Meet Marla Howard | Travel Business owner for 28 years

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marla Howard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marla, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I just had my second child and wanted to work from home. This was in 1994 and it was not the norm but I really wanted to available for my girls yet still make a full time salary. I was, and still am, in the travel industry. The fact that
I could take care of clients over the phone allowed for the possibility of making this happen. I chose not to think of all the reasons that this may not work and try to make it happen.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own a travel business, Marla’s Travel Desk. I have been in business for 28 years. I began doing sports and corporate travel. I was actually in the right place, at the right time. The opportunity of sports travel fell in my lap and I ran with it. I was
extremely busy within 6 months of starting the business. I had been in the travel business, working for others, so I wasn’t
new to the field.

The most important lesson , that I learned, was to be 100% focused on work while I was there and 100% focused on home
when I away from the office. It is so hard to balance the two. What helped me most was to be confident in what I was doing and to have my own vision.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There is so much going on in the DFW area. Depending on the time of year, I would take them to a Cowboy game or a concert . So many great artists play here. I love the seasonal events at the Arboretum. We would definitely head down
to Austin. My favorite restaurants are in downtown Austin. Kayaking on Lady Bird lake is always a favorite. I think heading
to Fredericksburg would be a great idea as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My girls were my driving force. My husband encouraged me to branch out and supported me every step of the way. I wanted to be home with my girls yet have a career.

Website: brynislovefoundation.org

Other: I was going to talk about my second chapter and most important chapter which is my foundation. I have listed that website instead of my travel business. My focus going forward is to help college students with mental health wellness. Such a critical time. We lost our daughter, last year, to suicide. She had graduated UT – Austin with a degree in Civil Engineering and was working in Austin in the Construction field which she loved. I currently have established an endowed scholarship , at the University of Texas, that will help Women with academic scholarships. I now have begun the next phase which is funding academic scholarships along with access to mental health wellness support. I am working on telehealth legislation and partnering with UT – Austin on their campus mental health initiatives.