 So excited to be talking with Ilana. So Ilana, you've made some big changes to your business slash career recently. And I want you to tell the audience about it and also we'll be talking about your lessons in joyful productivity, as well as net carrying. Those of you who have been watching my videos for a while, hopefully you've heard those terms and we'll we'll talk about that. So you'll get something some tips out of that. But anyway, I'm excited. Ilana is part of my group coaching program. And so has, you know, you've learned a lot, Ilana, but let's start with your introduction, whatever is whatever whatever version comes out today is just great. So we're always trying to figure this out. All right, so yeah, I am a travel agency owner. And I love helping women who are ready to just really travel and live life more fully and boldly. I like that very concise. And later in the call, you'll tell us about the places that you can take people, which is is very exciting, I think, and to live more more adventurously so. But first, let's talk about the big change you've made to your business in the past. Let's say I don't know six or 12 months or so. Yes. So I'm a trained psychotherapist and I've been doing that for a long, long time. I had a successful career doing that and during the last three years or so like when we all went into quarantine I really decided I wanted to change in career. And didn't really know what that was at first, I knew I wanted to travel more and so I actually joined your program to try to make sense of like what are other people doing what am I interested now you know and officially. So I so I started making that switch late last year and officially just this past week announced on social media to all my friends that I was retiring as a therapist, and, and my new ventures. So I got and you're only your 20s that's amazing about it. I'm in my 40s and changing careers at this time is it quite honestly scary for me. You know I had, and you actually gave me some really good advice because I did have some concerns about financial issues, some pressure I was putting on myself and you very wisely are like well like what is your husband think and I was like, I should probably talk to him about that. So, yeah, it's been really, it's been, it's been challenging, it's been scary, it's been exciting, and I'm very excited. Yeah, that's so so cool and yeah this integration of your love of travel and then your love of helping particularly women kind of, you know, like stop saying one day I might, I want to, you know, and just actually go for it. So that's really, really cool and I imagine, like, as you take people on these trips, obviously your, your therapy or coaching skills kind of come through as well I imagine. Yes, absolutely. I mean, if, especially for someone who hasn't traveled before or traveled overseas, that can cause a lot of anxiety and because I have traveled lots of places. I know a lot I can give some logistical advice but then also like it's okay to be nervous it's okay to go out of our comfort zone and I'm here for you. Which is, which is really nice. It was also very confusing for me therapist travel agency owner what am I doing. And once I just made the decision inside things just sort of, they really took off. Wow, energetically. Yeah, yeah. I like that. And yeah so it's like for anybody who's who is, you know, kind of on the fence between one career and another one business and another and or one niche and another. Yeah, like, well what would you say I mean what would you say to somebody who is kind of that in that in between place. Yeah. What people told me that helped me was. The things that were hard and challenging before I've always been able to learn what I needed ask for support when I needed. And given the challenges I've had in my life before. I'm fairly confident that whatever comes my way I can handle. Keeping that in mind was very helpful. Absolutely. And I believe that to be true for everyone who is watching this as well. So given the intensity of, you know, kind of essentially starting a new career. There's a lot to handle a lot of moving parts and so you've been focusing quite a bit on joyful productivity. Yes. So let's talk about that. Those who those who are watching have heard that term some have dived deep into it but I think just hearing what aspects of that have been particularly useful for you will be useful for others so yeah. I, I actually am watching a lot of your courses in some claro and taking little bites, because the travel industry, there's a steep learning curve for me. And so I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm brand new after you know several years of feeling like an expert in my field. And so, particularly hat manuals have been very helpful with different suppliers that I use to book trips. And just, just, just for those who don't know what a hat manual is maybe you can explain that we are terminology we use. Yeah, it's, you know, I had a job before where we called it almost like a reference guide it's like a step by step on how to do something. If there's a process that I need and I'm like wait how do I do that again I'm