June 3, 2026 • 59 mins
Text me what you think of today’s episode!
Luxury travel has a new meaning, and it’s not crystal chandeliers or dressing up for dinner. It’s having the freedom to be yourself, the flexibility to pivot when plans change, and a trusted expert who handles the details so you can actually enjoy the trip you paid for. That’s why we sat down with Eleanor, founder of Elevate Your Escapes, to talk about how she turned a love of travel into a real travel planning business built on curiosity, creativity, and client-first service.
We get into the origin story, from early trips and a nerve-wracking leap into a group travel company to the moment she realized people were already treating her like their go-to travel advisor. Eleanor breaks down what it takes to make things official, including why host agencies matter, how supplier training works, and what the “not glamorous” side of the travel industry looks like day to day. If you’ve ever wondered what a travel consultant actually does, or whether a travel agent can help you save time and money, her answers are refreshingly specific.
Then we zoom out to trends shaping travel right now: modern luxury travel focused on comfort and personalization, river cruises gaining popularity, and destinations heating up beyond the usual classics. Eleanor shares how she designs deeply personalized itineraries, where travelers go wrong by cramming too much into one week, and how to choose smarter splurge moments like a catamaran day in Santorini or a once-in-a-lifetime dinner you’ll never forget. We also talk rising spots like Sardinia, Croatia, Norway, and Albania, plus why Greece still tops her list.
If you’re planning your next vacation, subscribe for more conversations like this, share this episode with your favorite travel buddy, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Where are you dreaming of going next?
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Episode Transcript
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(00:09):
Everyday people following theirpassions.
That's probably like like one ofthe highlights of my life so
far.
Just being able to be creativelike that.
Something I've always wanted.
And then I decided to getanother hive, and that turned
into a lot of hives.
As long as I can do that, I wantto be a good citizen.
(00:31):
Help people out.
Putting themselves out there,taking chances, and navigating
challenges along the way.
I I absolutely identified withhaving stage right because, you
know, anytime I went on stage, Ijust felt like I was having a
heart attack.
Very first laugh, very firstpractice session, I crashed,
turned the car upside down, madea spectacle of myself, and I got
(00:54):
back on that horse and startedriding again.
As they pursue what makes themhappy and brings them joy.
As long as people are having agood time and I have the
opportunity to put smiles onpeople's faces.
I I love what I do.
I have done things that I neverthought I could do.
To have somebody tell me howreal it looks and how, you know,
(01:17):
from their actual memory.
Because that's telling me Icaptured what I was trying to
get.
Welcome to a startedconversations.
I'm your host, Helen.
Hello and thanks for listening.
(01:38):
Don't forget, hit subscribe orfollow wherever you're listening
to this podcast now so you don'tmiss any of the great
conversations coming up.
Now, if you've listened to anyof the travel-themed episodes,
you already know how much I loveto travel.
If it were free, nobody wouldever see me again because I'd be
(02:00):
off exploring.
This week I got to sit down withsomeone who has the same passion
for travel and was alwaysconsidered the go-to person in
her friend group for planningvacations.
She began to blog about all ofher travel adventures, and that
blog was the stepping stone forher to create a career and a
(02:23):
business for herself in thetravel industry.
Buckle up, grab your passport,listen to this week's episode,
and I'll see you on the otherside.
(03:05):
She took her love of travel,planning, and connection, then
built a company focused onmaking every getaway seamless,
meaningful, and stress-free.
I am so excited to welcomeEleanor to Assorted
Conversations.
Hi, Eleanor.
Hi, thanks so much for havingme.
Oh, thanks for being here.
(03:25):
How are you?
I am great.
We're about to kick off summer,and I just can't wait to get out
there and travel some more.
Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
I am right there with you.
Travel is one of my lifepassions.
So I have uh lots of questionsfor you about elevate your
(03:46):
escapes.
But let's start out with how didyour passion for travel start?
I think I'm just a naturallycurious person.
And I grew up in New York City.
So I had the opportunity to getto know so many people from
different cultures and learnabout their traditions, their
(04:08):
holidays, taste food, and inrestaurants as well.
So I think I really took thatand wanted to then see the world
and you know, visit as manycountries as possible or that
interest me.
Um and then I I really startedtraveling a lot in 2019.
(04:28):
I went on a few trips and I Ialways think the more you travel
and the more you talk to peopleabout travel, the more you're
going to want to travel.
Because when you meet people whohave been to really cool
destinations, it sounds amazingand you want to go for yourself.
So that's absolutely whathappened with me.
I took trips to Portugal,London, and then Costa Rica at
(04:53):
the end of 2019.
And that was my first solo trip.
After that, I was absolutelyhooked and just ready to get out
there and see and do as much aspossible.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Interesting.
Solo travel.
And I interviewed a woman whobasically quit her corporate gig
and is now traveling the world.
(05:14):
And she does it solo.
And that's something I have notdone a solo vacation.
So that's interesting.
Did you do all three of thosetrips solo?
No.
So the trip to Portugal, I wentwith two girlfriends who are
actually pretty well traveledbecause they went straight into
a graduate program aftercollege.
(05:36):
So they still had summers off.
And, you know, we're getting outthere and seeing and doing as as
much as possible before joiningthe corporate world, which I did
straight out of college.
So I did study abroad incollege, actually, but I I don't
think I appreciated it the waythat I appreciate travel now.
So, you know, that that reallywasn't a turning point in my
(05:57):
love of travel.
Um, and then I went to Londonwith my mom.
And for Costa Rica, I actuallyfound a group travel company for
young adults ages 21 to 35.
And I was so nervous about it.
I didn't know the company.
I didn't know anyone going onthe trip.
You get a random roommate.
And I sat there and I readhundreds of reviews and
(06:19):
everything that I could possiblyfind on this company online,
which, which looking back, I'mjust kind of, I think is is
silly, but you know, is reallytaking the the first step.
And I didn't know even thatcompanies like that existed.
They're becoming more and morepopular now.
But, you know, this was this wasstill a time where meeting
strangers on the internet wasn'twasn't what we did.
(06:42):
Right.
So I yeah, I took the leap.
I I had this really strong urgeto see the world and do more,
but I always felt like I waswasting time trying to convince
my friends to take these tripswith me.
And, you know, everybody'sschedule is different,
everybody's budget is different,and it was just becoming really
(07:05):
challenging.
So when I found thisopportunity, I I took that leap,
but I'm so glad I did because Ialso met amazing people on that
trip that I'm still friends withand still travel with today.
Oh, that's great.
Yeah, I had no idea companieslike that existed.
It's it's funny, yeah you'reyou're younger than I am, but
(07:26):
even at my age, after goingthrough a divorce and having
disposable income to be able togo travel, it was really
difficult because not all myfriends had the same freedom
that I did.
So I wish I had known that therewere companies like that.
And I probably would have donethe exact same thing you did is
research, research, research,and read because at that point
(07:49):
in time I was also on datingapps.
So, you know, meeting meetingstrangers on the internet still
isn't something I'd recommend.
But that is so fascinating.
So did you do the bulk of yourtravel after that through
agencies like that?
Or is that when you decided to,you know, go solo on your own?
(08:13):
Yes and no.
I had such an amazing time onthat trip that I then went on
about 10 other trips with thesame company.
I always added a little bit oflike solo, solo time, like, you
know, being on my own before orafter the trip just to extend
it.
And that's what I did on theCosta Rica trip.
(08:34):
After the group portion hadended, I rented a car and drove
across across the entire countryof Costa Rica to the other side
and just, you know, wanted toexperience a a very different
area than we had been in as agroup.
So I started doing combo tripslike that.
(08:54):
And then as I, you know, startedjumping into all of these
things, people would ask me,friends, acquaintances,
connections, like how I wasdoing this.
And then, you know, some camewith me, some also joined
companies like that.
And that's actually somethingthat I do with my company now
too.
I host group trips.
So I took my first land-basedgroup trip to Cuba in November
(09:18):
with a few ladies.
It actually wasn't intended tobe a girls' trip, but as I
started seeing the registrationscome in and it was all women, I
decided, you know what, this isjust gonna be a girls'
adventure.
And we had an amazing time.
It was, it was so incredible.
I worked with a local touroperator in Cuba who I had been
following for quite a few yearsbefore I actually took that leap
(09:42):
and messaged her and said, let'sdo something together.
And then I also host group tripson Virgin Voyages cruises, which
is a lot of fun for reallyanyone.
And everybody who attends cankind of choose their own
adventure.
They don't have to stay with thegroup the entire time.
They can pursue differentexcursions or onboard activities
(10:03):
or really whatever they wantthroughout their voyage.
There are group fitness classes,there are fun trivia games, pool
time, things like that.
But then there's also, you know,the party side.
So it really does work out for,you know, whatever the attendees
are looking for.
So I think that's also a lot offun because it it adds to the
(10:24):
flexibility of the trip.
Right.
And that's one thing I've alwaysloved about cruises.
You can go with a big group ofpeople, you can go with one
other person.
You could go by yourself.
And no matter, no matter what uhlarge group, small group,
there's always something forfolks to do.
A couple people will go to thecasino while others just want to
(10:47):
lay by the pool, and and othersmay want to go take a sushi
making class.
And that's one of the thingsI've loved about cruises.
I want to, I want to go back alittle bit to, you know, you
doing a lot of your solo travel,getting that experience through
that travel company, andobviously, you know, getting bit
by the travel bug.
At what point did you start toconsider something like elevate
(11:13):
your escapes coming into yourlife?
Yeah, it it really was 2023 whenI started, but before that, I
had sat on the idea of startinga travel blog for a few years.
Actually, the idea came to mewhen I was in London and having
such a good time.
And one, I'm an entrepreneurialperson, but two, I'm also a very
creative person.
(11:33):
So I always have to be kind offollowing a passion project at
any given time.
So I actually started somethingin 2019 when I got back from
London.
And I realized that it was justa lot of work.
And I kind of said, okay, well,why am I doing this?
Like I want to share like my funtravel tips and photos and
stuff, but you know, I don'tneed to make it into this
(11:54):
perfect blog.
Also, that's, you know, outthere on the internet, right?
So in 2023, I got to a pointwhere a few things were
happening at the same time.
One, I was, I was traveling so,so much.
And my job went remote after thepandemic, and I was just kind of
picking my laptop up and going.
(12:16):
And I loved that.
So I started seeing so manydifferent places, and I became
the traveler known in mycircles.
And, you know, people weregiving their information out to
family members to like contactme for travel tips and things
without my permission too.
Um, but you know, I had allthese people messaging me,
asking me for tips, asking mehow I started going on these
(12:39):
trips, how they could do it, howI afforded to do it, right?
Because I, you know, I'm stillin my 20s and budget is not
unlimited.
So that was that was a bigquestion too.
And people were asking to comeon trips with me.
And wow, you know, I I couldinvite people along, but I also
kind of like my solo thing.
(13:00):
I like a mix.
So I had this idea after Ibrought a few friends on board
with me on virgin, virginvoyages.
It's absolutely my favoritetravel experience, my favorite
brand right now.
Um, so it's such a good time.
And this was the second tripthat I did in which I brought
(13:20):
friends and they all had anamazing time.
They were all ready to plantheir next one.
And I I kind of started thinkingabout well, maybe I should
monetize this and maybe I shouldjust see where this goes.
My full-time job, the time wasreally slow.
I was very project-based, and itwas the summer, actually.
Nope.
(13:40):
Nope, it was a little bit beforethe summer, but during the
summer, I really had the time toget things moving.
