EP#103: PlanNet Marketing and Intele Travel with Whitney Holbrook

Ever wondered how a single parent can transform their life while mastering the art of work-life balance? Join me, Lisa Swiftney, as I sit down with the remarkable Whitney Holbrook, the heart and soul behind her successful home-based travel business with Planet Marketing and Intele Travel. Whitney opens up about her personal journey, a tale of resilience and ambition as she navigates the challenges of single parenthood and entrepreneurship. Her story is a testament to the power of determination, revealing how she's not only crafted a thriving career but also fostered a supportive community for others to follow in her footsteps.

In our engaging chat, Whitney busts myths surrounding network marketing and the travel industry, illuminating the path to finding reputable companies and seizing opportunities in this dynamic field. She also gives us a glimpse into her cherished family moments - from treasured morning cuddles with her daughter to planning the next adventure. Whitney's life is a blueprint for creating a flexible career that doesn't compromise on quality time with loved ones. Tune in and be inspired by how she's crafted a lifestyle that meshes her passion for travel with the joys of family and empowering fellow entrepreneurs.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Lisa Swiftney.

Speaker 2: 0:12

Hi everyone and welcome to episode number 103 of the Good Neighbor podcast. Today we have with us Good Neighbor Whitney Holbrook and she is with Planet Marketing and IntelliTravel, so that's a tongue twister there. How are you doing, whitney?

Speaker 3: 0:30

I'm doing amazing Lisa. How are you?

Speaker 2: 0:32

I'm doing really good. Thank you for being our guests today.

Speaker 3: 0:37

Thank you for having me. I'm super excited.

Speaker 2: 0:40

Great, well, let's tell our audience about your business. What do you do?

Speaker 3: 0:45

That's a great question. Thanks for asking, lisa. No, I work in travel and so it is so much fun. I have my own travel business so I can book all things travel and entertainment and I also have the privilege and opportunity of empowering other people to start their own travel business and make that extra money from home as well. So whether you work with me or book with me, we're going to win together.

Speaker 2: 1:07

That is great. Tell our listeners about your journey. How or why did you get into this business?

Speaker 3: 1:15

So that's a fun question. So I've been in this business now for just over three years, and when I first started, I had no idea what I was looking for. I just had a need, right, and I needed to be able to stay home with my daughter. I needed to be able to raise her, but also bring home the money as well, right, because I'm her only actual living parent, and so it was all falling on me, and so I was just looking for something, and I was scrolling on working from home moms groups on social media came across a post that resonated with me, reached out to the woman who posted it, and the rest is history, and so since then, it's completely changed my life and I'm loving it.

Speaker 2: 1:56

That is amazing. So can you tell us about any myths or misconceptions that you hear about in your industry?

Speaker 3: 2:06

Yes, absolutely so. The biggest misconception and miss that we get is because of the network marketing component that's attached to my business, right? So, as I mentioned, I have my own travel agency. That's from home, so I have a full fledged accredited agency. I can work just like any other travel agent, but by the part of it where I'm able to empower other people has a network marketing component attached to it, and there's still a huge stigma in this world right now about network marketing, which I understand because there's been a lot of companies in the past that have done people wrong.

Speaker 3: 2:40

But that's probably the biggest thing that we come across is being able to educate individuals on what the industry actually is, how there is a lot of opportunities in the industry and how you just got to find the right ones, you got to know what to look for right, and so when, once we're able to educate them and get past the, be able to open their mind a little bit more to it, it's a lot easier to have the conversation. But that's the biggest you know part of it that we, the challenge that we have, I would say.

Speaker 2: 3:11

And the others very well known and that people are. They need to overcome that stigma to them and you're doing a good job of you know marketing and talking to people about it, thank you. So when I know your job is fun, but when you're not working on your business, what do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 3: 3:32

So when I am not working on my business, I am mostly spending time with my family, right, because my business is extremely flexible. That's one of my favorite things about it. So, you know, in the mornings, my daughter and I we always have our cuddle sessions in the mornings, we get to just start our day off with smiles, right, you know, do our thing throughout the day and we have complete control of our time, which I absolutely love. You know, we go for walks, we go, you know, to the park, we you know, my boyfriend and I, we go on date nights and we just, we are able to just have fun as a family, have that lifestyle, and that's, you know, really, what it's all about.

