Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Maki.
Hi Jennifer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
18 years ago I started my business to fill the void of rapidly decreasing travel agencies in the Northland. Over the years I acquired Skyline Travel who had merged with Destination Travel and I had a thriving location on Central Entrance. COVID came and Gov Walz deemed us “unessential” and therefore had to close my business to the public. Very quicky I pivoted my business to working from home (just like I had started years earlier) and began to travel even more. Since I could work from anywhere, I grabbed my laptop and sunscreen and never looked back! Today I candidly share my first hand experiences of living and working around the world with my clients so they can trust the places I recommend to not only be safe, but approved from first hand experience. My clients continue to work with me vs the internet because they love the peace of mind they get when working with someone who has “been there, seen that”. In fact, they tell me all the time it’s “the easiest trip they’ve ever booked”!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a business is always a challenge, especially when raising small children like I was. I had three kids under the age of 5 when I started. That meant I was replying to emails and working on creating itineraries between meals, errands and naptime and bedtime. The travel industry is constantly evolving and changing too – from different suppliers to entry requirements, it’s a huge game of strategy and I think that is another reason for my success; my clients trust my organization skills and know that I always have their back. COVID was a real challenge trying to navigate the muddy waters of cancelations, refunds and managing clients fears and expectations when nobody knew what tomorrow would bring. The fear of the unknown was and is real! Today the biggest challenge is ensuring I have stable wifi and converting time zones!
We’ve been impressed with Divine Destinations, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Divine Destinations is a travel agency that specializes in bucket list destinations like safaris, river cruises and bespoke itineraries. Everything we create is custom; never cookie cutter. Our clients come to us to plan proposal trips to 50th Anniversary trips and everything in between like groups, celebrations and even last minute surprises. We are a preferred agency partner with Delta airlines which means that all of our clients who fly Delta with us receive bonus miles, earn medallion status and are privy to exclusive discounts and offers. When working with Divine Destinations, we differ from online giants in our overall process. First, book a complimentary discovery call, where we can discuss your upcoming trip and I can determine if it’s something I can assist with. If so, then we move into the quote process. From there, the trip is deposited on and the client can make payments over time or wait until the final payment day which is generally 45 days prior to departure. When it’s time to depart, clients can download our app to follow along with all the details of their vacation: from airline check in details to who’s picking them up at the airport along with all their excursions neatly uploaded for stressfree access, no paperwork to fumble around with.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I am a very lucky person! Nothing beats hard work but I won’t lie, I have had good fortune follow me throughout this journey. From the very beginning, having the eyes to see a gap in the market and 18 years later to have a following of loyal clients who trust me blindly is priceless. For 2025 something new I’ve started is escorting group trips. My safari scheduled for September sold out immediately!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mydivinevacation.com
- Instagram: @4divinedeals
- Listen to Jen’s Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5setfq68xdGw3M0dmHZ6Zg
