Meet Sarah Richmond | Travel Advisor, Writer, Photographer

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

Hi Sarah, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
One thing I often encounter when engaging with individuals outside of the travel industry, is a general confusion as to how travel advisors operate their business. If someone hasn’t worked with an advisor before, oftentimes they believe it is far more expensive than just booking their vacation themselves online. I have even had recent conversations with friends of mine who hadn’t reached out to me for vacation planning, because they assumed my services were well outside of their budgets. The truth is, the majority of my income comes from commissions paid to me by suppliers and travel partners (i.e. resorts, hotels, tours, etc.). While I do charge a planning fee for my custom itineraries, those rates are typically less than 5% of the overall travel budget, so my clients receive the luxury of having someone else handle the details, without it consuming their vacation funds. All of us are busier than ever, and our time is worth protecting for the things most important to us. When I visit a stylist for my hair or hire a graphic designer for a project, I do so for their industry expertise, but also because I need to spend my energy on what I am best at. In the same way, I try to educate my audience on how working with me not only adds value in terms of my knowledge and experience within the world of travel, but also includes the luxury of time and peace of mind added back into their lives.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
It’s interesting because at first glance one probably wouldn’t classify travel as a “creative,” career but here in 2022 my experience as a photographer, writer, and my background in branding/marketing all help set me apart in the industry. Travel is storytelling in many ways – be it stories about our incredible world and the beautiful destinations to be visited, or stories the individuals, couples, and families bring into their vacation experiences. For me, meeting clients, learning some of their story, and then being able to help them add new chapters to those stories brings me a lot of creative inspiration.

As is the case for so many professionals, regardless of the industry, the pandemic was definitely a challenging time to be a Travel Advisor. Basically overnight, 2020 became a year spent canceling vacations, losing all of that commission, and just a lot of crisis management. The flip of that difficult season is all of the knowledge and experience it gave me moving ahead. Not to mention a confidence in my work that I feel like comes when we are forced to push through obstacles in business and life.

Failure is truly a powerful teacher – I hate that (ha!), but it proves true in my life over and over again. So I try to make the failures count – to learn what there is to learn from it, and gather up the skills for future obstacles. In the past, I have failed at setting firm boundaries around my time, as well as just not being as confident in my representation of myself in business. I have learned from those mistakes, and find myself intentionally being more direct on the front end with clients about how I work and what they can expect when working with me.

I would love for people to walk away from an interaction with me and my brand, feeling inspired and equipped to make the space in their lives to experience the world with those closest to them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I were to plan an itinerary here in Northern Colorado, it would definitely revolve around the outdoors. I live in Fort Collins, so if friends were in town we would hit my favorite hiking trails in the foothills around my house, paddle board at Horsetooth Reservoir, play some golf at one of the local courses or head to Top Golf in Thornton for a fun evening. I would also love to take friends white water rafting in the Poudre Valley – my family went with Rocky Mountain Adventures last summer and can’t wait to go again. We would take a day or two to explore RMNP and Estes, and also try and catch a Colorado Rockies baseball game or a show at the Denver Performing Arts Center. Back in Fort Collins, lots of shopping and dining alfresco in Old Town would be happening. Some of my favorite spots around FoCo are: Rainbow Restaurant, Lucille’s, Choice City, Ginger & Baker, Jessup Farms and Little on Mountain. And of course, we would visit some local breweries like Odell, Stodgy and New Belgium for the outdoor hang and fun community atmosphere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely my husband, Rob, has been my most long-suffering and supportive cheerleader. From buying me a laptop to start writing/blogging when I left my career in marketing in 2005, to encouraging me to pursue photography a few years later, and even now using his drone flying skills to help me capture travel footage – Rob is a partner in so much of my business.

Website: www.vacationsbooked.com

Instagram: @vacationsbookedbysarah