Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorraine Whittemore.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As early as high school I vowed I would travel to a new place every year of my life. My passion was to experience the world. I have lived that dream, planned trips for my family and traveled extensively. Pair my passion for travel with my work in corporate life, 35+ years focused on leadership development, operations management and quality and I bring a wealth of expertise to developing my own small business. I have planned 1500 person events that spanned 3 days of activities. I have organized and coordinating training events in hotels all over the country. In 2013 I decided to follow my passion more directly. I left corporate life, purchased a franchise called Cruise Planners and started a small business focused on helping people plan travel. I bring travel expertise and service experience to each trip or vacation I plan. Building this business has had its challenges. Networking is critical and I have joined groups, business associations, Rotary, to meet new people. Participating in trade shows of all types has afforded me the opportunity to meet more people interested in travel. Growing my network has built my client base. The proof is in the pudding and my clients, returning from their magical, well planned, logistically perfect vacations, has brought me referrals and helped my business to grow. Over the years, I have fine-tuned my focus and expertise to developing custom itineraries, small group tours, supporting people who want to travel solo, and planning vacations for groups that travel together (yoga, associations, family reunions, hiking, etc.)
In summary, travel is a magical experience that brings you to places that leave you speechless! I specialize in exploration travel, developing custom itineraries and tours and helping plan individual trips that immerse you in the energy of a destination.
Clients can depend on my expertise and relentless focus on service to ensure every client’s vacation brings them magical moments that they will remember for a lifetime!
Great, 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?
Two big struggles, one developing a client base and two overcoming the competition on the internet.
I love people, so developing a client base hasn’t necessarily been hard, but it does take a time to unfold. In this industry, you don’t make money until people travel. The first few years are slow, meeting clients, earning credibility, and waiting to be paid put the pressure on. You can’t give up though! Careful planning, applying the principles I taught leaders in my corporate job, have a clear vision, develop a short and long term strategy, set goals, determine what measures are important to your business, have efficient clearly defined processes, these things helped me get through the financial challenges and start to see my company grow.
During my first couple of years I worried about the internet. People always said to me, how will you stay in business when people can do it themselves. That was scary, but I knew if honed in on my niche, provided exceptional services, delivered incredible vacations, and developed relationships with my clients that I would succeed. Over time, the internet has somewhat taken care of itself. There is so much out there, so many things to choose from, potential clients usually call me with their head in their hands saying, I don’t have the time or expertise to choose the right thing! There is no additional cost to using a travel agent and the value of having someone experienced to wade through the details, set an itinerary, select the best hotels and tours, makes for very grateful clients. Plus, I have your back when you travel. If something goes wrong there is someone to call.
Today my biggest challenge is keeping up with the growth! It is time to expand and take on associates and build a team to take this company to the next level.
PlanUrEscape – Cruise Planners Travel – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
It has taken a few years but I have clearly developed a niche that I am passionate about. I love to develop custom trips and to focus on travel that gets people immersed in a destination. For example, someone that wants to visit three countries in Europe, they want to spend 3-4 days in each place, they want to feel “local” while they are there, not like a tourist. They want to learn about the culture of the area. This is my specialty. No matter how intricate, planes, trains, ferries, hotels, apartments, hikes, bike rides, cooking classes, setting a plan in place to make those magical moments happen, is my specialty. Often these types of travelers are also up for an adventure and I introduce them to places and tours that provide that. See the Polar Bears, hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, go on a safari, hike an ice cave in Iceland, take a small boat cruise up the coast of Norway with the locals, these types of travels are my expertise.
I am most proud of my solo traveler group! As I have met people and talked to them I often will hear, “my spouse won’t travel,” “I am widowed and on my own now and want to travel but not alone”, “In need to travel solo but single supplements are expensive.” I started a Solo traveler group and we now have a solid group of people who are traveling together. It saves them money and gives them like minded travel partners. This group is going to Africa, Iceland, India, and even on smaller trips to Charleston and Savannah. It feels good to get these wonderful people together and see how much they enjoy traveling together.
What sets me apart is my ability to individualize the experience. I am a travel planner, not a booking agent. I can book cruises, all inclusive, hotels, car rentals, of course, and if that is what you need, I will help you. But what you really need a travel agent for, what brings a client value, is taking advantage of my planning skills, attention to detail, love of logistics, and knowledge and expertise about destinations. I spend a huge amount of my time learning about all the possibilities each destination has to offer. I also spend my own time and money traveling to experience these destinations and to perfect my ability to develop the best trips for my clients.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moments are in the results. When I see a client post pictures of their trip or of themselves on vacation and read how much fun they are having or how memorable or joyful they feel on that vacation, I feel incredibly honored to have been part of making that magic!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.planurescape.com
- Phone: 860-779-6531
- Email: lwhittemore@cruiseplanners.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lorrainewhittemore
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/planurescape
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/planurescape
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/planurescape-cruise-planners-travel-danielson
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/lorrainewhittemore
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