When the Whole Thing Burns Down: How a Travel Advisor and New Mom Survived COVID and Came Back Stronger
I joined Clara on The Working Mum Show to talk honestly about surviving COVID as a brand new mom, and how that season eventually led me to launch my own agency.
What was it actually like when COVID hit right after my son was born?
My son was born on Valentine's Day 2020, and weeks later my entire business was wiped out. I spent months holding my baby, sitting on hold with airlines, and knowing I'd work harder than ever without making a single dollar. It was postpartum hormones colliding head-on with a global pandemic.
How did I get through that season mentally?
My mentors who'd lived through 9/11 told me the same thing over and over: stay the course. People would abandon the industry out of fear, but when travel came back, and it would, clients would need someone they already trusted still standing there.
Why did I finally leave to launch my own agency?
After nearly a decade with my previous agency, becoming pregnant with my daughter during the "revenge travel" boom forced me to build a team just to keep up, and I fell in love with leading them. Eventually I realized I had a vision authentic to me that deserved its own name, its own brand, Peace & Pearl, named after my two kids.
How do I set boundaries as a mom running a 24/7 business?
We have a literal list of promises on our fridge, including one that says we're done working by 5pm. My son can read the clock now, so he holds me accountable himself. No phones at the dinner table, no phone in their rooms, and a 15-minute driveway walk that became my "commute" between work mode and mom mode.
What's the difference between building a personal brand and being an influencer?
Influencers can point people toward a purchase, but they're not the ones actually booking, advocating, or handling the legal and logistical side of a trip. I lean into social media because it's free and my audience is there, but I do it in my own way rather than adopting an influencer identity that doesn't feel authentic to me.