Today we’d like to introduce you to Holli McGee.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve loved traveling for as long as I can remember. I just don’t think life is meant to be spent in just one place. Back in college, I often used to research trips of all sorts. I also met my current boss, Jenn Riley, in college at the University of Florida. She is the owner of NEBC Travel. My company, Favorite Travel Mom, falls under the entity of NEBC Travel. Jenn and I hung out from time to time in college and always stayed in touch. Fast forward more than a decade and I am a married mother of two daughters, ages three and eighteen months. Jenn was working as a travel agent for another company and planned our first Walt Disney World trip as a family of four. It was pure magic. I fell in love with watching their faces light up over every little thing. It was during this trip that I decided I wanted to bring Jenn’s level of service to other families. Shortly after returning home from our Disney trip, I reached out to Jenn and expressed my interest in becoming an agent myself. During this time, I continued to frequent Walt Disney World as much as possible so I could research various hotels, restaurants, and new experiences. I began researching other destinations as well. Jenn eventually started her own agency and with that, Favorite Travel Mom and NEBC Travel were born. The first two years were extremely challenging because I began my business right before COVID started. I focused on staying as knowledgeable as possible. I spent hours each day researching different destinations, their protocols, and how travel would look in a COVID world. I also focused on giving each client the best experience possible under the circumstances. I handled dinner reservations, hotel reservations, cancellation policies, packing lists, park reservations, and anything else you can think of to make it a magical vacation experience. My motto is to treat each client like family. I want them to keep coming back and I want them to tell their friends about their experience. By focusing on one client at a time and one experience at a time, I’ve built up a successful business that is unique when compared to many other travel companies. I want them to know I’m always available for an unforgettable vacation.
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?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has been an incredibly rewarding road. I started my training in late 2019 and early 2020. I completed my training right before the world shut down because of COVID. It has been very surreal at times because I trained for months for a travel world that no longer exists. In the beginning, it felt as though everything I had learned was obsolete. With that said, it has also been a hidden blessing. The pandemic allowed me to focus on my passion of travel. I continued to research destinations and restrictions while the world shut down. It provided with a sense of motivation and positivity to know that things will get better and that I was working towards something. I had wanted to be a travel agent for so long and nothing, not even a global pandemic, was going to stop me. I am glad that I persevered because I have learned and grown so much from the agent that I was early on.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in complimentary concierge services. I focus on giving my clients the highest possible level of service at no additional charge. I am paid directly by the supplier and I do not ask my clients for any additional commission or booking fees. I let my services speak for themselves because I focus on building a client base. This means I ask about favorite characters, family celebrations, dietary needs and so much more. I’ll handle all reservations, tickets, packing lists, celebrations, surprises and so much more. I send each client a complementary and personalized itinerary with information on the destination. I want my clients to show up for their vacation, relax and know that everything has been taken care of.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I’ve always sort of stood out from the rest. I never really fit the mold or tried hard to fit in. I had lots of friends growing up but I was never part of the popular crowd. My interests as a little girl and teenager are very similar to my interests as an adult. I studied Journalism at the University of Florida and I loved to read and write as a child. I worked as a teacher for several years and I have always loved kids. When I was in high school, I worked as a nanny/babysitter for several families. I still talk to many of those kids to this day. I worked at a summer camp, Camp Nock A Mixon when I was in college. And I loved travel. I was fortunate enough as a kid to be taken on many family vacations. I was able to visit many cities in the Northeastern United States while working at summer camp. My husband and I are college sweethearts and we traveled as much as we could before starting a family. Now we plan trips for the four of us and I get excited about each one. But I’m still the same girl who stands out. One of my favorite sayings is “A lioness doesn’t waste her time worrying about the opinions of sheep.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nebctravel.com
- Instagram: favtravelmom
- Facebook: Favorite Travel Mom
Image Credits
The Snappy Shrink Photography
