Ellie Horvath
Chanti Grews of Travel Creators .
Tell us about yourself?
I have spent the last 13 years in the Travel Industry, I started out as a Travel Agent and over the years have had the most incredible opportunities to work across multiple sectors and brands within the Industry on a global scale.
Along with my Co-Founder and CEO Janine Salame, we started Travel Creators in 2021 an exciting venture where we are reshaping how travel is bought and sold with a mission of keeping travel human.
What lessons has being an entrepreneur taught you?
Accepting that failure is part of the journey and the lessons learnt will help propel you and your business forward. You need to be willing to do everything, things you are good at at things that will challenge you.
You also need to focus on yourself, do the things you love and what will help keep your mind strong. Make time to do exercise and prepare healthy wholesome meals – it goes a long way.
The value of strategic partnerships – the right partnerships can open many doors and build a lot of credibility to your brand and product!
If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
A common piece of advice we all get! Its a marathon not a sprint! Burn out is a real thing and will only slow you down.
A lot of entrepreneurs find it difficult to balance their work and personal lives. How have you found that?
It’s tricky in the beginning, but you are working on something you are creating, something that you whole heartedly believe in.
You don’t mind working long hours. Working on your own business also brings a bit more flexibility to make time for family and doing things you love!
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
As we all know the pandemic affected the lives of thousands of people within the industry, many losing their jobs, including both myself and Janine. We have both been in the industry for many years and seen the challenges and struggles of large OTAs and Travel Brands.
The pandemic forced us to take action and put our thoughts and visions into action. The lack of innovation, antiquated systems and large travel brands struggling to attract the next generation traveller.
What do you think is your magic sauce? What sets you apart from the competitors?
Our Creators! We are putting the power back into the creators hands! Our Creators inspire and monetize their own audience in minutes! They are entrepreneurs building their own remote travel business and inspiring the next gen traveler.
How have you found sales so far? Do you have any lessons you could pass on to other founders in the same market as you just starting out?
We launched MVP with a select few in our Beta group of creators, generating a sales pipeline of over $4m for our travel creators. The best lesson is there is no perfection to launch. Get users quickly and then worry about building out the right product.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far in your business, and how did you overcome it?
Fund raising for sure, Post covid investors are scared to invest in travel and as female founders we find the fundraising aspect challenging.
We have been fortunate to have been accepted in 2 accelerators within the UK and USA. This has allowed us to build a strong network of like minded individuals and access to a global community of investors and founders.
What do you find are the advantages of operating your business in London?
A great network of like minded Founders with a strong sense of community within the start up scene.
Are there any issues with having a London based business? Have you experienced these?
Cost of living is a challenge if you are in bootstrap mode, but being a remote first business this has allowed us to work in the countryside and in cheaper countries like South Africa.
How has the higher than UK average cost of living impacted your ability to work and live in London and how has this also impacted your ability as an employer?
It has impacted us, we work and live between countries.
If you had to relocate your business to another city in the UK, which one would it be and why?
Brighton or Bristol – Younger workforce seeking decent work life balance
How has BREXIT impacted your business (if at all)?
No as we are a global platform
What is your vision for your company in the next 5 years?
Our vision for Travel Creators is to be the Web3 Shopify of Travel!
And finally, if people want to get involved and learn more about your business, how should they do that?
We would love to chat with anyone interested in learning more about Travel Creators and others within the industry. [email protected] or [email protected]
Follow Travel Creators on Twitter or Linkedin.
