Episode 33 - Jenifer Breaux's Journey from the Army to a Travel Business

What happens when a retired Army veteran channels her passion for exploration into a thriving luxury travel business? Meet Jenifer Breaux, owner of JB Travel Pros, who shares her incredible journey from her roots in northeastern Ohio to becoming an expert in crafting unforgettable travel experiences. Inspired by family trips and a life-changing study excursion to the Bahamas, Jenifer’s love for travel guided her through a military career specializing in chemical, biological, and nuclear warfare analysis. Discover how her military background and adventurous spirit seamlessly merged, paving the way for her to create bespoke luxury travel itineraries that promise to engage all five senses.

Parenting children with special needs comes with its own set of unique challenges and rewards. Jenifer opens up about balancing her career while advocating fiercely for her children’s well-being. From managing doctor’s appointments to navigating school activities, she shares personal stories and practical tips that are both heartwarming and enlightening. Gain valuable insights into the art of planning meaningful family travel, emphasizing that with determination and flexibility, enriching experiences are not only possible but profoundly rewarding.

This episode also offers a glimpse into Jenifer’s entrepreneurial journey, from establishing the travel franchise Dream Vacations to the evolution of JB Travel Pros. Learn about her creative strategies for building a client base and marketing luxury travel, including memorable multi-sensory experiences like dining at the Eiffel Tower and perfume-making in Paris. Jenifer also discusses her upcoming book tour, future travel plans with her family, and the thrill of spontaneous adventures. Tune in as we explore her inspiring story and get motivated to turn your own travel dreams into reality.

Website: https://www.iamjeniferbreaux.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjeniferbreaux
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjeniferbreaux

Chapters

• 0:18 Retired Army Veteran on Travel
• 7:37 Creating Family Memories
• 8:29 Travel With Special Needs Children
• 14:38 Building Awareness Through Luxury Travel
• 24:23 Inspiring Others Through Travel
• 29:29 Family Travel Plans and Memories
• 35:35 Global Podcast Outreach and Engagement

Transcript

Jim Santos: 0:18

Welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita. Jim and Rita, I'm your host, jim Santos, and in this podcast series you can follow along as my wife Rita and I work out our crazy plan to outfox the real estate market in the US and actually increase our retirement nest egg by spending the next three years or so living abroad and exploring the world. Are we bold, forward-thinking pioneers or just plain nuts? Let's find out together, shall we? Hello everybody, and welcome once again to Travels with Jim and Rita. I'm Jim Santos. Today my wife Rita is taking the day off and she's nursing a cough, but we're still working our way through Eastern Europe using trains, buses and, eventually, ferries. In fact, we're recording this episode in the lovely city of Budapest, hungary, just two blocks from the Danube River. When this episode airs, we should be in Warsaw, poland, and we'll continue doing episodes from the road. And remember you can check out our blog at jimsantosbookscom for more timely updates on our travels and pictures of where we've been.

Jim Santos: 1:26

Now joining me today is someone I've been looking forward to talking to Jenifer Breaux. Jenifer is a retired Army veteran who served almost three decades. Her time in the Army took her all over the world, and through those experiences she gained a love of both service and travel. She excelled in her training and retired with honor, and then, six years ago, she opened a franchise of dream vacations called JB Travel Pros and travel. She excelled in her training and retired with honor, and then, six years ago, she opened a franchise of dream vacations called JB Travel Pros, where she helps others to travel the world. Jennifer designs luxury experiences that bring her clients' dreams to life, and she's an author as well. One of her books is of particular interest to Rita and I as grandparents of an autistic child. It's called Travel is Possible how to Travel with Children with Special Needs, and we'll be talking about that and her other publications just as soon as I shut up and welcome her to the show. Jenifer, welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita.

Jenifer Breaux: 2:14

I am so excited and you're living the dream, living and traveling. What could you ask for? I mean, that's fabulous.

Jim Santos: 2:22

It is pretty amazing, I say we've really been enjoying ourselves these last couple of years.

Jenifer Breaux: 2:26

Yeah, I love it. I mean, that's what we try to do every year. We start out planning and then halfway through the year, we start planning again for the next year. Some of those trips include our children and some of the trips are just for mom and dad to, you know, connect with each other because you need that time.

Jim Santos: 2:45

Right. Travel is one of those things that either brings couples together or drives them apart.

