Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Ventre.
Kristy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
There are several components to my story. As teachers, we always like to give credit where credit is due, so I guess my story goes back to my ninth-grade political science class at Roswell High School. I had this really amazing political science teacher, Coach Dodd, who would tell us the best stories about traveling. We learned everything we needed to be successful in his class, but Coach Dodd’s stories initially sparked my interest in international travel.
That interest in travel stayed with me as I chose a college. I attended THE University of Georgia in 2007, and it was definitely one of the best life decisions I have ever made. I won’t tell you all of the reasons why I will forever bleed red and black, but UGA is known for its nationally ranked study abroad programs. It was here that I first ventured abroad, not knowing anyone. I spent the summer of 2010 living in Italy, and I was officially hooked. Since my summer in Italy, I have explored 32 countries and six continents and began my career as a high school teacher.
The more I kept traveling, the more I realized that my students could actually benefit from traveling as well. Through teaching, I am always striving to create meaningful learning experiences for my students. However, the longer I’ve spent in the classroom, the more I’ve realized that cultural interactions and engagements benefit my students much more than the memorization of specific dates and events. Similar to Coach Dodd’s political science class, I found myself sharing stories of my time abroad, and my students loved it. They were constantly asking questions about the places I had been to and the people I had met, but then the questions shifted to “can you take us?”
For six years, I briefly worked with a big business travel company, and I took my students abroad during the summer. My students had good experiences, but I felt like I could take their experiences one step further. Through all of my travels, I have made connections with people and places all over the world. These connections married with student interest enabled me to launch my own business, and Ventre’s Adventures was born!
Professionally, the launch of Ventre’s Adventures was a no-brainer. Personally, however, the story is a little bit different. You can read about that on my website: https://ventresadventures.com/rediscoverbali/.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Ha, absolutely not.
I am the kind of person who throws my whole heart into anything I want to do or anything I want to accomplish. Currently, I am teaching full time, and I am trying to get my business off the ground. That in and of itself is challenging. I want to give my high school students the best possible experience in the classroom, and I want to give my clients the best possible travel experience. Basically, I have really long days, but honestly, I wouldn’t accept anything less at the moment. Both my business and my students are very important to me, so I will do what it takes to make sure they are both successful.
In addition to trying to teach, run a business, and you know—have a social life, my biggest struggles came from things I would have never known were going to happen. For instance, all of my degrees are either in history, education, or American studies. Not exactly ideal when launching a business. By starting Ventre’s Adventures, I had to learn how to create a website. I have never taken a single coding class in my entire academic career. Most days, I ended up looking at my computer with my eyes crossed!
When I first started Ventre’s Adventures, I wasn’t very familiar with how to start a business. I am well versed in the travel industry, and I understand high school students and parents. I had a vision of what I wanted my business to be, but I wasn’t entirely of how to get there I spend most of my free time reading books about successful business practices and successful business people. I have learned so much.
I think sometimes that people are too proud or too stubborn to admit when they need help. I am not that person. I love surrounding myself with people who are much smarter than I am. I believe if you are the smartest person in the room, there is no room for growth. You’re not going to learn anything new. I am incredibly fortunate to have attended conferences and developed relationships with people who are now my mentors. The people that I have encountered have taught me so much.
Finally, I have the best support system. My family has been an incredible sounding board, and they are always there to remind me of how proud they are. My friends are always there to remind me to cut loose from time to time and to make sure that I enjoy the process. Lastly—my students. My students have always been there to make me laugh because while the process can be incredibly stressful, my students never let me lose focus on what truly matters.
Please tell us about Ventre’s Adventures.
Ventre’s Adventures is a travel company and blog that specializes in student and adult group travel. We believe in transformative learning experiences that challenge your cultural and personal comfort zones. Each student trip is carefully designed by teachers, and targets specific learning goals, while each adult trip will bring out your adventurous side. As previously stated, we believe that the best learning environments extend far beyond four-walled classrooms, and into a globalized community and culture.
Our small business approach and eco-friendly vision are what set us apart from other companies. We believe in the power of small and localized businesses because we are one. Forget big buses and generic vibes! That’s not our style. Ventre’s Adventures partners with local vendors, all of which are accredited through their country’s tourism board. We prefer a communal approach to travel, and we love to give back to the local economy.
We believe international travel is important, but that traveling correctly is crucial. Traveling is changing. Thanks to social media and the multitude of travel blogs (ours included), destinations are becoming overcrowded with several sites seeing severe degradation. Ventre’s Adventures sees the responsibility in leading by example. Therefore we participate in safe and sustainable travel through our partnerships with eco-friendly companies and conservation organizations.
Ventre’s Adventures is most proud of our family feel. Traveling transforms you. Not only do the experiences shape your future, but also the people you meet impact your life. Ventres’ Adventures believes in the power of positive and meaningful relationships, and we really go the extra mile to make the process as comfortable as possible. Additionally, purposeful small group enrollment provides a sense of nomadic camaraderie and bonds for years to come. Many of our alumni return to speak at meetings, design merchandise, and sometimes even travel once more.
Currently, we are enrolling a women’s retreat to Bali in June 2019, and a high school study abroad trip to South Africa in June 2020.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up in Long Island, New York. My favorite childhood memory is definitely my dad taking my brother and me from Long Island to Manhattan during the Christmas season. We rode the double-decker train, ate ALL of the fast food (which my mom was super excited about), and stayed out ridiculously late (which my mom was also super excited about). All of this usually occurred during a school day.
I guess you could say that the annual trip into the city during Christmas was my first adventure, and to this day, it is still one of my favorites.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ventresadventures.com
- Email: Kristy@VentresAdventures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ventresadventures/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ventresadventures/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vs_Adventures
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
