It’s hard to believe that our little travel club is approaching its one year anniversary. In fact, it feels more like we should be approaching our fifth or tenth year due to all the work and effort we have put into this venture. At times, it has been a rather bumpy ride and there have also been those times when we wondered if maybe we had inadvertently taken a detour on a path to nowhere.
What I am hearing from other travel professionals is that, for a start up business, this is all quite normal and to be expected. I realize the positive intentions from those that utter these comforting phrases, but what I would really like to hear from them is some constructive criticism.
And if I am really being honest here, I would prefer that it come from someone I respect. Someone who has already made all the mistakes I am making. Someone who can help me move past the desire to “reinvent the wheel”–especially where building the membership base of our travel club is concerned.
What I have discovered however is that finding a trusted confidant or mentor in this industry is much like looking for a needle in a haystack. Just this one factor alone, I feel, has kept us from reaching our true potential at this juncture.
I find it difficult to keep a sense of optimism with all the negativity that surrounds us—economy, housing, the gulf oil spill, etc. It is especially difficult when those factors are beyond your reach and affect your income.
Still, we will celebrate this one year mark and create a detailed plan of action for the next year to come. We feel that we have built a pretty strong foundation this past year–now comes the time to build on it. And while we are proud of what we have accomplished, we are expecting so much more from ourselves in the years to come.
So here’s to the future and Happy Anniversary Thrillseekers Travel Club!
April Scarlott is a lifetime Houston Bay Area resident, travel and adventure junkie, and member of the International Travel Writers and Photography Alliance. She attended college at the University of St. Thomas and currently holds multiple licenses in real estate and is a member of OSSN. She is full partner for Thrillseekers Travel Club which arranges group tours for other travel and adventure enthusiasts. She has combined her passion for writing and adventure travel into a full time dream career. Contact her at april@thrillseekerstravel.com or toll free at 1-888-970-8747 or visit at the website at www.thrillseekerstravelclub.com.
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