And to be completely honest withyou, I never ever imagined that
I would take my business fulltime.
I would not have believed you ifyou told me, you know, I'd be
where I am today, because itreally was just a passion
(14:02):
project.
So as I went on, I would getexcited when people would reach
out to me for, you know, real,real bookings, right?
Real business.
And it was, it was just theexcitement of talking to more
clients and building my book ofbusiness versus the money.
So, you know, I kind of gotaddicted to it a little bit.
And I was just enjoying it somuch because it's something that
(14:26):
I love doing for myself.
So I loved doing it for others.
After some time, then, you know,I realized, oh, this is real
business and it's snowballing.
So, you know, I've had momentsalong the way where I've also
told myself, you know, you needto slow down.
I mean, I've come back to thatpoint a few times, but I'm just
(14:47):
so happy about, you know, wherewhere everything has taken me
and how my business has evolvedsince I started.
Right, right.
Wow.
So that's amazing.
It started with a blog and thenword of mouth referrals from
folks, and then you just jumpingin.
When did you make it officialand how did you go about that?
(15:08):
Like, did you you mentionedvirgin, virgin voyages or, you
know, did was there traininginvolved to become, you know, an
agent that specialized in theirexcursions and in their
experiences?
Sure.
So when agents start a newbusiness, most will join what's
(15:29):
called a host agency.
And the host agency has theserelationships with different
travel suppliers, like VirginVoyages and, you know, all the
cruise lines you see ads for onTV.
We have land partners, insurancecompanies.
Like we have amazing connectionsall over the world.
And, you know, the host agencyreally matters.
(15:51):
So I took the time and I did myresearch.
And again, being veryentrepreneurial, I was very
strategic about the way in whichI was building my business.
Now, of course, I made mistakesand there were things that I
didn't build early on.
Again, because this was justkind of a passion project at the
time that I absolutely shouldhave, but didn't and learned
(16:12):
later.
And, you know, I spent a lot oftime going back to fix.
But, you know, I have theseamazing relationships and
partnerships because of my hostagency.
Now Elevator Escapes is my owncompany.
It is, you know, an LLC, but Ihave, you know, the the
connections to suppliers andlots of back-end support from
(16:34):
the agency as well.
Is so Virgin Voyages is yourhost agency?
No.
Uh my host agency is calledOutside Agents, but you know,
it's not something that isreally so hands-wide.
Yeah, right.
Right.
Because I, my own independentbusiness.
I'm an independent consultantand I do own my own LLC and
(16:56):
everything filters through me.
So it's a little bit yourescapes.
But Virgin Voyages is a supplierpartner.
And I know you asked abouttraining.
They do provide training forpeople who are looking to sell
the brand, but everybody has tobe, you know, like a certified,
if you will, agent through oneway or another, many coming from
(17:18):
host agencies.
Gotcha.
Gotcha.
Yeah, I was gonna say it seemspretty daunting to just, you
know, with great travelexperience, a passion for
travel, and all of this word ofmouth.
I'm like, there has to besomething a little more
structured behind that to helpnavigate the, I want to say, not
(17:38):
so glamorous side of travelplanning.
So Right.
Well, I'm I'm glad you recognizethat and you brought that up
because a lot of people just seethe glamour and the excitement,
right?
They see me traveling all overthe world.
But what they don't see is me inthe conference room from nine to
five, learning and listening tosupplier presentations and
(18:02):
networking and all of that.
You know, there's a lot thatgoes on behind the scenes.
And it's it's been a little bitof a rough road too, because I
did start my business when I hada full-time job and I was really
working around the clock.
I still sometimes, to be honest.
And even when I'm traveling, Ithink my friends don't realize
(18:23):
how much I work and howimportant being connected is
because I am in client service,right?
So not everything is anemergency, but some things are
timely.
And I always strive to providethe best service to my clients.
So even when I'm traveling, likeI'm back in, if I'm on a ship in
my cabin or room or whatever,answering emails late at night
(18:45):
or waking up before my friendsor before a conference or
something earlier in the morningso that I can get to emails or
or tasks before I start the day.
So there really is a lot behindit.
And I think in travel inparticular, we're starting to
see some host agencies pop upthat have really great
marketing, attracting,especially a younger person.
(19:08):
You know, Gen Z is all about theside hustles and you know, so
are early millennials becauselife is expensive.
Um, they're kind of promisingthis build a business as like a
side hustle type of thing.
And I, you know, I could telleverybody travel is not a side
hustle unless you have two orthree clients because there's
there's always something newhappening in the world, you
(19:31):
know, with airfare and fuelprices and the new Europe
entry-exit system.
Like, if you're a professional,you really need to stay on top
of that kind of stuff.
And yes, you can do it on theside while you are working a
full-time job, which I did, butit it definitely is a much
larger lift than you know, a lotof these pop-up host agencies or
(19:56):
MLM type companies aremarketing.
Years ago, back when I was in my20s, you know, eons ago, when
the dinosaurs roamed the world,I looked at do becoming a travel
agent as a side hustle.
And when I looked at, I don'teven know if Saber is still the
(20:16):
system of use, but you had tolearn the Saber system.
This is back when there werepaper airline tickets, different
things like that.
And I went, yeah, it just seemslike an awful lot of work for
very little, very little bangfor your buck.
And and it wasn't that I wasgoing to start my own travel
(20:37):
agency.
It was maybe I'd, you know, workpart-time for Garber travel or,
you know, one of the one of thechain travel agencies that I
could do, maybe a couple nightsand a weekend day and just a
little extra pocket cash.
And I went, oh, way too much,way too much for me.
It is.
Yeah, there's a lot of back-endwork, but with that, there's
(20:59):
also a lot of responsibility,right?
Because if you enter in a dateor a time or whatever it is
wrong, you're on the hook forthat, right?
Oh, yeah.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
So I think I'll, you know, it'sit's not as widely known, but
uh, there is a very strong levelof professionalism that comes
(21:20):
with being a very successfulbusiness owner.
And I think there's there's alot of people who start out that
then never continue, which isunfortunate.
You know, it's it's nice thatthey are trying, but you know, I
think there needs to be morepreparation uh and learning and
growth before taking the firststeps.
(21:40):
Yeah.
There's an awful lot to learnand an awful lot to do.
Especially, I mean, you're inyou're you're in client facing
services, you're also inhospitality.
And when people are talkingabout going on vacation, are
planning to go on vacation tothe level that you provide.
(22:00):
That white glove service, I canonly imagine the expectations
become that much higher andharder, especially if something,
you know, something happensoutside of your control.
I mean, I can think of the TSAlines and and you know the high
(22:20):
cost of fuel now and how thatmight, you know, be affecting
travel.
What are some of the, what aresome of the current challenges
that you're dealing with outsideof those things?
Yeah, I think with travel,there's there's always things
that can and will pop up, right?
And you just described a fewsituations, you know, traffic,
(22:44):
flat tires, and things like thathappen.
I mean, I had one situation afew months ago where I booked a
group on a cruise, and I alsobooked them on a private
experience, a private tour ofthe area after the cruise.
(23:06):
So the tour was meant to pickthem up at the port.
Now, the cruise line then let usknow that the ship was going to
operate out of a different pier.
And that is very common incruises because also the cruise
line doesn't have any say overwhere the port puts them or
(23:28):
allocates them, right?
Because there are so manydifferent ships coming in of
different sizes.
Also, things change with weatheror customs or whatever.
And sometimes ships don't go tothe port that they were intended
to go to.
But the private tour that we hadorganized was meant to pick up
the group in golf carts.
And the golf carts then couldn'tget to this second pier.
(23:51):
So, you know, this is this was agreat learning for me because
it's it's never something that Ithought about.
It was not something that evenmy tour operator on the ground
ever considered.
And I really rely on the touroperators to, you know, be more
flexible.
And he was, however, he was thenincurring a separate cost
(24:14):
because he had to hire then avan to bring the passengers from
this pier to the downtown areawhere they were always meant to
disembark.
So that was probably my biggestlearning.
But I think flexibility reallymatters.
It matters across the boardbecause things are going to
(24:36):
change.
I have been so lucky that forthe most part, my clients are
really nice, very excited peoplebecause they're gonna go on an
amazing vacation.
And I will say, if I am talkingto somebody and I pick up weird
vibes or, you know, it that ourpersonalities are a little bit
(24:59):
different in a way that I can'tservice them the way that I do
service them or service myclients, then I will decide not
to to work with someone just asmuch as I would hope that they
would feel the same to not hireme if they don't feel as though
I'm a good vibe fit for them.
So, you know, there's there'salways this level of
(25:20):
flexibility, and we we have toalso like remember that as we go
through our travel.
As much as possible, we try toprovide absolutely seamless
experiences.
And I have the right contacts onthe ground that when something
does change, like that peerchanges, we're gonna find the
plan B and we're going to getyou where you want to be and get
(25:43):
you on the tour you signed upfor.
But we might have to send aminivan instead of a golf cart.
Right, right, yeah.
No, that's that's good.
And and I like that, you know,you're screening your potential
clients as much as you hopethey're screening you.
Because I do think, you know, tohave a memorable experience, one
(26:05):
of the criteria has to be you'vegot to be a good listener to
hear what's important to me andsometimes even read between the
lines so that I get that extra,oh my God, what a fantastic
experience.
Let's talk about some of the funstuff.
And I know it's not all fun.
(26:25):
I did business travel for years,and if I had a dime for every
time I heard, oh, you're solucky, you get to travel
everywhere.
It's like you don't understand.
Right.
Business travel and vacationtravel, two completely different
animals that yeah, I I do get tosee places, but I really don't
(26:47):
get to see them.
I see them from the inside of aconvention hall or a hotel room.
Right now, what are you seeingas the hottest trends in travel,
given the economy and everythingelse that's going on?
What are the hot trends?
So luxury travel is growing.
And the word luxury meanssomething different to
(27:08):
everybody, but we are seeingpeople, and I'll sort of say
Americans, because I live in theUS, we live in the US, and I'm
servicing mostly Americantravelers.
So Americans are still very muchtraveling despite the costs.
Now, there is some hesitation,and I've definitely seen that
(27:29):
over the last two years.
You know, when we start to seesome uncertainty or costs
rising, we see people being alittle bit more hesitant around
booking something further inadvance.
But once things level out alittle bit, and I don't know if
I can even say that things haveleveled out more recently, but
to some extent, once we'refeeling a little bit more
(27:51):
comfortable, then we see peoplebooking and traveling.
We're also seeing this idea ofluxury and these luxury cruise
lines, for example, you know,they're they're not as posh as
they used to be.
And that is not what people arelooking for anymore.
In the past, people would think,oh, luxury is crystal
(28:14):
chandelier, it's dressing up fordinner, formal night, captain's
dinner, all of that.
And that is not what people arelooking for anywhere.
They are looking for flexibilityand to be themselves.
And if that means, you know,they've been out on an excursion
all day in Alaska and, you know,they powered through some rain
(28:35):
and got dirty and, you know, didwhatever, and they just want to
have a chill dinner.
Well, they can go back andhopefully shower and change,
hopefully.
But, you know, they can go todinner and what they are
comfortable wearing.
They don't have to go put on agown to go to dinner.
And we're seeing some of eventhe higher end cruise lines uh
pull back on their dress codesbased on client feedback.
(28:58):
And that's actually somethingthat has changed on one cruise
line, Regent Seven Seas cruisesin the last year because I was
on Regent last May and we didhave a dress code.
