Meet Jennifer Neal | Travel Planner and Tour Operator

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

Hi Jennifer, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Having just departed a corporate environment that focused A LOT on my shortcomings/weaknesses, I immediately focused on the areas that didn’t come easily to me. I told myself I had to get better at those things to succeed. Social media and digital marketing were this nebulous thing I kept trying to wrap my head around. I still struggle to enjoy it so as you would expect, I don’t do it consistently.
About a year into my travel planning business I joined a local chamber of commerce and was immediately reminded that one of my strengths is in-person interaction. Meeting someone face-to-face and getting their story energizes me and draws people out of their shell and moves us down the “know, like and trust” road faster. It still took a few months before I got my first vacation booked from that group but over the next 2 years I earned more than 10k in commission either directly or from referrals in this group.
Joining the chamber also put me in a situation to learn about a walking food, beverage and history tour company that was operating in my city’s historic downtown area. I became a tour guide thinking that people who do these types of tours also like to travel. About 18 months after I joined the team the owner’s husband got transferred so she had to move to another state. I purchased the company and have created another avenue for finding travel clients. And since the tour business generates enough revenue to pay all the costs associated with it, I’m not spending any more money. Again I’m leaning into my strength of face-to-face interaction to help people be comfortable so we can get to know each other and they can decide if they’d like to work with me again.
So, the most important factor behind my success has been leaning into my strengths. I found solutions, albeit temporary, to things that I don’t do well. For social media and digital marketing, I found a company that will create posts and newsletters for free about some of the travel companies I work with like Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean. I still create my own stuff when I have something to share but I no longer spend time and energy laboring and worrying over consistently posting. I know quality content is consistently being shared which is keeping me at the top of any searches being done for a local travel agent and at this point in my business, that is all I need from digital marketing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Right out of college I went into a great job as a computer software consultant. I was in my twenties, single and making real money for the first time. Like most people in that phase of their life I mostly focused on myself. I traveled for work, played volleyball and went out with friends – all things that I liked and were usually pretty fun. After getting married and having kids and shifting my focus, I discovered that helping others gave me a different kind of joy. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not an altruistic person. As I’ve already mentioned, I have always needed to have at least one thing that I did by myself where people only knew Jen, not “that kids’ mom” or “that guy’s wife.” I was surprised at how much I like being a wife and mother and soon found myself volunteering to help people outside of my house as well. Even in my role as a group fitness instructor I gave my time to talk to people after class or meet them in the cafe. Sometimes it was just a fun chat and sometimes they really needed someone to share their burden. Whatever the reason, I wanted to be there for them if I could.

Right before jumping into learning all I could about travel planning, I was working full time in the fitness industry as the manager of a large group fitness department. I think this was where I learned how deeply small acts can impact others. Greeting members between classes, making sure instructors were setup for success and creating a physical environment where everyone felt comfortable while getting uncomfortable exercising was part of my job. But walking with people while they talked and sitting down with them when they just needed someone to listen for 5 minutes, that wasn’t part of my job but those acts seemed to really lift people’s spirits. We had a large community of retired members so I was very intentional about planning different social occasions where they could get to know each other better. These became so successful that after I left, the gym created a part time position whose primary job is organizing socials.

Also during that job was where I faced some real push back from fellow managers and my direct supervisor when I tried to do what I thought was best for our large community of retirees. That gym, as I’m sure most gyms do, spent a lot of time and money on a demographic that was younger than 50. People trying to be healthy and active over 50 have different strengths and needs that younger exercisers don’t ever think about. There were times that I needed to use a space, like the pool, and younger members would complain which meant my peer in that department didn’t want my department and the members we were serving in their space. I had to get very good at explaining the unique needs of our retirement community and point out that it was one hour of the twenty four that the pool was available. I also went to other departments where I knew our older community visited and gathered data that I took to my boss to show him that this community spends more time in our facility and visits other departments like the cafe and spa more than the group that’s complaining. There was a definite benefit to him to work with me to find a solution that worked for the group I served.

I also learned that those members who felt they didn’t get their way never stopped complaining. And the managers in those departments weren’t going to stick up for our older members. Every time we got a new general manager (meaning I got a new boss) I had to patiently go through the same process all over again. I repeatedly learned the importance of advocating for others and staying on top of the process to a resolution. I couldn’t always get my group the end they desired but I could explain why things needed to be done the way they were going to be done. Doing what I said I would and circling back to members with updates went a long way and, I think, was why I didn’t have very many member issues.

That motivates me every day in my current business – helping people. On the rare occasions there’s an issue with a booking or a client needs to change their plans, I verify the compony’s process that we booked through and I do as much of the work as I can for my client. I wait on hold, gather the information, get the documents, find the resource on the internet, whatever needs to be done to get a resolution in a timely manner.

The more fun part of my job starts when I first start talking to someone about a trip. I focus on what they need, the WHY. I try to find ways to feed their why as many times as possible with things like suggesting activities, sharing Instagram accounts, sending articles, etc. After I book vacations I continue looking for opportunities that feed their why or ways to simply “plus up” the experience without changing the price. I love it when a client comes home feeling like they got more than they expected and everything they needed.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start with a visit to the partners on my tours. Historic downtown Grapevine is full of restaurants, wineries and boutiques that make it tons of fun to visit, especially when the weather is good. We would get breakfast at Chez Fabien where my friend Fabien, a French-trained chef that grew up in France, has a delicious menu. Then we would walk off our breakfast looking at the historic stops and popping into stores like Grapevine Olive Oil Co and Palm Tree boutique. We would also try to solve a mystery at The Grapevine Escape and then walk to Winestein’s for a wine flight before heading home to relax before going out for the evening.