tracking all of the steps and any important information I need to know to get it done. Yeah, and the, and the idea comes from being in business, you wear multiple hats. And so it's like, okay now I'm putting on the, I don't know travel agent administrator hat. Okay now I'm putting on the marketing hat now I'm putting on the bookkeeping had or whatever it's like having a, having a checklist or document doesn't have to be large it can be simple as you know even a written down note or whatever I use Google Docs but what do you use to kind of contain your hat manuals. Google Docs. Yeah, it's easy. I like it. Definitely. And so I'm putting on like my cruise hat or my you know independent travel to Europe hat and my all inclusive had like all of these different kinds of trips the Hawaii hat you know and the each trip is very different and what each person needs is different so tracking all of this abundant information is helpful. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. And how do you handle multiple hat manuals or multiple documents do you put them in. Do you put them as separate documents like the things you just named are they separate documents or are they one Google Doc that has different sections. They're one with the different sections. Yeah, yeah, if not because I am and this kind of leads me to the next thing I wanted to share was the CCC capture, categorize calendar. Yes. And what I realized when I was starting to get into this process I was capturing in so many different places and it was a bit overwhelming. I need one thing. That's right. So you're capturing directly in the Google Doc. Sometimes it depends if it's easy and I have it up you know and because if I'm if I'm learning a process or if I'm booking a client. I will capture my steps right then so that I don't have to go back and remember wait what did I do again because it's I'm I'm learning on the job. So yeah. Yeah, so so keep keep going like like. So for those who don't haven't heard of capture categorized calendar I actually have a blog post about it a video about it so you can Google that the that term capture categorized calendar and you should find my blog post and video about it. Essentially, it's this idea of having having this habit of, you know, when we do stuff and ideas come to us or things that could go into our hat manual come to us we write it down as soon as we can. And then at some point we also have to have a regular process of categorizing the ideas written down. It's like basically at the end of each work day I take some time to categorize things oh this idea really goes into that hat manual this idea goes into that one or this idea oh I need to send a quick email someone or something but. And then calendar is to calendar the categories, so that like nothing falls through the cracks every idea is in the category and every category has a calendar attached to it so tell tell share with the audience a bit more about how you're using it so you know if you're on a client call. Yes, like go from there and and like describe how what that actually looks like for you. Yes, and I will say. Share this with you before this is a practice for me is in like I am practicing still integrating all of this it's it's definitely something I need to practice. So if I'm on a client call there is a lot of information that comes to me from the client about what they want on their trip. So I will take notes and then at the end of the day I actually do have a database and I have some time where where I enter all of that information. So you've got that's the categorizing part of it yeah. Yes, yeah exactly. And then I will calendar time for. For researching their trip for like, yeah, researching their trip and then also trainings for vendors that I need to do I if I there's so much training if I don't put them on a calendar I don't get them done. Yes, okay so this is this is good like the calendar part, I mean I think I think people have trouble with all three, all three stages but, but particularly the, the, the, okay well, the categorizing part like the fact that you actually regularly have time to categorize the ideas you've captured is more than what what most people are doing so I'm wondering how do you find the discipline or the consistency of doing that like yeah, what you know why why do you think you do it and so many others don't. I, I didn't for a long time and it's, I didn't really have the need, I mean it's like oh this would be great if I could be more organized right but now like switching careers, and you know at at some point like running three businesses, it became too much and things would be the crack so it was more like necessity, if I don't do this and I'm going to be losing business or not looking good in front of my clients or there's no follow up. Yeah, yeah. Well, essentially, you connected it this activity to like the why the purpose of it. And you're, you're seeing the results of feeling more organized and getting back to people. But I think a lot of people don't realize how much is falling through the cracks or what the benefit is once they start actually being organized. So then the calendar part of it is capture