Very old pic but that's me!

I am not exactly sure where to stat here so I will start with the Blog Challenge. I stopped by Drift Web Design the other day (which FYI they are pretty amazing) to talk about some tweeks (is that really a word?) to our web site. David in his total web savvy awesomeness told me that if I really wanted this to work I needed to be consistent with my blogging. More specifically I needed to blog once a week on Tuesdays. He forced made twisted my armchallenged me to blog once a week on Tuesdays for 20 minutes at a time for 4 straight weeks.  So here is week one…

I know that a blog is supposed to be the “face” of our company (so to speak) and that it should be personal, not just promoting the next sale, event, etc. (that should be done too but need a mix). I know this, I really just struggle with it – not sure why, I just do. So that brings us to this post…Let me introduce myself.

 Hello, my name is Kristie (with a K and ie).

 I am a mother, daughter, wife, sister, friend and Geauxing Places owner/manager. I have 2 girls ages 5 and 2, so we started Kindergarten and PreK3 this year. I am doing homework (helping - I am not doing her homework) for the first time is umpteen hundred years (well really 6ish if you count college it just feels like forever). I married my high school sweet heart a little over 10 years ago and we have 2 dogs, 1 rabbit a salt water aquarium and I think that is it (sometimes I am surprised when I get home — hence the rabbit). I have an older brother and a younger sister who are the best siblings anybody could ask for. My mom and dad, my in-laws and my brothers family all live within 10 minutes of my house (more like 7 but if you catch the light red it takes a little longer) got to love a small town! I graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University (GEAUX LIONS (even though we did not have a football team when I was there)) with a BA in Marketing and a minor in Management. ………….. And that is me in a nutshell.

Now on to the travel side of me…

My mom worked in travel as long as I can remember, it was outside sales our home town agency then on to AAA (that may explain my obsession with maps and globes). I remember going to work with her on the weekends and studying the maps. Fast forward to when I was 17-18 AAA needed some part time summer help. I already knew my way around the office and could draw a triptic from Baton Rouge to Orlando with my eyes closed, so it was a natural fit. I stayed there for 2 years (give or take a little bit) “drawing on maps” (that’s how I described it) and “taking people on their vacation” guiding them on how to get there, where to stay and where to eat. I loved it but I moved on and stayed out of travel for several years. I completed my degree and took a few jobs in the Marketing and Management fields. (But once travel is in your blood you always go back) So lets fast forward again to 2006. I was working for a bank (and I hated it), my mom was working for a wholesale travel company. One of her agents called and was looking for some new travel agents and she needed them fast. They called me and a few weeks later I was working for Whitehead Travel and Cruise in Denham Springs.

Next week I will tell you how I went from working at Whitehead Travel to partnering with my mom and owning Geauxing Places with Whitehead Travel.

Now that the I have introduced myself, its your turn.