Jetset World Travel: Redefining Leadership in the Travel Industry with Lindsey Epperly
Please enjoy this transcript of the Crown Yourself Podcast, with CEO of Jetset World Travel, Lindsey Epperly [@lindseyepperly] and your host, transformational story coach, Kimberly Spencer (@Kimberly.Spencer)
Lindsey Epperly is the CEO of Jetset World Travel, which she has scaled from a one-person operation into a team of over 80 dedicated members, recently recognized on the Inc. 5000 List of fastest-growing companies. She has been named to the Forbes Next 1000 List and was most inspired by navigating her industry’s greatest crisis while expecting her first child, a season she affectionately refers to as the “MBA I never wanted.” Lindsey is dedicated to fighting burnout and imposter syndrome while teaching others how to turn obstacles into opportunities on her podcast, Who Made You The Boss?
Connect with Lindsey Epperly
WEBSITE: https://www.lindseyepperly.com/
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jetsetworldtrvl
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lindseyepperly/
LINKED IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseyepperly/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@WhoMadeYouTheBoss.Podcast
APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-made-you-the-boss/id1719538527
In this episode of the Crown Yourself podcast, host Kimberly Spencer interviews Lindsey Epperly, CEO of Jetset World Travel. Lindsey shares her journey of navigating the travel industry during the global pandemic, scaling her business, and the personal challenges she faced, including balancing motherhood and leadership. She discusses the emotional aspects of entrepreneurship, the importance of intentional leadership, and fostering a collaborative workplace culture. Lindsey also highlights her significant achievements, such as landing on the cover of Luxury Travel Advisor and making the Inc 5000 list, and emphasizes the value of diverse perspectives and personal growth.
What you will learn from this episode…
- Challenges and transformations faced by Lindsey Epperly as a leader in the travel industry during the global pandemic
- Emotional and personal decisions made by Lindsey, including balancing business and personal life
- Lindsey's struggles as a leader, feelings of burnout, and the need to let go of control to grow
- Influence of Lindsey's parents, who were entrepreneurs, on her approach to business
- Importance of understanding one's calling and empowering individuals on the team
- Impact of societal conditioning on gender roles and the need to celebrate and honor the superpowers of both men and women
- Fostering a culture of collaboration over competition within the workplace
- Lindsey's journey in the travel industry and the shift to a service-based model in her agency
- Importance of embracing diverse opinions and backgrounds within the company
- Lindsey's pivotal moments in her business journey and her commitment to personal and professional growth
*Transcripts may contain typos. We do our best to catch any human or robot errors prior to release. And we thank you in advance for your understanding. Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast platform. And, you can always watch the episode on YouTube here.
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We good? Great. Let's get to the goods.
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PODCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Kimberly Spencer (00:00:00)
Where were you when 2020 hit? Was your business different? Was your life different back then? For many people, obviously 2020 was, and COVID, and the pandemic was obviously a huge game changer, but there was no industry more impacted than travel. So I can only imagine what having a multiple million dollar travel agency would feel like when you are navigating the challenges of leadership amidst a global pandemic when your entire industry is shut down. Lindsey Epperly is the CEO of Jetset World Travel, which she has scaled from a one-person operation into a dedicated team of more than 80 people. Inspired by navigating her industry's greatest crisis while expecting her first child, a season she affectionately referred to as the MBA she never wanted. Lindsey is a passionate speaker and writer. She currently is studying under Bob Goff to write a book about the illusion of control, and she is the host of Who Made You the Boss, one of my new favorite podcasts. Lindsey and I have a transformational conversation around how to face a worldwide pandemonium in your industry, and to navigate it with grace and your head held high like a queen.
Kimberly Spencer (00:01:23)
And now I give you Lindsey Epperly. Welcome to the Crown Yourself podcast, where together we build your empire and transform your subconscious stories Stories about what's possible for your business, body, and life. I'm your host, Kimberly Spencer, founder of CrownYourself.Com. And I'm a master mindset coach, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, known to my clients as a game changer. Each week you get the conscious leadership strategies you need to help you reign with courage, clarity, and confidence so that you too can make the income and impact you deserve. Imagine this podcast as your royal invitation to step into your full potential and reign in your divine purpose. Your sovereignty starts here and your reign is now. Lindsey, I just want to dive in. Because who scales a travel agency in the middle of a pandemic, right?
Lindsey Epperly (00:02:28)
It sounds crazy in retrospect, and it sounded crazy at the time, too. Yeah, yeah. I mean.
Kimberly Spencer (00:02:34)
In 2021, you acquired Jetset World Travel. To be doing an annual revenue pre-COVID of 25 million.
Kimberly Spencer (00:02:43)
So what was your support system like?
Lindsey Epperly (00:02:47)
Yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:02:47)
To be able to make such an incredible leap in the middle of what most people would proceed in your industry is just the greatest Titanic of all time.
Lindsey Epperly (00:02:59)
Right? Oh, man. So I used to call Epperly Travel, which is what we were. That was the company that I founded, the little travel agency that could write. I always believed in it to be bigger and to fulfill these dreams that I had when it came to being a modern travel agency. And so much so that my husband, who was not my husband at the time, applied for a job with us whenever I had a key employee who changed career paths. And he said, what if I applied? And I was like, absolutely not. That will wreck us, you know? And then we started talking about it. We were engaged at the time, and he decided to quit his job in finance because he believed in this vision so much, too. So the week that we got married, he quit his job.
Lindsey Epperly (00:03:41)
He came on to work with what was then up early travel. So when you talk about the support system, it was truly the two of us, all eggs in one basket, saying, we really believe in this little travel agency that could. And of course, we took a big step even at the end of 2019, here we are poised for our best year ever. And then, of course, you kind of know what happens next. 2020 was not gone to the hospitality industry as with so many industries. Yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:04:09)
What decisions did you face as a leader that were most challenging for you in that year?
Lindsey Epperly (00:04:15)
Okay, so to set the stage, we are married business partners actually that's incorrect. We were not even business partners at the time. This was even something I had such strong control over my business that I allowed him to work in it. But I definitely did not need a partner, nor did I want one. So if that gives you any indication of that going in. That's right.
Lindsey Epperly (00:04:37)
The decisions we had to make. We were five months pregnant with our first child and we had just put a home under contract. And so this was so much more than just business. This was personal. The hardest decision on the personal front was do we keep this business or keep this home. What are we going to walk away from and what story do we want to tell long-term? Right. And so when we asked ourselves that question, we decided we've got to keep this business. We know and we believe in this business. We know that if we keep the lights on, we keep putting out a great, beautiful mission for our team to follow. We keep our team employed. We know that we will survive on the other side and that we will grow because of this too. So we walked away from the home. We had no idea where we would bring our daughter home in just a few short months, and we decided, let's put everything into Jetset that we can, which was that up early.
Lindsey Epperly (00:05:24)
At the time, of course, we didn't even know Jetset was going to be a thing. And so let's just lean into this mission and we actually set a new mission for the team during that crisis where we told the team we are looking to be a beacon. This industry is facing a really dark hour, and we have the ability to pour positivity into it. And so our team, who also were you know, everyone's just everyone's burning out. Everyone's feeling it so deep in their soul. They're having to literally rescue clients as borders are closing. Right? Argentina? Egypt. It's a phone call after phone call. I've got to get my client out of here or else they're going to be trapped. So they're just dealing with instrumental moments in their careers. And then of course, they're having to cancel and unwind and do all of these, you know, things that are very hard for a travel agent Hart. They really believe in the work that they do and they get to serve clients. And that's a beautiful opportunity.
