Today we’d like to introduce you to Gwendolyn Perkins.
Hi Gwendolyn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My first trip out of the country was to Grand Bahama Island with my then 13-year-old sister. I will never forget being on the beautiful white sand beaches for the first time; the sound of the steel drums as we watched a mesmerizing fire-eating performance; the nervous excitement of parasailing for the first time and the warmth of the locals as they shared their stories and their island with us.
This trip was the beginning of my thirst to discover the world. There is nothing like seeing the diversity of beauty that God created, getting to know different cultures and sharing unusual experiences.
Now, 40 countries and 6 continents later, I am on a journey to help others do the same – particularly young people. I believe there is a direct correlation between a person’s level of exposure and their ability to dream/imagine. I have been extremely blessed with many amazing experiences. God has been extremely good to me and has given me so much. So much so that I want to invest in others in the same way. This is my ‘why’ for not just my travel agency but for everything I do. It’s a core value for me.
I believe that travel irrevocably changes you. It changed me: it opened me up and broadened my perspective. It made me less rigid. And it taught me how to interact with others not like me. Travel is not just a physical journey, it can also be a journey of the heart – moving you, causing you to evolve and expand – A heart journey. And it is my goal to make this type of travel – heart journeys – as accessible as possible.
https://www.travelbygwen.com/about (A video on my website that tells my story)
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?
Like most, my journey has had a few struggles. While I love planning travel and was doing it well before I opened my agency, I knew nothing about running a business. I’ve learned that it requires much more than just a passion for what you do. I’ve made many mistakes simply out of ignorance. Over the past couple of years, however, I’ve been able to learn from those mistakes. They’ve helped me hone my vision and my ‘why’. And from that I’ve been able to create my niche and refine my focus.
And honestly, I am still learning and still have a lot to learn. But by God’s grace I think I’m heading in the right direction.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Through tailor-made itineraries and activities TravelByGwen helps clients take a journey of the heart along with the physical journey they come to me for. With TravelByGwen’s Signature Experiences our clients connect with the destination, each other and themselves in a way that leaves a lasting impact well beyond their return home.
I specialize in group trips – families, churches, schools, friends, etc – primarily international. In addition to planning the logistics of the trip, I help create meaningful moments during the trip that enrich my clients’ times away and their lives. Our ‘heart journeys, as I call them, help our clients grow, stretch and evolve.
For example, for a group of friends celebrating a milestone birthday I created a game that triggered deep conversation among the friends and allowed them to get to know each other in ways they had previously not ventured into. Another example is a scavenger hunt in London that I procured for a family that wanted their 13-year-old son to learn history and culture. The son only wanted to play games. The scavenger hunt was a way to do both. These are examples of TBG Signature Experiences. It’s this aspect of my agency that is a differentiator from others.
Another differentiator is the TravelByGwen Travel Club which will launch in January of 2023. I’ve found that there are many people that have a desire to travel but either 1) don’t have anyone to travel with (and don’t want to go it alone) or 2) find it a burden financially to do so. The TBG Travel Club will be a community of would-be travelers that 1) helps them get to know potential travel buddies through a TBG Signature Experience and 2) provides opportunities for discounted travel through leading a group. We will also have special features, travel tips and destination education.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is investing in others in the same way I have been invested in – particularly young people. I see young people struggling to find themselves and want to help them discover their God-given purpose and go after their dreams. But it’s hard to dream when you’ve never been exposed to anything other than the small circle around you. Travel broadens horizons and contributes to an expanded capacity to envision and imagine. That’s what it did for me. And this is what I want to help others do.
To this end, I support a couple of organizations that have this vision at heart. Global Glimpse is a non-profit that provides educational travel opportunities to high school juniors and seniors. Dorothy’s Dreamers is a non-profit that provides coaching and resources to teenage moms. TravelByGwen contributes a portion of its service fee to both organizations.
Contact Info:
- Website: travelbygwen.com
