Meet Karissa Doyle | Travel Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karissa Doyle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After working for the same company for over 12 years I made the decision to quit after the loss of our second unborn child. My boss was less than compassionate, and wanted me back to work right away. I knew in that moment I needed to make a drastic change, and that I didn’t want to work for anyone else again. So I sat down and thought about what I was good at and what I enjoyed and within a week I had my company up and running and was already booking clients on trips.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business model is mainly directed toward group trips, but I also offer planning and booking services for individuals and families as well. I specialize in Costa Rica, and offer a variety of other international options. I also started this year offering mystery trips, where the clients don’t know where they’re even going until they arrive at the airport. I feel like the best part of my job is watching others experience the world and things they’ve never seen or done before. The way people light up with excitement is my favorite part.

I started world traveling at the age of 16 as an exchange student, and again at age 17. In college I did an internship at a bed and breakfast in Germany as well. Traveling has ever since been an important part of my life, and what makes me happy. I began learning German at the age of 7, and started learning Spanish in high school, which I then followed with Russian in college. I’ve currently been to 36 countries, with another 7 planned for this year.

I started my business in December of 2019. Needless to say, started a travel business right as covid was about to hit did not make things easy. It was a very slow two years, but we were lucky enough to find enough people that still wanted to travel and keep things going. Now, as covid has slowed things are quickly ramping up, and people are really ready to travel again.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best friend and I have often traveled to Costa Rica together, I enjoy taking her to hidden gem locations that most people don’t even know exist. I also enjoy taking her to the more common locations and activities like zip lining, pineapple tasting, and snorkeling. I also enjoy staying at a variety of locations and traveling the country. We often stick to the more typical Costa Rican style, as opposed to something that feels more Americanized. We often try to live like the locals. Getting to know the people in each place we travel is always interesting to us. It’s a great way to really get to know the culture.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give a huge shoutout to my husband. Without his love and support I may have never made the jump to entrepreneurship. He has encouraged me from the beginning to do whatever made me happy. He has stood by my side all, and been a big help with our two kids, and stepping up as needed. He has also been really great for bouncing ideas off of and helping me to excel in my business.

Website: travelingsolestours@gmail.com

Instagram: my_traveling_soles

Facebook: Traveling Soles Tours

Youtube: Traveling Soles Tours

Image Credits
Jasmin Chouinard Photography