In this conversation, Barbara Strait shares her journey of creating two successful businesses: a travel agency and Pickleball in Paradise. She discusses the challenges she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, how she scaled her travel agency, and the importance of intellectual property in her new venture. Barbara emphasizes the significance of knowledge in sales and offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the need for proper training and understanding of business operations.

Takeaways

• Barbara started her travel agency during her time as a stay-at-home mom.
• She created Pickleball in Paradise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Barbara emphasizes the importance of branding and trademarking.
• She scaled her travel agency by leveraging her Disney planning experience.
• Networking with professional players helped market her pickleball trips.
• Barbara teaches her team the importance of product knowledge.
• She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to prepare their back office before starting.
• Understanding accounting and operations is crucial for business success.
• Barbara effectively balances her business with being a mom.
• She collaborates closely with resorts to enhance the customer experience.

Today's guest, Barbara Strait, can be found online at:

Website: ⁠https://pickleballinparadise.com/

Website: https://straightawaytravel.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barb-strait-506076143

Your host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:

BrightRay Publishing: ⁠https://brightray.com/⁠⁠⁠

Entrepreneur Website: ⁠https://scottturman.com/⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/⁠

Keywords

Pickleball, Travel Agency, Entrepreneurship, Business Growth, Marketing Strategies, Intellectual Property, COVID-19 Impact, Travel Industry, Business Advice, Networking