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Running a Travel Agency During a Pandemic


"What you feed your mind, will lead your life." ― Kemi Sogunle

I love webinars! I've always been voraciously curious, constantly seeking new learning opportunities, and the modern convenience of being enlightened in my own home is fantastic. No Zoom Fatigue here! I've been working from home since 2018 and have long relied on webinars to keep connected with all sorts of communities. For example I'm grateful Brooklyn Brainery moved their classes online since Spring, and on Sunday night I attended a super-cool virtual presentation on Coney Island's history focusing on the outrageous, oversized disaster spectacles staged there in the early 1900s. If you see that pop up again on their calendar, do sign up for it; it's a riot! 

In the travel industry, my favorite webinars are given by Travefy because Stephanie Gries is a sparkling interviewer, her guests are interesting and insightful, and they cover unique and engaging topics. Their webinars are never stuffy or boring, and I look forward to each one. So I gleefully accepted when Stephanie asked to interview me for Travefy's new podcast, The Lounge. My episode is "Building a Strong and Lasting Client Connection," and we recorded the video of our interview, which I sincerely hope you'll watch from start to finish because you'll learn a lot not only about me and Nine Muses Travel, but also about my role as your travel advisor. I am very, very proud to share this video with you, and when you watch, you'll see why. CLICK HERE FOR OUR INTERVIEW

Another virtual event I attended last week was American Express' Business Class LIVE: Summit for Success. Nine Muses Travel is still a corporation at the end of the day, and I keep an eye out for high quality events to continue fine-tuning my business acumen. Their agenda kicked off spectacularly with two back-to-back interviews with stellar entrepreneurs Shaquille O'Neal and Serena Williams. Shaq shared how he knew early on he needed to invest wisely and get into business to protect and grow his wealth he earned playing basketball. He only endorses products he personally believes in, and he shocked Wheaties when he turned down their offer to put him on the box. Shaq never ate Wheaties; he grew up eating Frosted Flakes! For the first time ever, Wheaties offered to pay the athlete, and he still said no. I love the statement this makes: money can't buy authenticity.

Serena similarly knew she needed to be smart with her money and discussed her entrepreneurial journey off the court. I took away some fierce wisdom from her interview, about the struggles more than the successes. Serena described what she learned from losing against her sister who shared her mindset philosophy to help Serena. Venus said, "What's the point of getting nervous before a match? If you're going to show up, you've got to compete. If you're going to play, go in expecting to win - or don't play." 

Both of those stories resonate with me because I pride myself personally and professionally on being honest and authentic, and my work ethic and mindset focus on favorable outcomes for my clients, my business, and even myself. I believe this comes across in our Travefy interview. You can also get that link from my YouTube channel, to which I hope you'll also Like and Subscribe when you CLICK HERE!


I design journeys that inspire by highlighting local arts and culture, history, and cuisine for intellectually curious clients longing to feel deeply inspired by exciting destinations, culinary delights, and authentic cultural experiences on a life-changing, joyful journey of discovery.


Danielle Dybiec

President of Nine Muses Travel

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