categorizing calendar. And so you're calendaring time for these things like the vendor trainings, the research, like how do you find, I guess maybe again the question is the discipline perhaps or the boundaries with other things going on in your life like how do you find the boundaries to actually stick with the time that you calendar in. It's unfortunate that in my home it's me and my husband and our two cats. So I don't have a lot of in home distractions necessarily right he works I work and we both are very respectful of our time. Do you feel the pull for social engagements and you know those kinds of things so I schedule I actually schedule those things ahead of time kind of like I learned from you right scheduling yourself care first. When are my breaks and when do I want to, I don't know call a friend or whatever it is and I just I leave myself lots of buffers. Yes, exactly. Oh, that's great. Okay. Yeah, I like that you're you've already scheduled in the fun stuff. The things that renew you, and then then it makes more sense to schedule in the work part of things too. Yeah, so that's nice. Yeah, that's really nice. I do have that buffer space if if I'm working on a project that takes a little longer I'm okay if I need to dip into that a little bit and it's it's fine I, I like to feel spacious and my flow and not really rushed or pressured. Yeah, really good. Okay. Yeah, I that's what I recommend to everybody really when you first start practicing a an ideal schedule for yourself it's like don't don't make it every 15 minutes every half hour you're switching something. No, it's like, okay, it's okay to do two hours, three hour, you know, kind of block of time or something like that. Yeah. Okay, so another, another key learning and practice you've been doing is net caring. So, first tell us what what how you might define it or how do you describe that. Yeah, tell us what you've been, what you've been up to on that. Sure. So for me net caring is genuinely and from my heart, connecting with other people, other professional people, and not in a way where I'm trying to get something but I am just typically genuinely curious about people and what they're doing and I think that that serves me well. So for example, I, there, there, there was this retired therapist like me on social media, we're in the same kind of therapy communities, and I love his energy and he's always doing something exciting he's just as as a model for the way he implements, and just, you know, get stuff done. I'm I was just in awe. So I wanted to be in that energy, wanted to get to know him better, and just connected with him on Facebook a little bit here and there, and slowly over the years I saw him grow and finally signed up for some business coaching he'd had an in person retreat. And I was like this, this person would be great to meet, and he also interviews everyone to make sure that they would all like, have the same kind of energy and get along well. And I knew whatever people he would put me with those would be amazing people too. And it was just a fantastic three and a half days, and within 30 minutes of me being there he was already talking to me about me booking his next summit. And so we did that the next day we took about an hour to find out what he envisioned, and I booked 100 person group on a ship next year for him. Wow, it's huge. It's my biggest booking yet. Wow. Congrats on that. That's amazing. Thank you. Yeah, it's great. It's, it's, I was like, but I was like, okay, I'm just gonna keep going and I was really nervous but I heard you in my head you like you can do it. But it's okay. Yeah, yeah. Right. And, and, and realizing I am I'm being genuine and coming from my heart. Right. Like you weren't going into a saying, what kind of kind of opportunities. And that's really what net caring is it's like if we, if we actually practice this, the opportunities tend to show up and maybe even more so than traditional networking, which is not that fun to do it's always feels transactional and yeah, like if I would have, you know, contacted him and be like, Hey, have you ever considered a cruise for your next summit and blah, blah, blah, it would have just felt very salesy and businessy. Yeah. And this just really happened organically I didn't even think he would, you know, it's just, it was, yeah, it was just incredible. And so how, how are you carrying that forward like, you know, with your other colleagues or maybe past clients like are you continuing to do some net caring with them. Yeah, that's a good question. I feel this opportunity is so brand new. And quite honestly, I'm filled like, I'm almost like a deer with it. So I haven't considered yet how to do that. Yes, something we check in on on the next interview. Yeah. So yeah, what else time is already coming to close. What else are you excited to kind of do so we can check in on regarding the next next next interview so you mentioned a couple of action items. Yes. So I don't have an email list yet and I would love to get one for this new business. Yeah. Yes, yes, for my travel agency. I've got a lot of ideas that I want to put out and I did my first travel talk it's like