Kaylea Shuck believes that travel isn’t just about taking a vacation—it’s about experiencing the world, embracing different cultures, and creating core family memories that last a lifetime. As the founder of BespokeAbility Travel, she is on a passionate mission to curate luxury travel experiences that are tailored, meaningful, and accessible to everyone.
The Inspiration Behind BespokeAbility Travel
Kaylea’s journey into the travel industry wasn’t a straight line. Armed with an MBA, she initially followed a traditional corporate path, working in marketing and advertising in Chicago. However, a combination of the pandemic, her husband transitioning to a fully remote job, and a desire to move her family away from the harsh Chicago winters prompted a major life shift.
The true inspiration for her travel business, however, came from a deeply personal place. After her father suffered a spinal stroke, Kaylea saw firsthand the immense hurdles individuals with mobility issues face when traveling. However, working with a travel agent to help her and her father navigate this new reality opened her eyes to the kind of impact and value a travel agent can have on anyone wanting to travel, but needing some guidance.. Having grown up traveling the globe thanks to her parents’ overseas careers, Kaylea deeply understood the value of international stories and cultural exposure. She decided to leave the corporate world behind to help others build these beautiful memories, ensuring that each client’s needs and expectations are always front and center. She advocates strongly that people shouldn’t delay their adventures, as unexpected health and mobility issues can arise later in life.
Redefining Luxury Travel Experiences
At the heart of Kaylea’s success as a travel agent is her refreshing redefinition of what makes a trip special. To her, “luxury is not just the price tag; it’s what’s important to the individual”. For example, she recently helped a client with mobility needs plan a round-the-world trip where the focus was entirely on customized, private tours that accommodated the client’s specific pace and requirements, rather than just booking expensive cabins.
Kaylea treats her clients’ investments with serious respect, knowing they are entrusting her with their precious vacation days and significant funds—often ranging from $10,000 to $80,000 and beyond. She starts every new relationship with a detailed consultation call to completely understand a client’s needs, budget, likes, and dislikes. Instead of simply looking for the cheapest cruise, she focuses on finding the right vacation fit, providing added value through onboard credits and special amenities gifted after the core itinerary is established. Furthermore, she acts as a crucial safety net; when uncontrollable weather or supplier disruptions happen, clients have the peace of mind knowing they can rely on Kaylea and their travel insurance to handle the issues seamlessly.
Navigating the Travel Industry as an Independent Agent
Building a thriving travel business comes with its unique set of hurdles. One of the biggest challenges Kaylea faces is the industry’s “long game” regarding revenue. Because suppliers only pay commissions after a client actually travels—which can sometimes be a year and a half after booking—getting a return on investment requires incredible patience. If she had a magic wand, she admits she would speed up this payment process so she could reinvest in her business faster and travel more to vet destinations firsthand for her clients.
Additionally, starting out as an independent agent after a big move brought feelings of professional isolation. However, Kaylea proactively overcame this struggle by partnering with the team at Luxe + Wander Travel Co in the upstate region, finding the supportive community and professional network she needed to thrive. She also works diligently to vet her leads, protecting her business from the high volume of scams present in the industry by building trust through local networking groups and organic word-of-mouth.
The Future of Bespoke Travel Planning
Looking ahead, Kaylea’s three-year vision for BespokeAbility Travel is incredibly bright. She plans to continue establishing a strong presence in her local community and grow the business to the point where she can bring on additional help. As her son grows older, she also looks forward to increasing the frequency of her yearly business travel. This will allow her to experience even more destinations firsthand so she can continue to perfectly guide her clients on their next great adventures.
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