Lindsey Epperly (00:06:12)
And so knowing that these were travel dreams that were being canceled and deferred and the clients were sad and they were sad like there was just a lot of emotion. And so leading this team during that time was to hold a place for their emotion and then to give them a path forward, which was to be a beacon. And everyone really leaned into that and said, all right, we understand our marching orders. We can't do a whole lot right now, but we can put some beauty and positivity into this industry and into the world.
Kimberly Spencer (00:06:39)
I know the emotions firsthand because I was one of those people who got stuck abroad. You know where you were. Yeah, yeah.
Lindsey Epperly (00:06:48)
They didn't know that. Packed a truck for.
Kimberly Spencer (00:06:50)
Three weeks and then ended up staying in Australia for two years, and it was the best two years we had.
Lindsey Epperly (00:06:55)
My God.
Kimberly Spencer (00:06:56)
It was amazing. It was just turned out perfectly. My husband and I have always wanted to live in Australia, but coming to the emotional decision of that point of, yeah, we're choosing to stay knowing that we may not be able to go home for a while.
Lindsey Epperly (00:07:09)
Yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:07:10)
It's such a big pivotal moment in our relationship. But it did also skyrocket my business as well because I've had a digital business for years, so right. I love how you led your team and the emotional meter that basically they were facing on a day-to-day basis. What emotions did you struggle with the most during that time? Oh.
Lindsey Epperly (00:07:36)
So for me, I had reached a point in my leadership, I think, where I was just doing the same things over and expecting different results, right? So the definition of insanity also leads to a significant amount of burnout. And so there were times where I would say, and so my husband and I, you know, in order to actually survive this, we had a spreadsheet that we would look at every day. He's the finance guy's left brain. And the spreadsheet was titled Project SlimFast. Right. Like, how do we reduce expenses? How do we make sure we can go far and survive this? And so we look at that, and there were days where I would just feel so overwhelmed by the lack of what I felt was safety.
Lindsey Epperly (00:08:14)
Right. The traditional idea of safety, of, well, he could return to his job in finance and I could maybe just be a mom and maybe that would be fine. We just unwind this whole thing. And so that was a very difficult emotion because I had to fight the burnout that was happening because I had reached a cap in my leadership because, again, I wasn't willing to accept a partner. I wasn't willing to delegate a whole heck of a lot. So I was just hitting a ceiling there. And there was a really pivotal point where my husband, Jeremy said to me, look, would you rather burn this down? Then give me a chance to step up and lead in your place. And I said, well, yeah, actually sometimes I would, you know like it was a hard moment to face. Would I rather lose control or simply even control the narrative to the point where I destroyed it? And so that was really those were those were, of course, the darker days where you're thinking, maybe this is just not all worth it.
Lindsey Epperly (00:09:07)
But then I would remember, we believe in this. I truly believe this is what my life's work has been. I really, truly feel like this is a phenomenal team, and a lot of that that I was feeling was just my own leadership cap and the cap that I was putting on myself. And so it was really important for me to learn where that tension was that I was brushing up against, and how I could actually lessen the load by allowing someone to step up and help me. And that was really pivotal, especially because I entered into motherhood that year too.
Kimberly Spencer (00:09:37)
And what was the point like in your pregnancy when you chose to have your husband come on board? Was that after you gave birth and you're like, yeah, you know what? That's really good.
Lindsey Epperly (00:09:48)
You know, I vaguely remember it being my daughter came five weeks early due to a medical emergency. I don't even know if this is all correct in terms of the timeline because it's all such a blur. I vaguely remember it being the day that we had to go into the hospital due to that medical emergency.
Lindsey Epperly (00:10:03)
I remember having a conversation of, you know what? I think I'm ready. I think this is, this is. And then, of course, having no idea that in just a few short hours I would be delivering my daughter. So in retrospect, I remember it happening all around the same time. You know, what is the whole saying that the teacher comes when the student is ready, and the lesson comes when the student is ready? And I feel like there was a readiness there. And transformation on so many levels, just down to the core of who I was as a business owner, as a wife, as a mother, all of the things.
Kimberly Spencer (00:10:35)
How did being a mother change you in your and how you led? Because I know when I like it was my son who was my catalyst for me really getting off my butt from all the productive procrastination stuff that I was doing and building my business. But not really. It was just a lack of a fear of letting go of control as well as controlling my downward spiral, I would.
Kimberly Spencer (00:10:59)
I too was in the same place where I was like, I would rather control than delegate and get things off of my plate. So it was him that he ignited this fire in me that changed how I showed up. And then when I had my second one and was brought to Australia under lockdown my husband had to catch him in a bathtub. The experience of what that taught me in in trust, in understanding how to trust myself on a deeper level, and how I led and showed up, changed the game for how I run my businesses. So what did being a mother do for you?
Lindsey Epperly (00:11:38)
that's a really good question. In the midst of all of this, while I was pregnant, I read Glennon Doyle's book Untamed, which patron saints Glennon Doyle, and the concept of no longer being a martyr, but becoming a model for my children was something really, really pivotal for me. As I entered into motherhood, I made an active, intentional choice that I would be a model for my girl eventually.
Lindsey Epperly (00:12:04)
Girls, I didn't realize I would have a second. You know, a few years later, that's also a girl And I would be a model for my girls as a mom. So I would choose the path that I wanted them to see me going, that I wouldn't just murder everything and give up everything in order to be a mom, I would actually show them, that you can be anything you want. And so in choosing myself and my calling more often and more frequently as a mom, it's also made me do that as a leader. And so I'm able to show up at Jetset and choose, this is what's lighting me up. This is what is going to amplify our company overall. So it's my choice to pursue the podcast that I just launched, right with Who Made You the Boss? It's my choice to pursue writing because that's something that's always been important to me to say, wait a minute, these things don't have to be mutually exclusive. I don't have to martyr myself as a leader, which is what I was doing.
Lindsey Epperly (00:12:53)
That's what was leading to burnout. I want to be a platform, a support system, and a service, but there's a difference between that and just being at everyone's beck and call to your own demise. And so it was the active choice to set that intention to be a model for my child. That also led me to be a model as a leader.
Kimberly Spencer (00:13:12)
One of my coaches put it, rather than the mother of that, it's kind of needing to be in everybody's business and having that control. You're the muse.
Lindsey Epperly (00:13:23)
Yes. Yeah. Exactly that. Does that resonate with you? Has that changed because of motherhood for you as well?
Kimberly Spencer (00:13:30)
Yeah, because, I mean, I resonate with it with the definition of motherhood because that's it's one of my it is my key role. But when I would notice my mothering going into my business, that was when I noticed problems with boundaries and burnout really came into place.
Lindsey Epperly (00:13:48)
Right? Because it's the control.
Kimberly Spencer (00:13:50)
It's the control and it's such an illusion and it's the hardest lesson to learn.
Kimberly Spencer (00:13:56)
So I believe that after listening to your podcast that your second generation entrepreneur I am. Yeah, in that same year. So what did you see and what did you model from what you learned and saw from your parents?
