuring the whole vacation while you're there because your strikes
in the country where you wanted to go. Nothing we
(25:50):
can do about that, but we'll make sure that you're
safe and that you get to point B. You know,
being able to receive. I think a lot of times,
and I see this a lot with with clients that
I've worked with, is we struggle to receive. We struggle
to receive the care and the support and the pampering
and the thank yous, and to be able to have,
like you said, somebody who's going to give us that
(26:11):
butler service, or somebody who's going to cater to us
when we're on vacation, who's going to make sure that
we don't have to carry anything or bring anything or
do any of that. All the heavy lifting is literally
done for us from beginning to arrival back home. That
shifts something in the mind of an entrepreneur, especially a woman,
when it comes to your self worth, when it comes
(26:31):
to what you believe that you deserve. You know, what
would you say, have been some experiences or anything that
you can share on that topic.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I mean, I'm big on manifestation in general. I really
believe in positive talk to yourself and not saying things
like I'm broke because you're going to stay broke and
all of that good stuff. So being in some of
these really high end places or flying business class, it's
a way of saying you're really worth it. You've worked
hard for this. People set aside a certain amount of
(27:04):
money every year, usually for travel, and so you literally
are working towards this vacation. If you think about it,
that's what most people look forward to. Oh, I have
to just get through the next three months of work before.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
I, you know, can go on my vacation.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
It's literally like one of the main things in life
people look forward to. And you're also creating these amazing
memories with family or your husband or whoever you're traveling with.
So by allowing people to do these things for you,
and trust me, it's not easy.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
First. Sometimes you're like, no, no, I got the bag.
I got the bag.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Like if you're if you're not used to it now,
I'm like, oh, thank you for taking the bag. You know,
you do appreciate it, and also have to say, okay,
that's their job. They like want to do this for
us because their job is literally too cater to us.
And once you allow that to happen, it definitely shifts
something in your mind that makes me like, I'm so
worth this.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I work so hard to be here and ultimately enjoy Yeah,
what would you say?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
They are some misconceptions that people might have, you know,
like you don't know what you don't know about hiring
a travel agent like yourself.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
There's sort of two main ones I can think of
both on the topic of money. One is that you
can get better deals or cheaper through a travel agent,
which isn't always true. Sometimes it truly is. We can
get the same price you would get, but at the
same time, you don't pay us a fee. We are
paid commission by resorts, excursions sometimes private driving companies to
(28:33):
create this.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Package for you.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
So we do get people who say, oh, I thought
it was going to be cheaper to go through a
travel agent.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
We're like, no, but this is why we're worth it.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
After we've already sent them ten emails full of information,
We're like hello.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Sometimes we do know of deals.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
That the general public might not, but we try not
to hone in or promote like cheaper deals, especially us
being more high end luxury. That's not really our focus.
It's more time saving, convenience, et cetera. But definitely most
people don't know that we are paid by commission, so
they think they have to pay an extra fee. Even
if it's just a quick four thousand dollars three night
(29:12):
Caribbean package.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
You're not paying extra for that.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
So you could do it on your own via Expedia,
or you could do it with us pay the same
amount you would have paid and have that support.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
I love that because I feel like it's almost a
no brainer. It's like, if my budget for this vacation
is four thousand dollars, or if my budget for this
vacation is fifty thousand dollars, I am going to spend
the exact same amount. The difference is I'm not going
to have to spend forty hours googling everything myself and
booking and then potentially because this has happened so you
(29:45):
know my husband, and my husband loves doing you know,
all of this legwork and stuff. But there have been
times that it doesn't matter how much you google something.
You don't know what you don't know about a certain
area you don't know, you know, you're not always going
to be if you've never been there before, you not
going to be as familiar as you would be. If
you're like I've already been to the spot. I've already
been there, I've walked around this area, I know what
(30:06):
everything is like, I know where the little gem spots
are at. You know I've experienced this before. I can
guide you in a completely different way than a Google
search can, you know, And so if you're telling me
that I can stick to whatever my travel budget is
and I don't have to spend forty hours during research,
and I don't have to risk maybe like clicking the
(30:27):
wrong thing because it looked really nicely online, but then
you get there and it's like, oh, wait a minute, this.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Is already what I thought.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
You know, and I also get the insights of somebody
like you who's been there, who might be like, Hey,
I know you really want to go to this place.
I can get you there, but also I know of
these other two or three options that might be really
great that you're not going to find on Google.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Yeah, and sometimes people don't even think about it, but
it could be a safety factor too, Like you're going
to a foreign country. A lot of the times, certain
Caribbean islands aren't friendly to gay people. We would never
send a gay couple there because, yeah, you might be
safe within the resort property, but the minute you step out,
you might not. In the Middle East, there's a lot
of countries that are very popular for tourism. If you
(31:10):
hold hands or kiss even your you know, husband and wife,
not even talking about a gay couple. In that situation,
it's illegal to hold hands or kiss in public. Certain
places in Europe that are no cars allowed, they won't
even allow you to roll luggage. You can get a
ticket just for rolling your luggage through the city center.