Jenifer Breaux: 2:50

So I can't imagine that.

Jim Santos: 2:52

So I'm glad it drives you together.

Jenifer Breaux: 2:55

Yeah, it was. You know, when we met we were both enlisted and he was stationed at Fort Knox and I was there for some training. But he had all the things that I was looking for. And as we got to know each other, we both found out we love travel and I think that maybe cemented the deal. I mean, I'm not trying to be so shallow, but there were a lot of other things, but we love of travel and in four months we were traveling to Paris and to Berlin and all of those places. So we just just jumped in with two feet and took off running from there.

Jim Santos: 3:30

Well, let's back up a little bit and get some background. Where did you grow up and what led you to the army?

Jenifer Breaux: 3:37

So I grew up in northeastern Ohio right on the Great Lakes, lake Erie.

Jenifer Breaux: 3:41

We were five miles from Pennsylvania. So we were right up north and I think I grew up in the wrong place, because I really don't like snow and it was miserable growing up and we always our vacations consisted of camping. But when I was nine we went to our overseas, our very first overseas trip, and that was to Canada, and back then you didn't even need a passport, but we did all the touristy things, like going to Maid of the Mist and, oh, are we going in? No, we're not. Oh, we're going in? Oh, no, we're not.

Jenifer Breaux: 4:11

And then we took this gondola ride over the gorge and of course, my dad was rocking the bucket and I'm like, oh, my God, we're really going in and you're surrounded by various cultures because a lot of people go there I think that's the number. It used to be the second, the number two vacation spot for honeymooners and so you're filled, you're surrounded by different food and different languages and I was just like this is the place I got to do this more. I want to travel more, and when I was 16, I competed in this biology. I don't want to call it competition, but I applied to study for a week marine biology and we went to the Bahamas and I love science and I love the water. And this was the life, even though we were in cabins and things. I didn't care. You know again, different culture, different food, doing things that I love in the water, and I just needed more of that and my dad encouraged me to. You know, there's nothing in a small town, so go be, do what you want to do. But you're going to college. So that's how I became.

Jenifer Breaux: 5:14

I joined the military. I started out in the National Guard but I thought, man, I can do this and I can be a leader. So that's how I got my commission, my degree, and ended up on active duty. So that's how I started in the military. But I found out that I loved it and I did use my biology degree because I was in chemical, biological, nuclear warfare. So you're kind of studying the enemy and what kind of capabilities do they have and can they affect the friendly fire and kind of missiles and how does it interact with the weather and the soil and those kinds of things, and I really did enjoy that. And then later on I was a strategic planner. So you're looking 10, 20 years down the road and again, what kind of capabilities do the enemy have? What do we need to have? How do we need to posture ourselves? But I learned a language and I deployed. And I deployed a couple of times, one to the African continent and one to Afghanistan.

Jim Santos: 6:08

So those are two very different cultures.

Jenifer Breaux: 6:10

Yes, yes, and for a while my focus was on North Korea. So if you do that for 10 years, you're like, oh, I have to change what I'm studying and where I'm looking. This is very, very different.

Jim Santos: 6:22

You have to change the alphabet you're using as well.

Jenifer Breaux: 6:24

Yeah, the characters are very different and read right to left and a squiggle at the beginning of the word is different in the middle and the end. So instead of 26 letters, you're reading whatever. That is times three. So very, very different. But I loved it and I'm really grateful for the opportunities. I'm very, very blessed. It gave me two more degrees. I have two master's degrees and a language and a job that I loved.

Jim Santos: 6:49

And I understand you had a master of military science degree in strategy.

Jenifer Breaux: 6:53

Yes, and a master's in management.

Jim Santos: 6:55

And then a bachelor of science in biology.

Jenifer Breaux: 6:58

Yeah, yeah. So the army gave all, gave me, afforded me the opportunity for all three degrees, a place to use them and a job that I loved.

Jim Santos: 7:07

And with all of that education, all that background, what made you then decide to leave the Army and take up the travel experiences?

Jenifer Breaux: 7:15

Well, I think after you know, 29 years and a bent back and broken you know you don't roll out of bed so much anymore. You don't sit up, you roll out. You know, and had young kids and they're like come on, mom play Legos. And I'm like, okay, I will. Like, come on, I'm like I'm coming, you just have to give me a minute, I'll sit on the ground. You just give me a little bit of time here.

