Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheila Killpack.
Hi Sheila, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Sheila was born and raised in Arkansas. Reese was born and raised in Panama. They both have served in the Air Force and met as Technical Training Instructors at Lackland AFB, TX. Although they knew and discussed that they wanted to own our own business after retirement they were not sure what that looked like. In preparation for the unknown after military retirement they both completed their Master’s degrees. Sheila specialized in Human Resources Developed with Webster University and Reese in Acquisitions and Procurement, also from Webster University. Reese worked for the Veteran’s Office in Austin, TX upon retirement for 5 years, but still wanted to be his own boss. So Sheila gave him 3 criteria for his search in purchasing a franchise. 1. Purchase outright as to not go in debt. 2. Be able to operate from home to start out. 3. It had to be FUN! The first option he presented was a UPS store. Although an important franchise, Sheila did not see it meeting the 3rd criteria of being fun. So he continued to look and found Cruise Planners. With much research and interviewing other Cruise Planners franchise owners they made the decision to make the purchase in May 2016.
They have a store-front office whereas many Travel Agents operate from home. Many of their clients want to meet in person where they sit down together to look at and discuss options for their vacations. They have found that having at least the first meeting in person allows them to have a better understanding of the experience they want and are often able to finalize their plans in one meeting as opposed to many calls and emails back and forth. They understand that each client has different needs of the services they provide so they tailor that to each person, family, or group.
It is possible to get a last minute deal for a vacation. However, they recommend booking a vacation no less than 6-8 months out. This helps to ensure you get the accommodations, excursions, activity tickets, etc., you are looking for and not what is left over. This also helps ensure better pricing and time to make payments.
Their office is located at 14751 Old Bandera Rd, Ste 1102, Helotes, TX 78023. Their website is www.grandmastertravel.com
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is probably the case with most small businesses where the first two years was mostly getting the word out about their business and letting people know what services they offered. The fourth and fifth year was going very well with a significant increase in departed sales. Then, the summer of 2020 when they could no longer sell travel due to COVID, they closed their store-front office and moved their operation back to their home. Thankfully, thry were able to ride out the next several months until leisure travel started up again. Due to the high demand of the return to travel they opened up their current location in Helotes in December 2022 and our sales have continued to increase since.
We’ve been impressed with Cruise Planners-Grandmastertravel, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Their travel agency is an independent Cruise Planners franchise, and 100% Veteran Owned Small Business. They offer expert travel services on vacation packages, individual, and group travel packages, hotels, all-inclusive resorts, river & Ocean Cruises, tickets to events worldwide including sporting events/concerts, and much more. Their agency is dedicated to enhancing travel experiences and concentrates on luxury and upscale travel.
Cruise Planners – Grandmastertravel, LLC offers our services at no additional cost to their clients. Their services look and find you the best value vacation for your money. Using Their travel expertise to match the clients’ vacation expectations guarantees their complete satisfaction. They get to know Their clients, and many have become friends.
They have vast experience in travel. They have traveled around the world from Hawaii, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, etc. They lived in Europe (Italy, Germany, and Great Britain) for a period of 8 years, where They experienced firsthand the fantastic culture and way of living. Plus, They continue to increase their destination and tour company knowledge with continuing education by traveling to locations with the purpose of better advising their clients.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
They know there are a lot of referral partner programs, however, none are as good as word of mouth marketing. They partner with businesses with the same clients such as a wedding or family portraits photographer, a baker, or event planner.
https://www.grandmastertravel.com/WebsitePages/about
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grandmastertravel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandmastertrvl/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grandmastertravel
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reesekillpack/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZP57mNksZFwuhffjFG2XeA?view_as=subscriber