So there are things that aren't just suggestions but actually
(31:33):
safety or legal or you know, different tips that we
have because again, like you said, we're actually going to
these places, so we know we know those things to
advise you on before you go.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
And I think it's also important to talk about like,
not everybody that books travel is the right travel agent, right.
Can you tell me more about that?
Speaker 3 (31:55):
So you're saying not all travel agents are created equal, essentially,
how does that? That's a big one for me. Our
industry has no regulation whatsoever, So you don't need a license.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
We do need.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
As an owner, I need something we call an IATA number,
which is sort of our accreditation.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
So I needed to get that.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
But then anyone could work under me and be a
travel agent with no.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Sort of license.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
And again back to the whole people set aside a
certain percentage of their income to go on these trips.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
You're messing with a lot of money here.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
I mean, this is a this is a big portion
of someone's annual income, so really there should be more
regulation on it. And what we're seeing now is a
big MLM industry thing going on. So there will be,
you know, a travel agency up here that has this
number that I have, but they will hire two thousand
(32:50):
people thousands of people under them, make those people sign
up with a like a sign up fee, and they're
sort of just making money off all those sign ups fees.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
They don't really care how they act.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Or how they represent the company on a travel standpoint,
because it's more of like a pyramid scheme. So that's
a huge thing we're seeing, and it creates such a
bad reputation for our industry because there's way more bad
travel agents and there are good ones. And there's also
a ton of travel agents who just don't really travel,
so it's like they just sort of do it to
(33:26):
get like discounts on their own trips, and then they're
advising people and stuff they don't know what they're talking about.
And I think that's what really sets us apart. A
lot of people see that we get a lot of
opportunities even these massive companies don't get because of that,
which is amazing. But I also had to really prove myself,
my numbers, our website stands out, our LinkedIn stand out,
(33:46):
our headshots stand out.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Everything is a little.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Bit different, and for good reason, because we want to
be known as someone that knows what they're doing.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
I talk about that with my clients all the time.
It's like, dude, your brand has to present what you're
trying to sell. You know, there is no way that
you can convince me to give you a chunk of
my income. Right And when we're talking luxury travel, we're
not talking a little bit of money. If you can
afford a five star, it's going to be you know,
a five star, and you're going to be traveling for
two to five weeks and you're going to travel business. Classic,
(34:18):
we're talking money. If I'm going to give you that,
you need to convince me that my money is safe
with you. You need to convince me that I, my travel,
my family that's traveling with me is safe with you,
right like in all ways. And that means that you
need to show me that you've been there. You need
to show me that you have experience. You need to
show me that you look like a million bucks. The
places you go to are the same places that I
(34:38):
want to go to and you know, and that matters
so much in building trust, you have to you have
to embody the thing that you sell. That is true
for luxury travel, that is true for financial advice, that
is true for you know, business coaching, that is true
for for everything. You know, it's like having a fitness
(35:00):
coach that's you know, three hundred pounds overweight.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Like, yeah, I'm sorry, I know you had said earlier,
Like I'm always like looking put together, and that's sort
of a big thing for me because professionality and looking
more a little bit more on the luxury side, right
Like if I was in sweats all day every day,
which listen, when I don't have a zoom or I
don't have an in person meeting, I will be behind
the computer just like any other normal person, you know,
(35:25):
just like let me get the work done with my
hair up and whatever. But if I'm out in public
for the most part, you're going to see me well
put together, because that first impression with someone could make
a world of difference for me to talk about spending
two thousand dollars a night somewhere and look like, you know,
whatever doesn't align right.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
So I'm definitely out there living.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
The lifestyle I'm selling, trying to embody and look like
the lifestyle I'm selling, and not to be like financially irresponsible.
It's not like I'm spending a million dollars on design
or everything, but you know, just being well put together
and looking professionally. I think that also has really set
us apart, and why we do annual headshots and group
shots every year. We always want like a really nice,
(36:07):
clean cut look on our site of all of our agents.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah, that's so important. I love chatting with you. I
love the way that you are. You walk the talk,
and I think that that is something that I sometimes
find lacking in entrepreneurship from you know, different people I
meet from all all around and to have somebody in
my network in my circle who's the real deal is
always just so much fun. So thank you for being
(36:33):
on the show. Can you share with everyone that's listening,
what's the best way to reach you?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Best way to reach me www dot wanderlust jets dot com.
We have a little contact form button that's the best
way anyone can get a hold of us because it
gives us all the information we need. Or you can
find me on Instagram, at the Wanderlust jetster dot com
if you want to give me a follow.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of
the Chat with gdpodcast. If you loved what you heard,
it would light me up inside. If you rate, review,
and share this episode with a business vestie who you
think will benefit from tuning in. Sharing this podcast is
the best way to help it grow and to continue
(37:16):
to grow our tribe as well. In the meantime, join
me on Instagram at ggdas Live, or check out our
latest courses and programs for personal and business growth at
Seizinghappy dot com.
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