In the evening we would take the train from Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards. If my friend hasn’t spent time around cattle, we’ll watch the cattle drive before heading to Lonesome Dove Western Bistro for dinner. After dinner we’ll head to Billy Bob’s to watch some bull riding and do some country dancing.

On the second day we would grab coffee and a pastry at my favorite, locally-owned coffee shop, Buon Giorno in Grapevine. Then we would head east to Dallas for a walk along the 4 mile Trinity Skyline Trail where we would get an amazing view of Dallas before going to the Sixth Floor Museum and the John F Kennedy Memorial. By this time we’d be hungry so we’d make the short drive to Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery for their amazing brunch. I would have the petite fried chicken and waffles with a Bloody Mary and one of their fresh baked goodies. The afternoon would be spent at The Galleria where we could do some ice skating and shopping before heading home. That evening we would head back to Grapevine to check out the live music scene. We would park in the garage at Hotel Vin and see who the hotel had playing on their lawn. We could also see who was playing at Third Rail, on the Peace Plaza, at Tolbert’s and at Wilhoite’s – all within walking distance and without paying a cover!

Day 3 we would take advantage of the great weather and take a day trip to Glen Rose, Texas. We would explore cute, downtown Glen Rose and then the dinosaur tracks and the Paluxy River before getting back in the car and driving through the wildlife preserve. If we weren’t too tired we would head to Lake Grapevine and grab a drink and some food at Big Daddy’s Cantina and watch the boats go by while listening to more live music. I would have some of our local beer from Hop & Sting Brewery with their bacon-wrapped shrimp and ceviche.

On day 4, if it wasn’t too windy, we would go back to Lake Grapevine for a few hours of standup paddle boarding and maybe a walk along the trails near the lake. On our way home we would stop at Meat U Anywhere bbq for a couple of their breakfast burritos. The must try are the brisket, the chorizo and the jalapeño sausage. After getting cleaned up and relaxing we would head to Dallas again to go the Dallas Museum of Art and the Perot Museum before catching either a Dallas Mavs basketball game or a Dallas Stars hockey game. My first choice is the hockey game. Go Stars!

Day 5 we would go south to Arlington to have some fun at Six Flags riding rides. Then we’d walk across the street to watch a Texas Rangers baseball game and eating one of their ridiculously large entrees. After cheering the Rangers to a win and watching the fireworks we would head home for some much-needed sleep.

Day 6 we would take our time getting ready and head to Grapevine Mills Mall to experience Meow Wolf’s “The Real Unreal” interactive art venue. After at least 3 hours spent trying to take it all in we would visit my friend Jessica’s store, Texas General Store, where my guest could pickup any Texas must haves that she hasn’t already purchased. That evening we would head down to Fort Worth again and go to Joe T Garcia’s Mexican restaurant for their signature margarita and fajitas. Then we’d walk around Sundance Square listening to live music, trying a new beer at Flying Saucer and checking out some art at one of the galleries.

Day 7 we would head back over to Grapevine to visit more of the wineries and restaurants I bring guests to on tours. We would start at Napoli’s and split an Italian Sausage omelette and a Mimosa flight. Then we’d start a Texas wine crawl with a glass of Messina Hof Winery’s sparkling almond wine paired with local chocolatier Dr. Sue’s Chocolates. We’d continue our Texas wine crawl at Landon Winery for a glass of their Texan Red paired with their figgy prosciutto flatbread. Our Texas wine crawl would end at Bingham Family Vineyards for their yummy Viognier paired with our second local chocolatier’s hand painted TX truffles from Chocolate Hangover. After window shopping and a stop at the CVB and the vintage railroad to get a little more Grapevine history, we’d make our way to the local brewery Hop & Sting for a beer before heading home to pack. One of my favorites at Hop & Sting is the Miracle Wheat or Bid Trouble in Little D.

A little known fact is that travelers with a long layover at DFW International Airport can take the train from Terminal B to Grapevine Main Station. They can safely store their luggage for free at the CVB inside Harvest Hall and enjoy Grapevine before heading back to the airport for their flight!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There is no way I could have done any of this without the support of my husband, Ron. Before getting married over 20 years ago we discussed our philosophy on raising children. We both felt that in order to reach our goals that one of us should stay home with the children we wanted to have. I wasn’t as passionate about my career at that time so I chose to make the career change to “Domestic Engineer.” I stayed home full time but I found ways to keep working part time as a group fitness instructor because I really enjoyed exercise. Ron supported me doing that for 20 years even when I took time away from him working on choreography and music to prep. He’s always done his best to enable me to follow whatever I felt I needed to be my own person and not always “the kids’ mom.”
My travel business has been a different kind of support because I have to wear all the hats – bookkeeping, marketing, sales – everything. We’ve been able to have more discussions around best practices and processes that give me ideas about what direction to go. In this way he’s more than the bread winner relieving the pressure of providing for the family but he’s also a business partner I can bring ideas and challenges to. He doesn’t want to get too involved or control anything so there’s no power struggle like there might be in a corporate environment so it’s really nice that I can share what I need. I really appreciate that he wants to not only provide for the family but he also consistently tries to support me in a business sense as well.

Website: JetsettingGinny.com and/or GrapevineFoodTours.net

Instagram: Jetsetting_Ginny and/or GrapevineFoodTours

Linkedin: jetsettingginny and/or GrapevineFoodTours

Facebook: Jennifer Neal with Jetsetting Ginny Travel Co. and/or Grapevine Food Tours