And now it has relaxed very muchso because you know, people
really want that flexibility.
And then also to a lot ofpeople, luxury means, you know,
(29:20):
having a more personalized, morerelaxing experience.
They don't need to be weightedon hand and foot with butler
service, but they want to knowthat there is somebody either on
the cruise line or at the resortthat they can go to to ask for
what they might need.
So for some people, it's justthe luxury of not having to cook
(29:41):
dinner for themselves and nothaving to clean up after their
dinner that they're just reallyexcited to go to the dining hall
and be served.
So, you know, we're definitelyseeing luxury travel on the
rise.
We are also seeing river cruisesrise, which is exciting for me
because I'm definitely not thecurrent demo for river cruises,
(30:02):
but I really enjoy them.
Yeah, I really enjoy them and Ithink they're just an awesome
way to travel and see multipleplaces without having to pack
and repack and get on trains andall of that, which is a lot of
the type of travel that I havedone over the last several
years, but it's exhausting.
(30:22):
So, you know, if you can calmlysail down a river and see, you
know, these really small townsthat you probably would not have
seen otherwise.
But then you also see the thebigger highlight cities like
Vienna and Budapest and Parisand Amsterdam.
It's I I think it's an amazingway to travel.
And we're seeing current rivercruise lines expanding on the
(30:45):
waterways, Avalon waterways.
And then we're seeing newcomersin the space like Celebrity,
known for their ocean cruises,now coming to the river.
So there's probably going to bea lot of ships on the European
rivers, but also the Mekong andVietnam, the I forget the name
of the river in Colombia, butthat's starting to become
(31:07):
popular as well.
And there are also, which Ididn't fully realize until
recently, river cruises withinthe US, the Colombian Snake
River and the Mississippi River.
And those are gaining inpopularity too, because there
are some people who just want tostay in the U.S.
or closer to home or, you know,for whatever reason can't get
out there and take a 10-hourflight to another destination.
(31:29):
So we're seeing those grow aswell.
Yeah.
I I was most familiar withViking River Cruises.
As a matter of fact, Iinterviewed with them years ago
to do customer service traininghere in Boston.
And I looked at some of the someof the uh cruises that they
offered.
And if I had gotten a job, Iwould have qualified for two
(31:50):
free river cruises a year fortraining purposes.
So I definitely have my fingerscrossed for that one.
But it didn't work out.
And at the time they weretalking about, and I think they
did, I don't know if thepandemic affected them, but I
think they did get into theocean cruise side of things
because they actually started asthe river, river cruises.
(32:10):
They did, yes.
And Viking is a major player inthe space.
But what I think is interestingis there are so many newer
companies popping up to nowcompete with a Viking that's
always really had that marketshare and just being known for
the river.
And there are some lines toothat are shaping up to cater to
a younger or more activeaudience.
(32:33):
Um, a line like Emerald Avalonnow has adventure guides on all
of their ships doing biking andhiking and a lot of things I
don't care to do on vacation.
But people that sounds like workto me.
Yeah, active people do like todo.
I like to do it on my own, on myown time.
Yeah, with my own uh level ofenergy, right?
(32:55):
Because if I don't want to dothe full hike, I'm not gonna do
the full hike.
Maybe I'll get halfway anddecide that the view is enough
and and come back.
But there's there's a lot ofexciting things happening.
So I'm definitely lookingforward to seeing what's what's
gonna have been in the spaceover the next couple of years.
Yeah, I uh I you know I was Iwas pretty surprised by the new
(33:15):
definition of luxury travelbecause for me, luxury travel,
I'm picturing chartering a yachtlike what I watch on below deck.
To me, that's a luxury travel.
But, you know, I really like thenew definition of luxury travel.
And it really is a luxury tohave a point person to take care
(33:38):
of the little details,especially if the little details
don't fall into place.
That's, you know, it'saggravating in real life when
things don't go according to theplan.
I feel like I lose time when ithappens, you know, on vacation.
I don't get upset about itbecause I'm on vacation.
So, you know, things could be alot worse, but it is nice to
(34:03):
know that there is somebodythere and that it is a luxury to
have somebody that can smooththose rough edges out for you.
Sure.
Yeah, there's a lot of thingsthat travelers don't realize
will pop up along the way.
And even when I get out thereand travel on my own, you know,
especially in new destinations,you don't think about how long
(34:23):
point A to point B is going totake.
And, you know, you mightmisjudge how the subway works or
metro works in any particularcity if if that's what you're
doing.
Right.
Um, so yeah, so I help a lot inthe planning process from all
the way to from the start, likewhere are you going and how
what's your mode oftransportation?
(34:44):
How are you going to do that,all the way through those, those
little details.
But my favorite part, and Ithink where I do provide the
most value is the destinationexpertise.
I have been a lot of places andstill even invest in traveling
to places or uh with suppliers,cruise lines, et cetera, that I
(35:06):
am not personally interested in,but I know my clients are or
will be.
So, you know, it's it's justthat feeling of, you know, where
you're not super sure about anyparticular destination you're
going to, and then you havesomeone there to talk to you
about what it's like to bethere, how you do get around if
you are moving independently.
(35:27):
Because I will say, noteverybody books that package
tour.
Right.
Or not everybody hires me forservices pre-cruise,
post-cruise, or pre-river cruiseor pre-package or, you know,
whatever it is.
And I try to lean in as much aspossible that makes sense, but
some things are just, you know,kind of out of scope.
(35:48):
But I do help clients then, youknow, create their own more DIY
itineraries, which are morebudget-friendly for some
travelers.
Yeah.
And I talk to them what it'slike to be in different cities,
how you can navigate around thecities, what my favorite
highlights, sites, restaurants,bars are.
So, you know, there's a lot thatgoes into that.
And I'm so passionate about it.
(36:09):
I like to think of this example.
I was in Paris a few more than afew years ago, and I learned on
a walking tour from my guideabout how to take the river
evening cruise along this end,how to take it the just the
(36:29):
right time to experiencedaylight and nighttime, to turn
around Notre Dame with thesunset behind it.
And, you know, that's that'ssomething you maybe, if you're
really digging, can find inthread or trip advisor,
whatever.
But that's something that mostpeople know or, you know, would
be able to plan for.
(36:50):
So it's those special momentsand those special tips from my
personal experiences that I loveto weave into my client
itineraries to make it trulyspecial for them.
Yeah.
And I was gonna ask, how do youdesign travel experiences that
feel exclusive and deeplypersonalized for each one of
your clients?
Because I'm assuming they can'tall want the same experience.
(37:12):
No, they don't.
Every everybody's different.
I work with destinationmanagement companies that are
experts in their givendestinations, right?
So some only service particularcities and some service
countries, some service multiplecountries, but usually not too
many.
And they have access to all ofthe people on the ground and
(37:34):
these experiences that you'renot going to see when you're
searching online.
So, for example, um I know youmentioned uh yacht charter.
I've actually done that and I'vehelped clients plan for that.
I work with a company called ViaCroatia, and they have set up a
picnic with a Michelin-starredchef at a national park.
(37:56):
They've set up personal oystertastings on a oyster farm that
you have to take a private boatto.
And that those are just someexamples of these really curated
experiences that you can't findon your own.
And you know what?
They sound expensive and theyare.
Um, but you know, I also workwith some clients who aren't
(38:18):
maybe looking for an entireluxury trip, but they need a
special moment or day to be umreally special because of an
anniversary or a proposal, orit's their honeymoon and they
really want to invest in likeone particular day.
So, you know, I do work withclients with budgets of, I don't
want to say all, but a lot oftypes.
(38:39):
So, you know, I really try notto discourage people from
reaching out to see how we canwork together because I think
sometimes the word luxury, youknow, really can can deter
people from reaching out, right?
Even sometimes when I look atthese ultra-luxury destination
management company or suppliersthat I partner with, I'm like,
whoa, I know the price tag onthat and what that's going to
(39:01):
be.
But it really can be moreflexible.
And like I mentioned, you know,we can plan for one specific,
very special moment.
And then maybe the rest of yourtrip is DIY or um piece together
in a in a more of a budget.
And then I also like to help myclients figure out where to
splurge and where to save.
And that's how I travelpersonally.
(39:22):
And, you know, with my budgetgrowing in, you know, being a
business investment, I do tendto splurge a little bit more
than I used to.
But I remember what it's like totravel on a very tight budget.
And still, you know, I look forhotels in Europe that cater to
solo travelers and have, youknow, very small rooms with one
(39:44):
twin bed.
And a lot of times that's finefor me because I would rather
splurge on a foodie experienceor a cool tour.
Whereas on the other side, if Iam going to a resort and spend
all of my time at that oneresort, I'm gonna want a really
nice resort and that's what I'mgoing to invest in.
And then maybe I take the bus tothe airport to get there.
(40:06):
So, you know, there are a lot ofways to save and splurge within
particular itinerary, and that'swhat I help people do.
Oh, I think that's amazing,especially now, you know, with
the economy being what it is,the uncertainty that's out there
for what the future holds forus, you know, as a country, let
(40:26):
alone as individuals and asfamilies.
I think that is huge.
And I'll be honest with you, thelast place I would think a
travel agent could help me wouldbe to save money.
So that is that's actuallyreally refreshing to find that
out.
I do.
And and I know how to navigatethings to find better pricing.
(40:51):
I also, for cruises inparticular, almost always have a
deal that is better than bookingyourself online.
So it it really is veryadvantageous for clients to at
least see what I can offer themat any given time because
especially for cruises, I havelots of very close partnerships
(41:11):
with the different lines, but Ialso am part of preferred
networks.
So we talked a little bit aboutmy host agency, but I'm part of
preferred and exclusive groupsbased on my sales volume, but
also, you know, I've I've beenrecognized by suppliers for
being a good partner to them andservicing my clients very well,
that they are also more flexiblefor me.
(41:32):
So, you know, it's it's notalways going to cost people
more.
I will say a lot of times I docharge a planning fee for, you
know, these customizedin-destination experiences.
But that's also because, youknow, I need to protect my time
and get paid somehow.
So anyone who is looking for acustomized trip, at the end of
(41:55):
the day, I like to think I havesaved you m so much money and so
much time that my fee wasnothing compared to the
experience you had.
Right.
Now, what do you do?
And you don't have to give awaybusiness secrets, but what do
you do to really tap into aparticular client and what what
would really appeal to them andwhat would give them a wow
(42:17):
moment?
Well, I'm a gabber and I love totalk to people.
And sometimes I get my clientson the phone for hours and just,
you know, talk about whatthey've liked on past trips,
what they didn't like on pasttrips, what their vision is,
what they'd like to see.
Some will come to me and they'vealready started researching, you
(42:38):
know, XYZ sites in a city andthings like that.
But then I really try tounderstand their goals and how
they're trying to make theirtrip special.
I then take that and dependingon how we're moving ahead,
either build them a customitinerary myself or work with a
destination management companyto add, you know, these
(43:00):
different experiences in.
You know, I help people withthings like hot air balloons,
you know, and they didn't evenneed to mention that.
But if that's something that isreally special to that
destination that they may nothave even heard about, I might
add that in.
I might also ask thembeforehand, well, what do you
think about hot air balloons,right?
(43:21):
Because not everybody's gonnalove that.
Not everybody likes lovesheights.
And that's just one example.
But usually in a conversation, Ican gather whether they would be
interested in like walking toursor uh tuk-tuk tours or food
tours, things like that.
