Ten Years of Fulfilling Dreams

Ten Years of Fulfilling Dreams

On February 6, 2013, I started an undertaking that is now celebrating ten years of accomplishments. Ten years ago today, I became a member of Pixie Vacations as a travel agent. When I approached Lisa, the owner of Pixie Vacations along with her husband Steve, about trying it out and seeing if it was a fit and would work for both of us, never did I imagine that ten years later I would still be helping my families plan incredible vacations, the type of vacations that would give them memories that would last a lifetime.

When I first started out, I had an idea in my head. I said to myself, let’s give this six months to see where it leads us. If it becomes obvious that it isn’t working, then I’ll back away and thank Lisa for the opportunity; there’s no sense wasting her time as well as mine. Well, needless to say, ten years in, I guess there are a few things that have worked.

In the course of this occupation, most of my clients come to me via the Internet; they see the name Pixie Vacations on Facebook, or in a Google search, or something along those lines, and as they drill down maybe they learn about my business in some capacity as a result.

Without a doubt, though, as they work with me, in some way we will become more than just a client and agent relationship. Many of my clients have become close personal friends that mean the world to me.

Fulfilling Dreams

There are times when travel planning for my clients also includes travel planning for my clients that happen to also be family. This past September, I had a medical issue that caused me to spend almost a full week in the hospital. When I was released, my wife and I talked about it, and decided that life is too short, and that we wanted my sister Robin (pictured left) to join us on our trip in December to visit Walt Disney World and see the Candlelight Processional. What Robin didn’t know what that I had also been working with her youngest and her family to come visit Walt Disney World at the same time, and this picture was when they surprised her at breakfast on our first morning. That was a memory that absolutely will live on in my mind for the rest of my days.

What matters to me is that in my ten years of fulfilling dreams, the clients that I work with are in many ways family. It is my desire with each and every one of my clients to take away the stress that planning your trip can cause, and leave you with showing up for your vacation, not worrying about anything except having a great time.

Deb is just one of those clients. She originally contacted me through my relationship with a website I worked with for a trip for her and her friends; the four of them were heading to Disney for a girls trip. As we talked, we felt a connection, a bonding that happens sometimes, and it became more than a business relationship; it became a friendship.

Fast forward a bit, and Deb had put in a request for another Disney trip, this time with her son and granddaughter. We planned it out, worked up the pricing, had a hold in place, but then the laughter from last year’s trip turned to tears for this year’s trip. Her son had been sick, and they weren’t be able to make that trip. Fortunately, her son is much better, and they have since been able to take and make more memories on their trips to Walt Disney World.

Travel consultants take the details of a family — or, often, more than one family — and weave them all together. Celestine is just one example. He worked with me to plan a trip for his family. His daughter, nephews, nieces, sister, mother, in all, three generations traveling on vacation, some from the States, some from the UK. When you are going to a venue you have never been to before, the single most important thing you can do is call on someone that has been there, knows the ins and outs, and can walk you through the process so it’s not overwhelming. That’s what Celestine did — a friend of mine recommended me to him, and he reached out to me. As we talked, I could hear the excitement in his voice, and together we worked up a trip that allowed all of his family to experience Disney on their terms. One of the best responses I ever received was when I told them to have fun, and he replied, “Already am!” That’s the kind of response I like to hear from my clients.

While most of my clients reach out to me through the Internet, some call me on the phone, and some I know through local relationships, mainly through church. Regardless of who they are, whether I know them or not, every single family I work with gets the same treatment. They are investing a lot of time and money on their vacation travels, and I count it as a privilege to help them navigate all of the different aspects of their trip to make it as easy as possible for them and their family.

In the end, what I would like to say to all of my families that I have helped is simple. Thank you. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to help you with your vacation planning. Thank you for welcoming me into your lives and for giving some small role to play in planning your celebrations. Thank you for allowing me to have ten years of fulfilling dreams for you, your children, and all of your families. Thank you.

Thanks for stopping by today! If you are interested in talking about your next vacation destination, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can submit a quote request, email me at mike@pixievacations.com, or call me at 919-606-6725. Thanks, and happy travels!