Meet Andrea Van Note | Travel Advisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Van Note and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I am the mother of 4 grown daughters and 2 step-daughters. I believe that the example you set is the most important thing, not do what I say, not what I do. That being said, I have always tried to do my best at whatever I’m doing, with working, volunteering, being present in my children’s lives to let them know that I am interested in them. I also taught them to dream big and not be afraid to reach for the stars, do what you love.

I wanted them to be compassionate, loving girls but to always stand up for themselves when they need to. They are all grown now and I watch them and I can see the impact I made on their lives. I’ve been referred to as Mama Bear because I am fiercely protective of them when I need to be.

I also always told them that they were being raised “old fashioned”. I was not about making sure my kids had what everyone else had. I am not a material person and watching people give in to their children whether out of guilt or just to quiet them wasn’t having a positive impact on them. Will they raise their own children the same? Time will tell, but I am so proud of all of my girls for the positive role models they have become.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started selling travel after working at a university for 20 years. What a shock it was to me as my salary was our play and travel money and now that was gone. So I joined my franchise owners selling travel but I don’t have any money to take advantage of all of the trips that are offered to TAs. I knew somehow I needed to do more traveling, but I had moved to Colorado while my husband was waiting to transfer from NJ, so travel consisted of going back and forth to see him for a year. Then Covid hit! So right when everyone said my business was going to take off, there was no traveling. In August of 2020, the 2 franchise owners I worked under as an associate decided that they were done – Covid had killed their business. So in the middle of Covid, I made the decision to purchase the books from them and become a Franchise Owner myself. It has not been easy, but I love traveling and I love Cruise Planners. They offer me so much support and the buying power we have as one of the top home based travel franchises, not to mention being an American Express travel representative, really helps me provide added benefits to my clients travel. I am truly passionate about travel, travel every chance I get and I love sending my clients on their dream vacations. I heard something and it clicked for me and it truly is my motto – LIVE YOUR BUCKETLIST!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow! I have to say, living in Colorado can be stressful when it comes to what should be seen or done! We have so many beautiful parks and places to hike. Figuring out what to do can be complicated. If I had guests coming to town, we would definitely go to Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, the Olympic Museum, the Pioneer Museum, and the zoo. We love the drive to Cripple Creek and Victor, but any drive in this state is awesome too. Can’t forget the Broadmoor!

Food is kind of the same stressful situation, because there are so many places to try, so not eating out all the time, it can be easy to go to the standbys, but we try to find something new. We love Rosie’s Diner, Mountain View Cafe, Mountain Shadows and Sandy’s for breakfast. Quijotes is our go to Mexican place for nachos especially. Fat Sully’s for pizza – we’re from NJ. The list goes on and on and there are so many yet to try!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shout out to my husband, Jeff, who let me follow my dream and start my own business as a travel advisor. He supports everything I do and is the patient part of our partnership. He doesn’t seem to mind that I have dragged him to most of the United States and am now dragging him all over the world. He is an amazing step-dad to my daughters and is an amazing father to his.

Website: www.destinationdreamz.com

Instagram: cruise_planners_andrea_vannote

Linkedin: Andrea Van Note, CTA

Twitter: @avn513

Facebook: Andrea Van Note – Cruise Planners

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