Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Clemente.
Hi Hannah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up Irish Dancing in Akron, Ohio. Every weekend was spent in a big van with several families, driving around the states, going to competitions. I grew up relatively poor, so vacations weren’t a thing. My parents put every dime they had into my dancing. Fortunately, that is how I learned to explore and gained the friendships I have had my entire life. I decided to stay at home for college after I quit competitively dancing, and immediately regretted the idea of “staying in Akron for four years.” I quickly started to work 2-3 jobs, while going to school, to save up for my first international trip: Greece. I never made it to Ireland while dancing, so people were shocked when I didn’t go there for my first time abroad! Once I came back after nearly a month away, I immediately started planning for a month-long trip to Italy and the UK. From there, it snowballed. I was planning multiple trips for myself, my friends, my family, etc. This was around 2015-2016. In 2022, I was burnt out from continuously working 2-3 jobs (to cover all that travel!) and was looking for something new. I had spent 6+ years in childcare following college and needed a break. Within a span of 2-3 weeks, I had several people that I always looked up to in my life tell me I needed to start a travel business. I didn’t believe in myself one bit, but I did find it odd that several of them were saying the same thing. I decided to go for it and launched my business about two months later. I remember telling my first partners and mentors that I doubted I would have any business, and I never thought it would go anywhere. Now I am one of the top-rated in my area, top-selling for certain brands nationwide, and have traveled the world on research for clients. I am amazed daily at how many people have put their faith in me and trusted me with their hard-earned vacation days! The key difference from back when I started to now has been my partnerships. As much as I travel, I can’t be everywhere and see everything. I rely on those partners who live, work, and breathe the destination to help bring my client’s visions to life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road. With travel, it rarely ever is! There have been missed flights, cruises canceled, accidents abroad – you name it. As an entrepreneur, it has been a challenge to face each of these as they come and provide the best service possible for my clients. You can’t really have a protocol or plan of action for things that haven’t happened to you before. Thankfully, through my partnerships, I have been linked with some fellow travel advisors, and leaning on them in times of need has been very helpful. When plans go sideways, getting their advice or just a shoulder to cry on has been invaluable.
In terms of my business in general, I would say the biggest challenge for me has been imposter syndrome. It is so hard these days to not compare yourself to others. I see other advisors who launched at similar times already hit goals I am not quite near, go places I haven’t gone, get higher “reach” on Instagram, etc. I also am pretty young (30) for the field, so I try not to get upset when they have a larger reach, beacuse some of them already spent 15-30 years in another field and have a lot more connections than I do. I’ve really had to zone in on my demographic, what I want to sell, and craft my experience that will make me different from the rest. I’ve tried things and spent hours/days/weeks on a project, just to restart and realize that just because it fits their strategy, doesn’t mean it will fit mine. Being true to myself and my brand!
We’ve been impressed with Clemente Travels LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a modern age travel advisor, not a travel agent. A travel agent is who you would call in the 90s and tell them you want to book a flight to Miami next Monday, and they would do it. As an advisor, I want to get to know my clients and build relationships. I want to advise them on what might be best now versus later, what to skip versus what to splurge on, when the best time to go is, etc. I specialize in Western European trips – from customized itineraries to group trips and river cruises. Being in Ohio, I do a lot in the Caribbean, Asia, and South America though as well. What sets me apart from others is my client experience. So many times, I have had clients find me through Google and mention that have used an advisor in the past. When I ask why they didn’t contact them again, they typically say they felt no connection with them. They book the trip, deliver the documents, and say have a nice time. That is an agent. I don’t do anything pre-packaged. You have to go through a full consultation so we can get to know each other first. I want to deliver an experience from that first call, to six months post trip. After we design your trip (because it is designed, there are rounds of edits we go through) and book it, I don’t just say have a great time. I send tons of information to my clients: destination guides, how to use your phone abroad, luggage recommendations, etc. We are in constant communication to enhance your trip. We have calls before you leave, and then they have my number for during trip travel. Post trip, same thing, we have a call to go over details, hear stories, and get feedback. I’m not going to book it and peace out!
What are you most proud brand wise? I would say my integrity. I don’t believe in taking photos of children or riding an elephant abroad. I travel how I wish others would travel. If I recommend something, I stick by that recommendation. That isn’t good for anyone. Also, I am not in this to make the most amount of money possible – that isn’t my goal, so I am not going to suggest things just to earn an extra $20. I want people to feel safe, connected, and prepared for travel. There are a million things to think about before a trip (and during), so knowing that I have answered questions and they can go and have a smile on their face and not “need a vacation from the vacation” means the world to me.
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc? Most advisors charge fees nowadays to plan trips. What we offer and design shouldn’t be more than what you see online for yourself. Use an advisor, even for “little trips” like a short cruise, Disney, etc. While our pricing is the same, you are supporting small local businesses and we can sometimes get you perks along the way. My clients, for example, can sometimes get free room upgrades, early/late check out, $100 resort credit – things like that. If you are looking at “bucket list” trips, you should 100% be using an advisor. Their connections and partnerships can completely transform a trip.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Drive. Owning a business that is a one-woman operation? DRIVE. No one is going to write that protocol, draft those emails, and get new clients for you. I am in a sales-oriented field that makes commission – you have to be hungry for it and put in the work. Nothing comes for free and nothing comes easy. Most days, I work 12 hours, and learning to turn it off is hard. A lot of people think that it will be easy and that clients will just come, but they won’t. You can’t just post a few pretty photos on Instagram and call it a day. If I don’t have a proposal due, I am working on my website, building out future newsletters, updating email correspondence that gets sent out, applying for in-person events, doing trainings (keeping up with partners and destinations), and attending networking events. It is a lot!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.clementetravels.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clementetravels/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClementeTravels/
