Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Williams Jr.
Hi Andrew, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started working when I was 14. Growing up I was taught that if you want something, you have to work for it and go get it yourself. I moved around from various industries over the years, but I really honed my skills working in the Houston Nightlife scene and Retail Management before I found my place in the Travel Industry. I really stumbled into travel and before I knew it, I had been working for Singapore Airlines for a decade. A casual conversation with a friend and client turned into a job offer as Director of Sales and Customer Services for a luxury travel agency, for which I ended up changing my title to Director of Travel Experiences before accepting the role. That position gave me the opportunity to handle celebrity clientele and gave me access to experiences that most people only dream of. When that company was sold, I took advantage of my buyout to start TRAVEL AT WILL. My vision from day one has been to make people’s travel dreams come true. To give everyone who seeks access to those exclusive experiences that typically only the uber-wealthy can obtain.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been far from smooth. When you go from working for established brands to trying to create something new, even clients you’ve worked with for years can jump ship. You really need to have a multilateral network of customers just to keep things afloat. Of course, the biggest obstacle that I faced was the pandemic. I was literally at a travel tradeshow in Atlanta promoting my company when the shutdown happened. In addition to lost revenues from canceled trips, I had just launched several digital marketing campaigns that were now useless. The future for travel looked very bleak and a lot of people left the industry. I decided to take advantage of the extra free time to build up my destination knowledge. I completed online trainings, watched videos, read blogs and books. As things began to open back up, mass transportation wasn’t readily available. Clients came to me because they needed private jets, sprinter vans, or yachts to get away. Since June of 2021, I haven’t really had to look back.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
TRAVEL AT WILL is a concierge-style travel design firm. As a luxury travel brand, we have the ability to organize all types of travel experiences, from business to leisure. Our motto lies in the meaning of our name, it’s travel as you wish or desire it to be. We specialize in experiential travel, and we primarily plan honeymoons. Our attention to details and our high level of concierge service set us apart from our competitors. Every client receives 24/7 support direct from us during their trip, no call centers or helplines. We also provide services like restaurant recommendations or reservations at no additional charge.
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?
The most important thing I learned from covid was to diversify. Before the pandemic, we primarily sold a lot of Europe and Asia. Now we’re booking more Caribbean and South America. We also leaned heavily on our airline and cruiseline partners for transportation before covid. Now, our network of private aviation and yacht charter partners is just as significant as our list of commercial partners. You can never have too many product options or suppliers. Collect them all, just in case your backups fail.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.travelatwill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_travel_at_will/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRAVELATWILL.LLC/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/travel-at-will/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TRAVEL_AT_WILL?s=09
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHXzRNDrEvnaQzT7f7-qwg
- Other: https://linktr.ee/TRAVEL_AT_WILL