Lindsey Epperly (00:14:10)
Yes. Okay. Great question. I love this because my parents are phenomenal role models for me. My mom was a stay-at-home mom that she actually operated a cake business out of the home, which was so cool to see her pursuing her passions. And then my dad owned a small chain of tire stores that he built from the ground up, and I, I jokingly talk about the fact that I failed the only business class I ever took. And so my MBA was actually my dinnertime MBA, which was my dad would come home and he would share stories from the day and from his business, and there was a significant amount of time where I really thought, I'm an only child. I will probably take over this business. I know in my DNA that I am meant to be an entrepreneur.
Lindsey Epperly (00:14:50)
I don't know how that's going to manifest. There's a strong chance I'll take over my dad's business. So I was always paying attention. And I think from what I saw in my dad, he did it so beautifully, is that he met people where they were. He's a very, very authentic individual, like everyone who comes into contact with them, loves him. I also saw ways in which he had a little bit more of a generational way of thinking when it came to how he ran his company. Right? Like gotta have eyes on people at most times. So when I told him I would launch this virtual company, there was definitely a limit of, oh, well, how are you going to ensure that your employees are doing what they need to do? Right. So so there was something I brushed up against where I had to make the active decision of just because I'm doing it differently doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong. And, you know, that very much differed from how my dad raised his entire company.
Lindsey Epperly (00:15:35)
He sold his actually, the year that I launched what was then Apple Travel, he sold it. His was named Apple Tire. And so it was really fun, like a way to nod and honor him of, okay, I'm going to take the name and we're going to build it. And honestly, part of the reason we decided to rebrand as Jetset was because I had gotten to that point where this business was such my identity that I, I needed to say, all right, it's not the Lindsey Epperly show anymore. It's all about our team. We want to give them a platform and a way to succeed beyond me. I don't want to be the bottleneck. And so that was part of the reason we intentionally chose to go. What we called for me to we would the rebrand of Jetset.
Kimberly Spencer (00:16:13)
And that identity piece I've seen so often in business owners and experienced it myself, that it's so intimately tied with the business. So what pieces of you did you leave behind in the business if any, and what did you need to extract and like call back to like have as part of you again?
Lindsey Epperly (00:16:35)
Oh, that is so heavy and deep, right? Well, I want to say over there, I would like to say I left behind some of this need for control, but I think you're right.
Lindsey Epperly (00:16:46)
It's. You said this a few minutes ago. Like it's a lesson you're always having to learn. It just manifests differently. So I by no means beat that boss. It's just a stronger, different boss every time. But I would like to think I left behind. Actually, here's something important because I had to really grieve this when the business started, you know, failing due to Covid. Obviously, when we completely flatline, if not want to. The negative was I had so closely tied my success with my identity. And so my upward trajectory, which is what my entrepreneurship journey always was year after year until that moment, was what gave me validation confidence, and self-worth. And that's a really dangerous thing. And actually, I was even recording a podcast about this the other day where I made the statement, if I had to chart my journey of success as an entrepreneur, even though I was on an upward trajectory there, if I had to tie that to my self-worth and my self-confidence, that was on a downward trajectory because it was all about the business, all about how the business succeeded, all about who chose to do business with us, whether that was a client or an advisor.
Lindsey Epperly (00:17:50)
I took things very personally, very easily because it I believed it was me. And so I do think I've been able to leave that behind. It no longer feels like an extension of myself, which feels like a healthy dynamic with your business. Healthier.
Kimberly Spencer (00:18:05)
The co-dependency.
Lindsey Epperly (00:18:06)
With the.
Kimberly Spencer (00:18:07)
Business, especially when it is providing your lifestyle and it is providing for your family, and it is providing for employees and for the team and for their families. Like that co-dependent relationship dynamic really happens so often. Yeah. So I've seen.
Lindsey Epperly (00:18:25)
It's a founder's dilemma, right? It's it's your first baby. You've poured everything into it and you have a really hard time watching that baby girl. and especially if someone else is going to come in and say, I would like to help the baby girl, like, that's no, no, no, this is mine.
Kimberly Spencer (00:18:40)
How did it roll you up?
Lindsey Epperly (00:18:43)
It is been my ultimate teacher. I am so thankful for the lessons that I've learned through this business. And I think it it grew me up because it allowed me to actually step back and identify what's the difference between we're simply capable of something or we're actually called to something.
Lindsey Epperly (00:19:01)
So it has allowed me to better identify what am I actually called to do. And that just for the things that I'm capable of, yes, I can always, always, always say, well, I'm going to be a great salesperson or I'm going to be great at this role that I have actually hired someone to do. And so thus I do it for them. That's not leadership, that's not wise entrepreneurship. That's actually taking an opportunity away from your team. And so it's me just constantly reminding myself, and my husband does a very good job at this, knowing what I believe my calling is to say, wait, is that your calling or are you just capable? Right? And so I think it's grown me up to better understand, like live only in this way. And then you're empowering individuals on your team who not just are capable, but perhaps that is their calling. They want to be doing this work. And so as an entrepreneur, actually, I love Mike Michaelides. And he just wrote in your book.
Lindsey Epperly (00:19:51)
Yes, he just wrote a new book, all in all about teams. And he had a great quote the other day on a podcast he did where he was like, as an entrepreneur, your job is to build the business and build the jobs and then get the heck out of the way, let everyone else take those jobs and run with them. And so I'm realizing that, and it's grown me as a leader in that way for sure.
Kimberly Spencer (00:20:11)
Yeah. Mike Berkowitz, his book Prophet First was a game changer for our business. Yes. And there was something that I saw Elizabeth Gilbert say on Marie Forleo a long time ago that really struck me because both whether it's a business or a book that you write where she says it's not in baby like, you can't because and you don't want it to be your baby. Because babies are fragile and they need you all the time. And ideally, as a parent, your baby's growing up to be a fully functioning adult. Yeah. And I think so often when we when we mother our businesses, it gets stuck in an infantile or toddler stage rather than allowing it to have that maturation.
Lindsey Epperly (00:20:57)
Yeah. You know what I attribute that to sometimes, and I wonder if you relate to this at all, is I find myself to be a creative. And so I think it's really hard for a creative when you naturally identify as that, to let go of their project and let the world grow it up. Right, because the world has some tough times that it's going to teach them. Yeah. And so I identified first as a creative and then as an entrepreneur. And I think that's a large part of why I tied myself so much to it. And sometimes I think, like, men are so much better at compartmentalizing in this. Right? Like, I hate to generalize, but just the difference between my husband and myself is he's able to say, well, this is a business. This is the way it should run. Like it's very black and white, whereas like, but that's that's my creation, you know? And when you look at it that way, there are a lot more emotional strings attached.
Kimberly Spencer (00:21:43)
Yes, yes, 100%. And completely resonate with that because I see it so differently with men and how they run in general. I'm curious, what do you think it is more like how just men are naturally, or how they've been conditioned by society, or how women are naturally versus like in just our desire and our ability to create and our attachment to the creations.
Lindsey Epperly (00:22:11)
Right. The fact that we are wired as mother. I think there's probably a little bit of both. The end. Right? Both nature and nurture. And so I find it really beautiful to celebrate what is a superpower that is naturally inclined and both and to figure out areas where maybe we're able to soften a little bit and learn each other's approaches to where we can actually give honor to that. And maybe a large part of that is that I work with my husband. And so we've had to really learn to give each other professional respect. That did not come naturally, which is a shock because we adore each other and the personal setting.
