Inspirato

Account Executive & Operations Lead. 2017-2021. Began my career at Inspirato as an Account Executive supporting 205 members. Transitioned to the Experiences Team where I managed group travel experiences around the world.

In summary

  • Account Executive & Operations Lead

  • Denver, CO

  • I managed and hosted 10+ end-to-end travel experiences earning a cumulative NPS score of 93.

  • I built a New Hire Training program for the Service Department that is still being used today. The goal is to teach new peers about the product offering and build camaraderie.

Leadership

Early in my tenure, I identified an opportunity to improve the service department’s training process. New Team members spent a few weeks learning the ins and outs of Salesforce, SOPs and studying the website to understand the product offering. However, Inspirato Residences and Planning Services were difficult to describe and sell until you had the chance to go on a true Inspirato vacation. All employees received a Familiarization Trip as a company benefit, but not until after a year of tenure. As such, there was a chance to help new Account Executives experience Inspirato in a way that was beneficial to both the business and the New Hires.

Inspirato has numerous residences in Vail, CO – just a 1 hour drive from the main office in Denver, CO. Vail is also home to the Member Lounge and a handful of hotel partners. The New Hires could have the opportunity to stay in a residence, meet in-destination employees and vendors, and get to know each other. I worked with the Training Department to organize a 2-day, 1-night trip to Vail on the training class cadence. The schedule looked something like this:

  • Day 1: 8 individuals caravanning up to Vail. Upon arrival, check in to the residence with a welcome amenity prepared. Meet-and-greet with an Inspirato Destination Concierge and leave to tour all available residences in the area with the Concierge. The day was wrapped up with a team dinner.

  • Day 2: Meet-and-greet and hotel tours with local hotel vendors, Vail Village Scavenger Hunt, and visit the Inspirato Member Lounge

The program carried on with my guidance for the following 3 years I was at the company and continues today. Back at the office, I spent time mentoring new team members on day-to-day activities and meeting their KPI goals.

End-To-End Project Management

After 3 years of servicing member accounts, I had the opportunity to join the Experiences Team where I began as a Specialist and was quickly promoted to Lead. The role was a mix of operations and project management. I supported a portfolio of 5-10 trips at any given time and worked to sell packages with service team members, maintain the budget with the accounting team, and build a seamless experience with the in-destination vendors. My favorite part was the moments of delight along the way that I worked to incorporate into each trip such as a custom experience or itinerary not found on the open market, pre-trip amenities, and spur-of-the-moment activities. 

I am most proud of the execution of a 100-person expedition to Antarctica with our partners at Lindblad and National Geographic. This was the most high-profile trip that was sold by our department and it occurred every two years. After the colleague who previously managed it departed the company, I was approached to take point on this 3-week-long trip. Members met in Buenos Aires where pre-trip activities were available, the group traveled together on a chartered plane to Ushuaia, boarded the ship to Antarctica, and ended the trip in Santiago, Chile. While there were hiccups along the way such as cabin and hotel room disappointments, I managed difficult conversations and organized favorable on-the-fly appeasement. Overall, the experience received a 95 NPS score and came out only a little under budget

This role showed me my passion and strength in facilitating connections and this experience plays a large part in my approach to product strategy today.

Unfortunately, the impact of COVID left me back as an Account Executive. Nobody knew the future state of the world and a career in event operations seemed far off. As I remained in my spot, I kept wondering to myself – I love helping people, but how can I do it in a way that’s not placing bandages over the phone? Ultimately, I landed at the doorstep of UX Design and left Inspirato to pursue this career path full-time.