Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Cummings.
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?
Four years ago, I was a classroom educator suffering from major post-Covid burnout, and was seeking something that would allow me to tap into my “love languages”: acts of service and detailed, intense research. I’ve always been an avid traveler, and so when the opportunity to join a new host travel agency– 8th Wonder Travel Company — became available in March, 2023, I was intrigued. I decided to give it a go and formed my own agency and brand, Find Your Wonder with Hillary, specializing in service-driven travel experiences with a concierge approach. Over the last three and a half years my business has grown to encompass worldwide destinations with a focus on celebration-based travel: milestones, honeymoons, anniversaries, and special moments. I wholeheartedly believe that travel can be enriching, transformative, and –in a word– magical in how it can offer us glimpses not only into the world, but also into our deeper selves. Each trip is collaborative: I work with my clients to identify their travel vision and to bring that vision to life, be it a family trip to Disney to celebrate a graduation, a honeymoon to celebrate the first trip together as married partners, or a European Bucket List. Each gets my hands on, dedicated approach with detailed, personalized itineraries and concierge service. I like to stress to my clients that they can take the stress off their plate, close the browser tabs and spreadsheet, and turn their travels over to me. It’s like pressing the “easy button” on vacation!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any journey into developing a business and a brand is fraught with hiccups and hardships, of course, but I have been incredibly blessed with amazing clients that have helped my business bloom and grow. I think the biggest challenge in travel and a travel-centered business is there’s a) SO much to learn: it’s an overwhelming amount of information to take in, process, and assimilate. I am constantly learning and challenging myself to learn more about the travel industry and the destinations I serve. The other challenge I have faced is the unpredictable nature of travel: from flight cancelations to hurricane season, there’s a lot of “unknowns” that come into play that you have to tackle with a clear head and calm demeanor. When a client is stressed or panicked because things outside their control is taking over, they need an advocate to step in and calm them down and give them actionable steps to regain balance. I feel that my past experience as a classroom educator has helped me become a “calm in the chaos” personality, which has been very helpful in the volatile world of travel. There’s also the challenge of BEING a travel advisor: I don’t know how many times I see “do travel agents still exist?” or “why should I hire a travel agent?” and the truth is, not everyone needs an advisor. Some people love the process of planning, and thrive when they can put on their problem solving hat if things go sideways in destination, and I’ve had to accept that not everyone is my client, and not everyone is in need of my service. I think that is a challenge for every small business owner — accepting that no one “owes” you their business, and just because a family or friend doesn’t hire you does not mean your work does not have value or meaning, it just means they were not the right fit for my business/business model, and that’s okay.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Find Your Wonder with Hillary is a concierge travel studio that specializes in offering celebration-focused experiences for travelers from all walks of life. Our areas of expertise include special occasion travel (honeymoons, celebrations, milestones, and memory-makers), Disney, Europe, Hawaii, and Cruises. What sets Find Your Wonder with Hillary apart is our specialized service: each itinerary is personalized and customized to the traveler, and we offer full support before, during, and after the journey. Our customers know that they are supported each step of the way with an advocate at home that has their best interests at heart. We are dedicated to providing our travelers with a fully custom and personalized travel experience that leaves no detail unmanaged or trip component untouched. I am most proud of our service-driven approach: it’s high-touch, personalized, and personal: I understand that each trip that our clients take are precious: they are an investment of your time, money, and energy, and we take these opportunities for building relationships and making memories seriously. Most of my clients are people that love to travel but maybe feel overwhelmed with the prospect of planning. They feel like there’s so many choices out there, they want someone to offer insight, guidance, and support– and that is something I offer unwaveringly. Brand-wise, what I’m proudest of is coherence. The way the documents read, the way the website looks, the way a client is walked through the process — it all feels like the same thing, and that thing is calm, considered, and a little bit literary (thanks to my English degree and believe that knowledge is power). What I’d want your readers to know is that the first step in planning a beautiful trip is a conversation, not a commitment. I’d rather spend forty-five minutes understanding what you’re actually celebrating before anyone talks about dates or budgets. The trips that work are the ones designed around the reason for taking them.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success, to me, is the photo from in destination with a caption like “This is the best trip ever.” Success is when an anxious traveler feels empowered to go abroad confidently, knowing that I have their back. Success is in the communications I have with my clients where we transition into friendship. Success is the repeat clients that come back, again and again, looking for magic in the planning process and support along the way. I also think success is when a client has no idea I’m handling chaos behind the scenes — canceled bookings, missed connections, canceled flights– I aim to handle the issues so that they feel no stress, and when they do feel it– a soft place for them to land with a listening ear, compassion, and a game plan for getting out of a sticky situation.
Pricing:
- The initial consult and consultation is complimentary
- I charge a modest planning fees that begin at $100
- Fees are due at the start of planning and are non-refundable. They are separate from the cost of travel and are not applied toward the trip.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.findyourwonderwithhillary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findyourwonderwithhillary
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findyourwonderwithhillary
