Meet Lindsey Koehle | Travel Agent specializing in Disney Destinations

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

Hi Lindsey, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Previously, I was a middle school teacher and that is what my college degree is in. After having children, I wanted to be home with my children more so I worked at their preschool after being a stay-at-home mom. I was looking to change career paths in another direction when my husband’s job wanted us to move from Charleston to Columbia. With that change coming up, my plans were derailed. Late one night I laid in bed and channeled all of my love for Disney and filled out an application for my dream job, a travel agent specializing in Disney with Fairytale Journeys Travel. I heard from the owner the next day, had an interview and signed the contract just a couple short days later. I was over the moon! I jumped right in, with training, researching, and learning every bit that I could not only about planning travel and those logistics but with everything else I would need as well, from social media to organization! I knew I wanted to be successful and truly be good at what I do, and I still work at that every day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The only way to succeed as a travel agent is to build relationships and trust with current and potential clients. I always strive to make each of my clients feel like they are my only client and that I do truly care about their experience, because I do! Whether they are the only one traveling at that time or one of many, their experience is extremely important to me and I want them to leave their vacation happy, full of lifetime memories and ready to return!

I have helped over 150 families plan their Disney vacations with parties as large as 15! I want to find the best fit and plan for each particular client and their family or travel party. No two families are the same; with the same wants or needs and that goes beyond just the budget. There is so much more to consider when picking a vacation because you want everyone to have the convenience and amenities to be able to relax and enjoy their vacation – however that may look to them. My goal is that they arrive to their vacation with all the information they need to have the best time possible!

My family has been extremely supportive in my work and they all love everything Disney as well! My husband will often take my three children out of the house on the weekends so I can pour myself into my work when I may not have had time to juggle mom life and travel agent life that week. We have made it work and they get to reap the benefits of the frequent trips to Disney World and now their first Disney Cruise coming up later this year!

I want the World to know that I truly love what I do and I work hard to make sure I continue to learn and further my knowledge to best help plan their vacation. It’s no secret that planning a Disney vacation – to any of the destinations – can be overwhelming and my hope is to take that stress off of each client and help them lay out the details and timelines so that everything will fall into place just as it is supposed to. With each client, I am ready to help from the very beginning of finding their perfect resort to helping answer questions while they are even in the parks!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you were visiting Columbia, you definitely need to check out the Riverbanks Zoo! The kids love it and the variety of animals is amazing! The Children’s Museum is a great place for the kids to run around and explore – it has 2 levels and many things to do. Lake Murray is a huge lake right outside of Columbia and has a walking path over the dam as well as couple restaurants on the water. The riverwalk in West Columbia offers beautiful scenery for a stroll alongside the river! Depending on the season, you can catch a baseball game and cheer on the Fireflies! For drinks and food, definitely check out Lula Drake and Market on Main!

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?
As an independent contractor with Fairytale Journeys Travel, I joined a work family. There are so many people willing to help and support my success! Many of the other agents have been helpful in my journey to developing into the agent that I am today. Particularly, my “roommate” who I met on my first training trip to Disney World and we have leaned on each other during the whole process of getting established as travel agents. In an industry that you do not work closely with anyone in particular, it is so helpful to have someone to trust and rely on for help or advice. I know at any moment, if I need help or support I can reach out and find that from someone in my agency. It allows me to be a better travel agent as well as support my clients better when I have other expert agents to help!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lindseyplansthemagic

Facebook: https://facebook.com/fairytalejourneysbylindsey

Other: https://linktr.ee/fairytalejourneysbylindsey
email: ftjbylindsey@gmail.com