Today we’d like to introduce you to Mindy Sheldon.
Hi Mindy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have been an independent home-based travel planner since November of 2012. I work for Tink’s Magical Vacations, LLC, also here in the Orlando area. I started while I was living in New Jersey. I moved down to Florida in April 2021. I mostly plan Disney Destination vacations but also book Universal – Orlando and Hollywood, many of the cruise lines, Hard Rock Resorts, and Marriott. While at the beginning it was very hard getting clients, over time my customer service and hard work has paid off. Word of mouth of my service ethic has gotten me and kept me many of my clients. I try to treat them all like family and make their vacation something they will remember for a lifetime.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hey look, nothing is ever easy, right? There have been struggles. Getting started and building a client base took time. Then when Covid hit, that was tough for everyone, especially travel planners. Not only could people not travel, but I spent hours of time cancelling vacations, rescheduling vacations multiple times and fighting to get my clients’ refunds. All of this without getting paid a penny. I was more concerned with my clients (friends) getting what they needed. Travel planners only get paid when people travel. I also have built my business while working a full-time job in the finance department of a major international pharmaceutical company.
As you know, we’re big fans of Tink’s Magical Vacations, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Tink’s Magical Vacations, LLC is a travel planning business that specializes in Disney Vacations. We book Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, Aulani, and Adventures by Disney. We also book most of the major cruise lines, Marriott and Hilton Hotels, Universal Orlando and Hollywood, and Hard Rock All Inclusive Resorts. Our services to our clients are free as we get paid by the service providers. We provide concierge service to our clients as we will help them book all aspects of their trip. If it’s not something we can book for them (like an airline reservation) we do research on their options, so they don’t have to. We make sure we are getting them the best of what is out there to get, at the best prices we can. I have been known to sit on the phone for 10 hours just to reprice someone’s vacation because a discount was offered.
We are problem solvers for our clients and once someone books through us, most come back. Family and our clients are very important to us so we always try to make our clients feel like they are part of the Tink’s Family. All are planners are independent contractors that technically run their own businesses under the Tink’s umbrella and they are located throughout the United States.
What do you think about luck?
I do believe luck plays a big part in life. I usually try and focus on the good and not the bad. In my business, although I work it hard, I believe luck is a factor in some of it. It was luck of the draw that I met the owner of Tink’s in a chat room discussing a cruise I was going to be taking. But luck is only luck when it’s combined with action. Luck may have given me my initial opportunity but I had the initiative and focus to get this going and create something out of it. I also had and do have the luck of meeting so many great people through my business. Who else gets to work in a business helping people plan something they are so happy about?
Contact Info:
- Email: Mindy@tinksmagicalvacations.com
- Website: Tinksmagicalvacations.com
- Instagram: tinkswithmindys
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinksmindy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKaqGS5JsAiz7S-V5OrKGFQ