And then I build them somethinga lot of times also based on
personal experiences and thingsI've enjoyed and things I have
not enjoyed.
(43:42):
Yeah.
Uh what do what do you find thebiggest mistakes travelers make?
And and how can how can folksavoid making those same
mistakes?
I would say the number onemistake is jamming way too much
into an itinerary, trying to seeand do everything and multiple.
Multiple destinations.
I think a lot of Americans don'trealize how far apart different
(44:07):
cities are in Europe.
Like, yes, they're close.
It's kind of like going to adifferent state for us, but
would you jump to four differentstates in one week?
Right.
By plane or train?
Probably not.
And, you know, a lot of people,they are taking very special
trips.
I work with a lot of peoplegoing to Europe for the first
time or who hadn't haven't beenback in 20 years or, you know,
(44:30):
whatever.
And they they do want to see asmuch as possible.
And that is great.
But a lot of times if they wouldmove forward with an itinerary
that they were envisioning, theywould have spent four days in or
on transportation betweengetting to an airport, being at
the airport, going throughsecurity, customs, what have
you, going on the plane.
And, you know, that's just notan enjoyable experience.
(44:52):
That's not the vacation you wantto have.
So almost always when I talk tosome of my Europe travelers, I
am talking to them about paringdown what they are looking for
in a trip.
So they can actually enjoy itmore.
Exactly.
And not spend their whole timetravel.
Absolutely, 100%.
(45:12):
And we do still have, you know,very full itineraries, but
there's so much to see and do inthe particular cities that
they're looking at that there'sno reason to spend all that time
going for a train ride or planeride because they're, you know,
the opportunities are are therein these particular cities.
And they might just not knowabout them yet.
(45:32):
And it's always really importantto build in buffer time between
different activities or justrelaxing time or shopping time,
all of that, because we don'twant a traveler to get home and
say, well, I didn't even get toshop for olive oil in Italy
because I was just running fromone thing to another, or, you
know, that they feel it wasreally enjoyable because they
(45:54):
constantly felt like they wererunning.
So, you know, these are thingsthat I help clients balance.
Yeah, nice.
Nice.
What are some of the under theradar luxury destinations that
are worth exploring right now iffolks are considering, you know,
taking a trip with the familythis summer?
We're seeing the classicsreally, you know, continue to be
(46:19):
strong.
Rome, Barcelona, Paris, London.
But we're also seeing smallercities and types of different
types of travel popping up.
So Norway has become verypopular in Northern Lights
travel, especially over the lastcouple of years.
And that's something I've doneover the last few years, the
(46:40):
fjords over the summer as well.
So I'm seeing that moreoperators are coming to Norway,
more travelers are definitelygoing to Norway, and more of my
clients are asking aboutdestinations like Norway.
Um, Iceland has been on the onthe circuit for a while.
Uh Croatia has definitely comeup in the last several years.
Beautiful islands.
(47:00):
Yeah.
Oh.
Yeah.
Especially because of Game ofThrones.
We're seeing that also a lot ofTV shows and movies do impact
where people are traveling,right?
Like the White Lotus effect andSicily.
Yeah, that's that's huge.
Sicily is also coming up.
We're also seeing some of theairlines start nonstop flights
(47:21):
into what we don't consider, youknow, the most travel
destinations, but for example,United just started a nonstop
Newark to split Croatia thisyear.
And a lot of people aretraveling out to Croatia.
Delta has started JFK toSardinia, which is a beautiful
Italian island that I think isreally going to be going to
(47:47):
surge in in popularity soon.
It is such a beautiful place.
The water is just this amazingturquoise color.
People are very friendly andthey're not experiencing over
tourism, whereas, you know, theAmalfi coast, Tinqueter, like
those are places are jam-packed.
But I I think Sardinia is goingto be really hot soon.
(48:09):
And I had the chance to get outthere last summer, and I'm
starting to uh send my clientsthere now because it's it's just
such an incredible destination.
Interesting.
Interesting.
All right.
I have two bucket listdestinations, and I want you to
plan, you could you could do oneof them.
(48:31):
I want you to plan a seven-daytrip for me.
Maybe it would have to be 10 forthe amount of travel, but my two
bucket list places are BoraBora.
And I must sleep in a hut overthe water at least once.
And cruising the Greek islands.
Oh.
So I, you know, there's and andI would like to visit Albania
(48:55):
during that Greek island tripbecause I'm part Albanian.
Oh, amazing.
Yeah, we're starting to seeAlbania really pop up and travel
too.
I actually thought it wouldbecome more popular faster
because a lot of people are nowseeing it as an amazing
alternative to again whatthey're picturing.
They're picturing the Greekislands.
(49:16):
Um, a lot of people arepicturing Croatia, but Albania
is uh more untouched, very muchso than than Greece, which is
you know surging in popularity,as well as you know, Croatia has
become super popular as well.
So I'm I'm definitely excitedabout Albania.
I have not been there, but Ireally, really want to go.
I'm trying to figure out when Ican possibly add it to my
(49:38):
personal travel because, youknow, unfortunately,
unfortunately, because it's funand I have met a lot of really
cool people, but I spend a lotof my travel time in work
situations.
I actually just today got myluxury group's travel schedule
for next year.
So it's it's a little toughsometimes to plan personal
(49:59):
travel around that.
But the Greek islands areabsolutely incredible.
Greece is hands down number one,my favorite country ever.
It's funny, a lot of people askme like what my favorite country
is, and I just say Greece, andyou know, no question about it.
And you know, I think people areexpecting me to be like, well,
you know, I really enjoyed thisand this and this and this.
But no, I know that Greece andthe uh incredible experience
(50:22):
that I have had there, it itjust does not compare to to
anywhere else.
And just based on my interestsand what I like to do.
So I am so excited for you toeventually get to to that trip
and be on the water in Greece.
It's it's just so magical.
Yeah.
Well, uh, what are some of thethings that you would plan for
(50:42):
me?
So Santorini number one, andthat is another destination that
has been experiencing overtourism.
The government in Santorini hasactually started to tax cruise
ship passengers as they'recoming ashore.
They've tried to limit thenumber of cruise ships and the
size of the cruise ships cominginto the crater there.
(51:05):
But it is one of the mostexquisite places you will ever
see.
You know, Santorini is this likevolcanic rock with this amazing
crater with these ginormouscliffs that are just kind of
unbeatable to look at from bothon top, you know, the the
different cities like Fira andIa, you know, and walking along.
(51:28):
I actually did the, I think it'sseven miles hike.
It's not really a hike becauseit's it's flat, but it is
definitely very strenuous in thesun.
I've done that walk along theentire crater, which is
absolutely stunning.
But there are places, you know,you can grab a taxi or or go to
in the various cities.
And then from below the crateras well.
So the catamaran tours that thatgo there are just so much fun.
(51:51):
And that I will say that thecatamaran in San Germany is the
best day uh that I've ever hadin my entire life.
It was everything I couldliterally ever ask for.
And I just had such a fun time.
But there's, you know, otheramazing islands.
Milos has become more popular,but still isn't on the circuit
that is traveled by most, mosttravelers around Greece.
(52:15):
So it is still a bit untouchedand more authentic.
For example, my hotel front desklady did not speak a word of
English, which was a little bitstressful for me at the time
because I was not very welltraveled when I went there in
2021.
And, you know, Uber and ridechair is not a thing there
either.
So I was hoping that the frontdesk could arrange some
(52:36):
transportation and tours andthings for me once I got there.
And that was not the case.
Oh no.
Which was fine.
You know, I figured it out, youknow, and you kind of have to be
savvy if you don't partner witha travel advisor that's already
handled all of that for you.
But, you know, there's there'splenty of ways to get around the
island.
And I just hoped for the bestand hoped the company would come
(52:57):
pick me up once I called them onthe phone, and they did.
That was one of my favoriteplaces.
Paros is another absolutelyincredible island.
I feel like that was kind oflike my woe moment when I went
to Greece.
You know, I had already exploredAthens.
I had gone to some smallerislands, Hedra and a few uh
(53:17):
Agena, some smaller islandscloser to Athens.
And then once I got to Paros, Iwas like, wow, this is what I've
dreamed about.
I had, you know, the classicfamily style, amazing Greek
dinner spread with all of thevery, very fresh seafood,
cheese, salad, like everythingso fresh there.
And watched the sunset, andthen, you know, experienced the
(53:41):
the nightlife with the wine andthe beautiful hanging string
lights above our heads.
It was just exactly.
I've experienced some of thattoo.
But yeah, it was just it wasjust the the most amazing
experience.
And I I love sending travelersto Greece.
Actually, one of my very goodfriends, I helped her plan her
Greece honeymoon, and she'sleaving in about 10 days from
(54:04):
now.
So I'm I'm really excited forher to go and and experience
everything and and come backwith stories to tell.
So, what does the future holdfor you and elevate your escape?
I wish I could tell you,honestly.
My my business has just changedand evolved so much since I
started, like all in a good way,because I am learning and
(54:27):
growing every day.
I've been in business for aboutthree and a half years now.
And just the amount of learningand and traveling that I've done
is just absolutely unreal.
Where I would personally like totake my business, and this isn't
really a client-facing answer,but an entrepreneurial one is I
(54:48):
want to get out of the weeds inmy day-to-day because what I
enjoy is the interactions withmy clients and helping them sort
out what they want to do and andwhere they want to go.
And I've also enjoyed learningso much about the different
experiences that I can plan forthem in destination or different
(55:10):
cruise lines.
Because even if someone knowsthey want to go on a river
cruise, well, you know, thereare 10 really strong contenders
that, you know, you're even ifyou're you're on your own,
you're looking at, you're like,well, what's the difference?
And I've spent all the time andall the money doing getting out
there and yeah, but evenexperiencing for myself and
going to seminars andconferences and getting to know
(55:30):
my sales reps from thesecompanies.
Um, so I'd really like to bemore of the face of the brand
and less of the admin back sideof the brand.
Yeah.
Great, great.
And Eleanor, where can folksfind you?
So my blog and website iselevateyourescapes.com.
(55:51):
I am also on Instagram, which Iam trying to grow, but really
haven't prioritized yet.
I have plans to post somethingelse today.
And I uh will be launching soona new YouTube channel, which
will be under my brandElevateYour Escapes.
Perfect.
I will keep an eye out for that.
(56:12):
Well, Eleanor, I cannot thankyou enough for all of your time.
I have loved learning about yourjourney in a space that is very
near and dear to my heart, whichis travel.
And I've just, you've only beenin business for three years.
And to be in this business,looking back over the past three
(56:36):
years and all of the travelchallenges that you've had to
face on behalf of your clients,it's just mind-boggling to me
that you did far more than justtread water.
You actually made tracks.
And I think that's phenomenal.
So I wish you the best of luck.
And again, thank you so much forall your time.
(56:58):
Thank you.
I really appreciate that.
And the more joy that I canbring to the world and my
clients and anyone who reads myblog around travel, I'm I'm
going to do that.
And I love sharing um, you know,all of the special moments that
that travel has created for me.
So I just want others to be ableto do that as well.
(57:25):
What a go-getter Eleanor is.
As we talked, I was so struck byhow knowledgeable she was about
anything and everything that hadto do with travel.
Understanding the business,keeping an eye on industry
trends, staying in tune withwhat each specific client needs
(57:46):
and wants in a vacationexperience, plus building her
network to ensure she's got allthe tools and resources to
address anything that doesn't goaccording to plan.