Speaker 3: 4:06

For me, you know, vacationing is obviously a big one. You know, we're already planning our couple vacations throughout the year as well, and, with being in the industry, that makes it very easy, right? You know, and I'll tell you, amazon I have. I'm a shopaholic a little bit too. I think Amazon codes our house every day, so that's a lot of fun getting those packages like Christmas, every day.

Speaker 2: 4:26

So right, right, so that is fun. Can you describe one hardship or life challenge that you rose above and can now say because of that challenge that you're better for it and or stronger?

Speaker 3: 4:42

Yeah, well, this one, it's one of those questions where it's like you've got to be transparent and vulnerable but it's still hard to talk about right With. As I mentioned earlier, I'm my daughter's only living parent. When I was pregnant with her, I was only a couple of months pregnant Her father actually committed suicide and so and I was there for it, and that was a very traumatizing experience. I was really grateful that my baby survived, because it was so early in my pregnancy I thought I was gonna miss here. I had worst case scenario in my head, right, but gratefully, by God's grace, she survived and we survived, and that was probably the biggest challenge.

Speaker 3: 5:21

And, looking back, I just had this thought even just over this weekend four years, my daughter's gonna be four on March 5th, right, and so I've been thinking like, wow, four years ago I was about to give birth to my child.

Speaker 3: 5:32

I had no idea what I was gonna do, I had no idea what to expect, and all I knew was to take it one day at a time and that God would provide a way, right. And so that's what I did and he did. He provided a way. I went from struggling, working multiple jobs, cleaning offices on the weekends, having to utilize WIC and food stamps and every service I could, to now having a legacy in place with my daughter, having residual income where I get to wake up to money and a lifestyle that I could only have dreamed of many years ago. And what that challenge did for me is it gave me the strength, the resilience and the ability to be very humbled and connect with other people and be able to show them that if I can do this and I can get through that and I can change my life for myself and my daughter, then so can you, and so I'm grateful that God gave me that story to be able to hopefully help and inspire other people, because that's really my mission.

Speaker 2: 6:35

And that is a very it's a heart wrenching story, but look how far you've come, yeah great. I guess I commend you on that, Thank you. So what is one thing that you wish our listeners knew about your business?

Speaker 3: 6:52

Let's see. There's so many things I wish they knew. But if I could really just sum it up, it would be you know, if you're, if you want to travel anyways, or you're going to travel anyways, it only makes sense to purchase it from yourself. It doesn't make sense to line somebody else's pocket. Why not get you know instead of just a receipt for your vacation, why not get a check right?

Speaker 3: 7:17

And the fact that we have that legacy option that I mentioned, you know, when you get to a certain point in your business, I think that especially entrepreneurs right, we're always entrepreneurs are looking for two, a couple of things, and for time, freedom and flexibility, you know, and generational wealth. I think that's really the goal for all entrepreneurs. And so when you have something on the table that provides a legacy that says, hey, you know not if you die, but when you die, your business is going to keep paying your family and they still get to, you know, create more memories and experiences while you're alive at you know, a more affordable rate. And so I think that those are my two biggest things is, create more memories and experiences with your family and don't be afraid to do so. And if it's hard to do so. You know this is the better way of doing it and leave a legacy for your family. Leave a legacy.

Speaker 2: 8:06

That is great. All right, our listeners are now intrigued. How can they hear more? How do they contact you to get more information?

Speaker 3: 8:16

So they can go right to my social media. You know they can find me very easily on there. They can message me on there. They also they can email me or call me. Even I'm an open book, right. So any way you want to get ahold of me is great, and I know, lisa, I'm sure you can provide contact information as well. But, yeah, just find me on social media Whitney Holbrook Facebook, at Whitney Ray on Instagram, and I'm here to help.

Speaker 2: 8:42

So that is great, well, thank you. Thank you, whitney, for taking your time and out of your busy vacationing time. No, I'm planning yeah and coming on and being a guest today on Art Bed Neighbor podcast. I appreciate you.

Speaker 3: 8:59

I really appreciate you and I'm so grateful we have this friendship that's been developing now for a couple of years, right. So I never know where these things go, and I'm grateful to even have had this opportunity to come on and support and be a part of this. It's exciting.

Speaker 2: 9:11

Great, thank you, you're welcome.

Speaker 1: 9:14

Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast Rochester. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPRochestercom or call 248-988-9640.