Jenifer Breaux: 7:37

And then I had young kids and I really wanted the flexibility to if they were playing. They had Dr Seuss Day here and I wanted to go and volunteer for Dr Seuss Day so I could see my kids or they elementary school here. They had where they were running laps and they got I don't know, they were cowboys or something. That's mascot. They had a horse and so I'm like, well, I'm gonna go out and cheer them on. So I wanted the flexibility. Yeah, I could have maybe been a contractor and doing some of the same things that I was doing and I had a top secret clearance, but I wanted flexibility. I want to be there for my kids and my kids have special needs, so they have a lot of doctor's appointments. I have a Rolodex of doctors, it's a team. You know we have a team concept to take care of our kids and I want to be there for them. I'm the point person for their care and that takes time and it's important that I'm part of their lives.

Jim Santos: 8:32

Yeah, that's an important decision for anybody to make. I know there was a point when our son who's kind of borderline autism because I'm sure, as you know, it's a spectrum it is and he was at the very low end of the spectrum but he was not talking to anyone outside of the family.

Jenifer Breaux: 8:49

Right.

Jim Santos: 8:50

So my wife was a professional at the time, working in DC. I was a warehouse manager, so there's no question about which one of us should stay home and help him. So I actually opened an in-home daycare center to bring other children into our home, and it eventually worked. So I actually opened an in-home daycare center to bring other children into our home, and it eventually worked. He started talking with the other kids and he started talking to the parents when they came to pick them up.

Jenifer Breaux: 9:10

Isn't that great.

Jim Santos: 9:11

And he's very successful. Now he's a computer programmer.

Jenifer Breaux: 9:14

Wow.

Jim Santos: 9:15

But yeah, I'm aware it does take some time and it's impressive that with all of that training and all of that, you decided that your kids were going to become the focus of your life.

Jenifer Breaux: 9:24

Yeah, it's hard. My husband's like Jennifer, you should do this, you have these credentials and I'm like I'm going to find something for me that fits me. But this is what we're going to do. And in fact, he left the military early because our kids had therapy three to five days a week and still do. Our youngest does. He's low functioning. He didn't speak till he was five, but it's pouring hours of therapy and appointments and our eldest one, who's high functioning it was hard to get him diagnosed.

Jenifer Breaux: 9:56

It took two years to get him diagnosed of pushing of pushing of appointments. Anybody who will listen? They won't listen. We're still making an appointment and you will listen Of people not returning phone calls. So you sit in the doctor's office, I'll sit. I brought a book, I brought work and I will wait until somebody has to go to the bathroom. And when they walk out of the door I'm in their face because you're not going to ignore me.

Jim Santos: 10:19

You will not. That said, Army Life did that to you, I think.

Jenifer Breaux: 10:22

Yes, yeah, yeah, I'm pretty, yeah, yeah. You're not going to, you're not going to ignore me. I will not be ignored.

Jim Santos: 10:27

Now you wrote a book about travel with children with special needs. Travel is possible.

Jenifer Breaux: 10:32

How to travel with children with special needs yeah, Did that come about just because of your experiences with your own family, whether you believe in God or not. I do, and I don't, because I was in the military. We don't say talk about a lot of things. We don't talk about our religion. The army recognizes over 100 believers, non believers, whatever you believe in or don't believe in. And we don't talk about politics. We talk about it as it relates to policy, right, but I felt this calling on my heart and I felt like I really needed to help our community. So that's when I started writing this book and I really, really want to let people know that travel is possible. Is it messy? Is it hard? Yes, it's hard.

Jenifer Breaux: 11:14

My youngest son we were taking just a land trip to go to a wedding and we had to stop for one or two nights in a hotel to get to where we were going, and he screamed for an hour and a half and I don't need to exaggerate that. It was miserable. It was an effing nightmare, and that's how he fell asleep screaming and crying. Then we had to get up and get in the car and do it all over again, and that was a nightmare, right, but we did it and we learned something from that and with that we took another journey and we did it again and again so he felt comfortable, so he understood what was going on and maybe take some familiar things with him.