a free webinar on a country or some kind of travel topic and I'd like to continue those I'd like to do several more of those and then invite people on my email list. Let's see what else I would love to do more groups. I'm finding them a lot of fun. It's, it's, it's challenging because I don't know it yet, but just the energy of the group and how excited everyone is to go like the people that are calling me going on this this ship next year this cruise. They are just thrilled and they're bringing their families to and they're just so happy and I love being in that energy. Yeah, amazing. Well, tell us about your, your offers like what what's if people watching this are interested in working with you what does that mean how do they, what would they do. Yeah. And so they can always go to my website to schedule a consultation with me. And also, and just spell out your website for those who are listening. Oh, sure. Yes. It's blue raven travel code.com so it's blue like the color raven like the bird travel co.com blue raven travel code.com. Awesome. Okay. And so they would they would go there they would book an appointment with you. Yep, they can schedule an appointment with me and we can talk about what they like you know and see if they want to work with me and then we just take it from there. And what kind of trips do you have. Yeah, can you or do you take people on or help them book. So my, what I love to do our group trips or trips to Europe. And those are because I know quite a bit about Europe. But I can really help people with anything I booked an inclusive for Cancun I booked several people for Hawaii so I have what's called a full service travel agency and I specialize in groups and cruises. Nice. And, of course, you get this question like, what's the difference between using your service and like, trying to do it ourselves. Sure. Yeah, yeah, that's a great question. I'll do all the work basically. And it's fun, like you don't even realize how much work it is until you start trying and like, like, you know, 30 hours there you're like I should have just I shouldn't just work with a long. She would have just done this in like two hours, you know, it's like, yeah. Well, and also to and I was actually just, I was just talking to someone about this today. I have, I'm with a host agency because I'm a new agent I'm connected to a much larger agency, and they have long standing relationships in the travel field. So I get to leverage their connections, if I need something. And I love that we've got this like VIP line because the agency is so big when we book so much business for these suppliers so we're treated very well and we get great service. I wouldn't be able to get that on my own. Right. Yeah, absolutely. And I've had I've had experiences like that, calling cruise and lines and things like oh my gosh, like on hold for like all night long. Right, yeah, so I would I would do that for you and I might know a different way to go. Yeah, probably yeah and yeah so thank you for for that. What kinds of, and what kinds of situations. I mean, yeah, you could just say, Oh, I want to travel, but do you have particular like life situations or life transitions or life scenarios where it's like people might want to consider doing some kind of trip with you or through you. Yes, right now it seems like well destination birthdays are very popular for older people. And reunions I've got, I've got a couple of reunions coming up to family family reunions weddings are not my forte so I would find someone to to that was really good at that. Because that's a whole thing right I want to make sure that the person's having an excellent time. If I'm doing the trip I want to make sure that like the most important thing for someone traveling is that they have a good time. That's the most important thing whether someone books with me or not and I always tell my people like I am happy to help but the most important thing is that you enjoy your trip. Yeah, I appreciate hearing some of those scenarios because a couple years ago, you know, my father-in-law's 80th birthday. That's what we were planning is this is just right before the pandemic. And then the pandemic cause the trip to be canceled but but we spent so many hours trying to figure out and would have been so much easier to work with something like you. I like the idea of reunions, not just family reunions but also like, you know, friend reunions and class reunions and. But yeah, that's really, that's really neat. Well, conferences and conferences. Okay, there we go. Because the ship has meeting space and everything's taken care of all the activities are already done all the foods are already done. Wow, it's kind of a one stop shop. Fantastic. Thank you so much. Well, thank you for the work that you do and how you do it for people it's, it's really unique and valuable really precious to have the opportunity to work with someone who's more, more psychologically savvy you know, more spiritually attuned, you know, as a travel agent so thank you, and you can, you know folks who are watching this can find the link to even on his website below blue raven travel code. So, thanks so much.