Just over a month ago our small agency celebrated our 1 year anniversary of our re-branding ... or as I prefer to think of it, our "re-birth".  A short search through our Travel Journal will lead you to the article where I discussed what I now consider a milestone in our agencies journey.  As we have made the transition, our client loyalty has swelled.  We continue to be very thankful to our clients and the numerous referrals they regularly make.  

I would be lying however if I didn't admit that I had been dragging my feet on the re-branding.    A friend whom makes her living in Marketing would every now and then nudge about a logo.  With her expertise in online presence, including website design and social media utilization ... I knew she was right.  As she pointed out several times, the sad picture of a wilting Dole Whip, sitting aside a Mickey Balloon Popcorn Bucket, was not exactly going to draw in the billions of people scanning through the internet ... nor was it going to be memorable!  The absence of a new business logo weighed heavily on my mind.  Last spring I peeled the old vinyl logo off my car.  For months I had the constant thought when walking to my car, "I should really figure out a new logo."  Most business conversations with Colleen included a reminder from her that I really really need to do something about a new logo.  It was holding so much up, business cards, website clean up, etc. 

What was my problem you ask? Perhaps it took a year of "grieving" the loss of invested funds and time to our old name, in order to fully embrace our new name? Undoubtedly that played a part in the procrastination.  In my life I try to do things with purpose and meaning as I dislike wasted energy, or settling for mediocre.  With the name change, I put a lot of thought into what represents the agency and the team of ladies best.  We have always been a full-service agency that prioritized helping our clients achieve vacations they dreamed of, but with the honesty of keeping their budgets as the priority.  Our agency has never been about sales goals, and we are never concerned about how much commission we earn.  Beyond those values however, as I said a year ago, our agency offers so much more than just booking vacations ... we offer to be your guides to adventures of a lifetime!  With this thought I realized that Adventurers Navigation Co.  was the right fit for a new name ... but, how did that LOOK?  Just as the name has vivid meaning, I felt strongly the logo needed to as well.

I am excited to share that I have finally hit on a design that pulls together our core beliefs as travel planners and an agency, with a "hidden Mickey" to boot!

The base value of our agency is to show our clients the best way to a vacation that balances value and experience.  The ​Compass represents how our travel planners are first and foremost committed to guiding our clients to the best vacation for their budget. 

The next layer to our service is always about design.  When planning vacations for our clients we cognizant each client is different. Therefore each vacation plan will need a different design to help clients achieve an enjoyable experience. The circle of design is a symbol that our agency will create a custom adventure that considers each clients needs, tastes, and desires.   

Last, but certainly not least, is the value of Time.  We each are granted just one lifetime to go and do; to explore and learn; to enjoy this wonderful world.  Colleen and I talk often about time ... how now is the time, because life will not wait.  We do not know when the clock will run out on life.  As travel planners we believe that our service is priceless.  Just as clients are encouraged to take the time to vacation now, their time spent planning can be consuming.  We believe it is our job to save clients that time (and often frustration) spent on detail.  Our travel planner have the adventure laid out, ready for clients to just go and enjoy.

I am excited to share with the world the new *look* for Adventurers Navigation Co. As I said just a short year ago, we are a Travel Team of professional travel planners. Our team of specialists is ready to help you navigate your next adventure!  Whether it be Disney or Europe, we will be there for you every step of the way! To our faithful following - thank you for being the backbone of our business! To those who are just discovering us, welcome!  To everyone reading this post -- Let's ADVENTURE Together!

For most, if not all of our clients, it will be a surprise that we are changing who we are known as... changing what our business name has been.  That surprise will likely be in the form of, "Wait ... aren't you just [insert the name of beloved travel agent you have been trusting for years now]", rather than "Why are you changing your name?" 

Several years ago we started out in the travel business, inspired and encouraged from our loved ones. Colleen and I love to travel, and so many of our friends and family relied on us to help with their travel details.  Eventually someone said, "Why aren't you getting paid for doing what you love?" hmmm ... I wondered ... perhaps they have a point. And so, I did my research, found a name, filed the government and IRS paperwork and set off the ground running!   Eventually Colleen and I became a team, a really great travel team.  After all this time, I have to giggle though at the very small number of our treasured clients that actually know our business name!  (Hi-5 to anyone that remembers it!)

For many years we existed completely by word of mouth.  Referrals at that time, and to this day, was our life breath! Looking at our client roster today, 100% of our bookings have come from friends, family, and those they referred us to!  Since our start it has been like a Christmas Tree explosion.  First it was close friends and family, then it was their friends and family, and then their friends and family!  It just kept going! I mean I have a recent client that has made well over 5 referrals in less than a year!  Now those referrals are making referrals! I can't thank our clients enough for your faith and trust in us!  YOU! You my friends have made our dreams possible.

Along the way my husband encouraged me to do more -- he said, "Take it serious now, you could really do something with this travel thing."  Colleen and I agreed, and decided -- let's go online!  A little less than 2 years ago our website and facebook page were born.  Funny thing is we still were living and breathing on those valued referrals. In fact that online presence hadn't yielded anything other than 'likes', 'follows', and website visits from those we already know ... or of course had been personally referred to us. (Thanks again friends!)

What we never expected was that our little backyard agency would attract the attention and bullying from an online website. 2018 started with us having to decide if we wanted to battle to keep our business name of [words we may never breathe again as we are in something like a Harry Potter-esque situation due to our country's trademarking allowances and what I perceive as fuzzily gray governance of such], all because someone else used that phrase as a moniker for their agents ... They didn't have the same business name, but boy they are very very serious about that moniker.  

I won't lie, Colleen and I have cried some tears over the situation.  At the time I established myself there was nothing out there (ok, other than a toy manufacturer of magic tricks, and a fishing bait company) ... we had done our due diligence.  For awhile it was doom and gloom as we researched our rights, and sought opinion on our chances of winning the argument. The other company fears client confusion.  Though I contest that there would ever be a chance of such a thing.  This brought me to two conclusions: Money talks, and when consulting with my pocket book, it replied back, "You don't really make enough to fight this." Sadly, the pocket book was right.; and through reflection I realized that I have no interest in wanting to ever be mistaken for this other company, no matter the slightest of chance. So, I then started the journey to change our business name.  

As I sit here writing this little novella, I realize this is not really a sad time after all - rather it is a time to embrace what's to come.  Since the day Colleen and I set out as a Travel Team, we have grown and changed.  We are more than just Disney, and more than just Cruising ... in fact, we are more than just Carrie and Colleen!  We are growing, and becoming even better at what we do, and have added some really great people to our team like Tiffany, Michele, and Ashley!  We offer so much more than just booking vacations ... we offer to be your guides!  We are a full-service agency that is more concerned about helping our clients achieve vacations they dreamed of, but with the honesty of keeping their budgets as the priority.  We aren't about sales goals, and we are never concerned about how much of a commission we earn. WE don't need a cutesy moniker, we are professionals, and will always remain so.

My friends after months of work I  welcome you to the new US!  We are Adventurers Navigation Co. We are a Travel Team of professional travel specialists ready to help you navigate your next adventure!  Whether it be Disney or Europe, we will be there for you every step of the way!  Though our name has changed, our mission has not!  To our faithful following - thank you for being the backbone of our business!  To those who are just discovering us, welcome!  To everyone reading this post -- Let's ADVENTURE Together!