Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Householder Stacey.
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?
About 8 and half years ago my cousin had a destination wedding. I organized the travel for my family. At the time I was working a job that I was ready to move on from. I was trying to figure out what my next move would be. On the way home my husband turned to me and said “you know you are really good at organizing travel, you should see if there’s a way to make money doing that.”
I started Aida’s Adventures from my dining room table, with just a laptop. I thought it would be a good way to make some extra money. I had no idea what the business would turn into! In just 8 years, we went from a small, single-woman operation to five advisors and seven-figure sales. The business has grown above what I would have dared to dream of 8 years ago.
We have been a part of dozens of our clients most important moments, from weddings to special family vacations. We get to make real magic everyday and I’m grateful for it.
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?
I don’t think you’ll be surprised that the biggest struggle for a travel agency was COVID. In 2020, we actually closed out the year with profits of less than $100.
But the swing back up has been giant. There was a lot of pent-up demand for travel. Travelers were nervous about jumping back in, in some cases, and looking for help. We were able to harness that demand and have our biggest years ever. In the post covid world, travelers are looking for someone they trust to help them navigate, and we were ready!
We’ve been impressed with Aidas Adventures 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?
We are a travel agency. We do a lot of work with special needs families, and I am very proud of that. There is a lot that goes into special needs travel, and many special needs families do not take vacations. I am very proud of our work making travel accessible to all.
A few months ago, I convinced a client to take a less expensive, but in my opinion safer, cabin type on a cruise. See his child elopes and I was nervous about that child having a balcony. I convinced him to switch to an inside cabin. He joked with me that I’m not a good salesman. I told him that he might be right, but I sleep well at night. My agency has a reputation for taking good care of people, and I am very proud of that.
I am very proud of the team we have. When you hire us, you don’t have just one advisor looking out for you. You have 5. We really do work together as a team, which isn’t common among home-based advisors. We genuinely have the mentality that they aren’t just Emily’s clients, they are the agency’s clients. And if something goes wrong, which happens no matter how carefully you plan, everyone pitches in to get the situation handled.
The trip I am the most proud of personally was organizing travel for a special needs orchestra group to Rome. It was absolutely amazing and the coolest thing I have ever been a part of! We organized flights, hotel, bus, meals and activities for 44 people with a variety of dietary and other medical needs. It was over a year of work, but the smiles made it absolutely worth it!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I am a straight shooter and I’ll tell you what I really think. If I think something is a bad idea, I’ll tell you. But that means people trust me. Vacations are sacred family memories, you need someone you can trust!
I am very kind. In business and in sales, I think some might view that as weakness. But I believe that if I treat everyone well, the sales will follow.
I take good care of my clients and I don’t consider my job finished until they are home. I go above and beyond. One time, I even used a ladder to get into a client’s backyard, with their permission, of course, to check on their outdoor cat after their cat sitter didn’t show! I scaled their fence with a ladder and fed their cat so they could continue their vacation worry-free. I would do almost anything for a client or a cat.
And I take good care of the advisors who work with me. I treat their clients like my clients. I encourage them to take time off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aidasadventures.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AidasAdventures
