Meet Jennifer Frank | Author | Travel Advisor | Content Creator | Product Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Frank and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Like many people, the COVID pandemic and work from home dynamic was eye opening for me. I was very comfortable in a corporate job, at a title and salary that were fair and commensurate with my education and experience. And I thought that was the life I wanted and worked for, climbing a corporate ladder. But the opportunity to work from home was just too good. My quality of life was infinitely improved without the stress of trying to get myself and 2 kids ready in the morning, in dressy work clothes, while 3 dogs also needed attention; without the stress of traffic, and accidents, and wasting 2-3 hours per day sitting in my car; without the added expense of gas, tolls, lunches, and city parking. For the first time in our lives I was able to sign my kids up for sports at any time, not just those that started after 6-7 pm because my husband and I couldn’t get home earlier. And as a natural introvert I was no longer coming home completely mentally exhausted after a day full of meetings, small talk, and networking.

The longer this went on the more I began to realize that the modern model of 2 working parents, working outside of the home, 40+ hours per week was not sustainable. That model sets families up to be busy, stressed, and tired all of the time, and leaves very little time and energy to actually enjoy life and one another. I also realized that open floor plan offices are designed for extroverts and micro managers. But there is an entire demographic of people who excel when they are able to be alone with their work and their thoughts.

As the pandemic eased and companies started pushing the return to office and hybrid model of work, every fiber of my body rebelled against the thought of having to go back to sitting in an office, even if it was only 2-3 days a week. When I was there , my patience for interruptions and small talk was non-existent. My tolerance for sitting in traffic was abysmal. Even though I spent 5 days a week in an office a few years ago, it just felt impossible to go back to that.

So I started looking for alternatives. At first I was only looking for remote jobs, but the more I analyzed what was really bothering me, the more I entertained the thought of working for myself. I realized the problem was much bigger than simply being required to return to an office building. The bigger problem was that I no longer wanted to be responsible for other people and their work, (I was managing a team at the time). And I no longer wanted to have to answer to someone else. How can I require people to come into an office, when I don’t even want to do it? How can I go back to the office at my manager’s request when he didn’t want to be there either? More importantly, how could I be responsible for my fate, my income, and my destiny?

At the same time, my family and I had been doing a lot of “revenge travel” as many people were after travel restrictions were lifted. I’ve always loved to travel but so many family and friends made comments about hating to do the planning part of the vacations. But for me, planning is half the fun, (I love a good spreadsheet)! I saw that as an opportunity to help friends and family with their travel plans and everything snowballed from there.

I started researching becoming a travel advisor and the more I learned the more I began to see self employment as a viable option and better alternative to a corporate job. So I opened an LLC, joined a host agency and started learning. At first it was only part time but then I began to branch out and diversify my income streams, all travel related, but different from the travel agent side of things.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My path to starting my business was a maze of jobs and experiences that had nothing to do with entrepreneurship. I bartended my way through college, and then started working in a small law firm as a paralegal, while I considered going to law school. I ultimately decided against law school, but started working in the Legal and Compliance Department of a large financial services company. While I was there I went back to school and completed my Master’s degree in Management.

I stayed there for many years, working my way up the corporate ladder through multiple teams, departments, and titles. My most recent position there was everything that I had worked for both through my degrees, and promotions. I thought it was what I wanted. But as I grew more and more restless I realized that I had spent so much time striving to achieve what I thought I “should” want, that I never stopped to think about what actually made me happy, and what was interesting.

When I finally started my business and all of my energy was directed at travel and travel related endeavours, I finally realized that it had been a very long time since I was actually happy and interested in my work. Now, I get lost in projects, I lose track of time and forget to log off. I’m constantly thinking about work. Because when you really enjoy something, it doesn’t feel like work at all. I finally understand the saying that if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

My focus in the travel industry is on family adventure travel, because that is what I know. I have 2 boys, ages 13 and 10, and when we travel as a family we do a lot of soft adventure activities like ziplines, kayaking, hiking, snorkeling, etc. We’re not doing anything extreme like sky diving, but we’re also not lounging around all inclusive resorts either. Not that there is anything wrong with either of those things, but we do what works for us. We like to get familiar and learn about the places we visit, whether it is through activities, the language, the culture, etc. We also didn’t start to travel until the kids were a little older. When they were little we really only did trips to places within driving distance because of the perception and stigma of traveling with kids. I regret that now.

I wish we had not wasted a minute experiencing life because it might be a little more inconvenient to travel with small children. All of that has led me to be passionate about inspiring other families to travel. I want them to know that you can take your kids anywhere you want to go. Don’t wait until they are older. There is never going to be a perfect time or scenario so stop waiting and plan the trip. Even if they are little and won’t remember it, you will still have those memories for yourself. And as they get older their own schedules get more hectic. It’s never going to be easy but if it is important to you, just do it. Make it a priority and go.

Because of this, my business revolves around showing other families what is possible and fun with kids. Not only do I plan trips for people, but I also have a blog where I write about our family trips, including our activities and itinerary with links so others can do the same if they are interested. I also recently started writing a series of travel guides geared to families. Anyone can pick up a Fodor’s travel guide, but I want something for the whole family. Not only do I give activities for those traveling with children, but I also try to include fun facts about the location to keep the kids learning and engaged.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Kayaking in the sea caves in La Jolla, a whale watching tour, a San Diego Seal Tour in an amphibious vehicle, the USS Midway Museum, the San Diego Zoo, lots of eats in the Gaslamp Quarter, a day trip across the border in Tijuana, tacos, and a Ghost Tour in Old Town, a Padres game, Coronado shopping, and maybe a couple days at Disneyland if there is time. And of course Kansas City BBQ for the Top Gun nostalgia.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my husband, who has been infinitely patient with me as I navigate these uncharted career waters. What may have started as a midlife crisis of uncertainty and an experiment, would never have been able to grow into a viable business without his support and encouragement. Additionally, he and my kids have humored me and let me drag them all over the world for the past two years in my quest to see the world, create content, do research, and live my life on my terms. I appreciate them putting up with my (sometimes crazy) ideas and plans.

Website: https://linktr.ee/getglobetrotting

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getglobetrotting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-frank-getglobetrotting/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551791743318

Image Credits
All images credited to Jennifer Frank