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Moving back to your hometown can feel like going backward, but for Emily Hegenberger, it opened new doors. Jennifer chats with the founder of GCG Travel to discuss how trading Los Angeles for Chicago’s North Shore helped her find balance and grow her travel business. From turning personal connections into referrals to setting clear fees with friends and family, she talks about how putting down roots can help you grow a business while making room for a life you love.

About Emily Hegenberger:

Emily is the founder of GCG Travel, a luxury travel advisory specializing in culturally immersive, experience-rich travel for families, couples, and milestone celebrations. A lifelong traveler who has visited 37 countries and 45 states, Emily has split much of her life between South Bay Los Angeles, where she and her husband raised their two children, and Chicago’s North Shore, where she grew up and returned four years ago. Today, she’s a mom of two teens, one in high school and one studying in Paris, and a devoted pet mom. Emily is also part of the founding team at URLife Media. Today, she brings together decades of personal travel, travel-industry experience, storytelling, and curiosity to create highly personalized journeys for her GCG Travel clients.

instagram.com/globecoloredglasses

Today we will cover:

(04:00) How putting down roots can create new opportunities for your travel business
(09:00) Building trust and referrals within your existing network
(13:00) Setting clear fees and boundaries with friends and family
(17:30) Offering paid itinerary reviews as an introduction to your services
(26:30) Using AI to refine workflows and lighten your mental load

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264. How 'Going Backward' Can Actually Grow Your Business with Emily Hegenberger

TIQUE Talks: The Business Podcast for Travel Advisors

264. How 'Going Backward' Can Actually Grow Your Business with Emily Hegenberger