Have you ever tried to book a trip online and found yourself empty handed many hours of searching later? The options seem endless with different days to travel, different places to visit, different resorts to book and different excursions to purchase. Which airline is best for you? Which resort will meet your particular needs? Is luggage included in the flight? What about hotel transfers? And don’t even think of looking at the reviews! One reviewer’s favorite place will garner a nightmare review from the next. Enter the travel agent – an experienced professional who can guide you through to the perfect travel experience.
Recognizing a Passion
Jasmien Lewis, an established professional with multiple degrees, started her own travel agency 5 years ago. Back then, she was a full-time college student who simultaneously worked a full-time job. She often found that while she was doing her homework late at night, she would have one tab open on her research and another open on her next travel itinerary. Recognizing her passion, she began to form an idea for a business. That idea, with the addition of hard work and a ton of research, would eventually become Travel Life Services, LLC.
Early Influences
As a child, Jasmien recounts her mother was “always on the go.” Being a single parent, her mother had no choice but to take Jasmien with her everywhere she went. Her mother noticed Jasmien’s developing interest in travel and went to great lengths to foster it, even on a limited budget. Jasmien would come home from school excited about some new place, and her mom would immediately start planning the next trip. She took young Jasmien to Philadelphia, New York, and other places within driving distance of her native Cleveland, Ohio. Jasmien says, “She couldn’t afford to get us both plane tickets, so she just drove.” Mom was determined to give her daughter a wealth of experience – driving distance even included the 16 hour annual drive to Orlando, Florida to visit Disney World. In her junior year of high school, mom encouraged Jasmien to take the opportunity to study abroad in the Netherlands for an entire year. While she would have preferred France originally, by the time her year of exploring the EU was finished she said, “I couldn’t get enough of Europe.”
These early travel experiences shaped Jasmien’s philosophy that “travel is a lifestyle.” Shortly after graduating high school, she planned a trip to Miami with a close friend. After scouring the Internet, Jasmien was able to find the deal of the century – flight and lodging for less than $400! While there, she even managed to find deals on free admission to popular nightclubs along with complimentary beverages. This trip was just the first in a long line of exciting travel experiences, including her destination wedding in October of 2017. When asked how she finds such great deals, she responds, “I just find them!”
Sage Advice
While studying for a Master’s in Health Business Administration, she received a piece of advice that would turn out to change the course of her life. She had always wanted to be her own boss and have her own business, but she didn’t know what that business would be. A professor told her, “take what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about and merge them.” Many long nights later, while doing homework on one tab and searching for travel opportunities on the next, “it clicked.” She finally realized that travel was her true passion and her talent was finding good deals. Her mom always being a prime influence, Jasmien went to her first with the new business idea.
Looking Forward
Now at the 5 year mark, and having established a successful business, Jasmien has decided it’s time to focus on Travel Life Services, LLC full time. She has brought in a marketing and branding team to help the company reach its full potential. In the 5 years of operating Travel Life Services, LLC, Jasmien feels the business has reached the “Established” level, and with the bare minimum of paid advertising. Her next goal is for her business to reach the “Profound” level and become a household name. While the dream of owning her own business has always appealed to her, she says, “I want to expand for the agents working under me.” She recognizes that their success is also her success and says, “I want to leave a legacy. I don’t want to live in the same lifestyle I grew up in.”
Jasmien is optimistic about the future of her travel agency. She says, “many people don’t trust the Internet or they simply want the convenience of having someone else do it. We want it faster. We want time. Travel agents free up your time. Agents make the experience less daunting.” Her vision for Travel Life Services, LLC is to provide a luxurious, customized experience to fit any budget. Travel is a lifestyle after all, and everyone deserves the opportunity to travel. While she admits that “travel takes some juggling,” her advice is “don’t let fear rule you.” Take the trip, start the business, get the degree – this is simply a way of life for Jasmien Lewis.
To get started booking your own adventure of a lifetime, you can contact Jasmien at Travel Life Services, LLC or find her on Facebook at @travellifeservicesllc.
Happy Travels!
Jennifer