She really handles it all.
With all the travel I've done,I've never used a travel
consultant to plan or execute atrip.
(58:06):
I've loved all of my trips, butnow I'm wondering if I got the
best bang for my buck or if Ileft some amazing experiences on
the table because I had no wayto know about them.
Rest assured, when I'm ready tocruise the Greek islands,
Eleanor will be hearing from me.
Jump down to the show notes toread her blog and connect with
(58:30):
her website and socials.
And while you're there, don'tforget to connect with me.
All my socials are linked aswell.
And something I don't promotemuch, you can buy the podcast a
coffee on Buy Me a Coffee.
It's a small way to help supportthe podcast, and a hundred
percent goes right back into thepodcast.
(58:53):
As always, thanks for listening,and I'll see you in two weeks.
Everyday people following theirpassions.
That's probably like like one ofthe highlights of my life so
far.
Just being able to be creativelike that.
Something I've always wanted.
And then I decided to getanother hive, and that turned
into a lot of hives.
As long as I can do that, I wantto be a good citizen.
(00:31):
Help people out.
Putting themselves out there,taking chances, and navigating
challenges along the way.
I I absolutely identified withhaving stage right because, you
know, anytime I went on stage, Ijust felt like I was having a
heart attack.
Very first laugh, very firstpractice session, I crashed,
turned the car upside down, madea spectacle of myself, and I got
(00:54):
back on that horse and startedriding again.
As they pursue what makes themhappy and brings them joy.
As long as people are having agood time and I have the
opportunity to put smiles onpeople's faces.
I I love what I do.
I have done things that I neverthought I could do.
To have somebody tell me howreal it looks and how, you know,
(01:17):
from their actual memory.
Because that's telling me Icaptured what I was trying to
get.
Welcome to a startedconversations.
I'm your host, Helen.
Hello and thanks for listening.
(01:38):
Don't forget, hit subscribe orfollow wherever you're listening
to this podcast now so you don'tmiss any of the great
conversations coming up.
Now, if you've listened to anyof the travel-themed episodes,
you already know how much I loveto travel.
If it were free, nobody wouldever see me again because I'd be
(02:00):
off exploring.
This week I got to sit down withsomeone who has the same passion
for travel and was alwaysconsidered the go-to person in
her friend group for planningvacations.
She began to blog about all ofher travel adventures, and that
blog was the stepping stone forher to create a career and a
(02:23):
business for herself in thetravel industry.
Buckle up, grab your passport,listen to this week's episode,
and I'll see you on the otherside.
(03:05):
She took her love of travel,planning, and connection, then
built a company focused onmaking every getaway seamless,
meaningful, and stress-free.
I am so excited to welcomeEleanor to Assorted
Conversations.
Hi, Eleanor.
Hi, thanks so much for havingme.
Oh, thanks for being here.
(03:25):
How are you?
I am great.
We're about to kick off summer,and I just can't wait to get out
there and travel some more.
Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
I am right there with you.
Travel is one of my lifepassions.
So I have uh lots of questionsfor you about elevate your
(03:46):
escapes.
But let's start out with how didyour passion for travel start?
I think I'm just a naturallycurious person.
And I grew up in New York City.
So I had the opportunity to getto know so many people from
different cultures and learnabout their traditions, their
(04:08):
holidays, taste food, and inrestaurants as well.
So I think I really took thatand wanted to then see the world
and you know, visit as manycountries as possible or that
interest me.
Um and then I I really startedtraveling a lot in 2019.
(04:28):
I went on a few trips and I Ialways think the more you travel
and the more you talk to peopleabout travel, the more you're
going to want to travel.
Because when you meet people whohave been to really cool
destinations, it sounds amazingand you want to go for yourself.
So that's absolutely whathappened with me.
I took trips to Portugal,London, and then Costa Rica at
(04:53):
the end of 2019.
And that was my first solo trip.
After that, I was absolutelyhooked and just ready to get out
there and see and do as much aspossible.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Interesting.
Solo travel.
And I interviewed a woman whobasically quit her corporate gig
and is now traveling the world.
(05:14):
And she does it solo.
And that's something I have notdone a solo vacation.
So that's interesting.
Did you do all three of thosetrips solo?
No.
So the trip to Portugal, I wentwith two girlfriends who are
actually pretty well traveledbecause they went straight into
a graduate program aftercollege.
(05:36):
So they still had summers off.
And, you know, we're getting outthere and seeing and doing as as
much as possible before joiningthe corporate world, which I did
straight out of college.
So I did study abroad incollege, actually, but I I don't
think I appreciated it the waythat I appreciate travel now.
So, you know, that that reallywasn't a turning point in my
(05:57):
love of travel.
Um, and then I went to Londonwith my mom.
And for Costa Rica, I actuallyfound a group travel company for
young adults ages 21 to 35.
And I was so nervous about it.
I didn't know the company.
I didn't know anyone going onthe trip.
You get a random roommate.
And I sat there and I readhundreds of reviews and
(06:19):
everything that I could possiblyfind on this company online,
which, which looking back, I'mjust kind of, I think is is
silly, but you know, is reallytaking the the first step.
And I didn't know even thatcompanies like that existed.
They're becoming more and morepopular now.
But, you know, this was this wasstill a time where meeting
strangers on the internet wasn'twasn't what we did.
(06:42):
Right.
So I yeah, I took the leap.
I I had this really strong urgeto see the world and do more,
but I always felt like I waswasting time trying to convince
my friends to take these tripswith me.
And, you know, everybody'sschedule is different,
everybody's budget is different,and it was just becoming really
(07:05):
challenging.
So when I found thisopportunity, I I took that leap,
but I'm so glad I did because Ialso met amazing people on that
trip that I'm still friends withand still travel with today.
Oh, that's great.
Yeah, I had no idea companieslike that existed.
It's it's funny, yeah you'reyou're younger than I am, but
(07:26):
even at my age, after goingthrough a divorce and having
disposable income to be able togo travel, it was really
difficult because not all myfriends had the same freedom
that I did.
So I wish I had known that therewere companies like that.
And I probably would have donethe exact same thing you did is
research, research, research,and read because at that point
(07:49):
in time I was also on datingapps.
So, you know, meeting meetingstrangers on the internet still
isn't something I'd recommend.
But that is so fascinating.
So did you do the bulk of yourtravel after that through
agencies like that?
Or is that when you decided to,you know, go solo on your own?
(08:13):
Yes and no.
I had such an amazing time onthat trip that I then went on
about 10 other trips with thesame company.
I always added a little bit oflike solo, solo time, like, you
know, being on my own before orafter the trip just to extend
it.
And that's what I did on theCosta Rica trip.
(08:34):
After the group portion hadended, I rented a car and drove
across across the entire countryof Costa Rica to the other side
and just, you know, wanted toexperience a a very different
area than we had been in as agroup.
So I started doing combo tripslike that.
(08:54):
And then as I, you know, startedjumping into all of these
things, people would ask me,friends, acquaintances,
connections, like how I wasdoing this.
And then, you know, some camewith me, some also joined
companies like that.
And that's actually somethingthat I do with my company now
too.
I host group trips.
So I took my first land-basedgroup trip to Cuba in November
(09:18):
with a few ladies.
It actually wasn't intended tobe a girls' trip, but as I
started seeing the registrationscome in and it was all women, I
decided, you know what, this isjust gonna be a girls'
adventure.
And we had an amazing time.
It was, it was so incredible.
I worked with a local touroperator in Cuba who I had been
following for quite a few yearsbefore I actually took that leap
(09:42):
and messaged her and said, let'sdo something together.
And then I also host group tripson Virgin Voyages cruises, which
is a lot of fun for reallyanyone.
And everybody who attends cankind of choose their own
adventure.
They don't have to stay with thegroup the entire time.
They can pursue differentexcursions or onboard activities
(10:03):
or really whatever they wantthroughout their voyage.
There are group fitness classes,there are fun trivia games, pool
time, things like that.
But then there's also, you know,the party side.
So it really does work out for,you know, whatever the attendees
are looking for.
So I think that's also a lot offun because it it adds to the
(10:24):
flexibility of the trip.
Right.
And that's one thing I've alwaysloved about cruises.
You can go with a big group ofpeople, you can go with one
other person.
You could go by yourself.
And no matter, no matter what uhlarge group, small group,
there's always something forfolks to do.
A couple people will go to thecasino while others just want to
(10:47):
lay by the pool, and and othersmay want to go take a sushi
making class.
And that's one of the thingsI've loved about cruises.
I want to, I want to go back alittle bit to, you know, you
doing a lot of your solo travel,getting that experience through
that travel company, andobviously, you know, getting bit
by the travel bug.
At what point did you start toconsider something like elevate
(11:13):
your escapes coming into yourlife?
Yeah, it it really was 2023 whenI started, but before that, I
had sat on the idea of startinga travel blog for a few years.
Actually, the idea came to mewhen I was in London and having
such a good time.
And one, I'm an entrepreneurialperson, but two, I'm also a very
creative person.
(11:33):
So I always have to be kind offollowing a passion project at
any given time.
So I actually started somethingin 2019 when I got back from
London.
And I realized that it was justa lot of work.
And I kind of said, okay, well,why am I doing this?
Like I want to share like my funtravel tips and photos and
stuff, but you know, I don'tneed to make it into this
(11:54):
perfect blog.
Also, that's, you know, outthere on the internet, right?
So in 2023, I got to a pointwhere a few things were
happening at the same time.
One, I was, I was traveling so,so much.
And my job went remote after thepandemic, and I was just kind of
picking my laptop up and going.
(12:16):
And I loved that.
So I started seeing so manydifferent places, and I became
the traveler known in mycircles.
And, you know, people weregiving their information out to
family members to like contactme for travel tips and things
without my permission too.
Um, but you know, I had allthese people messaging me,
asking me for tips, asking mehow I started going on these
(12:39):
trips, how they could do it, howI afforded to do it, right?
Because I, you know, I'm stillin my 20s and budget is not
unlimited.
So that was that was a bigquestion too.
And people were asking to comeon trips with me.
And wow, you know, I I couldinvite people along, but I also
kind of like my solo thing.
(13:00):
I like a mix.
So I had this idea after Ibrought a few friends on board
with me on virgin, virginvoyages.
It's absolutely my favoritetravel experience, my favorite
brand right now.
Um, so it's such a good time.
And this was the second tripthat I did in which I brought
(13:20):
friends and they all had anamazing time.
They were all ready to plantheir next one.
And I I kind of started thinkingabout well, maybe I should
monetize this and maybe I shouldjust see where this goes.
My full-time job, the time wasreally slow.
I was very project-based, and itwas the summer, actually.
Nope.
(13:40):
Nope, it was a little bit beforethe summer, but during the
summer, I really had the time toget things moving.
And to be completely honest withyou, I never ever imagined that
I would take my business fulltime.
I would not have believed you ifyou told me, you know, I'd be
where I am today, because itreally was just a passion
(14:02):
project.
So as I went on, I would getexcited when people would reach
out to me for, you know, real,real bookings, right?
Real business.
And it was, it was just theexcitement of talking to more
clients and building my book ofbusiness versus the money.
So, you know, I kind of gotaddicted to it a little bit.
And I was just enjoying it somuch because it's something that
(14:26):
I love doing for myself.
So I loved doing it for others.
After some time, then, you know,I realized, oh, this is real
business and it's snowballing.
So, you know, I've had momentsalong the way where I've also
told myself, you know, you needto slow down.
