Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Schneider.
Hi Michelle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My path to where I am today wasn’t a direct path to travel, but a great journey, nonetheless. My 27-year career started exclusively in the finance world working for a large brokerage firm. This was where I became meticulously detailed, honed my follow up skills and demonstrated my work ethic. As a young 20 something, I was thirsty for knowledge and growth, so I continued to work hard, learn more, get licensed, and advanced into leadership. That’s when the spark for travel started. Stepping into the leadership role opened the door for me to travel across the country for training, conferences, and recognition events. I traveled to many cities such as Boston, NYC, LA, Austin, and New Orleans, just to name a few. I loved it. I loved going to the airport, flying, getting my luggage off the carousel, taking a cab to the hotel, all of it. I didn’t know it then, but I was hooked. For one of my trips, I was sent to San Francisco for a training program to learn about the Ritz Carlton service model and how we can adapt it to apply it to our industry. My role at that time was to help teams of advisors and their assistants elevate their service models. That training, and many other types that followed, exposed me to elite teams and practices that took servicing their clients to a whole new level. It taught me how to show value through service as a differentiator in our industry and apply it through coaching. That level of service is my foundation for how I work with my clients and how I want them to feel when they work with me.
Advance forward, it was more recently that I uncovered I wanted to pursue travel. Besides traveling for work, I often traveled when I was married. We would frequently take vacations together to Mexico, Florida, anywhere that had sun and sand, away from the cold Michigan winter. We would travel to get the break needed from being parents, to rest and come back rejuvenated. Fast forward to more recently, my boyfriend and I took each of our kids on a cruise for spring break. It really was the first time I could go on a vacation with my kids and not have to wear my mom hat every second of my vacation. They were old enough now to do their own thing, I knew they were safe to go off on their own, and we could have some quality time together too. We were able to be present and enjoy the moments while spending quality time with the kids and also with each other. You know that feeling you get on vacation? That feeling of blissful joy? The one where you can put work aside and feel the sun on your face and the ocean breeze through your hair. You don’t care what time it is; you can lay in the sun all day listening to steel drums in the background and feel the ocean waves on your feet. Then thinking to yourself, I could stay here forever! And wonder, how much does homes cost here? Then for a brief moment envisioning having a vacation home nearby. That’s how I felt walking off the ship, feeling like I didn’t want it to end. That’s when it hit me. This is it! I want to help other women relive that blissful feeling we get while on a great vacation!
So often, as a woman, you are so focused on helping others and neglect to help yourself because you don’t have the time. Time is such a valuable commodity that you need to protect it. It has become my mission to help women see the importance of relaxing and recharging. You cannot keep pouring from an empty cup. Burnout is real and by prioritizing yourself, even for a short vacation, you are a better mom, wife, daughter, caregiver, and professional for it. So, if you are a woman like this, give yourself permission to recharge, renew your joy, and reinvest in yourself again so you can show up as your best self for your family.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t feel anyone has ever had a smooth road anywhere. I don’t look at it that way though. I’m a firm believer that every obstacle is put in front of you for a reason. I am one that even in the heat of the moment when those obstacles are big, I always know I will get through it and often with support. I also know that when I finally get to the other side, I will have learned something and grown from it, even if I don’t yet know the why behind it,
We’ve been impressed with Calm Currents Travel, 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?
I’m not like every other travel agency out there. I’m not looking to plan any kind of vacation for everyone. My purpose is driven by a desire to help professional women feel supported when things are so busy they don’t have the time or the energy to research or plan a vacation they know they need. Women need someone they can trust who has their best interests at heart. It takes a lot for women to let someone else do something so important for them—something they know they could do well, if only they had the time. That person is me. I want women to feel they can prioritize their wellbeing by taking that much-needed break. Whether it’s sitting on a beach with your toes in the sand listening to the waves, or hiking through lush greenery listening to the birds, or sipping cocktails on a rooftop watching the sunset—whatever you can dream up that allows you to be present, be yourself, to take the mom hat off for a little while, and come back refreshed, ready to show up for their careers and their families. That’s what I specialize in—creating personalized escapes that restore balance to busy lives.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned that you will not always be the one to choose your path, that the path may choose you. As much as you may have a vision or a plan early in life, life takes you down roads that you could never imagine. Enjoy the adventure and make the most of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.calmcurrentstravel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calmcurrentstravel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Calm-Currents-Travel/61576275745642/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calmcurrentstravel
