Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Quirk.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My love for travel has been strong my entire life, however it has taken me a while to find the travel industry as my career path.
I attended Washington and Lee University and earned my degree in Music and Theater. Acting and singing have always been my passions and I performed on New York off-Broadway stages for five years before moving to Los Angeles. I also worked as a freelance administrative/executive/personal assistant for over ten years in NYC and LA. This was just my “day job” as I pursued other work in the Arts. While I knew my heart wasn’t in my assistant work, I undeniably gained experience working one-on-one with many clients to maintain their schedules and meetings, complete research projects, put together events and…plan travel. I learned that I’m darn good at being organized, even with a heavy task load. I also realized that I was already running my own business, just not one that I really enjoyed.
About five years ago, I had the realization that I could turn my passion for travel into a career. For a long time before that, I had dismissed the idea since I thought “Travel Agents” were a thing of the past. My only vague memory was my mom taking me into AAA in the 1990’s where we spoke to a lady behind a desk who booked our trip to Walt Disney World in 10 minutes then handed us a few brochures before walking us out the door. I didn’t realize until recently that I could be part of a new breed of millennial Travel Advisors that did more than ticketing trips with only transactional interactions. So I started my career in the travel industry as an Independent Contractor with a host agency based in Texas. I discovered that I love not only itinerary planning but also the sales process. I learned that there are many travelers willing to pay for personalized, concierge-level service for their vacations. In 2019 I broke off to start my own agency, Travel With Character®, and the rest is history.
So what about my creative side then? I’ve always been a storyteller and entertainer. That is my “why” and my purpose in this life. Well, I’ve found that there are many ways to entertain. Even doing presentations for a client’s Zoom consultation call can be fun! Any chance I can get to throw in little surprises for my guests are opportunities for me to use my creativity. When I travel, I enjoy photography and sharing those pictures online. Heck, I even sing parody songs about funny travel situations on my Tiktok. Travel planning should be FUN and stress-free and I’m here to make that possible for my guests.
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?
I started Travel With Character® in 2019, and I’m sure you can guess that the biggest obstacle for my travel agency was the Covid-19 pandemic. In the spring of 2020, I was on the phone on a daily basis, not booking and planning vacations but instead canceling them. Every. Day. I was an advocate for my guests, working with our Supplier partners to make sure they were taken care of during the difficult situation. One huge blessing that came out of the pandemic is that travelers want a safe, stress-free and relaxing getaway, and they are seeing the value of a professional advisor even more now. In 2021 we are seeing our guests more enthusiastic about traveling safely, and our business has picked up tremendously.
As a Travel Advisor, another large obstacle is the prevalence of DIY travel booking sites. Yes, the internet makes it very easy to book a trip, but sometimes deals aren’t what they appear to be. Oftentimes people don’t read the fine print or know the ins and outs of the destination. They might save a few dollars upfront, but in the long run they might spend a whole lot more fixing mistakes, being upsold on trip components they don’t need or care for, and wasting many hours with customer service call centers. The good news is that we have found some amazing guests who value our time and expertise and come to us when they are looking for a memorable vacation. Honestly, nothing can replace the value of genuine human connection when it comes to preparing for that special getaway.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Travel With Character® specializes in concierge planning for family vacations, with our most popular destinations being Orlando theme parks, Hawaii, Cruises, domestic resorts, all-inclusives and Europe. Our guests range from the moderate to luxury traveler, all with specific needs we address on a personal basis. We don’t promote cookie-cutter vacation packages because every trip is a unique experience for that family.
My goal in forming the agency was to build a caring and personable team of advisors from all over the US with diverse travel passions and specialties. We are currently a “boutique” agency with under ten IC advisors. My advisors are also my “clients,” as it is my job to make sure that they have the support they need to succeed in servicing their clients under our Travel With Character® brand.
In addition to owning the agency and taking care of the day-to-day administrative tasks, I also design vacations for select guests. My favorite challenges are finding the perfect accommodations to meet the needs of the traveler’s tastes and budget, as well as assisting with reservations for things like spa, dining, and excursions. And of course any time I can save them money with a surprise promotion, get them added perks from our agency’s connections or snag a hard-to-get reservation, my job feels extra magical!
What was your favorite travel memory?
My favorite travel memory combines my love for music and travel. My husband and I were enjoying our first visit to Ireland and found our way to Dublin’s oldest pub (or so they say!) for a dinner with storytelling from some local guides. We climbed our way up into a private dining room, which felt like an attic where a family might come to enjoy a traditional feast together. All that was missing was a warm fire and some woven blankets to curl up under. It definitely transported us back to a different time. There were a few other couples seated near us, but we noticed a large group of young men in their early 20’s taking up several of the surrounding tables. They were conversing in a different language while they ate their dinners of lamb stew and colcannon…extremely tasty by the way! Our storytelling guides took us through Irish folklore with stories and songs on the guitar, while my Irish-blooded lad of a husband enjoyed every moment. Right before the dessert course was to be presented, one of the young men stood, spoke in hushed tones to the storyteller, and then turned eagerly to face the room of diners. Everyone grew quiet. He spoke with a Scandinavian accent and said that his group of bandmates would like to sing for us. Sing! Could this evening possibly get better than it was already? Following their leader, the young men stood and one hummed a note to the group. Just like that, they sang the most beautiful a cappella arrangements for us, the acoustics of the attic-like space being the perfect conduit for their voices. It’s those happy synchronicities of being in the perfect place, an ancient pub in Ireland, at the same time as a professional touring male a cappella group, that make traveling so exciting and inspiring.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.travelwithcharacter.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/travelwithcharacter
- Facebook: facebook.com/travelwithcharacter
- Other: http://vm.tiktok.com/ZMR5UV3hn