I mean, I've come back to thatpoint a few times, but I'm just
(14:47):
so happy about, you know, wherewhere everything has taken me
and how my business has evolvedsince I started.
Right, right.
Wow.
So that's amazing.
It started with a blog and thenword of mouth referrals from
folks, and then you just jumpingin.
When did you make it officialand how did you go about that?
(15:08):
Like, did you you mentionedvirgin, virgin voyages or, you
know, did was there traininginvolved to become, you know, an
agent that specialized in theirexcursions and in their
experiences?
Sure.
So when agents start a newbusiness, most will join what's
(15:29):
called a host agency.
And the host agency has theserelationships with different
travel suppliers, like VirginVoyages and, you know, all the
cruise lines you see ads for onTV.
We have land partners, insurancecompanies.
Like we have amazing connectionsall over the world.
And, you know, the host agencyreally matters.
(15:51):
So I took the time and I did myresearch.
And again, being veryentrepreneurial, I was very
strategic about the way in whichI was building my business.
Now, of course, I made mistakesand there were things that I
didn't build early on.
Again, because this was justkind of a passion project at the
time that I absolutely shouldhave, but didn't and learned
(16:12):
later.
And, you know, I spent a lot oftime going back to fix.
But, you know, I have theseamazing relationships and
partnerships because of my hostagency.
Now Elevator Escapes is my owncompany.
It is, you know, an LLC, but Ihave, you know, the the
connections to suppliers andlots of back-end support from
(16:34):
the agency as well.
Is so Virgin Voyages is yourhost agency?
No.
Uh my host agency is calledOutside Agents, but you know,
it's not something that isreally so hands-wide.
Yeah, right.
Right.
Because I, my own independentbusiness.
I'm an independent consultantand I do own my own LLC and
(16:56):
everything filters through me.
So it's a little bit yourescapes.
But Virgin Voyages is a supplierpartner.
And I know you asked abouttraining.
They do provide training forpeople who are looking to sell
the brand, but everybody has tobe, you know, like a certified,
if you will, agent through oneway or another, many coming from
(17:18):
host agencies.
Gotcha.
Gotcha.
Yeah, I was gonna say it seemspretty daunting to just, you
know, with great travelexperience, a passion for
travel, and all of this word ofmouth.
I'm like, there has to besomething a little more
structured behind that to helpnavigate the, I want to say, not
(17:38):
so glamorous side of travelplanning.
So Right.
Well, I'm I'm glad you recognizethat and you brought that up
because a lot of people just seethe glamour and the excitement,
right?
They see me traveling all overthe world.
But what they don't see is me inthe conference room from nine to
five, learning and listening tosupplier presentations and
(18:02):
networking and all of that.
You know, there's a lot thatgoes on behind the scenes.
And it's it's been a little bitof a rough road too, because I
did start my business when I hada full-time job and I was really
working around the clock.
I still sometimes, to be honest.
And even when I'm traveling, Ithink my friends don't realize
(18:23):
how much I work and howimportant being connected is
because I am in client service,right?
So not everything is anemergency, but some things are
timely.
And I always strive to providethe best service to my clients.
So even when I'm traveling, likeI'm back in, if I'm on a ship in
my cabin or room or whatever,answering emails late at night
(18:45):
or waking up before my friendsor before a conference or
something earlier in the morningso that I can get to emails or
or tasks before I start the day.
So there really is a lot behindit.
And I think in travel inparticular, we're starting to
see some host agencies pop upthat have really great
marketing, attracting,especially a younger person.
(19:08):
You know, Gen Z is all about theside hustles and you know, so
are early millennials becauselife is expensive.
Um, they're kind of promisingthis build a business as like a
side hustle type of thing.
And I, you know, I could telleverybody travel is not a side
hustle unless you have two orthree clients because there's
there's always something newhappening in the world, you
(19:31):
know, with airfare and fuelprices and the new Europe
entry-exit system.
Like, if you're a professional,you really need to stay on top
of that kind of stuff.
And yes, you can do it on theside while you are working a
full-time job, which I did, butit it definitely is a much
larger lift than you know, a lotof these pop-up host agencies or
(19:56):
MLM type companies aremarketing.
Years ago, back when I was in my20s, you know, eons ago, when
the dinosaurs roamed the world,I looked at do becoming a travel
agent as a side hustle.
And when I looked at, I don'teven know if Saber is still the
(20:16):
system of use, but you had tolearn the Saber system.
This is back when there werepaper airline tickets, different
things like that.
And I went, yeah, it just seemslike an awful lot of work for
very little, very little bangfor your buck.
And and it wasn't that I wasgoing to start my own travel
(20:37):
agency.
It was maybe I'd, you know, workpart-time for Garber travel or,
you know, one of the one of thechain travel agencies that I
could do, maybe a couple nightsand a weekend day and just a
little extra pocket cash.
And I went, oh, way too much,way too much for me.
It is.
Yeah, there's a lot of back-endwork, but with that, there's
(20:59):
also a lot of responsibility,right?
Because if you enter in a dateor a time or whatever it is
wrong, you're on the hook forthat, right?
Oh, yeah.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
So I think I'll, you know, it'sit's not as widely known, but
uh, there is a very strong levelof professionalism that comes
(21:20):
with being a very successfulbusiness owner.
And I think there's there's alot of people who start out that
then never continue, which isunfortunate.
You know, it's it's nice thatthey are trying, but you know, I
think there needs to be morepreparation uh and learning and
growth before taking the firststeps.
(21:40):
Yeah.
There's an awful lot to learnand an awful lot to do.
Especially, I mean, you're inyou're you're in client facing
services, you're also inhospitality.
And when people are talkingabout going on vacation, are
planning to go on vacation tothe level that you provide.
(22:00):
That white glove service, I canonly imagine the expectations
become that much higher andharder, especially if something,
you know, something happensoutside of your control.
I mean, I can think of the TSAlines and and you know the high
(22:20):
cost of fuel now and how thatmight, you know, be affecting
travel.
What are some of the, what aresome of the current challenges
that you're dealing with outsideof those things?
Yeah, I think with travel,there's there's always things
that can and will pop up, right?
And you just described a fewsituations, you know, traffic,
(22:44):
flat tires, and things like thathappen.
I mean, I had one situation afew months ago where I booked a
group on a cruise, and I alsobooked them on a private
experience, a private tour ofthe area after the cruise.
(23:06):
So the tour was meant to pickthem up at the port.
Now, the cruise line then let usknow that the ship was going to
operate out of a different pier.
And that is very common incruises because also the cruise
line doesn't have any say overwhere the port puts them or
(23:28):
allocates them, right?
Because there are so manydifferent ships coming in of
different sizes.
Also, things change with weatheror customs or whatever.
And sometimes ships don't go tothe port that they were intended
to go to.
But the private tour that we hadorganized was meant to pick up
the group in golf carts.
And the golf carts then couldn'tget to this second pier.
(23:51):
So, you know, this is this was agreat learning for me because
it's it's never something that Ithought about.
It was not something that evenmy tour operator on the ground
ever considered.
And I really rely on the touroperators to, you know, be more
flexible.
And he was, however, he was thenincurring a separate cost
(24:14):
because he had to hire then avan to bring the passengers from
this pier to the downtown areawhere they were always meant to
disembark.
So that was probably my biggestlearning.
But I think flexibility reallymatters.
It matters across the boardbecause things are going to
(24:36):
change.
I have been so lucky that forthe most part, my clients are
really nice, very excited peoplebecause they're gonna go on an
amazing vacation.
And I will say, if I am talkingto somebody and I pick up weird
vibes or, you know, it that ourpersonalities are a little bit
(24:59):
different in a way that I can'tservice them the way that I do
service them or service myclients, then I will decide not
to to work with someone just asmuch as I would hope that they
would feel the same to not hireme if they don't feel as though
I'm a good vibe fit for them.
So, you know, there's there'salways this level of
(25:20):
flexibility, and we we have toalso like remember that as we go
through our travel.
As much as possible, we try toprovide absolutely seamless
experiences.
And I have the right contacts onthe ground that when something
does change, like that peerchanges, we're gonna find the
plan B and we're going to getyou where you want to be and get
(25:43):
you on the tour you signed upfor.
But we might have to send aminivan instead of a golf cart.
Right, right, yeah.
No, that's that's good.
And and I like that, you know,you're screening your potential
clients as much as you hopethey're screening you.
Because I do think, you know, tohave a memorable experience, one
(26:05):
of the criteria has to be you'vegot to be a good listener to
hear what's important to me andsometimes even read between the
lines so that I get that extra,oh my God, what a fantastic
experience.
Let's talk about some of the funstuff.
And I know it's not all fun.
(26:25):
I did business travel for years,and if I had a dime for every
time I heard, oh, you're solucky, you get to travel
everywhere.
It's like you don't understand.
Right.
Business travel and vacationtravel, two completely different
animals that yeah, I I do get tosee places, but I really don't
(26:47):
get to see them.
I see them from the inside of aconvention hall or a hotel room.
Right now, what are you seeingas the hottest trends in travel,
given the economy and everythingelse that's going on?
What are the hot trends?
So luxury travel is growing.
And the word luxury meanssomething different to
(27:08):
everybody, but we are seeingpeople, and I'll sort of say
Americans, because I live in theUS, we live in the US, and I'm
servicing mostly Americantravelers.
So Americans are still very muchtraveling despite the costs.
Now, there is some hesitation,and I've definitely seen that
(27:29):
over the last two years.
You know, when we start to seesome uncertainty or costs
rising, we see people being alittle bit more hesitant around
booking something further inadvance.
But once things level out alittle bit, and I don't know if
I can even say that things haveleveled out more recently, but
to some extent, once we'refeeling a little bit more
(27:51):
comfortable, then we see peoplebooking and traveling.
We're also seeing this idea ofluxury and these luxury cruise
lines, for example, you know,they're they're not as posh as
they used to be.
And that is not what people arelooking for anymore.
In the past, people would think,oh, luxury is crystal
(28:14):
chandelier, it's dressing up fordinner, formal night, captain's
dinner, all of that.
And that is not what people arelooking for anywhere.
They are looking for flexibilityand to be themselves.
And if that means, you know,they've been out on an excursion
all day in Alaska and, you know,they powered through some rain
(28:35):
and got dirty and, you know, didwhatever, and they just want to
have a chill dinner.
Well, they can go back andhopefully shower and change,
hopefully.
But, you know, they can go todinner and what they are
comfortable wearing.
They don't have to go put on agown to go to dinner.
And we're seeing some of eventhe higher end cruise lines uh
pull back on their dress codesbased on client feedback.
(28:58):
And that's actually somethingthat has changed on one cruise
line, Regent Seven Seas cruisesin the last year because I was
on Regent last May and we didhave a dress code.
And now it has relaxed very muchso because you know, people
really want that flexibility.
And then also to a lot ofpeople, luxury means, you know,
(29:20):
having a more personalized, morerelaxing experience.
They don't need to be weightedon hand and foot with butler
service, but they want to knowthat there is somebody either on
the cruise line or at the resortthat they can go to to ask for
what they might need.
So for some people, it's justthe luxury of not having to cook
(29:41):
dinner for themselves and nothaving to clean up after their
dinner that they're just reallyexcited to go to the dining hall
and be served.
So, you know, we're definitelyseeing luxury travel on the
rise.
We are also seeing river cruisesrise, which is exciting for me
because I'm definitely not thecurrent demo for river cruises,
(30:02):
but I really enjoy them.
