2011: A Look Ahead

First of all...thanks to all of you who made my 2010 the best year I have had the travel business thus far.  I made a commitment when I started in this business to grow only through providing the best service possible which in turn will make me referable.  I can now say that over 90% of my business comes from the referrals that my friends, family and past clients send my way.  I may not grow as fast and get as big as some of the more aggressive travel companies, but I am also not willing turn to my attention away from my clients in order to spend more time in the realm of mass advertisement and marketing schemes.

I set out in 2010 to make it the year I really become an expert in certain areas related to travel.  I decided to continue my focus into cruise vacations and Caribbean destinations.  I targeted courses and programs that helped me do just that.  I was also able to travel myself throughout 2010 which gave me that all-important first hand knowledge of most major cruise lines.  Book smarts are one thing, actual experience is another in my humble opinion.  While I may not quite be an "expert" yet, I am for sure on the track of becoming someone who you can turn to for help and guidance in those areas along with my continued knowledge of Disney.

Now, looking ahead to 2011, it is my continued goal to further my education in the area of Caribbean destinations including both the Eastern and Western Caribbean (including Mexico on the Pacific side as well).  I already have courses I am looking to take along with 1 personal trip already booked for May.  My trip will take me once again to Cancun and the Riviera Maya.  I will be staying at the Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa (more details on that as the time gets closer).

I also have a very important and exciting trip planned for Walt Disney World later in the year to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary.

Somewhere between May and September, I might just have to plan another trip to a new destination in the Caribbean, but we will have to wait and see.

In addition...I hope to further develop my skill in the area of travel writing.  This blog has seen continued support by readers from all areas of social media; Facebook, Twitter, Youtube etc.  I hope to be able to better understand what readers are interested in and provide honest and sometimes thought-provoking content.  Some who have come in contact with me are not completely open to the idea of me being candid with my reviews and honest even if that means criticizing places or companies that they might hold near and dear to their heart.  But I have refused and will continue to refuse to write some middle-of-the-road article or gloss over glaringly negative aspects of any destination or travel provider.  I figure...if you didn't want my opinion, then why did you read my review?

So that is what is on the agenda this year.

I have some growth goals I am excited about which again means I will maintain my current course and put clients and their referrals first.  Thanks to all of you who support me through encouragement as well as your patronage.

So sit back and stay tuned...2011 is going to be a great year.

Following the Dream (Part 3)

So if you have read parts 1 and 2, you are probably trying to now make the connection between going into real estate and following my destiny into the realm of travel. Life is like a big puzzle and the full picture never really appears until more and more pieces are connected. So follow along now as I reveal more of my puzzle.

I decided on real estate because I felt I was a good fit. I had a marketing and sales background coming out of college. I studied buyer behavior as well as developed skills in customer service throughout my corporate career. I also knew real estate would provide a great chance for me to learn the ropes of entrepreneurship and self-employment. I knew that, to succeed as a business owner, you had to commit 100% of your time which is why I knew I needed to quit my full-time corporate job and jump all the way into the pool...so to speak.

So fast forward again with me...I am now in real estate. I have a good client base being built up. I am focusing on service which is also making me referable. Things are going well, so well that my wife and I start to plan a future as a mom and dad. Without going into a long history...we were childless due to medical complications associated with a brain tumor that my wife had survived right before we got married. We always knew that someday we may consider adoption so my new career was also going to be a good fit with being an adoptive parent since I could be home each day. So we started the process that one must go through to adopt through private agencies. Life was just moving along down the path that we thought we were going to be staying on for a while.

But then it happens. Life throws you a curve just to see how you can handle change and adversity. No one can really prepare you to hear those words spoken to the one you love. But there my wife and I were in the Dr’s office as he was letting my wife know in the most gentle way he knew how...she had cancer. (to be continued)