Today, we are meeting Amy Pyc of EnchantAway Travel!
Why I became a Travel Consultant with EnchantAway:
Hi, I'm Amy and I'm a travel consultant with EnchantAway Travel. I've been in the travel business for almost 15 years, but I grew up wanting to be a teacher! I taught for 12 years-first 3rd grade and then on to my favorite-Kindergarten! When I had my son in 2008, I took a one-year child care leave with the district. When that leave was up, I was pregnant again with my daughter so I took another one-year child care leave. When it was time for me to head back to Kindergarten, it was announced that my school (Jefferson in the KenTon District) was going to close. I was offered 5th grade in another school, but I felt with 2 little ones at home and my support system of teachers spread out all over the district, it was just too much to start over in a grade so very different from my little friends in Kindergarten. I wanted to enjoy the magic of my kids' younger years and be there for all the moments as they grew, but I also knew I didn't want to be just a Stay at Home Mom...I knew I needed something outside of the kids to keep me from getting bored.
I became obsessed with Walt Disney World when I was just 3 years old. One family trip led to me constantly dreaming of when I would get to back and experience that magical feeling once more! So when my husband asked what I might like to do after leaving teaching, I said I wanted to help people plan Disney trips. In a fateful turn of events, my mom had just seen an ad in the AAA magazine about hiring people who loved Disney and helping people plan trips. I immediately called and was hired in their first group of "Magic Creators". My business took off quickly from there and over my first 5 years, I won 4 Mousecar Awards for sales and service. Eventually those were discontinued and we came to face the hardships of 2020. I thought for sure my time as a travel planner would be done, but somehow I came through and continued to grow my client base, as well as help the clients who had been booking with me since 2012. AAA made some unfortunate changes to the program, so in 2024 I followed my boss to EnchantAway Travel, a brand new agency that had hired her to get their program up and running. I knew I had to go where it felt like home and that was with her and my fellow agents who had become like family to me! Now my kids are teenagers (one off to college) and bringing in clients is a little harder as I'm not out there meeting young families like I did when I had a young family. And that led me to Beauty Boost Buffalo! A group of lovely local ladies who believe in supporting other women, it's the perfect place for me to be at this stage in my life and career.
What I love about being a business owner:
Being an Independent Contractor for an agency gives me the flexibility and freedom to run my business the way I want, but also have an amazing support system. I love meeting new families and keeping up with the families who have been booking with me for years. I book all travel, but I like the freedom to work mostly with Disney Destinations. Walt Disney World has always been special to me, from my first trip at the age of 3, all the family trips over the years and, now, helping families have the perfect vacations so all they have to worry about is making memories!
What inspires me:
Finding magic in the little moments! I love seeing photos of trips my clients have taken and their reviews often make me cry when I hear how I impacted their trip and made it special. Not all days as a travel planner are easy-there are very early mornings changing reservations to a new offer or booking dining for families. And there are also a lot of late nights as some sought after reservations open at midnight! But when I can wow a family by getting all the dining/activities they wanted or saving them hundreds (sometimes thousands) on their trip by applying an offer before they even know Disney released one, I know I've given them a little bit of magic!
My favorite piece of advice or quote:
Of course, I have to quote Walt Disney himself here, "Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever". I'm living my childhood dream of talking Disney all day every day and I love the idea that even when we grow old, we never have to grow up fully and leave whimsy and imagination behind! Life is better if you keep things magical and try to find that magic in the little moments of daily life, as well as the big ones (like when you are on your dream vacation)!
What beauty means to me:
In Beauty and the Beast, the narrator says, "She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within". And, to me, beauty is truly in who you are and not what you look like. Beauty is kindness, acceptance, honesty and love!
Advice to my past self:
I was so shy as a child and I wish I had the courage just to be myself and not worry about what others thought of me! Put yourself out there, not everyone may like you but there will be so many who love you and all you are!
What I want Beauty Boost members to know:
I love all things Buffalo (except those winter gray skies) and I hope that when members are ready to book magical trips (to Disney Destinations and beyond!), that they consider chatting with me. I believe once you have a conversation with me, you can really feel my love for what I do. I have clients who are brand new to Disney and need my help every step of the way and I also have clients who are seasoned travelers but keep booking with me because they know they are supporting a small local business. I help as much as my clients want, but it's their trip...I'm never booking all my favorites (those are for my own trips), I'm booking a trip that will fit the budgets, needs, likes and dislikes of the families I'm booking and I have the knowledge and expertise needed to do so.
Nothing makes me happier when they come home happy with memories of their special trip!
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057297954732
Fill out a quote request! https://forms.gle/hKgVmcymKYXCzc1o8