Yeah, I really enjoy them and Ithink they're just an awesome
way to travel and see multipleplaces without having to pack
and repack and get on trains andall of that, which is a lot of
the type of travel that I havedone over the last several
years, but it's exhausting.
(30:22):
So, you know, if you can calmlysail down a river and see, you
know, these really small townsthat you probably would not have
seen otherwise.
But then you also see the thebigger highlight cities like
Vienna and Budapest and Parisand Amsterdam.
It's I I think it's an amazingway to travel.
And we're seeing current rivercruise lines expanding on the
(30:45):
waterways, Avalon waterways.
And then we're seeing newcomersin the space like Celebrity,
known for their ocean cruises,now coming to the river.
So there's probably going to bea lot of ships on the European
rivers, but also the Mekong andVietnam, the I forget the name
of the river in Colombia, butthat's starting to become
(31:07):
popular as well.
And there are also, which Ididn't fully realize until
recently, river cruises withinthe US, the Colombian Snake
River and the Mississippi River.
And those are gaining inpopularity too, because there
are some people who just want tostay in the U.S.
or closer to home or, you know,for whatever reason can't get
out there and take a 10-hourflight to another destination.
(31:29):
So we're seeing those grow aswell.
Yeah.
I I was most familiar withViking River Cruises.
As a matter of fact, Iinterviewed with them years ago
to do customer service traininghere in Boston.
And I looked at some of the someof the uh cruises that they
offered.
And if I had gotten a job, Iwould have qualified for two
(31:50):
free river cruises a year fortraining purposes.
So I definitely have my fingerscrossed for that one.
But it didn't work out.
And at the time they weretalking about, and I think they
did, I don't know if thepandemic affected them, but I
think they did get into theocean cruise side of things
because they actually started asthe river, river cruises.
(32:10):
They did, yes.
And Viking is a major player inthe space.
But what I think is interestingis there are so many newer
companies popping up to nowcompete with a Viking that's
always really had that marketshare and just being known for
the river.
And there are some lines toothat are shaping up to cater to
a younger or more activeaudience.
(32:33):
Um, a line like Emerald Avalonnow has adventure guides on all
of their ships doing biking andhiking and a lot of things I
don't care to do on vacation.
But people that sounds like workto me.
Yeah, active people do like todo.
I like to do it on my own, on myown time.
Yeah, with my own uh level ofenergy, right?
(32:55):
Because if I don't want to dothe full hike, I'm not gonna do
the full hike.
Maybe I'll get halfway anddecide that the view is enough
and and come back.
But there's there's a lot ofexciting things happening.
So I'm definitely lookingforward to seeing what's what's
gonna have been in the spaceover the next couple of years.
Yeah, I uh I you know I was Iwas pretty surprised by the new
(33:15):
definition of luxury travelbecause for me, luxury travel,
I'm picturing chartering a yachtlike what I watch on below deck.
To me, that's a luxury travel.
But, you know, I really like thenew definition of luxury travel.
And it really is a luxury tohave a point person to take care
(33:38):
of the little details,especially if the little details
don't fall into place.
That's, you know, it'saggravating in real life when
things don't go according to theplan.
I feel like I lose time when ithappens, you know, on vacation.
I don't get upset about itbecause I'm on vacation.
So, you know, things could be alot worse, but it is nice to
(34:03):
know that there is somebodythere and that it is a luxury to
have somebody that can smooththose rough edges out for you.
Sure.
Yeah, there's a lot of thingsthat travelers don't realize
will pop up along the way.
And even when I get out thereand travel on my own, you know,
especially in new destinations,you don't think about how long
(34:23):
point A to point B is going totake.
And, you know, you mightmisjudge how the subway works or
metro works in any particularcity if if that's what you're
doing.
Right.
Um, so yeah, so I help a lot inthe planning process from all
the way to from the start, likewhere are you going and how
what's your mode oftransportation?
(34:44):
How are you going to do that,all the way through those, those
little details.
But my favorite part, and Ithink where I do provide the
most value is the destinationexpertise.
I have been a lot of places andstill even invest in traveling
to places or uh with suppliers,cruise lines, et cetera, that I
(35:06):
am not personally interested in,but I know my clients are or
will be.
So, you know, it's it's justthat feeling of, you know, where
you're not super sure about anyparticular destination you're
going to, and then you havesomeone there to talk to you
about what it's like to bethere, how you do get around if
you are moving independently.
(35:27):
Because I will say, noteverybody books that package
tour.
Right.
Or not everybody hires me forservices pre-cruise,
post-cruise, or pre-river cruiseor pre-package or, you know,
whatever it is.
And I try to lean in as much aspossible that makes sense, but
some things are just, you know,kind of out of scope.
(35:48):
But I do help clients then, youknow, create their own more DIY
itineraries, which are morebudget-friendly for some
travelers.
Yeah.
And I talk to them what it'slike to be in different cities,
how you can navigate around thecities, what my favorite
highlights, sites, restaurants,bars are.
So, you know, there's a lot thatgoes into that.
And I'm so passionate about it.
(36:09):
I like to think of this example.
I was in Paris a few more than afew years ago, and I learned on
a walking tour from my guideabout how to take the river
evening cruise along this end,how to take it the just the
(36:29):
right time to experiencedaylight and nighttime, to turn
around Notre Dame with thesunset behind it.
And, you know, that's that'ssomething you maybe, if you're
really digging, can find inthread or trip advisor,
whatever.
But that's something that mostpeople know or, you know, would
be able to plan for.
(36:50):
So it's those special momentsand those special tips from my
personal experiences that I loveto weave into my client
itineraries to make it trulyspecial for them.
Yeah.
And I was gonna ask, how do youdesign travel experiences that
feel exclusive and deeplypersonalized for each one of
your clients?
Because I'm assuming they can'tall want the same experience.
(37:12):
No, they don't.
Every everybody's different.
I work with destinationmanagement companies that are
experts in their givendestinations, right?
So some only service particularcities and some service
countries, some service multiplecountries, but usually not too
many.
And they have access to all ofthe people on the ground and
(37:34):
these experiences that you'renot going to see when you're
searching online.
So, for example, um I know youmentioned uh yacht charter.
I've actually done that and I'vehelped clients plan for that.
I work with a company called ViaCroatia, and they have set up a
picnic with a Michelin-starredchef at a national park.
(37:56):
They've set up personal oystertastings on a oyster farm that
you have to take a private boatto.
And that those are just someexamples of these really curated
experiences that you can't findon your own.
And you know what?
They sound expensive and theyare.
Um, but you know, I also workwith some clients who aren't
(38:18):
maybe looking for an entireluxury trip, but they need a
special moment or day to be umreally special because of an
anniversary or a proposal, orit's their honeymoon and they
really want to invest in likeone particular day.
So, you know, I do work withclients with budgets of, I don't
want to say all, but a lot oftypes.
(38:39):
So, you know, I really try notto discourage people from
reaching out to see how we canwork together because I think
sometimes the word luxury, youknow, really can can deter
people from reaching out, right?
Even sometimes when I look atthese ultra-luxury destination
management company or suppliersthat I partner with, I'm like,
whoa, I know the price tag onthat and what that's going to
(39:01):
be.
But it really can be moreflexible.
And like I mentioned, you know,we can plan for one specific,
very special moment.
And then maybe the rest of yourtrip is DIY or um piece together
in a in a more of a budget.
And then I also like to help myclients figure out where to
splurge and where to save.
And that's how I travelpersonally.
(39:22):
And, you know, with my budgetgrowing in, you know, being a
business investment, I do tendto splurge a little bit more
than I used to.
But I remember what it's like totravel on a very tight budget.
And still, you know, I look forhotels in Europe that cater to
solo travelers and have, youknow, very small rooms with one
(39:44):
twin bed.
And a lot of times that's finefor me because I would rather
splurge on a foodie experienceor a cool tour.
Whereas on the other side, if Iam going to a resort and spend
all of my time at that oneresort, I'm gonna want a really
nice resort and that's what I'mgoing to invest in.
And then maybe I take the bus tothe airport to get there.
(40:06):
So, you know, there are a lot ofways to save and splurge within
particular itinerary, and that'swhat I help people do.
Oh, I think that's amazing,especially now, you know, with
the economy being what it is,the uncertainty that's out there
for what the future holds forus, you know, as a country, let
(40:26):
alone as individuals and asfamilies.
I think that is huge.
And I'll be honest with you, thelast place I would think a
travel agent could help me wouldbe to save money.
So that is that's actuallyreally refreshing to find that
out.
I do.
And and I know how to navigatethings to find better pricing.
(40:51):
I also, for cruises inparticular, almost always have a
deal that is better than bookingyourself online.
So it it really is veryadvantageous for clients to at
least see what I can offer themat any given time because
especially for cruises, I havelots of very close partnerships
(41:11):
with the different lines, but Ialso am part of preferred
networks.
So we talked a little bit aboutmy host agency, but I'm part of
preferred and exclusive groupsbased on my sales volume, but
also, you know, I've I've beenrecognized by suppliers for
being a good partner to them andservicing my clients very well,
that they are also more flexiblefor me.
(41:32):
So, you know, it's it's notalways going to cost people
more.
I will say a lot of times I docharge a planning fee for, you
know, these customizedin-destination experiences.
But that's also because, youknow, I need to protect my time
and get paid somehow.
So anyone who is looking for acustomized trip, at the end of
(41:55):
the day, I like to think I havesaved you m so much money and so
much time that my fee wasnothing compared to the
experience you had.
Right.
Now, what do you do?
And you don't have to give awaybusiness secrets, but what do
you do to really tap into aparticular client and what what
would really appeal to them andwhat would give them a wow
(42:17):
moment?
Well, I'm a gabber and I love totalk to people.
And sometimes I get my clientson the phone for hours and just,
you know, talk about whatthey've liked on past trips,
what they didn't like on pasttrips, what their vision is,
what they'd like to see.
Some will come to me and they'vealready started researching, you
(42:38):
know, XYZ sites in a city andthings like that.
But then I really try tounderstand their goals and how
they're trying to make theirtrip special.
I then take that and dependingon how we're moving ahead,
either build them a customitinerary myself or work with a
destination management companyto add, you know, these
(43:00):
different experiences in.
You know, I help people withthings like hot air balloons,
you know, and they didn't evenneed to mention that.
But if that's something that isreally special to that
destination that they may nothave even heard about, I might
add that in.
I might also ask thembeforehand, well, what do you
think about hot air balloons,right?
(43:21):
Because not everybody's gonnalove that.
Not everybody likes lovesheights.
And that's just one example.
But usually in a conversation, Ican gather whether they would be
interested in like walking toursor uh tuk-tuk tours or food
tours, things like that.
And then I build them somethinga lot of times also based on
personal experiences and thingsI've enjoyed and things I have
not enjoyed.
(43:42):
Yeah.
Uh what do what do you find thebiggest mistakes travelers make?
And and how can how can folksavoid making those same
mistakes?
I would say the number onemistake is jamming way too much
into an itinerary, trying to seeand do everything and multiple.
Multiple destinations.
I think a lot of Americans don'trealize how far apart different
(44:07):
cities are in Europe.
Like, yes, they're close.
It's kind of like going to adifferent state for us, but
would you jump to four differentstates in one week?
Right.
By plane or train?
Probably not.
And, you know, a lot of people,they are taking very special
trips.
I work with a lot of peoplegoing to Europe for the first
time or who hadn't haven't beenback in 20 years or, you know,
(44:30):
whatever.
