Welcome to my crazy world. For 20+ years, I was incredibly fortunate to be a stay at home mom and raise my incredible children, Alyssa and Kyle. They are now adults, which is so crazy. 23 and 25 and living their best lives. Although, raising my kids was a true gift, I never had anything else to call my own. Until I discovered the world of travel. I would be remiss, if I didn’t also mention my marriage. Rick and I are just a few months shy of celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary. We’ll be doing so in South Africa while on safari and we are SO EXCITED. In October 2013, I was chatting with one of my closest girlfriends and we brought up the idea of taking a trip. After a few moments, we decided we needed to go to Europe. But, where? How about London and Paris? YES! Mendy was working a full time job, so I said, “I’ll plan it!” I went home and immediately went on the internet. Within in a few moments, I realized I had no idea how to make this trip happen. So, I reached out to another girlfriend who owned a travel agency. We met at Starbucks and the planning began. While we were discussing ideas for our trip, she causally mentioned that maybe I should sell travel? That I would be great at it. I’ve always shied away from sales, I cannot stand rejection. (Turns out 5 years later, I still cannot stand rejection). Anyway, I said, “let me take this trip and think about it.” I came back from my trip, which was in April of 2014 and I immediately called my girlfriend and said “if I can offer to other people, what you just provided for me, I’m in! Sign me up!” Within a few days, I was a travel agent! In January of 2015, I created An Extraordinary Traveler. It was a mix of fear, excitement and a lot of “what if I fail” moments. But, it turns out I’m really good at this travel agent (advisor) thing. I started booking amazing trips for family and close friends and now 5 years into an industry I always thought was a dream, I’m a success. I’ve earned the Circle Of Excellence award, I was named the Ambassador for Nexion, my host agency in 2018, I’m a mentor, I sit on 2 boards. The advisory Board for Nexion and just a few weeks ago was honored with an invitation to be a board member for the DFW ASTA Chapter. I’m also a Mentor for Nexion and regularly help new advisors with advice and ideas on how to improve their own businesses. It’s truly a thrill. I’ve been interviewed for a wide assortment of travel related resources as well as a 2 part radio interview. Now, I’m planning an amazing trip to Cannes, France for the ILTM conference that is reserved for luxury agents. Pinch me!!! I love my job, I love learning and experiencing amazing destinations and I love my clients and the relationships I build with them. I never for a moment feel like I deserve the success, but I’m thrilled for it.
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'A referral from you, is the nicest compliment I can receive' kimberlee@anextraordinarytraveler.com