Jenifer Breaux: 11:55

And we did it again and again and again and I wanted to pass those lessons on of how some helpful tips could help people, how then we try to cruise and what that was like and how the lessons that I learned. One is a travel provider, as a mom who is in people's shoes, I get it, and it's not just autism, it's severe ADHD, it's OCD, it's ADD right, it's anxiety, severe anxiety. So it's not just this one thing, and maybe I don't have a child with Down syndrome or whatever fill in the blank you have, but I do have these things and I am a travel provider who helps other people and I just want to help and let people know that it is possible. And so that's where this book was born from is those experiences.

Jim Santos: 12:48

Well, I think it's great because it's also, I think, very good for the children to be traveling. Our grandson is five now going on six, and he's nonverbal.

Jenifer Breaux: 12:58

Okay.

Jim Santos: 12:58

He'll occasionally sing a little bit or do the alphabet, but he's basically nonverbal and interacting with people little bit or do the alphabet, but, but he's basically non-verbal and interacting with with people. But the sweetest little kid and we've taken him to like north carolina resort and gone to a big water park indoor water park, and we went to the ocean, uh, with him also and he just loved it. I mean, he loved the new experiences, he loved the ocean. He could run back and forth looking at the waves forever and my daughter told me that after that trip to the beach, when they got home and he realized that he was back home, he had the biggest crying fit that she'd seen for a long time, you know. So I think it's too easy for people to write someone off because they have some kind of special needs and they don't understand that that's a real person who can really respond to the world around them. They just respond differently.

Jenifer Breaux: 13:51

And I'll tell you what the family is missing out on is memories together. They're creating memories together. They're creating time where you're not worried about running somewhere or an appointment or cooking dinner. You're missing out on special times together as a family. That's what's missing and you guys deserve it. Everyone deserves that. That's how I came up with the second title. We're not there yet, but everyone deserves to create families memories together as a family. I really believe that. And you can start small, like you said, you can go just to a hotel, you can go to the beach, you can do that across. Well, if you're near a beach or a lake or something unique, that's, to a different park Start slow, but you're missing out and they're missing out. And I tell you what, as a mom of two with autism, we need to build awareness. I have that responsibility to build awareness and acceptance in this world.

Jim Santos: 14:49

Yeah, that's a wonderful goal. I really applaud you for that.

Jenifer Breaux: 14:52

Yeah, I just think back to when my son was five to now he's 16. And some people still don't know about autism. They don't.

Jim Santos: 15:01

Yeah, I think a lot of people associate it with mental retardation and it's not the same at all. No, our grandson's actually the same at all no. Our grandson's, actually incredibly bright.

Jenifer Breaux: 15:09

Yeah, or they think that they're all bright. I have two. They're totally opposites on the spectrum. But we also have our youngest. He does have mental delays, but Jacob is not. He doesn't talk because he doesn't know you, but we're working on that through therapy. He's working on that. Now he can go up and say hey, my name's Jacob, what's yours?

Jim Santos: 15:27

Yeah, that's great we do can see the progress like that.

Jenifer Breaux: 15:30

Yeah, I mean, oh my gosh, I'm so, I'm so proud of both of them for their own uniqueness and their own accomplishments.

Jim Santos: 15:39

But let me also ask you about when you got started with the travel business. It was a franchise called Dream Vacations.

Jenifer Breaux: 15:45

Yes.

Jim Santos: 15:46

Now, was that a separate franchise that you started?

Jenifer Breaux: 15:49

No, so they have. I think there's about a thousand agents out there, a thousand eleven hundred. I need to update my bio. I bought it nine years ago.

Jenifer Breaux: 16:03

So I retired from the army and I moved to Florida like a retiree and I got most of my kids my husband and I, most of their kids doctors set up, got them settled in school, took really six months to unpack every single box that we hadn't done in I don't even know how many decades. Hey, we don't need this box as paintings or something. Okay, we'll put it in the garage. So we took really took the time to unpack every box, take some time with each other and then got my franchise and started slowly like joined the chamber and those kinds of things and started trying to find some clients. And it wasn't until about three or four years in I'm like started running across a few clients that had some special needs. So when I talk to clients like that, I don't start first with where do you want to go. I start first with how are you? How are you doing? How are your kids in school? I just want to know how are you doing, you know what?

Jim Santos: 16:57

how are you feeling?

Jenifer Breaux: 16:58

And sometimes they share, because nobody asks us that we're just doers, right? We're just doing, and I just want them to know that they're going to be taken care of and they don't have to worry about that.

Jim Santos: 17:07

Yes, you have to know where you are before you can decide where you're going to go.

