Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Blaydoe.
Hi Beth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My parents took me to Disney World for the first time when I was 2 and my grandfather introduced me to rollercoasters at the age of 9. I’ve been hooked on both ever since. Growing up, I became more obsessed with rides and the technology that fuels them, wanting to know how everything worked. In school, math was a good, but not great subject for me, so designing the rides I love was out of the question. Instead, I studied creative writing, hoping to maybe travel and write. Then, life happened and I had to take whatever job I could get. The jobs I loved most had one underlying theme: providing an escape for people from the everyday-ness of life. In 2021, I decided to take a shot and start building my own business as a travel agent with Magical Vacation Planner–working part-time or as my busy schedule would allow. Fast forward to Jan 2025 and I left my full-time salaried job running concerts at The Fillmore Silver Spring to work on my agency full-time. Personally, I am a stepmom to 3 adult children and the wife of a retired Navy veteran. Aside from travel, I love playing video games, reading, baking, dancing around the house, and playing nerdy board/card games with friends.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No road is ever truly smooth, unless the steamroller has just come by. Any time you work with people, there’s a level of unpredictability–add in weather and airlines and it can get really fun. Trying to navigate each individual situation is always a little bit of fun mixed with a little bit of stress. Aside from cancellations and hurricanes, I do struggle with posting on my socials consistently.
We’ve been impressed with Magical Vacation Planner by Beth Blaydoe, 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?
While I own my own business, I have the support of a team of other agents as well as supplier business development managers. That means that I have other experts at my disposal if there’s something just outside of my field of expertise. I like to pride myself on my customer service, attention to detail, and destination knowledge. Most of my client base are referrals–a testament to said customer service. They are mostly families going to theme parks like the Disney and Universal parks as well as large groups (mix of couples and families) who go to the Caribbean or Mexico all-inclusive resorts or cruises. Aside from parks and all-inclusives, I also book rail trips and tours. Easily, my favorite part of the job is helping people make memories with people they care about. I like to say that I’m your personal vacation assistant: if you’ve ever wished that you could have someone else do the legwork and just show up and enjoy a vacation, I’m the person you’d want to contact.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
One thing you have to know is your risk-tolerance before deciding to take the risks you take. I have always held multiple jobs and lived by the adage that the best time to look for a job is when you already have one. In the many decades I have been employed, I have held to that idea that you don’t just throw everything out and jump–that the jump must first be calculated. Last year, I jumped without looking. I took a risk in leaving a full-time job that paid well and I loved to focus on building my business. I’d love to say that taking a 93% pay cut this year hasn’t been scary, but it has been. But, I’ve also seen the growth and potential with the business so the fear is balanced with excitement. It’s definitely been a learning curve, but there’s no growth in the comfort zone and sometimes you just have to do it.
Pricing:
- My services are free to use
Contact Info:
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mvpbybethb