And they they do want to see asmuch as possible.
And that is great.
But a lot of times if they wouldmove forward with an itinerary
that they were envisioning, theywould have spent four days in or
on transportation betweengetting to an airport, being at
the airport, going throughsecurity, customs, what have
you, going on the plane.
And, you know, that's just notan enjoyable experience.
(44:52):
That's not the vacation you wantto have.
So almost always when I talk tosome of my Europe travelers, I
am talking to them about paringdown what they are looking for
in a trip.
So they can actually enjoy itmore.
Exactly.
And not spend their whole timetravel.
Absolutely, 100%.
(45:12):
And we do still have, you know,very full itineraries, but
there's so much to see and do inthe particular cities that
they're looking at that there'sno reason to spend all that time
going for a train ride or planeride because they're, you know,
the opportunities are are therein these particular cities.
And they might just not knowabout them yet.
(45:32):
And it's always really importantto build in buffer time between
different activities or justrelaxing time or shopping time,
all of that, because we don'twant a traveler to get home and
say, well, I didn't even get toshop for olive oil in Italy
because I was just running fromone thing to another, or, you
know, that they feel it wasreally enjoyable because they
(45:54):
constantly felt like they wererunning.
So, you know, these are thingsthat I help clients balance.
Yeah, nice.
Nice.
What are some of the under theradar luxury destinations that
are worth exploring right now iffolks are considering, you know,
taking a trip with the familythis summer?
We're seeing the classicsreally, you know, continue to be
(46:19):
strong.
Rome, Barcelona, Paris, London.
But we're also seeing smallercities and types of different
types of travel popping up.
So Norway has become verypopular in Northern Lights
travel, especially over the lastcouple of years.
And that's something I've doneover the last few years, the
(46:40):
fjords over the summer as well.
So I'm seeing that moreoperators are coming to Norway,
more travelers are definitelygoing to Norway, and more of my
clients are asking aboutdestinations like Norway.
Um, Iceland has been on the onthe circuit for a while.
Uh Croatia has definitely comeup in the last several years.
Beautiful islands.
(47:00):
Yeah.
Oh.
Yeah.
Especially because of Game ofThrones.
We're seeing that also a lot ofTV shows and movies do impact
where people are traveling,right?
Like the White Lotus effect andSicily.
Yeah, that's that's huge.
Sicily is also coming up.
We're also seeing some of theairlines start nonstop flights
(47:21):
into what we don't consider, youknow, the most travel
destinations, but for example,United just started a nonstop
Newark to split Croatia thisyear.
And a lot of people aretraveling out to Croatia.
Delta has started JFK toSardinia, which is a beautiful
Italian island that I think isreally going to be going to
(47:47):
surge in in popularity soon.
It is such a beautiful place.
The water is just this amazingturquoise color.
People are very friendly andthey're not experiencing over
tourism, whereas, you know, theAmalfi coast, Tinqueter, like
those are places are jam-packed.
But I I think Sardinia is goingto be really hot soon.
(48:09):
And I had the chance to get outthere last summer, and I'm
starting to uh send my clientsthere now because it's it's just
such an incredible destination.
Interesting.
Interesting.
All right.
I have two bucket listdestinations, and I want you to
plan, you could you could do oneof them.
(48:31):
I want you to plan a seven-daytrip for me.
Maybe it would have to be 10 forthe amount of travel, but my two
bucket list places are BoraBora.
And I must sleep in a hut overthe water at least once.
And cruising the Greek islands.
Oh.
So I, you know, there's and andI would like to visit Albania
(48:55):
during that Greek island tripbecause I'm part Albanian.
Oh, amazing.
Yeah, we're starting to seeAlbania really pop up and travel
too.
I actually thought it wouldbecome more popular faster
because a lot of people are nowseeing it as an amazing
alternative to again whatthey're picturing.
They're picturing the Greekislands.
(49:16):
Um, a lot of people arepicturing Croatia, but Albania
is uh more untouched, very muchso than than Greece, which is
you know surging in popularity,as well as you know, Croatia has
become super popular as well.
So I'm I'm definitely excitedabout Albania.
I have not been there, but Ireally, really want to go.
I'm trying to figure out when Ican possibly add it to my
(49:38):
personal travel because, youknow, unfortunately,
unfortunately, because it's funand I have met a lot of really
cool people, but I spend a lotof my travel time in work
situations.
I actually just today got myluxury group's travel schedule
for next year.
So it's it's a little toughsometimes to plan personal
(49:59):
travel around that.
But the Greek islands areabsolutely incredible.
Greece is hands down number one,my favorite country ever.
It's funny, a lot of people askme like what my favorite country
is, and I just say Greece, andyou know, no question about it.
And you know, I think people areexpecting me to be like, well,
you know, I really enjoyed thisand this and this and this.
But no, I know that Greece andthe uh incredible experience
(50:22):
that I have had there, it itjust does not compare to to
anywhere else.
And just based on my interestsand what I like to do.
So I am so excited for you toeventually get to to that trip
and be on the water in Greece.
It's it's just so magical.
Yeah.
Well, uh, what are some of thethings that you would plan for
(50:42):
me?
So Santorini number one, andthat is another destination that
has been experiencing overtourism.
The government in Santorini hasactually started to tax cruise
ship passengers as they'recoming ashore.
They've tried to limit thenumber of cruise ships and the
size of the cruise ships cominginto the crater there.
(51:05):
But it is one of the mostexquisite places you will ever
see.
You know, Santorini is this likevolcanic rock with this amazing
crater with these ginormouscliffs that are just kind of
unbeatable to look at from bothon top, you know, the the
different cities like Fira andIa, you know, and walking along.
(51:28):
I actually did the, I think it'sseven miles hike.
It's not really a hike becauseit's it's flat, but it is
definitely very strenuous in thesun.
I've done that walk along theentire crater, which is
absolutely stunning.
But there are places, you know,you can grab a taxi or or go to
in the various cities.
And then from below the crateras well.
So the catamaran tours that thatgo there are just so much fun.
(51:51):
And that I will say that thecatamaran in San Germany is the
best day uh that I've ever hadin my entire life.
It was everything I couldliterally ever ask for.
And I just had such a fun time.
But there's, you know, otheramazing islands.
Milos has become more popular,but still isn't on the circuit
that is traveled by most, mosttravelers around Greece.
(52:15):
So it is still a bit untouchedand more authentic.
For example, my hotel front desklady did not speak a word of
English, which was a little bitstressful for me at the time
because I was not very welltraveled when I went there in
2021.
And, you know, Uber and ridechair is not a thing there
either.
So I was hoping that the frontdesk could arrange some
(52:36):
transportation and tours andthings for me once I got there.
And that was not the case.
Oh no.
Which was fine.
You know, I figured it out, youknow, and you kind of have to be
savvy if you don't partner witha travel advisor that's already
handled all of that for you.
But, you know, there's there'splenty of ways to get around the
island.
And I just hoped for the bestand hoped the company would come
(52:57):
pick me up once I called them onthe phone, and they did.
That was one of my favoriteplaces.
Paros is another absolutelyincredible island.
I feel like that was kind oflike my woe moment when I went
to Greece.
You know, I had already exploredAthens.
I had gone to some smallerislands, Hedra and a few uh
(53:17):
Agena, some smaller islandscloser to Athens.
And then once I got to Paros, Iwas like, wow, this is what I've
dreamed about.
I had, you know, the classicfamily style, amazing Greek
dinner spread with all of thevery, very fresh seafood,
cheese, salad, like everythingso fresh there.
And watched the sunset, andthen, you know, experienced the
(53:41):
the nightlife with the wine andthe beautiful hanging string
lights above our heads.
It was just exactly.
I've experienced some of thattoo.
But yeah, it was just it wasjust the the most amazing
experience.
And I I love sending travelersto Greece.
Actually, one of my very goodfriends, I helped her plan her
Greece honeymoon, and she'sleaving in about 10 days from
(54:04):
now.
So I'm I'm really excited forher to go and and experience
everything and and come backwith stories to tell.
So, what does the future holdfor you and elevate your escape?
I wish I could tell you,honestly.
My my business has just changedand evolved so much since I
started, like all in a good way,because I am learning and
(54:27):
growing every day.
I've been in business for aboutthree and a half years now.
And just the amount of learningand and traveling that I've done
is just absolutely unreal.
Where I would personally like totake my business, and this isn't
really a client-facing answer,but an entrepreneurial one is I
(54:48):
want to get out of the weeds inmy day-to-day because what I
enjoy is the interactions withmy clients and helping them sort
out what they want to do and andwhere they want to go.
And I've also enjoyed learningso much about the different
experiences that I can plan forthem in destination or different
(55:10):
cruise lines.
Because even if someone knowsthey want to go on a river
cruise, well, you know, thereare 10 really strong contenders
that, you know, you're even ifyou're you're on your own,
you're looking at, you're like,well, what's the difference?
And I've spent all the time andall the money doing getting out
there and yeah, but evenexperiencing for myself and
going to seminars andconferences and getting to know
(55:30):
my sales reps from thesecompanies.
Um, so I'd really like to bemore of the face of the brand
and less of the admin back sideof the brand.
Yeah.
Great, great.
And Eleanor, where can folksfind you?
So my blog and website iselevateyourescapes.com.
(55:51):
I am also on Instagram, which Iam trying to grow, but really
haven't prioritized yet.
I have plans to post somethingelse today.
And I uh will be launching soona new YouTube channel, which
will be under my brandElevateYour Escapes.
Perfect.
I will keep an eye out for that.
(56:12):
Well, Eleanor, I cannot thankyou enough for all of your time.
I have loved learning about yourjourney in a space that is very
near and dear to my heart, whichis travel.
And I've just, you've only beenin business for three years.
And to be in this business,looking back over the past three
(56:36):
years and all of the travelchallenges that you've had to
face on behalf of your clients,it's just mind-boggling to me
that you did far more than justtread water.
You actually made tracks.
And I think that's phenomenal.
So I wish you the best of luck.
And again, thank you so much forall your time.
(56:58):
Thank you.
I really appreciate that.
And the more joy that I canbring to the world and my
clients and anyone who reads myblog around travel, I'm I'm
going to do that.
And I love sharing um, you know,all of the special moments that
that travel has created for me.
So I just want others to be ableto do that as well.
(57:25):
What a go-getter Eleanor is.
As we talked, I was so struck byhow knowledgeable she was about
anything and everything that hadto do with travel.
Understanding the business,keeping an eye on industry
trends, staying in tune withwhat each specific client needs
(57:46):
and wants in a vacationexperience, plus building her
network to ensure she's got allthe tools and resources to
address anything that doesn't goaccording to plan.
She really handles it all.
With all the travel I've done,I've never used a travel
consultant to plan or execute atrip.
(58:06):
I've loved all of my trips, butnow I'm wondering if I got the
best bang for my buck or if Ileft some amazing experiences on
the table because I had no wayto know about them.
Rest assured, when I'm ready tocruise the Greek islands,
Eleanor will be hearing from me.
Jump down to the show notes toread her blog and connect with
(58:30):
her website and socials.
And while you're there, don'tforget to connect with me.
All my socials are linked aswell.
And something I don't promotemuch, you can buy the podcast a
coffee on Buy Me a Coffee.
It's a small way to help supportthe podcast, and a hundred
percent goes right back into thepodcast.
(58:53):
As always, thanks for listening,and I'll see you in two weeks.
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