Jenifer Breaux: 17:10

Yeah, yeah, how are you? And I'm going to take care of you. I have got you, I'm on your side, I've got you and, uh, and I've got this part for you.

Jim Santos: 17:20

So then, jb travel pros? Is that an offshoot, then, of dream vacations?

Jenifer Breaux: 17:24

Yes, yeah it is. So we all have to pick our moniker and I figure like pros rhymes with Breaux. So that's how I came up with that, and it's not very clever, that's not. I'm not talented in that area. I just told you I was in the army for almost three decades, so I'm not clever like that, but I'm like, oh, that kind of rhymes. So I'll, uh, I'll do that.

Jim Santos: 17:46

So how do you find the clients for JB Travel Products?

Jenifer Breaux: 17:48

So I'm on to a few networking groups in the local area, but I also have a website. I'm on social media. I wrote a couple of books, so I'm trying to do some book signings here in the local area and I think next year I'm going to head over to Atlanta, maybe Las Vegas, and do some book signing. So I'm working on trying to get that and book placement in some stores.

Jim Santos: 18:14

One of the things you specialize in is luxury travel. What do you mean by luxury travel?

Jenifer Breaux: 18:19

So everybody defines luxury differently.

Jenifer Breaux: 18:22

Some of us, like butlers, I do Some of us think that it's uh, listen, hey, you're gonna make my reservations for me. I'm all for that. You'll find me at the pool. Some of us it's a five-star hotel, some of us it is a particular type of restaurant. I had a client. She was taking a group of women to paris and I like to layer on how you experience something by the five senses. So that's why, when you come to me, I'm looking at the five senses of something. So if you're have a beautiful view, so you had your sight you have the smells of the aroma maybe it's perfume or the aroma of a restaurant, what the meal that you're eating and the taste? Perfume or the aroma of a restaurant, what the meal that you're eating and the taste. So I had booked them in a their final night in Paris, the restaurant in the Eiffel tower.

Jenifer Breaux: 19:20

So already you have the views you have the top chef you have the spices and the smells of the meal you have. You hear the champagne as it's popped right in the bubbles of it. You have the taste of the meal you have popped right in the bubbles of it. You have the taste of the meal you have that hear the clinking of the glasses. You're feeling the glass and the coldness of it. So you're layering these senses so you create a memory. So when I think of, I guess, all vacations, but especially luxury, that's what you're doing. You're curating these particular moments for the client. They went and had a perfume making, so they made their own scent. So you're curating these opportunities that are special and unique. So when you have that, the dinner in the Eiffel Tower, making their own perfume, making their own macaroons, those are luxury touchstones.

Jim Santos: 20:09

You know, when I think of luxury travel I think of big bucks. Is it possible to do luxury travel on a reasonable budget?

Jenifer Breaux: 20:16

So, yes, I wrote a blog recently that that's what I'm saying. It can be different. Making your own macaroon isn't that expensive, so maybe you stay not you know along the Champs-Élysées. Maybe you stay, you know, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris and you take a taxi over and do those little touch points, although I do recommend skip the line. Listen, we don't want to be wasting our time. You only have five days in Paris, or four days you don't want to be standing in a line, so do a skip the line, but instead. Or four days you don't want to be standing in a line, so do a skip the line. But instead of a private tour, do a group tour, so you still have that special touch. Right, you're skipping the line, you have a tour guide, but maybe it's not private, maybe it's not the five-star, but maybe a four-star off the main line, and it's still special because you can walk a half a mile and see the Notre Dame. That's all how you define it.

Jim Santos: 21:05

Yeah, we did that in Athens. We used the skip line to make sure that we could get to the Acropolis early in the morning before it started getting real hot.

Jenifer Breaux: 21:12

But also listen, it's all those. You can do your self-guided tour, but it's all those. You know a lot of those guides. They have to go to school for three to five years. They have a lot of knowledge. They're certified. I even took a tour in Key West when I was there. He had so much knowledge I think he had to go to a six-month or a year-long school just to do it in Key West. They have a lot of knowledge. You did a skip the line tour but it was a group tour and you got that knowledge. That's what you're going to get when you get a tour like that.

