Meet Lauren Bell | Owner & Lead Travel Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Bell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I started Plane Jane Travel Services, I wanted to take the mystery out of traveling and also create a job that I enjoy, I started traveling domestically in 2014 and internationally in 2019 and I have gained quite a bit of experience that I wanted to share with others. I also started to get a lot of questions about how I was able to travel so often and so easily. I built my business based on traveling hacks I discovered while planning my own adventures.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As Lead Travel Consultant for Plane Jane Travel Services, I have been to many of the places that I promote. I feel there is a difference between myself and a travel agent. The services I provide to customers are synonymous to the standards I have for myself when I travel. I continuously travel for my own enjoyment and to be able to give the best suggestions to future customers.

I am most excited about being able to share my experience and expertise with others. I have met many people who are overwhelmed by planning trips and traveling, and it makes them feel like what I offer makes a difference for them.

In order to get to where I am in regard to my business, I had to gain confidence in myself and what I offer. At first, I feared that my ideas weren’t enough. It took some time to overcome the negative self-talk. In the 3.5 years it took to build my brand, I had to do quite a bit of research to find gaps in similar services.

The tagline of Plane Jane Travel Services is “There’s more to life…”. I want people to know life doesn’t have to only consist of hard work, sacrifice and stress. Self-care is important and an enjoyable life ia more obtainable than one may think. Prioritize yourself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend came to visit me here in Cleveland, Ohio I would like spend time visiting places that I like as well as places I haven’t been. My typical itinerary includes tours, restaurants, museums. University Circle and the surrounding museums are a great place to start. In downtown Cleveland there are several venues to catch a sporting event of concert. There are also several unique cities that all have their own unique flavor and architecture such as Cleveland Heights, Tremont, and Lakewood. My ideal itinerary would consist of Brunch at GiGi’s in Cleveland Heights, a guided tour through the Cleveland Museum of Art, dinner at Pier W in in Lakewood and end the night laughing at the Cleveland Improv

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my grandmother Marlene Bell and my late grandfather William Bell. They took my sisters and I in and made sure we had a safe space to love and grow. They ensured we knew the value of hard work and integrity. I also want to shoutout my sisters Keisha Sweeney and Stacia Cancilliere, they are part of the Plane Jane Team and my unconditional cheerleaders. Lastly, I appreciate anyone who has listened to me ramble about traveling. You all reminded me there is more to life!

Website: Planejane-travel.com

Instagram: @planejanetravelservices

Linkedin: Lauren Bell

Image Credits
Lauren Bell