Dave Rosenthal, Travel Adviser
The Before: Travel Adviser from a telecom/tech guy…how did that happen? After finishing graduate school, I worked in marketing research and high-end account management in the telecom industry. I traveled a lot – a whole lot – and experienced many places. One month without travel and I was ready to plan another trip. For large sales meetings, we had complete itineraries planned out for us. We arrived on location and had many activities ready for us to experience. One of the best parts of my corporate travel experience was my own trip planning and the subsequent anticipation. I loved researching the numerous scenarios for my travels and my passion for travel planning blossomed.
The Turning Point: The telecom industry imploded in 2002, which meant I was out of a job! Not wanting to continue unemployment payments, I accepted a couple of lower-level sales positions just to remain in the workforce. These positions were not suitable for my past skills and talents. I just showed up at these jobs and quit each within one year of starting. During this period, one of the things I enjoyed best was planning leisure trips.
The Worldview: I have passion for meeting new people at the very core of my being. I truly believe that there is nothing like meeting new people in different places and countries to learn just a little teensy bit about their culture. Buying a shirt at a little souvenir store in Canada involves interactions and questions. I think these little tidbits can really add up and make a difference in one’s worldview. After each little interaction, I get a fresh perspective on someone else’s world.
The Discovery: How I Earned My Travel Adviser Stripes. Next, I thought of owning my own business or franchise, such as tax preparation. I heard a radio commercial in January 2006 for a cruise planning franchise, which really resonated with me.
With my franchise training completed in May of 2006, I started “booking” cruises under a franchise brand. Then I branched out into more detailed cruise planning under another brand (lots of cruises – enough to get my Master Cruise Counselor Certification.) Then I started to enjoy the creativity involved with land tours and resort vacations. some of this time was spent as an independent contractor, on their business with many of their customers in an environment not suitable for using my research and customer service skills at a higher level. It was time to branch out on my own.
Result: Welcome to travel planning with Daydream Excursions. You benefit from travel concierge service which focuses on the details of your whole travel experience. Your trip is by no means a “booking.” I’ve combined my passion for serving customers with my research background and utter fascination with meticulous travel planning. You benefit from having planning advice and support for the multiple elements that make up a complete travel experience.
The Ideal Client: You may ask, “what kinds of people rely on Daydream Excursions to plan and support their travels? At Daydream Excursions, our clients (or travel guests) are professionals, retirees, and busy families who value personalized and high-touch services with all of their travel details arranged for them. Further, our clients see the value of working with a travel adviser to sort through all of the results they find online. My clients are busy but normally have done some of their own research. Do you know anyone who fits into this description? Daydream Excursions is just a phone call or email away.
Dave Rosenthal, MBA, MCC, VTC
P.S. Ready to get started planning your next trip? Complete our Travel Planning survey now. We’ll address what you want to experience on your next trip, and see if we’re a fit to work together.