Lindsey Epperly (00:22:45)
And then we got into professional setting and saw like who work Lindsey and work Jeremy are not as kind, you know. And so it was, it was figuring out ways of saying, well, that's because work, Jeremy, is wired in this way where he can compartmentalize and he actually approaches it from this left-brain mentality, Whereas work, Lindsey is listening to her gut and that feels really weird to him. And so it's it's just different ways that we're already wired. But leaning into, I think a large part of what society is actually telling us is our role and instead saying, well, does it have to be like, I want to be able to honor that, but I also want to be able to grow and learn and be just be open minded to how other people approach it, whether it's men and women or, you know, anything in between.
Kimberly Spencer (00:23:26)
It sounds like you and your husband had this beautiful, visionary integrator dynamic, and it was figuring out that space. Yeah. Is that true as well and personal when when you realize that creative gut, intuitive space for, you know, work.
Kimberly Spencer (00:23:44)
Lindsey.
Lindsey Epperly (00:23:45)
That's a really good question. We definitely, definitely have that dynamic to the point where, you know, I will come up with 30 new business ideas before it's new. And so a large part of Jeremy's job is smiling and nodding politely because he's learned not to shoot them all down immediately. Let them breathe for 24 hours, and then I will appropriately kill the wrong ideas. But it's a large part of like, how we exist, and that he helps nurture my creative fire by being supportive and listening in. And then when I'm actually ready to say, who do we think this could survive? Or do we think this is a good path forward? Then we can actually like kind of decide what lives and what doesn't. and I think that's true of business and personal, although I will say Jeremy's a really good vision setter when it comes to our personal life. And I think, I think it's because he's not naturally inclined to make a lot of movement, like he is an object at rest days at rest.
Lindsey Epperly (00:24:40)
So I'm usually the one that's like, let's go to this. Let's I'm keeper of the social calendar. But when it comes to big ideas. So for instance, our family is spending the entire summer in Europe. That's mostly Jeremy driving that idea because he knows if we don't make this move, then we'll just hang around the house, or I'll just create our social calendar and we'll see friends, which is great. But he does do some larger vision casting in the personal realm, which is pretty cool.
Kimberly Spencer (00:25:04)
and that's so fun. What fun for your daughter is to spend it traveling around Europe.
Lindsey Epperly (00:25:08)
I agree, it's really important. I mean, obviously travel is a huge part of our life and we've just had to rediscover what that looks like now with two little ones.
Kimberly Spencer (00:25:16)
Did you get to travel a lot as you were building your business, since it is a travel agency?
Lindsey Epperly (00:25:22)
Yes, it was the coolest job for my 20s and actually I started the I started the whole career. When I was 19, I wandered into a travel agency for a brochure, and I accidentally walked out with the job selling sandals, honeymoons and, from there, like, builds it up.
Lindsey Epperly (00:25:39)
So I still in college, but I will never forget my college spring break. I got to go to Tahiti and Bora Bora. Moorea like it was all of these incredible opportunities because as a travel advisor, you need to see the properties and the destinations that you are selling and you are planning to serve with your clients. So they would invite us to come along and to come visit. And so most of my 20s was spent legitimately, honestly, Kimberly, at least once a month, if not twice a month for ten years, I would be on an international trip or something domestic where I was touring 4 or 5-star hotels and actually experiencing a destination to be able to come back and say, this is the right fit for my client. Being a travel advisor is a lot of fun.
Kimberly Spencer (00:26:22)
That's a that's so much fun.
Lindsey Epperly (00:26:24)
I mean, it's not, of course, like the bulk of the work like that was the those are the perks. And the more you are able to serve your clients and where you get those perks and the bulk of the work is actually behind a computer and making sure you are in a good service-based mentality to to actually bring these dreams of clients to life.
Lindsey Epperly (00:26:40)
But the perks are a lot of fun.
Kimberly Spencer (00:26:42)
And what constitutes a good service-based mentality?
Lindsey Epperly (00:26:45)
That's a great question because that was a journey for myself as well. Right. Like at first my my agency was very sales-based as in we only were paid by the hotels or the destinations that we were working with. And I started realizing, well, that can actually sway an advisor the wrong way. I actually worked for a really, really, let me just say, not super ethical company to begin with that taught me how not to do things right. I don't want to ever scroll to the bottom and say, I'm not making enough money. Let's add more in here because there's mystery for the client. You know, I want it to be very transparent. And so we actually moved to a service-based model where our clients will pay us to plan their trip so that the agent is being compensated by the client. So they're working out of a service-based mentality. And I do think what constitutes that is the ability for and this is true of any service professional, not just the travel industry.
Lindsey Epperly (00:27:38)
The ability to separate yourself and your self-worth from the service you are providing. So this was very similar to my own journey of having to realize I am not just simply building Jetset as an extension of myself. I'm building this as a business to succeed and to serve other people. And so that exact same journey, I think, happens for our advisors who attach a number to what their service is and oftentimes feel that little gremlin saying, like, who are you to charge that? Like, what is that about you? And they have to confront this identity crisis themselves that we talk about a lot at Jetset. And so I think what really constitutes a good service-based professional is someone who has done that inner work. I really I believe that all professional endeavors are a holistic experience, and that inner work is so, so important.
Kimberly Spencer (00:28:23)
So much personal development, on steroids is both entrepreneurship and parenthood. That's what I found. Yes.
Lindsey Epperly (00:28:31)
Yeah. It's why why is it one of those I was actually going to say, why is one of those so much easier than the other? But it's really not.
Lindsey Epperly (00:28:36)
They're both they're both their own versions of hard. I think it depends.
Kimberly Spencer (00:28:39)
On the age in the stage. But, you know, certain ages in the stages of your business are are easier or just they have easier lessons because of how you, how you just naturally are wired versus, you know, some stages of parenthood. Like right now, my son is two and he's currently in this very clingy phase. Yeah. And indecisive phase. It's just really challenging for me to just, like, sit and like, nurture and just kind of guide to the best decision when there's so much indecision. Yeah. But it's it's seeing those stages and working through within ourselves which cause some stages I'm like, oh, I got the hang of this there.
Lindsey Epperly (00:29:20)
But that's true. And those are the ones you almost don't even realize you're in, because it's like you're your natural gifting, and it's where you are excelling. And so you don't feel the tension and you don't even realize you're such a superhero at all times.
Lindsey Epperly (00:29:32)
But in this stage, this is where super power is coming out. And then it's like the times that are so hard where we just beat ourselves up and think like, why? Why am I not doing this better? I don't think we give ourselves enough credit for those times where it feels more natural, right? When we're living in our strength.
Kimberly Spencer (00:29:46)
Yeah, and really finding those moments of celebration and honoring those especially, especially as women. I see so many women, they don't celebrate their wins as much, or they're scared to celebrate them for fear of stimulating jealousy or something like that.
Lindsey Epperly (00:30:03)
You know what actually just happened to me? and it's actually our mutual friend Theresa who connected the two of us. She led this, that I it changed my mind on, not change my mind, but it blew my mind on female relationships and how I want to be a friend moving forward. But you're right, women have a really hard time celebrating themselves. And so here's what tears it did when I launched my podcast, which she knew I'd been working on for a year.
