Today we’d like to introduce you to Kalyn Salinas.
Hi Kalyn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always loved to travel and would spend 30+ hours researching and planning big international trips in order to get off the beaten path and really get to know a place while visiting. My beloved Canon Rebel camera comes with me on every trip and after posting captured moments, recommendations, and stories about my travels on social media, people would always ask for my itineraries and intel.
During the pandemic lockdown, I found myself with the time and space to start a travel blog so I could easily share my travel itineraries and photography in one fell swoop, but as I continued writing articles, things were changing rapidly abroad (restaurants were closing, national parks had restricted access, local shops went out of business) and I started to realize that while my recommendations were good, I really wasn’t the best person to provide travel advice on a destination I had only visited once or twice.
I had always dreamed of working in travel and started down a path of brainstorming up a business in the travel industry that fired me up and would really bring value to the marketplace. There were many iterations of the business plan but the final product was offering sophisticated travelers a network of locally based experts that provide highly curated travel guides and custom itineraries. I now get to help busy world explorers skip the hours of research involved with travel planning and get personalized insight from locals with amazing taste.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If you’re an entrepreneur and your road has been smooth – you better buckle up for some bumpy times ahead! I believe that true growth happens outside of your comfort zone, and that means constantly encountering change and uncertainty, which seem manageable in theory but can cause a lot of doubt and anxiety when you’re living it every day. Ultimately, you have to have faith in your vision and your ability to be resourceful when launching something new.
In the early stages, transitioning to the role of an entrepreneur was a struggle for me. Years of recruiting and business development taught me how to drive and execute but having to take a step back to establish processes, do big vision work, and creatively problem-solve without a blueprint was exasperating for me at times. I was so passionate about The Citrine Compass, but I didn’t always feel like a natural when it came to entrepreneurship and that created frequent moments of doubt. When I’m battling imposter syndrome, I remind myself that every great business started as an idea with no revenue, no clients, and no staff. I gain more confidence in what I’m building with every amazing Tastemaker that I onboard, every client who emails me buzzing with excitement after their travel consultation, and each gorgeous itinerary that we send to a client.
Another challenge that any bootstrapped founder can relate to is marketing on a shoestring budget. I have had to be creative about utilizing my resources – I have relied on a select few women’s entrepreneurship organizations that I’m a part of and have pieced together a marketing strategy mostly from advice and learnings from other female founders and marketing consultants who believe in The Citrine Compass and are generous with their time. So many have been in this early start-up phase before and just want to see other female-founded businesses win!
Last but not least, the journey of balancing mom life and CEO life is a struggle that I signed up for when I launched this business with a nine-month-old infant. I always knew that I wanted to be a working mom and show my daughter that it’s possible to be an engaged parent and a badass career woman, but time has become my most precious commodity; there is always something else to do for your business in the early stages, but you have to plan well, prioritize effectively and know when to shut things down for the day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Citrine Compass?
The Citrine Compass is a boutique travel planning agency that helps busy; sophisticated world explorers create authentic travel experiences through curated guides and itineraries created by Local Tastemakers. Clients can engage with a Tastemaker for 1:1 advice and personalized recommendations or receive a completely curated itinerary detailing daily travel logistics, restaurants, accommodations, excursions, and experiences, all custom to the client and their vision for the trip.
I founded this business because I knew there was a gap in the mid-level luxury travel sector. Think about your own experience planning a trip – the typical traveler might piece a trip together based on a mix of friends’ recommendations, blog posts, social media, online articles, and travel forums. All of these can be useful but take hours of research, aren’t vetted, and all sources eventually become outdated.
The other trip planning option would be to work with a travel agent, which can be luxurious, but many clients want to retain some (or all) of the creativity that comes with travel planning and don’t need all of the bells and whistles on every trip. Travel agents are also inclined to recommend accommodations where they make commission (so they wouldn’t book an Airbnb or some boutique hotels, for instance), don’t get compensated for recommending things like restaurants or outdoor activities, and often don’t live in the country where you are traveling. We are a concierge-style solution for busy travelers with a high taste level that want to plan their own trip, which doesn’t currently exist in the marketplace.
One of our key differentiators in the travel planning space is that our Tastemakers are based locally. They know the destination where they are advising intimately, are plugged into the latest and greatest, and are able to make authentic recommendations based on what is best for the client, there are no commissions involved.
I think what I am most proud of is the buy-in we have from clients after they work with us for the first time. I’ve heard from clients over and over again that they can’t wait to use us for their next trip and that they wish we could have helped with previous trips. Our clients waste less time researching and clear up precious mind space with really fantastic, local intel they can trust. We’re building a cool community and bringing real value to the marketplace, and those things keep me energized.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I heard something on the podcast The First 100 (which is fantastic, and I recommend to any early-stage founder) which got under my skin. A founder the host was interviewing said, “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.” When I launched The Citrine Compass, I knew that there was something missing in the travel planning space, but in retrospect, I rushed into crystallizing the solution before really understanding the problem.
My recommendation for others starting out is to conduct ideal client interviews and speak to as many potential clients as possible to ask them questions about their pain points, fears, and past experience in the niche or industry where you’re trying to launch. You’ll solidify product-market fit early and will be able to pivot much easier when you’re attached to the problem and not the solution, like your physical product or specific service.
The other advice I have is specific to moms who are considering starting something entrepreneurial. Start small and wait to scale until you know with certainty you’ll have the support and systems to do it. A big team and fast-growing business are exciting, but they mean more meetings and demands that put a pinch on your time and flexibility. If you have young children, they will be the most demanding members of your dream team, so make sure you create a business that allows for them to stay at the top of your priority list.
Pricing:
- The Architect | $50-$80
- The Maven | $200
- The Boss | $350+
- The Ace | Custom Proposal
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecitrinecompass.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecitrinecompass/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalyn-salinas/
