Meet Lauren Dru
LOCAL FOREIGNER’S TEAM OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
This post is part of our series celebrating our Independent Contractors and Hosting Program. The Local Foreigner's Hosting Program provides a platform of systems and support for independent travel advisors.
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A PIECE OF ADVICE
The best travel advice Lauren Dru has ever received is “don’t be afraid to get purposefully lost,” which might explain why she chose the name Escapades for her new travel company. Propelled by the idea that travel is best when it involves elements of excitement, daring, or adventure, Escapades attracts a discerning clientele looking for a departure from the norm. But Lauren’s journey to the travel industry — one that culminated at the height of the COVID pandemic — is an escapade all its own.
But before she took the plunge, she knew she needed to find the right agency to partner with, one that would encourage her entrepreneurial spirit while providing the tools and support systems needed to launch her brand.
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
A veteran of New York City’s restaurant industry, Lauren has always loved working in hospitality. She even considered opening her own eatery, but after her son was born, she recognized the need for a more flexible career path. Her attention immediately shifted to the travel industry, where she could combine her passion for hospitality with her lifelong love of travel. But before she took the plunge, she knew she needed to find the right agency to partner with, one that would encourage her entrepreneurial spirit while providing the tools and support systems needed to launch her brand.
Lauren spent months researching hosting programs and talking to hiring managers, but never found an agency that clicked, until her friend told her about Local Foreigner. After her first call with Alex Erdman, our hosting manager, she knew she’d found what she’d been looking for all along: a hardworking, collaborative group that prioritizes teamwork over individual success. She was immediately attracted to Local Foreigner’s tech-focused approach to business and appreciated the thorough training and onboarding opportunities available to new-to-industry ICs.
My fear in becoming an IC was that I would be working so independently that I wouldn’t have facetime with my colleagues to learn from their expertise. At Local Foreigner, it’s been quite the opposite.
GAINING CONFIDENCE
When she joined Local Foreigner in May, Lauren completed training and onboarding quickly and easily. She credits Local Foreigner’s Sales SOP and IC Help Guide with giving her the tools needed to plan successful trips for her clients. But the most valuable parts of training were her sessions with Local Foreigner’s professional sales coach. Conducted via Zoom, these training sessions gave her confidence in her ability to sell travel, even though she doesn’t come from a sales background. After training and onboarding, Lauren immediately reaped the benefits of her newfound skills. She displayed real ingenuity when converting a client’s canceled road trip into a backyard glamping experience and was the first Local Foreigner agent to book an international trip (to Mexico) during the COVID pandemic. She’s also adopted the Local Foreigner’s custom CRM with alacrity, entering client feedback, updating supplier information, and suggesting new use cases within her first few months on the job. When Lauren noticed that searching for villa rentals in our CRM was not as simple as searching for hotels and resorts, she and Alex Erdman immediately determined a solution and created new processes for the entire team.
“Local Foreigner has given me all the tools I need to find success in this industry.”
COllaboration is Key
Collaboration is what Lauren loves most about being a Local Foreigner IC: “My fear in becoming an IC was that I would be working so independently that I wouldn’t have facetime with my colleagues to learn from their expertise. At Local Foreigner, it’s been quite the opposite.” We’re not sure the kind of “facetime” Lauren originally had in mind, but during these pandemic times, our ICs have certainly gotten a lot of it. The IC team meets (virtually) with Alex Erdman weekly, joins the company-wide call every Friday, and attends regularly scheduled virtual tours and destination trainings with our preferred suppliers around the world. Of joining the travel industry in such an uncertain time, Lauren remains optimistic: “I actually think this year was a wonderful time to join the industry. Travel has been slower of course, but the down time has given me ample time to learn Local Foreigner’s processes and brush up on my destination education.” To that, we’ll say, let the escapades begin!