Lindsey Epperly (00:30:26)
Behind the scenes, it was a lot of work. It was hard work. It was inner work to decide how I was going to do this, how I was going to make sure my business succeeded along the way as well. And Theresa said, I want to throw you a podcast launch party. I want to get 20 of our closest friends were neighbors in our neighborhood, and I want all of these women to come together and celebrate you. And I thought, that is so kind. That is so sweet. And I thought he was actually going to wind up doing that. Right. And then like, she actually put action to it and she did it. She partnered together with another great friend, and they threw me a podcast launch party. And I was so moved by that gesture because there it was. It was women celebrating women as we should be doing, both for ourselves and for other women.
Kimberly Spencer (00:31:06)
Completely agree. And I think that there's a lot of healing that can be done, especially, I've seen a lot of women who are in corporate positions and have coached a lot of women in corporate positions who said it's never the men who helped them back.
Kimberly Spencer (00:31:21)
It was actually the women. And how do we heal that kind of sisterhood wound. How have you been able to heal that within yourself and lead us as a woman.
Lindsey Epperly (00:31:34)
Yeah I feel like it starts by acknowledging the area is just like this, where we could stand to show some improvement. Right. Like acknowledging that this might be a barrier, that if I have jealousy, it's doing that inner work and saying, why is that showing up? And how can I make sure it doesn't actually hurt someone else? Because I think all of these emotions and that caused that to happen or are natural. And so ignoring them is not going to help, but it's confronting them and doing the inner work to say I really find it important to raise up other women. And and for me, I run a very women centric company. And so in order to be a leader and to actually help mentor, you have to put those feelings to the side. I can't, I can't, as a previous salesperson, be so concerned that someone is going to outperform or outsell me that I keep them down.
Lindsey Epperly (00:32:27)
Right. Like that would be the antonym to what we want to happen, both in our businesses but also for another human in life. And so it's actually embracing for us. It's been a large part of embracing community over competition. And so we foster a culture where the advisors are coming together in a very think tank style every single day, and various forums, and they're actually saying, I need help here, or, gosh, I've got this client situation and it hurts my heart and others saying, I've had that too. It really does hurt. Here's what I did to get past it. Like it's actually collaborating instead of competing.
Kimberly Spencer (00:33:01)
Yes, and I love how you fostered that culture and created that. What was that intentional or did that kind of evolve along the way?
Lindsey Epperly (00:33:10)
It was extremely intentional because I mentioned I came from a bit of the school of hard knocks where I kind of saw how not to do, one not to do the travel industry, but to how not to be a leader, as I came from an environment where they fostered competition in such a negative way.
Lindsey Epperly (00:33:27)
And I will never forget there was one point where the the boss of this company sat every single agent in a circle and had them outloud. Say, what were your goals this month and what did you actually do? And it was a month that everyone failed to meet their goals, right? So he did this intentionally to just absolutely embarrass every single person. And I even came. Really? Oh my God. As I'm telling this story, I actually physically feel this like rising up inside of me, right? Like the shame that comes within those moments. Yeah. And I remember that happening and I thought I would I will never I will never make other people do that. Yeah. And create competition in that way. I mean that's not. And so it's all these women just here's what I did wrong, sir. Here you go. I mean, wow. Just so many layers. I don't think I've ever actually told that story. This is so interesting. That just bubbled out clearly. Something I really wanna learn from.
Kimberly Spencer (00:34:23)
Something we can all learn from. I know you had a quote that I found when I was doing my research for this, that I just love, that it's silence breeds insecurity. And so in as your leadership has evolved, where were those moments that you stayed silent that you wish you hadn't?
Lindsey Epperly (00:34:40)
That is a really good question. First, let me correctly attribute this quote because I cannot take credit for it. That actually was Jeremy and his leadership, and he came up with that during the pandemic. And it was it was the way that we chose to interact with our team of every single day. There will be an opportunity to hear from us. You will never, ever, ever sit in silence and feel like, what is my next step? We will always lead you. And so that was a very intentional leadership lesson. Where have I stayed silent? gosh. I mean, there are so many times, right? Like I even think about back when I worked for that company. And I remember just, just the sensation that I just had in my body, I would have on an, on a daily basis.
Lindsey Epperly (00:35:24)
And I've always been pretty outspoken and pretty opinion driven to the point where my colleagues definitely knew where I stood. And I earned the nickname Spitfire, which I wore very proudly. But even in my leaving from that company, in order to protect myself, I simply didn't share my story with others, with the colleagues. I just kind of tried to focus on let's move forward, onward and upward, which I think is, in retrospect, a healthy choice versus getting stuck in the negativity. But there are times that I regret not being a little bit more vocal and and perhaps that would have connected with or resonated with the others who also had to sit in that same circle and feel that same feeling, at the very least to say, hey, that's not okay. You know, whether you keep pursuing this career or do something else, you shouldn't be made to work in such a toxic culture that makes you feel like that. Even here I sit 15 years later, and I still feel that embodiment because of what it felt like to be in that circle.
Lindsey Epperly (00:36:23)
Yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:36:24)
Dad, I think especially when a team is pitted against each other versus allowing everyone to rise together and grow each other and create that collaborative style. It definitely creates a lot of antagonism in in the culture in general. And as, as you grew and it seems like you were very intentional about the culture that you were creating, and I mean, going from solopreneur to 80 employees now.
Lindsey Epperly (00:36:53)
Yeah, yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:36:55)
What did you look for in terms of how filling those leadership and managerial roles? What did you look for in hiring those positions?
Lindsey Epperly (00:37:03)
Well, at first they did it wrong. First I said, that's we all do as we all do, right? First they said, I want a miniature version of myself. I'm just gonna look for someone who is so similar to me. And that led to in the initial stages of what I was building that led to such a lack of diversity in thought and religion and race and creed and all of the things that did not benefit our company in any way, shape or form.
Lindsey Epperly (00:37:28)
So that was one thing I did really wrong. And I and we have since amended to be way more embracing of. I want so many diverse opinions and backgrounds and ideas, and that has really created this beautiful culture for us. So that's one area that we now look for. And we really actually try oftentimes to hire outside of our industry for that exact reason. We want people to bring new perspective. so that's been one way that we've really been intentional about it. And then, of course, I think you have the usual framework of like, what tasks am I doing that someone else can do just as well or what? Like you do the whole like for delegation quadrant idea. but I will say this is also why where I started getting a cap to my own potential when it came to managing people and the ideas of like, who are we hiring? Or what are we looking for? I am definitely not a manager of people. I love leading people. But see, this is where Jeremy shines much more than I do.
Lindsey Epperly (00:38:18)
So he came in with a strategy brain and said, all right, these are the roles we need to fill. Here's what it's going to look like. And then we were able to kind of more appropriately fill those positions. But that was all over the course of, you know, 5 to 7 years worth of a journey of hiring people. And our team is consistent of both in-house employees and independent contractors and the independent contractors in our industry. They're the real bosses. And so what we're looking for in those individuals is someone that's going to align with our values, that's going to say, all right, I know I am my own boss. I love the freedom and flexibility that brings. So how can Jetset further support and amplify them to reach their dreams? And so it's individuals who are open-minded enough to say, I would love some help, and some like business coaching and advice and what can help me get to the next level and a community that can collaborate with me. So those individuals were looking for kind of two different, you know, types of people depending on what the role is.
