Today we’d like to introduce you to Paris Brookins.
Hi Paris, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m a rare Georgia native that loves to experience the diversity of the world and enjoys sharing it with others. We help Travel Enthusiasts celebrate special occasions in POSH destinations without the headaches of organizing Group Travel.
We have been in business since 2015. Ironically I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. I was always the one to organize social events (baby showers, bachelorettes, etc.), family reunions (both sides), and sorority anniversaries. So it came natural when someone introduced me to the travel industry.
I actually started the business when I was on maternity leave with my 1st child. For some reason, I thought three months was a lot of free time so in that time, I certainly kept busy. I had a grand opening announced on Facebook, and my business start to flourish mostly through word of mouth. I’ve been booked and busy ever since!
Having the name Paris naturally makes me want to see the world. Having this name makes me know there are other cultures food and breathtaking places outside of my little on Atlanta, GA.
My love of travel started with my very first passport stamp that was too Dakar, Senegal for 3 months for a summer internship as part of my undergrad degree. I did a research study in partnership with the local university. Living there that summer truly opened my eyes to what it meant to be African American. It truly changed my life.
That next semester I did a study abroad program in Paris, France thanks to my college -Clark Atlanta University and amazing mentor. Those 4 months in Paris, France allowed me to explore many places in Europe often by train including London, Amsterdam, Switzerland, and Italy. I returned home fluent in French, forever changed, and now a red wine snob!
I specialize exclusively in celebratory & cultural group travel. Our niche is Caribbean beach all-inclusive getaways (St. Lucia, Turks & Caicos Aruba, Mexico, etc.). Jamaica is our number 1 seller.
We create custom private trips for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, etc.
We also curate amazing cultural POSH Getaways to places like Dubai (annually), Greece, South Africa, and Cartagena.
Alright, 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?
Absolutely not.
First, the world is large so you have to figure out what your specialty will be because you can’t know it all. Have to learn about the destination and find vendors that have great experiences to partner with.
Organizing groups can be challenging but we assist our Group Leaders with streamlining the communications and providing flexible payment plans. We take the load off of them.
Common challenges are dealing with hotel and vendor changes and the #1 challenge is clients canceling.
Travel Agents are paid on commission so that often is months to a year later once the client travels. That means I can work with a client for months and they cancel or change their mind and we don’t get paid. All that hard work was for nothing.
Fortunately, it’s not too many of those but the PANDEMIC was the biggest challenge to us ALL.
The world literally closed down. Many trips/weddings/celebrations were canceled and refunds were issued. Or there were reschedules which kept us busy as the pandemic lingered on for two years now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Posh Getaways by Paris, LLC?
I specialize exclusively in celebratory & cultural group travel experiences. Our niche is Signature Birthday Celebrations”, beach getaways, and cultural group trips. Jamaica is our number 1 seller. We also have an annual Dubai trip. We also do cruises.
We create custom private trips for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, etc. We tailor the package to the client’s needs and add special touches to make it truly unforgettable.
We also curate amazing cultural POSH Getaways to places like Dubai, Greece, South Africa, and Cartagena. These tours are usually longer 7-10 days to have more time to delve into the culture and rich history.
Proud – We sold out our Greece Tour 1 trip and released Greece Tour 2 which is over Memorial Day 2023. It’s going to be so fun. We have a few slots left.
Proud- Our team has doubled in size this past year. We have a small team of 5 people now. Coming off the pandemic we’ve already reached our annual says from last year. This has been our best year sales-wise.
Everyone is ready to travel again (literally everyone AND their Momma). 1st time traveler too. People are trying to live life in the moment. This may be one good side effect of the pandemic.
We also just launched our Group Leader POSH Loyalty Program and a new Unforgettable Getaways Referral Program. I’m excited about the direction we’re headed.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m fortunate to have had a great host agency and a successful Travel Mentor that help guide me over the years.
Favorite business book- 12 Week Year by Brian Moran.
I’m so grateful to have built an automated system that helps me to provide smooth services to large groups. Our largest group to date was 60 people to Jamaica. I could not have done it without the right technology, project management tools, and a fantastic team of Travel hosts and virtual assistants.
Podcast- Traffic Sales and Profit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.poshgetawaysbyparis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poshgetaways/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoshGetaways/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PoshGetaways
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxnVv2ZDySqGwwz7bfXct_g
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