Meet Carly Fisher

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Fisher.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Traveling has been something that has brought so much joy to my life. I found that on every trip I went on I ended up being the one taking over the planning and forming an itinerary. My friends and family relied heavily on my ideas and opinions, and it formed a passion that stuck.

In 2022, I went on an 11-day trip to the Greek islands. This trip was well thought out and required a lot of coordination and planning. Throughout the trip, a lot of people were reaching out on Instagram for recommendations, and I found myself super excited to share the details. It sparked me to ask on my Instagram story if anyone wanted my Greece Google doc, and to my surprise over 50 people replied. I got to watch people in 6 months go to the same restaurants and bars and share their excitement with me, and it was the best feeling.

In January 2023 after a trip to St. John, U.S.V.I the same situation occurred, and I zoned in on this passion project. Within one week, I started Book It Blonde on Instagram and started diving right into travel planning. Since working at Uncommon James that past year I learned a lot about website creation, so I started my website and built it all myself. I made my first logo and started sharing it on social media to spread the word.

In the meantime before gaining my first customers, I created travel guides on the trips I have been on so far that I planned. These guides cover everything from hotels, restaurants, bars, things to do, excursions to book, tips/tricks, must-knows of the area you’re visiting, a packing list of my favorite must-haves, and links to everything to book with ease. These were a hit, and from this, I started getting custom itinerary customers.

I have worked with over 12 couples planning honeymoons in Italy, Thailand, Spain, France, Greece, St. John, and more. My custom itinerary experience was built to give each person a completely tailored experience. Although I do not handle booking flights/hotels, I give all the necessary details to make the experience of booking seamless. This meets their budget needs and helps make their trip memorable but stress-free.

I take the guesswork out of planning and take time off their hands of researching. Book It Blonde is meant to remind those that traveling doesn’t have to be stressful, and with the help of my services booking that trip you’ve dreamed of is within reach!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would say no! I have had the best support system of family, my significant other, friends, and coworkers which has made this more smooth for me. Everyone’s love has helped me to meet some of my customers and has helped me expand my network in a short amount of time!

As for the road I’m on, it’s been a lot of work! I have a full-time job that I dedicate my time to, and Book It Blonde is just a passion project. Finding the balance between both jobs has been a challenge in itself. I have to carve out time in my evenings and weekends to work on BIB.

Building a website was time-consuming and required a lot of research to make sure I showcase my business in the best way possible. I knew without a website I truly wouldn’t be moving along because I was handling all communication through email/venmo before that which isn’t feasible.

As for the travel industry itself, I have struggled with comparison most! It is easy to compare yourself to others in the industry doing the same thing. Everyone offers different things and has different lifestyles. As mentioned prior, I have a job that is my main priority so I cannot travel 24/7 as I would like.

My job is not remote and I am in the office Monday-Friday. Others I see on social media are taking so many beautiful trips, and I know I cannot compete with that. I have some amazing trips in store this year, and I have to focus on that and stay on my path without comparison.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My full-time job is at Uncommon James as a Sr. Manager of Retail Operations IT. I have always been in the supply chain, but my true passion has been travel planning hence where Book It Blonde comes in.

Book It Blonde specializes in bougie-on-a-budget travel planning. I am here to help customers see the world on their timelines and budget. They don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to have an amazing trip. My pre-built guides are places I have personally been, and recommendations I can speak to. These guides help to simplify planning and give them all the information and tools to book their dream trip. Pre-built guides give all links and information on hotels, restaurants, bars, things to do, excursions to book, tips/tricks on planning, must-know information, a packing list of all my favorites, beach clubs, favorite beaches, self-guided tours, and more. This is for the customer who is organized and wants to handle planning, but wants help with the research!

My custom guides are a whole different story. This is a tailored experience that starts with customers filling out a detailed form so I get an idea of what they are looking for in their trip. They can come in with an idea of where they want to go or can leave that up to me to give them itinerary ideas. Once they fill out the form I start on the itinerary proposal. This covers destinations, all transportation (flights, ferries, trains), multiple hotel options in their budget, and an overview of the trip. We meet on Google Meet or face-to-face (in the Nashville area) and discuss my proposal. We go back and forth until they are completely happy with the suggestions, and then the real fun begins!

Once they choose the actual destinations and hotels, the custom travel guide is started. This covers restaurants, bars, things to do, excursions to book, tips/tricks on planning, must-know information, a packing list of all my favorites, beach clubs, favorite beaches, self-guided tours, and more. Activities are tailored based on how they filled out the travel form (outdoor activities, cooking classes, boat days, hikes, kayak tours, etc). This lengthy, detailed guide is sent over to them with links to book their trip on their timeline. I then will continue to advise them throughout their planning process and answer any questions they have to make sure their trip is just as they envisioned, but better!

I am most proud of the fact that Book It Blonde was started from scratch, and continues to be a mom-and-pop feel for my customers. It is meant to be a personal experience and fun for those planning with no boundaries. I text my customers and am always available for whatever they need to make their trip special.

I think what sets me apart is the boujee-on-a-budget mentality. Most other travel planners I have seen are very set on luxury stays or hotels they have contracts with which leaves less room for a customized/affordable experience. Before I started BIB I had reached out to some companies to help with planning a Europe trip, and I realized that every hotel option they sent me almost maxed my budget just on stay alone.

I do not believe you need to stay at luxury hotels to have an amazing trip, and I almost always love the boutique hotel feel on trips. I want to keep travel affordable for my customers so that they spend their money on the experiences over where they rest their heads that night.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
That no business’s path is linear. and always be open to welcoming new experiences even if it scares you.

Comparison is the thief of joy, and every single day my business is growing even if I don’t feel that it is. I look at every connection and experience as a win for BIB, and I look forward to learning new things every day.

Every customer experience is something I cherish because I learn all the ins and outs of what people look for in travel. Reminding myself that it’s normal for customers to not be 100% happy with the first proposals given since everyone is different, and they may travel differently than I do.

Pricing:

• Pre-Built Guides- $25
• Custom Itinerary One Stop- $100
• Custom Itinerary Two Stops- $150
• Custom Itinerary Three Stops- $200
• Custom Itinerary Four Stops- $250+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bookitblonde.com/
• Instagram: @bookitblonde

Image Credits
Peyton Smith