Lindsey Epperly (00:39:13)
Yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:39:14)
And the skill set of the manager that you don't have.
Lindsey Epperly (00:39:17)
Let's talk about her.
Kimberly Spencer (00:39:19)
Let's talk about her. So what specifically did you have to let go of control. Since that's just an overarching theme, especially in becoming the boss and in recognizing the difference between the leader and the manager. What were those activities that you noticed that just weren't in your genius? So.
Lindsey Epperly (00:39:39)
Well, Kimberly, this is the work in progress right now. So perhaps we talk about it in a year from now and I can give you better. But this was just a recent learning lesson, I will say. And this is this is applicable to business and personal. And I think this is actually why you first even invited me to come on the podcast, is because I shared with you how I view that letting go of control, right? It's the idea that I coined and that I talk about is the monsters that save us. And so it's this idea of the things that are going to absolutely wreck you, but make you who you are on the other side of that.
Lindsey Epperly (00:40:12)
And so I truly feel like identifying the difference between management and leadership, and what that looks like for me is kind of a monster that I'm dealing with right now. It's an active pursuit of, again, moving towards your calling, which feels more like leadership and empowering others, which feels more like management to rise up to their best ability. I think this is currently something I'll write about one day.
Kimberly Spencer (00:40:37)
Oh, yes. And and you have a book that's coming out soon.
Lindsey Epperly (00:40:41)
I have a book that I am working on. I am pitching to publishers, and my agent is pitching to publishers currently, which I am just thrilled about because I love writing. It was actually my first love before travel industry, even before business. And so when I talk about my calling, I feel like that is definitely part of my genius, though, that I've been able to embrace. But of course, in order to do that, there are areas that I've had to let go of to realize I don't need to be the number one salesperson.
Lindsey Epperly (00:41:06)
I don't need to do that because there are others that I can empower who are actually better at it than I am, because that is their calling. And so constantly moving toward my calling and empowering our team to move toward theirs is really, really important for me. And that's a lesson I've been learning in leadership.
Kimberly Spencer (00:41:19)
So one of the the things that I love from the book, the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, which our friend Teresa recommended to me five years ago now, I think it was when I first heard her on the podcast, and they talk about the difference between the zone of Excellence and the zone of genius. And sometimes that zone of excellence is really hard to let go of because there's you get praise and validation for it. What did you find as a creative? So we have a lot of creatives in our audience. So what did you find as a creative? Were the things that you excelled at but weren't in your zone of genius?
Lindsey Epperly (00:41:57)
Has a creative. Well, actually I would just say as a creative I am an entrepreneur.
Lindsey Epperly (00:42:02)
Right. And so even just the pure statement, I am an entrepreneur, I am leading this business. This is mine. Like the, the dictatorship of it all that used to occur before I was able to accept help. I think I excelled at keeping that control. And and I started as a sales person. So it going from when I talk about going from a solopreneur to an entrepreneur, I think that is a very specific thing in a service based business. Actually. It's funny, my my friend Stephanie talks about the next time I build a business, I will not do it in an industry where I know what I'm doing right, because it would allow you to scale so much faster because you have to rely on other people if you're not the main practitioner. So for me, a large part of that was I was the main practitioner for so long, my sales were the majority of the business. This was up until five or so years ago, when we really made intentions to move me into a leadership position and out of sales.
Lindsey Epperly (00:42:50)
And so that was just one. And I and I loved that. I loved sales for the longest time. I actually, for a while even felt like, is this my calling? I feel really, really good at it, but I never really felt like this is lighting my soul on fire. I was competitive and so that was actually really easy to blur the lines in thinking that the competition was the calling, and that was not the case at all.
Kimberly Spencer (00:43:13)
Yeah, yeah. Especially after that experience with being in a toxic environment of yeah.
Lindsey Epperly (00:43:20)
But you know, it's interesting. I did it to myself. I was still toxic with myself in the competition. I didn't want to put it outward, but I was very much competing with myself still.
Kimberly Spencer (00:43:30)
When do we ever stop competing with ourselves, though?
Lindsey Epperly (00:43:34)
I don't know, do we feel like it's healthy? Is that something we should let go? I think that there's an ability to still be ambitious without the anxiety that competing with ourselves creates.
Kimberly Spencer (00:43:45)
I think there is the opportunity for that space.
Kimberly Spencer (00:43:50)
Having been and coached a lot of leaders in nine years with really successful companies. I see anxiety as this constant theme that there are those things that do keep you up, and especially as you grow your team and you have employees and families that are dependent upon you and your business and the vision that you're holding. How do you navigate through that anxiety as you grow?
Lindsey Epperly (00:44:17)
This is the thing I really think a lot about the class. I for the longest time believed the anxiety was necessary, right? Like I believe that was what caused my drive and that if I were to get rid of that, then I would no longer have ambition. And I have on the other side of that, come to believe that is not the case. We do not have to give in to the tendencies that stress us out or harm us. We don't have to invite those in we can actually have one without the other. And so that's actually been a really intentional point that I've tried to make to continue to listen to my gut, which I oftentimes think burnout and anxiety are just your body's way of saying, oh my gosh, you have got to get out of this scenario, right? So instead of ignoring that and saying, oh, that's just my anxiety, actually listening to it and honoring it and saying, you know what? My God is now saying I need to get out of sales.
Lindsey Epperly (00:45:10)
So maybe I need to listen to my gut because my body is actually every time I go to plan a trip to work on a sale, my body is saying, no, no, no, no, no, this is not good for you anymore. You have other ambitions. And so in listening to that which I fought for a really long time, that was when I was able to step into a leadership role and say, okay, actually, these are my other ambitions. And now doing the same thing when it comes to communicating and writing, I know that my zone of genius is being able to move people. That was my common thread when it came to building a business and being able to mobilize a team around a common mission, and it is what happens when I put out my writing or my podcast is being able to communicate and move people with that. And so it's constantly working toward that and not letting the anxiety overrun and fighting with it, but actually honoring it and saying, all right, anxiety is here for a certain reason.
Lindsey Epperly (00:46:01)
What's it trying to tell me?
Kimberly Spencer (00:46:04)
Letting those triggers be your teachers. Yeah. And recognizing the body signals like I realized whenever I have experienced moments of burnout last year a huge lesson in it. And I realized it was just a lack of boundaries that I had, and that there were certain people pleasing tendencies and boundary leakage that was being created that just deflated me. It's like trying to float in a in an inner tube with holes in it, and it doesn't work for the long haul. Totally. Yeah. As you're the visionary for your company and the mother of two beautiful girls and a wife. How do you navigate switching hats in all of those roles?
Lindsey Epperly (00:46:50)
Really good question. Also, when I'm currently learning, right? Because being a mom of two is a new territory for me. So navigating that for me has looked like open communication with my partner. Right? And understanding like, where am I most called and most necessary to be able to do right? I am mom and no one can replace that function.
