Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonia Rectenwald.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Like many of my counterparts, I got into the travel industry because of my passion for travel. In fact, I can thank my dad for my love of travel. My father was in the Army and we were fortunate enough to be stationed in Germany 2 separate times for a total of eight years during my childhood. It was easy to hop in the car or catch a train and go on an adventure, see a castle or visit an ancient fortified city. One of my favorite childhood memories is visiting Neuschwanstein castle when I was about eight years old, for those who aren’t familiar, this is the castle used as inspiration for Cinderella’s castle. Several years later, I had the privilege of taking my two girls to Neuschwanstein castle when my husband was stationed in Germany and nearly 20 years later, they still talk about that trip. Travel really is one of the greatest gifts because you have will memories that last a lifetime.
Having been in the corporate world for several years, I knew I wanted to be in business for myself and to do something I was passionate about. When my husband and I were brainstorming about what kind of business we wanted to start, travel was always at the top of the list. From there, we started investigating different options and decided on purchasing a travel franchise from Dream Vacations, ranked The Top Home-Based Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine and the Top Franchise for Veterans.
We’ve now had our franchise for three years and we absolutely love it! It doesn’t feel like work because we love what we do. I get just as excited creating that perfect vacation for a client as I would with my own vacation. We are very lucky that we can live that “laptop lifestyle” and work anywhere in the world. We are able to travel all over the world and take several trips a year while still being engaged in our business. We really are living the dream!
Has it been a smooth road?
I think with any small business, it can be tough when you first start out. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful support system at home, with my network of fellow travel advisors and, of course, with our franchise headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. My biggest challenge when first starting out was trying to be everything to everyone and trying to learn everything about every supplier. Once I realized I needed to really define my niche and specialize in a few specific types of travel, it took the pressure off. I was able to catch my breath and really do a deep dive into those areas, build relationships with those specific suppliers, learn everything about what they have to offer, experience their product/service and educate myself so that I can relay that expertise when working with a client.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are very proud to be a veteran-owned travel agency and we book all types of travel, whether land or cruise. We are known for and specialize in river cruising in Europe, Asia and Africa as well as wine-themed, beer-themed and Christmas Market river cruises and custom land tours in Europe. We typically have several group river cruise opportunities a year so that our clients can take advantage of group pricing and perks. In fact, we just returned from a wine-themed river cruise sailing from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam with stops in Germany and France with a group. Because they booked into a group, we were able to offer them $1600 in savings per person and some additional perks they wouldn’t have had otherwise.
We also book other types of group travel whether by land or sea such as reunions, corporate retreats, girlfriend getaways, church groups, etc. Of course, we book a lot of cruises out of Galveston, New Orleans and Florida and land packages to Mexico as well.
I am most proud of being able to craft the perfect dream vacation for my clients and to help them make memories that last a lifetime. What sets us apart from big box stores and online travel sites is that you aren’t just a number to us; we aren’t just an order taker. We are travel advisers, we listen to what our clients want and we deliver a travel experience custom-tailored to their specific needs and that fits their budget. We save our clients time and money and offer perks and discounts not readily available to the public. We also offer suggestions or options that they might not have thought of, are there for them 24/7 when traveling and can make adjustments to travel plans on the fly should our clients run into any issues such as delayed or canceled flights, missed connections, lost luggage, etc.
I absolutely love what I do, I help my clients create memories with their loved ones that will last a lifetime. My clients travel and then come home a storyteller, sharing memories and details of their amazing trip with me, their friends and their family and that is my biggest reward.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Our city is an amazing place for travel agents. It’s a hot destination in its own right with fantastic dining, culture, and plenty of activities for every budget and taste. Plus being in close proximity to two international airports with several direct flights worldwide as well as the Galveston Cruise terminal being just down the road and New Orleans only a 6-hour drive makes it very convenient for travel clients to pretty much go anywhere in the world they desire. I love the people of our city, we are diverse, we love to travel and experience new destinations.
My business is mostly referrals from past clients and word of mouth. I certainly feel that as large of a city as Houston is, it’s a wonderful city for travel agents to start out in and thrive.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vacationsbysonia.com
- Phone: 281-767-7003
- Email: srectenwald@dreamvacations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vacationsbysonia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vacationsbysoniar/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VacabySonia
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