Meet Keisha Blackwell-Rogers of Blissful Escapes in West Pullman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha Blackwell-Rogers.

Keisha, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
At a very young age, my mom introduced me to traveling. One of my most memorable trips as a youth was to Montego Bay, Jamaica with my mom and aunt when I graduated from 8th grade. From that point on, it seemed as if I was meant to travel and travel truly became a passion for me. My senior year trip was to Cancun, Mexico with some of my fellow classmates. Once I became an adult, I always found the time and a reason to travel. I would do girls trip with roommates from college, trips with my mom, getaways with my best friend from grammar school, family reunions, etc. As long as I was traveling, I was happy.

In 1999, I lost my dad to Cancer and I truly realized how short and precious life was. After his passing, I believed in celebrating life and Y.O.L.O. (you only live once) truly became my motto and what better way to celebrate and enjoy life than through travel. In 2015, a dear friend, Joni Rials, invited me to a meeting with her host agency, Ladies and Luggage Luxury Travel Group. From that initial meeting I never looked back. I joined the host agency and the birth of Blissful Escapes, Inc. began. Since 2015, I have been booking individual and group trips and working to establish a business that offers superb service and luxury travel experiences to all of my clients. My goal is to help my clients celebrate life and to create memories through travel.

Has it been a smooth road?
The travel industry is huge and complex, there is so much to learn and the road definitely has not been easy. Starting and maintaining a business has not been easy especially when you work a day job from 830am-430pm Monday through Friday. When I first started Blissful Escapes, Inc., I would work my day job, come home and sit at my kitchen table sometimes until 1-2am in the morning working on quotes for clients, booking trips, researching destinations and researching tools to help better the administrative functions and other aspects of having my own business. Learning to balance my time has been a huge struggle. Not only do I work during the day and I am an entrepreneur but I am also a wife, a stepmother, very active in my church, the trustee of my church, on the willing worker’s ministry of my church, family oriented, a social butterfly and a workout addict. So trying to maintain all the others aspects of my life plus the demands of the travel business have been my biggest struggle.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Blissful Escapes, Inc. is a travel agency that is built on creating memories through travel. I specialize in celebration travel and groups. I believe that every goal reached, every milestone, birthdays, graduations, retirements, etc. should be celebrated and celebrated with travel. Before I started my business, I was known for traveling by all those that know me and for always having huge birthday celebrations. I would always plan large birthday celebrations with a group of family and friends. People started to look forward to my celebrations because they knew it would be a great time and that memories would be created. I love being around those that love me and that I love. I took my passions of traveling and celebrating and created Blissful Escapes, Inc. I create trips for my clients based on my own experiences, desires and dreams. I don’t book travel for a client if it is not something that I would personally want to experience myself. I put love, time and passion into my client’s escapes and that sets me apart from others in the industry. Traveling is supposed to be fun but planning it can be stressful. I take the stress out of travel for my clients and give them a memorable experience. I love to hear from my clients when they return from their trips and they tell me how much they enjoyed themselves and they thank me for their experience. I am proud that my company is not just a business but it is bringing joy to others and it is helping to create memories that can be cherished for a lifetime.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The City of Chicago is a beautiful, diverse city. No matter where you are in the City you will come in contact with someone who travels or who wants to travel. Chicago is full of networking events, social events, and travel industry conferences. For anyone that would love to get into the travel industry, no matter your target audience, how you brand your company or what your niche is you will be able to find clients that fit perfectly. There are plenty of others in the industry that is willing to help you and share their knowledge to help you become a successful business. Chicago is perfect for a business like mines because one thing this city likes to do is celebrate and we celebrate with excellence.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 773-234-2949
• Email: blissfulescapes2015@gmail.com
• Instagram: @blissfulescapesinc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/blissfulescapesinc

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