Lindsey Epperly (00:47:12)
And then what is going to give me the best success rate, right? Like what is going to put me in the best head space to be the best version of whatever role I need to be at that time. So whether it's mom, whether it's leader, whether it's creative. And so that's also, again, listening to that anxiety and saying, well, if that's present, that's going to take me away from being the best mom. And so why is that present? And having you kind of like, trace it back to what is the root of this is that oftentimes it's simple, right? Like, I just didn't get enough sleep last night or I'm just very hungry. but sometimes it's oh, it's because you've actually been existing in that part of the business that we thought we kicked you out of, because you get it, and you try to meddle in your to control, I get it. And so you're back. And now when you talk about is that because you want to be back, or is that because you simply feel like because you're capable, you should be in it versus because you're called you should be in it.
Lindsey Epperly (00:47:57)
So we have really honest conversations about that because my natural tendency is just, I can do it all and I should do it all. And that's silly. That is so silly.
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:07)
And I love that you brought up this concept, because I think especially for women, there's a belief that we need to do it all and that support network around us. I always am very transparent with sharing with my community and my audience, like the level of support that I have consciously cultivated in order to be able to grow my business, to be able to do what I do, because I think the myth of like the do it, she has it all and she does it all. Woman is not healthy and is leading to people working longer hours and they actually need to because of the perception that they need to do it all in roles that they're not fit for. Yeah, yeah. What does the entirety of your support network look like?
Lindsey Epperly (00:48:55)
This is good. This is really good stuff. Because within the business, right.
Lindsey Epperly (00:48:59)
We have people who are doing each of the functions that I was doing when I was previously in the business, whether that was sales or mentorship or working with our team at large, like what does that look like? And then in the home, having an incredible supportive partner is so, so helpful. So and also having childcare is incredibly helpful. And I read a book because I struggled with this a lot. My mom was a stay at home mom, especially because I had a baby in the pandemic where I'm like questioning my entire work life identity. I struggled with what does that need to look like for me? And I read a book that was very helpful that said every person, every mother has a different gauge of professional and personal time, and it's up to you to discover where is your sweet spot, right? So is it five hours a day in the business and five hours a day with babies? Is it six hours a day is in the business. And for us, you know, whatever it is, I'm terrible at math, so please don't hold me to the numbers.
Kimberly Spencer (00:49:52)
But I never math in public.
Lindsey Epperly (00:49:54)
I shouldn't have that either. Oh, you know what I'm saying? Like you used to learning. To what degree do I need to pursue my fulfillment and my purpose, and also pursue my fulfillment and my purpose at home? So business and home so constant. And I think balance is a myth, but burnout is definitely not a myth. And so you're doing all of these things in order to avoid burning out professionally or personally.
Kimberly Spencer (00:50:16)
Yeah, that I love that allotment because I find that my business, when I'm in the right roles, I show up so much better as a mom. And when I'm a mom, when I'm in the right zone, I think that there just as much as there's a zone of genius for your work life, there's a zone of genius for your play life and like your parenting style. And I know for me, I am the like, I'm not just like, sit and watch kind of mom. I am the like, I want to get on the scooter.
Kimberly Spencer (00:50:46)
I want to be doing races down the driveway. I like I am an active kinesthetic like play type of mom versus like, I'm just going to sit here on the couch and like, watch a show with you. I'm happy to do that from time to time, but I just recognizing where my zone of genius is and where the other spaces are in delegating. So I'm not really the carpool mom. I let our granny, my mom take that role. because that just the schedule and things. But it's understanding that space. So when, when you what would you say is your mom's energy versus or compared to your work? So genius.
Lindsey Epperly (00:51:26)
Oh, I really first of all, I have a lot of questions for you about play because as an only child, I actually have a hard time with that. I have found the play does not come naturally to me versus what I entered into. My husband's family, he's the oldest of four. I mean, they're constantly playing like everything's a game. And at first I was like, I am not getting involved in this touch football game.
Lindsey Epperly (00:51:45)
Absolutely not. And I've had to learn to embrace it. But now, as a mom, I realize, oh, in order to actually have a relationship with my children, I need to meet them where they are. And that is often playing, which is not my zone of genius, but it is something I'm being intentional about and working toward. I feel like my zone of genius is actually kind of like the lessons and the teaching and the the the moments that feel most nurturing to me. And so for me, I grew up with my mom as a baker, and so I would see her in the kitchen and I would learn a lot from her when it came to like, cooking and experimenting and seeing the things that she did, the designs she made on cakes. And I find myself doing the same thing with my oldest, Mila, who will be four and a few months and inviting her in to these moments and these lessons and these things that actually taught me what it meant to be a mother.
Lindsey Epperly (00:52:29)
So I see myself passing those, those practices down as a zone of genius. And then at work, I think it goes back to the moving of people. I think that I, I really enjoy motivating. I really enjoy inspiring. I enjoy seeing crazy little moments throughout the day and then bringing those to a professional setting. Whether that is jet set or that is my old the podcast or the Instagram Stories or whatever where I'm sharing. Hey, I got my first podcast role and here's what I learned from it. You know, like, whatever it is.
Kimberly Spencer (00:52:58)
Oh, those trolls that I love, those lessons as we as you grow.
Lindsey Epperly (00:53:04)
Can I tell you the lesson I learned from it? this was so cute. So I got my first podcast troll, which I'm pretty sure was a bot anyway, so like, it was not. It did. And they missed the mark. Like it did not hit my insecurities because it was about like get a real job. And I'm like, well, they've kind of done that.
Lindsey Epperly (00:53:16)
So, but I did bring it up to Jeremy at breakfast one morning and I said, I got a first roll, I made it, and my daughter Mila was on the couch and overheard us, and she, like, pops up from the couch. And she was like, mama the troll, you know, because she thinks of the movie. she thinks of trolls and she like, runs you like, scurries over from the couch. She goes, I want to troll, too. And my husband goes, when you're old enough and you were doing important enough things, you can have a troll. Two Mila and I like that hit me in the place of what a way to look at trolls, right? What a beautiful lesson. And so I have to share that lesson. So that is a zone of genius, right? Is being able to see those moments and realize that needs to be amplified within my broader reach.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:01)
Yes, yes, 150%. And I love. I love that your daughter wants a troll, too.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:08)
Yes.
Lindsey Epperly (00:54:09)
Oh, great.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:10)
So, like, they just bring out the best lessons.
Lindsey Epperly (00:54:15)
It's always so heartbreakingly sweet. I mean, someone who likes to write and likes to move people. I find myself so constantly moved in motherhood just naturally.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:26)
Same, and just being able to see their little reflection of how they're experiencing the world. I remember when my son, we did the Acton Children's Business Fair and launched his first business, and he made $167 in Saturdays. Yeah, corner of the market. It was from 11 to 1. They had no other. they had no other food vendors there.
Lindsey Epperly (00:54:49)
So, I mean, that's more than I made my first business for a while.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:55)
So when I made it my first month in my business. So. Yeah. So I can do your job. $67 profit margin. Well done. And but he, he was you know, the people were going around and they were asking him about his business and like, did you create it yourself? And I said, who inspired you to make sandwiches? And he said, daddy, because my husband's a chef.
Kimberly Spencer (00:55:17)
And then he said, who inspired you to start a business? He said, mommy. I was like, damn, why didn't mom when it's those touching moments? And I as you went from 0 to 80 employees, what was the one deepest, most touching moment when you felt that you had made it in some way?
