Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenelle Jones
Hi Jenelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I guess you could say I was born with the “travel bug” and a sense of adventure, it’s in my DNA. I get it from both my mom and my dad. I can remember having a curiosity about other cultures and languages as a kid.
My first international trip really flamed the passion. However, it wasn’t until I started my marketing business a few years ago that I was really able to start traveling. I absolutely love it.
I’ve had many friends ask for advice since then and people ask me to help plan their trips. I kept saying no when friends suggested starting a travel Instagram account and such, but here we are! Again… …another business I said I wouldn’t do, then started.
Last year I created the @PunderingJJ page, and earlier this year I became a travel agent. Beginning in 2025, I will be hosting group trips trying to fill a gap in the need for more safe options for solo female travelers as well as the vegan community. I’m excited to share the knowledge I’ve gained and my passion for travel with others!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. This year was full of some unique challenges that made an impact. For over a year now, life was a bit of a roller coaster and often left me feeling in limbo.
Before starting Travel is Hygge, my dad was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and my dog, Aidan, had been deathly ill. My dad lived in Florida, so it wasn’t as easy to visit as much as I’d have liked to and I didn’t want to feel like a burden visiting while he was undergoing his treatments. Even though I wasn’t physically there, the mental load made it more difficult to focus on launching a new business and growing the one I’d already started.
My dad died about two months after I created the business and Aidan got sick again days after. It was physically, financially, and mentally a lot to deal with. I also started trauma therapy for my PTSD around this time as well – I don’t know what I was thinking. Then, exactly two months after my dad passed, Aidan passed.
It was an incredibly difficult time, and combined with the long exposure therapy… Phewww, it’s hard to believe I did it. Grief is a weird beast, and it took time to be able to focus on business again.
Not being able to get an early enough start on marketing and planning my intended first trip definitely contributed to not being able to sell tickets. I’m also struggling with learning the marketing secrets in this niche as well. I’m figuring it out and taking things one day at a time, though. Trying to give myself some grace as well for this trying year.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Travel is Hygge?
I see so many travel agents focusing on Disney and cruises, that’s not me and not where my passions lie. I want to help people travel more sustainably and ethically, and cruises definitely aren’t generally sustainable. I’d much rather come up with a fully-customized travel itinerary to have a memorable trip that’s more eco-friendly and helps support the local economy.
I think something that sets me apart is that I’m out there traveling as well. I know there are many agents who travel, but there’s many who don’t. I take what I’ve learned and pass that knowledge along. I’ve been to around 30 countries at this point and have learned so much, especially doing most travel as a solo female traveler. I’m also great at thinking on my feet and adapting, which is a crucial skill when traveling.
This will show in my travel agent and group host roles. At the end of the day, I want people to know that I care. I know that we’re all different, which is why copy and paste itineraries aren’t my style. Even with the group trips, there will be options to help those joining have a their own unique experiences.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
This business wasn’t around for that. But, I think we all learned a lot during Covid. The one thing that has been most apparent is the need to pivot and adapt, which is something I’m highly skilled at.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tihygge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punderingjj/profilecard/?igsh=M3VwdzhtcHN4ODBj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bkb3hpkn7/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
