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Meet Laura Sangster of The Journey Group in Johns Creek

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Sangster.

Laura, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always knew I wanted a career that would allow me to give back and help people. I was originally interested in natural medicine, but after taking a break from school to backpack Central America for six months when I was 20, I knew I had to work in travel. When I first started my company, I was conflicted on how I was actually helping people as I traveled the world and stayed in some of the most incredible hotels. But fast forward seventeen years later, and I’ve embraced the true value of a vacation as the ultimate act in self-care. Not only does travel provide us an opportunity to recharge our batteries but it broadens our horizons by introducing us to different cultures and ways of living which in turn helps us be more understanding and hopefully provides us with better-coping skills for the busy, hectic lives we live.

Before I started my travel agency, I reached out to seasoned industry veterans all of who told me to run the other way; that the internet was taking over. Well, I didn’t run away, and instead, I built my company online. I picked a region close to home, the Caribbean. I was in my early 20s and didn’t want to commit to selling far-flung destinations that I hadn’t personally visited. I stuck with what I knew, and Caribbean Journey (www.caribbeanjourney.com) was born. 6 years ago, I decided it was time to expand and I have since added Asia, Europe, and South America to my travel portfolio and officially changed the company name to The Journey Group.

My most recent expansion is all about the art of pairing a fine wine with unique and intriguing locations. I launched The Wine Journeys (www.thewinejourneys.com) this week! Perfect timing for my company because the devastation in the Caribbean from these recent hurricanes is insurmountable.

My heart is broken not only for the islands I love but more importantly for the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with for the past seventeen years who have lost everything. One of the Caribbean’s best chefs and loyal ambassadors, Orlando Satchell once explained to me how the Caribbean exists on a Share the Love philosophy. How the people of the islands are always happy to open their homes and hearts to visitors and show them the true meaning of island life. Well, the people of the Caribbean are island strong but still human, and now they need help. The Journey Group will be donating 10% of all our sales commission from The Wine Journeys to the Caribbean relief efforts for the unforeseeable future.

Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Rewarding yes, but not without obstacles.

I opened my online doors less than a year before 9/11. Every one stopped traveling and we were all paralyzed with fear that these attacks would continue. It was a time of great fear and I questioned everything about my career path. Within a few years, people started traveling again and I enjoyed some wonderful moments of success. I was living in Scottsdale, Arizona and had the opportunity to sell my travel agency to a magazine publishing house who created a job for me and moved me to Miami. I was only 26 and on top of the world. We switched the focus of the brand to luxury villa vacations and I enjoyed two years of incredible experiences in charge of that project. When the magazine company was set to be sold, I was able to buy Caribbean Journey back and moved to the Atlanta area in 2005. Then the recession of 2007 slowed our business drastically and it was back to fear and worry as people stopped traveling. Another rebound and now we have back to back historically damaging hurricanes that have drastically impacted travel to the Caribbean. The lesson for me here is to work on diversifying my product offering which is in the works!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our company was founded on the philosophy that we only sell what we know. I am very proud of the fact that we have rarely if ever, sold a trip to a place we have not personally visited. I have a team of 8 wonderful agents and between us all, we have over 100 years experience in the travel industry. I’m also very proud of the fact that all of our clients travel with ways to reach us directly if they have a problem while traveling. One of us is always here to help with flight cancellations, natural disasters, or life emergencies that require a change in planes. Because we are a small business, our clients never feel like they are just a number or that they are speaking to a call center representative reading a script. Travel is personal and we strive to make sure to take a hands-on approach from start to finish.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes! Atlanta is experiencing a boom and I love it! When I first moved here, I moaned and groaned at having to drive all the way into the city for the natural organic restaurants or ethnic cafes that I prefer. Thanks to the growth Atlanta is experiencing, more and more culturally rich establishments are opening up outside the perimeter. I would absolutely recommend the Atlanta area for a small business entrepreneur. The cost of living is still relatively affordable and the shared workspace concept is catching on so there are plenty of places to set up shop if you don’t have a storefront. The only improvement I would suggest is… the traffic!

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
The Journey Group

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