Lindsey Epperly (00:55:39)
There are actually two, and I would say these are two that were moments where we excelled beyond the goals that I ever even set for the business. And so when I realized we blew a goal out of the water, that was when you're like, wow, I didn't even know to dream this big. And so my first moment was right before Covid leveled everything I had set the intention of. By the time I am 40, I would love to land on the cover of Luxury Travel Advisor magazine. This is like our industry's version of Forbes, right? So you know, you made it when you have a cover story for that. And through the pandemic and through the acquisition of Jet Set, we actually landed on that cover.
Lindsey Epperly (00:56:16)
I think I was 31 at the time. And so to achieve that goal of nine years early, but that did also set off a crisis of like, what's my new goal? What's my new personal goal? Right? That was that was going to be business school. And then also the company last year made the Inc 5000 list and and we weren't number 5000, which was so exciting. I'm like, we actually placed like in the 1100s. And I just never knew we could do that. You know, like I never knew to dream that big. And so when it when it happens as a founder, you realize, wow, this dream and this vision that I had has actually grown so much further beyond myself, which is such a win. And that was the whole reason we went from me to we, that we rebranded to Jetset, and we've now allowed the team members to take this company and run with it, and now it just gives me the perspective of how else can we amplify this company.
Lindsey Epperly (00:57:04)
That was actually our goal for 2024. We set this intention at our annual meeting that the goal would be to amplify the company, Inc. 5000, set off the idea of let's get out of the echo chamber. That is our industry. It's a beautiful industry. We love being part of those conversations. But let's also add to it conversations that are outward facing that show why travel agencies exist and the story that we are writing and the hard work our team is doing. And and I mean, that's led to even the reason I'm on this podcast, right? Like, I love sharing the jet set story and amplifying that vision.
Kimberly Spencer (00:57:35)
Lindsey, I loved our conversation so much and I, I am so excited to see where you go as your book comes out into the world and as your podcast grows. I know you've already had some major heavy hitters on the podcast, like Amy Porterfield and Bob Goss, and like this podcast, y'all. It's like, I am getting such beautiful nuggets of wisdom from listening and the questions that you ask.
Kimberly Spencer (00:58:01)
So thank you. Great job, phenomenal job. A year's worth of work well spent for sure. Raving fan. So I would love to switch into a little bit of a rapid fire. Let's do it. Yeah let's do it. Who is your favorite female character in a book or a movie.
Lindsey Epperly (00:58:18)
And why can I choose Glennon Doyle? I know I've already mentioned her. She's not a fiction character, but I truly like anything this woman puts out. I am picking up, right? Like I have loved everything she's done.
Kimberly Spencer (00:58:31)
Oh yeah. Yeah, untamed wordless I it is. It is underlined and written in like serial killer note style. So you know yes, I love that.
Lindsey Epperly (00:58:40)
And we can do hard things. I mean, like, I feel like I'm part of the conversation. Yeah, probably also serial killer notes style.
Kimberly Spencer (00:58:47)
Probably. Yes. What woman would you want to trade places with just for a day alive or in her time to be in her body? See how she thought experience the world as her?
Lindsey Epperly (00:58:59)
I think Oprah, I am such an Oprah fan and I feel like she just lives with such a unique perspective.
Lindsey Epperly (00:59:07)
And then also to to know that you have made it to the pinnacle. Right. And just curious what that feels like to embody that.
Kimberly Spencer (00:59:14)
Yeah. What's your morning routine with two little girls?
Lindsey Epperly (00:59:19)
Well, that changes daily as we currently have a bit of a wake up crisis between the hours of 6 a.m. to 630. But as we are changing that, my intention for my morning routine is a few minutes of quiet prayer and meditation and a few minutes of peloton working out. That's my intention. I can't say that's my actual morning routine right now.
Kimberly Spencer (00:59:39)
Yeah, with six and two, I'm like, you know, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. And that's okay. Both. Yes. And what is your evening routine with kids to set you up for a successful morning?
Lindsey Epperly (00:59:52)
we have implemented a 7 p.m. bedtime, and it works. There's also might be why she's waking up at six, but I would rather have it. I would rather have everyone's in bed by seven 730, and then I'm able to just breathe out.
Lindsey Epperly (01:00:05)
And because I have good childcare throughout the day, I'm not working at night. So the routine does not include working. It is purely but it's on my list to fulfill myself. Usually it's reading.
Kimberly Spencer (01:00:14)
Yeah. What? What are you reading now?
Lindsey Epperly (01:00:17)
Oh, I'm reading a really phenomenal book called The Setback Cycle by my friend Amy Lowenthal. She's, actually, it's not out yet. I'm reading an advance copy because I'm interviewing her for Who Made You the Boss, and she just has created these beautiful stories and words around what it means to have a setback and to embrace it, which is all what what my whole thing is about.
Kimberly Spencer (01:00:37)
Yeah, yeah. What do you define to be your queendom?
Lindsey Epperly (01:00:41)
Well, I first interpreted it as a zone of genius, which I think is that whole going back to I really enjoy moving, inspiring, motivating. I think that that is where I am most powerful.
Kimberly Spencer (01:00:53)
And lastly, how do you grab yourself?
Lindsey Epperly (01:00:56)
I believe this is all about the self work. I think it's really important, just like we've done like we've challenged ideas on this conversation alone.
Lindsey Epperly (01:01:04)
I'm going to have to go back and relisten, because there's one point where I thought, oh, actually, that is something I need to be reevaluating in my life and in myself. So it's just those constant moments of self-evaluation and self-growth that I think is as really, really powerful stuff.
Kimberly Spencer (01:01:19)
I love this.
Lindsey Epperly (01:01:20)
Conversation.
Kimberly Spencer (01:01:21)
So much. How do we find you? How do we connect with you? How do we travel the world with you?
Lindsey Epperly (01:01:27)
Love it. There are all sorts of different ways. Thanks for asking. please connect with me by listening to Who Made You The Boss? That is my podcast. That is where I'm putting out a lot of really fun conversations, and honestly, it gives people such a reflection of what we do at Jetset and why we do it. By having conversations outside of the industry, just understanding our heart for personal and professional development. if you are interested in traveling the world with me, please connect with our team at Jetset World Travel. You can check them out at Jetset World Travel.
Lindsey Epperly (01:01:54)
Com and please follow along with me personally, I love hearing from people. I am a matter of people. I love connecting, so you can just find me on Instagram or LinkedIn at Lindsey Epperly.
Kimberly Spencer (01:02:03)
Amazing as always my fellow sovereigns. Own your voice. Mind your business because your reign is now. Thank you so much for tuning in today. If what you heard resonated with you, be sure to subscribe and.
Kimberly Spencer (01:02:16)
Start creating a bigger impact now by sharing this with a friend. Just by doing that one simple act of kindness, you are creating a royal ripple to support more people in their sovereignty. And if you're not already following on social media, connect with me everywhere at Crown Yourself. Now for more inspiration. I am so excited to connect with you in the next episode, and in the meantime, go out there and create a body, business and life that rules because today you crown yourself.
The Crown Yourself Podcast is a fast-growing self-improvement podcast, ranked in the top #200 personal-development podcasts in two countries, so far, out of 4.5 million podcasts. Each week, you get the conscious leadership strategies you need to help you reign with courage, clarity, and confidence so that you too can make the income and impact you deserve. Imagine this podcast as your royal invitation to step into your full potential and reign in your divine purpose. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
