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The Secret Sauce to Scaling as a Luxury Travel Advisor: Systems + Support

May 20, 2025

Let’s get real: you didn’t start your travel business to be buried in logistics.You started it to craft experiences. Inspire wanderlust. Work with high-end clients who trust your magic.But when the business grows, the chaos creeps in. Suddenly, you're the CEO and the assistant and the social media manager and the client concierge and the vendor liaison… and maybe a little burnt out.Here’s your permission slip to stop doing everything yourself. Why Systems Matter ...

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Inbox Avalanche- How Missed Emails Cost You More Than You Think

May 13, 2025

There’s nothing sexy about email.And yet, every unread message, missed follow-up, or overlooked detail has the power to sabotage your entire client experience.If your inbox looks more like an avalanche than a workflow… it’s time to dig out—with help.The Real Cost of an Overwhelmed InboxHere’s what email chaos is really costing you:Missed opportunities (that quick “yes” from a high-end supplier? Buried.)Mental fatigue from context-switching 800 times a ...

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Admin Chaos Is the New Champagne Problem (And how to pop the cork without losing your mind)

May 06, 2025

When your biggest challenge is too many clients, it’s a high-class problem. But if you’re drowning in follow-ups, updates, and itinerary tweaks, it doesn’t feel very glamorous - it feels like burnout.At Cinder & Sage, we call this the Champagne Problem of the luxury travel advisor: Business is booming, but behind the scenes? It’s a mess.Let’s talk about how to fix it - without popping your last nerve. The Symptoms of “Success Stress”If any of ...

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What You’re Really Paying for When You Don’t Delegate

Apr 29, 2025

You know what’s more expensive than a five-star suite in Santorini? Doing everything yourself.In the world of luxury travel advising, time isn’t just money—it’s reputation, referrals, and repeat clients. And yet, so many high-performing advisors are caught up in tasks that dilute their brilliance. At Cinder & Sage, we’ve seen it firsthand—and we’re here to show you the real cost of holding it all together solo. The Hidden Expense of Wearing All ...

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Hint Hint...

LET ME HELP!

Dec 05, 2023

It's that time of year- if you are at all like Mark and I- it's hard to buy presents for each other! We are at that phase of life where we just go buy what we need when we need it! Anyone else in that place too?To help alleviate that problem I'm running the 'HINT HINT" list now until Dec.23rd. How this works is for you to send me a note through our contact form with the items you'd love to see under the tree. Have your significant other contact me and I will guide them to those items for them ...

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At the Elephant Sanctuary in Zimbabwe

Catching up and a promise!

Dec 03, 2023

How can it be 2 years already?!A quick catch up:1. I just celebrated 2 years with Gifted Travel Network, a luxury host agency. I have the honor of interviewing all new to industry and experienced candidates wanting to be a part of the GTN community.2. With this employment I have traveled to: NYC, Miami, went on my first cruise, and was honored to co-host a trip to Africa for almost a month.3. Welcomed our third grandchild, Stormi Rae, to our family.4. Struggled with some health issues- but am ...

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IT'S BEEN TOO LONG!

Nov 03, 2021

IT'S BEEN TOO LONG! Oh my, 2021- where does a person start?  1. Carlee graduated and moved to Colorado.2. Met Quincy Dean for the first time.3. I worked as a virtual assistant to a Realtor.4. Mark was awarded a Federal contract for Polygraph.5. We attended a polygraph convention in Tybee Island.6. I did Church Street Art Show and met lots of lovely jewelry lovin peeps!7. My contract ended with the Realtor.8. Endless job searching and soul searching on what to do...9. Updated ...

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#mycomeback

Jan 10, 2021

This has taken far too long to get back to my blog- as much as 2020 was a dumpster fire for the world, it was July 15th for me too!  Long story short, Mark and I got locked out on our second story deck by the big black dog, Angus.  Living at the top of the mountain has definite advantages in privacy, but in a moment like this, our phones on the kitchen counter and us locked out on the second floor, it was a problem!  In a moment of over confidence in my athletic abilities, I made ...

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QUARANTINE CONTINUED...

Apr 24, 2020

36 days. 864 hours. 51,840 minutes. That's A LOT OF TIME.  Time to think, to create, to clean, to workout, to cook, to worry, to deny, to fear, to believe, to hope...TO BE.And believe me, like all of you, I have done it all!  Some days I have a ton of hope and some days I feel completely sad and it consumes me.  Thankfully I don't have many of the sad days.  For example today is a frustrating day. I'm still caught in the unenviable position of being caught in an unemployment ...

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MAKING THE MOST OF THE QUARANTINE

Mar 29, 2020

What a difference a week makes.  Our county fortunately does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19, but we are all on mandatory 'stay at home' orders.  It appears that on Monday at 5pm, the Governor will be closing the NC borders to any out of state or unnecessary travels.  It is a scary time, but I'm thankful that we have the ability to be at home, at 3200 elevation, with no neighbors. By nature, we are in isolation!Mountain Mark has been working hard at getting rid of the ...

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THE ADVENTURE BLOG

Check out the adventures of Mark and Heather and their new lives in western North Carolina

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THE STORE

Retail thereapy starts here with Organic Life Jewelry in silver, stone and copper and wall art from Kallhoff Portrait.

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KALLHOFF PORTRAIT DESIGN

To see more of Heather's photographic art, check out the galleries!

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ORGANIC LIFE JEWELRY

Click here to check out all the behind the scenes scoop on Organic Life Jewelry

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