The life of an entrepreneur has never been easy. It’s a road marked with obstacles that are hopefully followed with the triumph of overcoming them. However, there is no question that COVID-19 may just be the greatest obstacle the business owners of today have ever faced. From mandatory lockdowns to supply chain blocks, this pandemic has been nothing less than a Russian doll of unsavory circumstances.
Even though the past two years have been a struggle for many entrepreneurs, it’s important to remember that not every waking moment can be poured into your business. If something isn’t sustainable, it’s burning yourself out. Taking time for some relaxation and getting some space from your business can lower your stress levels, allow you to put time into the relationships of those around you, and perhaps most importantly, return to a seemingly impossible situation with a head full of fresh ideas.
If you don’t think you have time—or really even know where to start—that’s where Katie Warner comes to the rescue. This lawyer-turned-travel agent knows better than anyone the art of running a business and planning a vacation.
While the leap from lawyer to travel agent seems drastic at first glance, take one look at Katie’s story and it all starts to make a lot of sense. A Texas native with dual citizenship in Croatia, Katie was exposed early on to the idea of what it means to be a world citizen. However, it wasn’t until she graduated from international high school and spent a semester in Mexico learning Spanish that she truly caught the travel bug. From there, she oriented her studies towards international studies and foreign languages.
After graduating, Katie worked as the European liaison for the Center for Terrorism Law and as an Assistant Attorney General for the Global Settlement Section of the Antitrust and Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. However, it was her freelance work as a lifestyle writer and photographer—and overwhelming interest from friends and colleagues in what she was posting to social media—that inspired her to take the plunge.
In 2012, Katie left the world of law behind to start Lucid Routes, a luxury travel agency for clients who value “white glove service and personal attention.” She easily spent 200 to 300 days on the road vetting airlines, hotels, tour guides, cruise lines and more for her largely word-of-mouth clientele. Over 50 countries later, calling her a frequent flier was an understatement. In 2019, she even planned to start another business to accommodate other demographics of travelers.
Then, the pandemic hit.
With plans on hold for her next project and a passport gathering dust, Katie finally took a bit of a break. “I took time while business was slow to really focus on creating great content for our audience,” she explained. So, it was during 2020 and the first half of 2021 that she refined the company that would become her second foray into the industry, Luxury Travel Hackers.
Officially launched in July 2021, the tech-based travel company uses story-driven content to connect clients to a dream experience. Katie runs Luxury Travel Hackers alongside Gary Kohn and Tom Mangas—the mastermind behind the merger of Starwood Hotels and Marriott International—as well as Chris Shonk of ATX Ventures. While the middle of a global pandemic seems like a risky time to launch a business, Katie was certain the demand would be there once countries started opening up again. Long story short, she was right—all thanks to a little patience and some fresh thinking.
Katie is the perfect example of how taking a little extra time to breathe can make all the difference. “Life balance makes you a better entrepreneur,” she said, “It makes you a better business owner.” Now that travel is somewhat feasible again, she highly recommends getting out of town as a way to refresh your process. “That is going to be reflected everywhere in your life, including how you run your business and how you work with your employees and clients,” she explained.
Katie also knows a thing or two about what her clients have on their plates. As a millennial running her own businesses, she’s just like them. Most of her Luxury Travel Hackers clients are between the ages of 30 and 55, as well as sharing the common denominator of not having the luxury of spending the equivalent of a whole business day or more to plan a vacation. “Our clients are very busy people,” she said,” “If they were to spend that much time researching, they would never go on a trip.”
She also understands the experience of being young enough to have never worked with a travel agent before the rise of the internet. “We’re getting more and more people that just want to make sure they have somebody that not only knows the ins and outs of what’s going on,” she explained, “but who is there as an advocate for them when things don’t go according to plan or they need to make last-minute changes for whatever reason.”
Katie’s also mastered the art of asking just the right questions to get the conversation going. Well-traveled millennials and gen-xers in search of brag-worthy destinations off the beaten path should look no further.
For those who think they don’t have the time to plan a vacation, an analogy Katie likes to use is doing your taxes. You can do them entirely on your own, use a software like TurboTax, or utilize the expertise of someone else to do it for you. By using a travel agent like Katie, entrepreneurs can free up the time spent planning a vacation to keep doing what they do best.
For those who aren’t sure of where they want to go, Katie starts by doing a lot of listening and then asks questions that get to the “heart” of the what her clients are envisioning—the goals that surround the travel experience itself.
Finally, when asked about her top destinations for 2022, Katie offered up some top notch destinations. First on her list was Mexico. Not only is this diverse destination easy for most Americans to get to, she was very impressed by how the country has handled challenges presented by COVID-19. “In terms of cleanliness and safety procedures, they really have it all together,” she said.
Up next was St. Barts—a destination Kate says combines the best of the Caribbean and French Riviera. With a longer high season, beautiful beaches, world-class sailing and delicious French cuisine, there’s a lot to love.
Finally, Katie was also impressed by the efforts of Italy and Greece to accommodate travelers in a post-COVID world. With plenty of customization available, these destinations are ideal for anyone with a lengthy travel wish list.
In short, all of these destinations should be one your radar for next year and beyond! Clients can also feel good about working with Katie other than the relaxation or adventure they can look forward to on their vacation. Both of her companies donate to Whole Planet Foundation, which give micro-loans to small business owners around the globe. She also works with a nonprofit to make trips as carbon neutral as possible. “It’s about being mindful of the planet,” Katie explained, “and the cultural fabric of the places we’re visiting.”
Written by Katie Warner
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