#013 The Art of Travel with Lauren Rathvon

Making Business Art

Have you ever felt the urge to take off and travel the world? My guest Lauren Rathvon did just that – and then went on to build a travel business that takes people on meticulously curated and crafted tours that aim to connect travelers with places and people in deeply personal ways. Lauren teaches us about the value of building trust with the people we serve, how to deliver excellent service and craft experiences that some of her clients have called the “trip of a lifetime.”

In this conversation Lauren and I talk about the importance and art of delivering great customer service, lessons learned in her career, the unintended consequences of being good at what you do, the value and craft of creating trust with customers, the launch of her travel business, designing truly memorable travel experiences, healing and the power of placebos, her experiences at Taco Bell around the world, making friends with street dogs, and her favorite song by The Muppets.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Lauren Rathvon is the founder and owner of RetreaTours, a small travel company with a focus on Around the World journeys, as well as cultural experiences, wildlife safaris, and Buddhist pilgrimages (all of which are triple carbon offset). She has been living on the road for over a decade, researching and creating travel itineraries year-round with her husband BJ Graf.

Lauren specializes in making the "daunting" more accessible to her guests with patience and humor. Prior to her life on the road, Lauren was an Acupuncture Physician and Doctor of Oriental Medicine with a passion for treating stress and anxiety. On the road she enjoys taking photos, exploring exactly what "Mexican" food means around the world, and spending quality time with each and every street dog she encounters.

You can find Retretours on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, TikTok and at www.retreatours.com.

ABOUT MAKING BUSINESS ART

Making Business Art is a podcast for curious people where we draw lessons and inspiration from creative leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, designers, and scientists about making a beautiful business and life. We have conversations about how to create a powerful connection with the people we serve while making our craft an engine for personal growth.

This podcast is the creation of and hosted by me, Ezequiel Williams. I am an entrepreneur, innovation strategist, facilitator, and business designer. I help leaders and teams see their challenges differently and find ways to deliver value that are more desirable and satisfying for the people they serve. I am very curious and love to learn about how things work, what makes people tick, and how to create more joy in the world.

Instagram: @MakingBusinessArt