Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Cox.
Hi Deborah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Travel isn’t just a passion, it’s a way of life. There is no better way of discovering yourself, than losing yourself in a new destination. A special person in my life once told me that “If you want to see anything good, you have to get off the highway.”
Traveling and exploring the world is something that I have been doing since I was a kid. Planning new adventures and going to new places has always been a passion for me. Friends have admired the awesome adventures I have taken and in turn would look to me for advice in helping them navigate the ever changing dynamics of their own travel.
I don’t normally do things on a whim, but when I get an extemporaneous impulse, I’m all in. You see, I am in the late stages of a 30 year teaching career, as well as an empty nester and the idea of not working unnerves me. Being the type of person that loves learning and educating myself and others, I figured becoming a travel advisor would be worth investigating. So, I decided to turn my passion into a pursuit of becoming a travel advisor part-time with the goal of growing this into a second career. Beyond the deep personal knowledge I’ve gained in my own travels, I started educating myself with the plethora of information about running a successful travel business. Upon acquiring the necessary certifications, I opened my agency doors in 2022.
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 toughest part of growing a business is advertising and marketing. Being in a sales based market, selling yourself is the hardest part; moreover, making the investment in yourself is crucial. I truly find joy in learning about a new destination, tour, or bucket-list adventure. I guess that’s the geeky teacher part of me, but completing a travel training gives me a great sense of accomplishment and a desire to share my knowledge of new adventures with clients. Once I felt confident enough with my education and training, I soon started booking trips for friends and family. I eventually gained new clients, who weren’t friends or family members. Since then, one booking has turned into many and I am proud to say that I now have clients who have turned into friends.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Yes, travel agents are still a thing. In fact, I think we are undervalued for the services we actually provide to our clients. The rules of the travel game are constantly changing and keeping up with those changes means getting the trip details right.
I am proud of many things. My husband and I have instilled the importance of bonding as a family unit through shared travel experiences, as well as teaching our sons from a very early age the value of growing your own independence and expanding your world through travel. We’ve had some pretty amazing adventures such as, walking with Bears in Katmai National Park, AK, backpacking across Scandinavian fjords, and the many scuba diving adventures just to name a few. It is through these joyful and memorable experiences that I have committed myself to being a travel advisor.
Caring about my clients sets me apart from other cookie cutter travel agencies. I believe that each client and trip is unique and a journey worth exploring takes a lot of work. I provide fiduciary travel planning services. I have created a personal code for myself in that I go to great lengths to ensure that I am giving my clients honest, fair, and experienced travel advice. Trust is so important and I want to make sure that every client gets the personalized service they deserve. With more listening than talking, creating an open dialogue is my first step with any client. I work hard to build lasting relationships with my clients so they can focus on their vacation instead of stressing over if they planned it right by themselves. I say this because many people have been burned by the do-it-yourself online travel planning experience. Once that online booking is confirmed you have no support team if things go sideways. When you book with a travel advisor you get expert advice which often comes with actual “done it” experiences. You can’t get that by surfing the web. Overall, being a trusted advisor means prioritizing client travel needs, providing dedicated travel support, and ensuring a seamless enjoyable travel experience that goes beyond just an initial booking.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Living in the greater Los Angeles area, you are never at a loss of finding pockets of cultural diversity. Each distinct neighborhood is like taking a mini vacation. You get to explore the area’s history, people, art, music, and food. It actually is quite grounding to know that some of your best adventures are right in your own backyard.
What I dislike about our city is that it covers an enormous area and you can start to feel disconnected from one another. I wish that the small hometown feel would expand across other neighborhoods which I feel would strengthen our shared community bonds.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://destinationsbydesigntravel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinationsbydesigntravel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinationsByDesignTravelAdvising
Image Credits
All images were taken by and belong to Deborah Cox
