Today we’d like to introduce you to Shenita Outland.
Shenita, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The travel bug bit me during childhood. It all started domestically when I would take road trips every summer with my grandparents. Looking back, I really appreciate what they did for me which was broaden my eyes beyond my own, familiar environment. Then I took my 1st international trip at 17 and I was definitely ignited. I told myself I was going to finish college, start my career and start seeing more of the world and I did. People would ask me how did I like where I went, where did I stay, what did I do and I decided the most effective way to address everyone’s questions was to start blogging. Blogging slowly turned into me creating trip itineraries for people and eventually morphed into a full-fledge travel business.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No. It was a fairly easy start-up and I had the clientele I needed to get started. But being a full-time professional in a completely different area requires some serious time-management & compartmentalization skills. I had to eventually learn to run a part-time business with a full-time mindset and dedication if I really wanted it to grow. But I also had to get realistic about what that growth would look like and what I could handle at certain points in my life.
As you know, we’re big fans of World Travels, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
It’s a full-service travel agency. We do it all – solo trips, birthday getaways, family celebrations, honeymoons, destination weddings. We got you from the lodging to the transfers to the activities. If you need travel insurance, an itinerary, all-inclusive or simply a luxury villa, we got you covered. I’m extremely accessible and accommodating to my clients and my staff and I come with a lot of 1st-hand expertise. I don’t really send my clients anywhere that I haven’t personally been or where I haven’t established connections or partnerships. That’s something that I’m proud of. When I’ve stumbled, it’s because I deviated from that formula. I stick to what I know but I’m always pushing myself to know more. I’m officially a certified travel advisor, which required quite a bit of training and I’m also certified in several brands, islands & countries.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes. Be patient, don’t panic and ride the wave. The travel industry probably took 1 of the biggest hits of any industry. But I had to remain calm and salvage what I could for my current clients. I knew eventually “outside” would open back up again. When everything shut down, I took that as an opportunity to revamp some things, update my processes and operations, hire some new talent, amp up my social media presence. So it was just a matter of shifting my energy on things other than booking and planning vacations that would make the business run smoother once we were back to normal.
Pricing:
- Planning fee: $50 & up (flat fee)
- Destination Weddings: $200 & up
- Travel Itineraries: starting at $40
Contact Info:
- Email: info@worldtravelsllc.com
- Website: www.worldtravelsllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldtravelsllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldTravelsLLC/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/world-travels-houston?hrid=EkuTP1W6Fj9e32d3Y4WQBQ&osq=world+travels
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