Jim Santos: 21:42

Right, you don't always have to stay with the tour, I mean after the tour is over. That, right, and you don't always have to stay with the tour. I mean after the tour is over, you're on your own. We found ourselves after the Acropolis in this beautiful little tree-covered eating area that just looked like it was straight out of a painting the sun coming through the leaves and the Acropolis up on the hill.

Jenifer Breaux: 21:58

And see, don't you have that memory?

Jim Santos: 22:00

Yeah, that's one of those moments that you're talking about.

Jenifer Breaux: 22:02

Right and just being in that moment, and you, probably you had the breeze, maybe you had the food. So think about the five senses that you used during that trip and that memory's on you. You had the sight, the vision, the breeze.

Jim Santos: 22:15

Yes, Some wonderful moussaka.

Jenifer Breaux: 22:18

Yeah, oh my gosh.

Jim Santos: 22:19

It's nice to do travel and not just concentrate on. Let's hit all of the tourist spots and try to cram as much in as we possibly can.

Jenifer Breaux: 22:27

Oh, it's so hard. Greece has been popular lately. Peru, for me, has been popular lately, but someone's like I don't want to be running or running, I just want to go to two places. So we did an island and, of course, athens. I'm like we're just going to do a tour a day. It's too much, like you said, to be running here, running there. Let's absorb where we're at.

Jim Santos: 22:47

Right, you want to end your vacation refreshed.

Jenifer Breaux: 22:49

Yeah, yeah, not puzzled. Need a vacation vacation.

Jim Santos: 22:53

Right. I've had vacations like that where you come home and just you know. Thank God I'm back at work, where it's nice and quiet and calm.

Jenifer Breaux: 23:00

But that's where the luxury travel. But my thought is that everyone deserves travel and that's how the second book came around, one of the five senses and how to experience a moment in time. Maybe it's just, like you said, standing outside and taking a moment and smelling the flowers around you, enjoying that breeze, taking in the sights that you're seeing around you. I think even about the Olympic Stadium. Stand there and just think back to, in Greece, how many people came before you that were on this stadium. Why was it created, the people that came before you, the technology that didn't exist then to build that stadium? Sit down. Who sat in the seat before me?

Jim Santos: 23:41

Yes, that is mind-boggling sometimes when you see, especially in places like Peru or Europe, where there are structures that have been there for thousands of years.

Jenifer Breaux: 23:55

Right, we're such a young country and we're odd at like. 200 years, but thousands. It is mind-boggling. But I felt like everyone deserves to travel and that's how that book came about. And some people aren't surrounded by folks like you and me that encourage their friends to go there. Or why do you want to travel? Or that sounds so bougie, you know. So find your travel people that will lift you up, or your travel bestie, or maybe they don't feel positive about themselves and positive about traveling. So this book walks you through that. And always staying ready.

Jenifer Breaux: 24:24

I had a trip that I needed. I was gifted by one of the vendors that I work for, but I had to make a decision quickly and I had an army friend who's really become close with me. She was going through something. I'm like, hey, listen, I have to make a quick decision. Is this something you could go on? We'll travel in a couple months? And she's like, yes, but she was ready. She had her passport ready, she could clear a calendar real quick. It was just a couple of days. Her husband supported her and we were ready to go. So always staying ready and I know you guys always have your documents in order, but she was ready. So always staying ready for that opportunity, and so that's what everybody deserves to travel, walk you through to becoming that legendary traveler you were meant to be.

Jim Santos: 25:06

You know, last week we were in Prague and there was a moment we were walking around and it seemed like, no matter what direction you looked, there was something just incredible and beautiful, and I actually got goosebumps for a moment, thinking about how bad I felt for people who never travel or who are afraid to travel. How do you deal with that, with people who are just not comfortable being outside of their own country?

Jenifer Breaux: 25:30

I do a lot of talks so I obviously talk at my chamber. I've talked to the Rotary Club, I'm talking to another group in a few weeks to the over 55. It's a development. What do you call that? A housing area? It's just made for 55 and over folks that live there.

Jim Santos: 25:51

Retirement community, I think something like that.

Jenifer Breaux: 25:53

Yes, thank you. Yeah, so I continue to do presentations to folks to excite them about what the possibilities are in life, and even if it's not overseas. But if you want to go to the Grand Canyon, you want to go to wine country, and it doesn't have to be California. There's some beautiful wines up in North Carolina. Let's just try something different. Let's try to do that and I try to do that through. I did an activity once that had to match the capitals with a country and things like that, you know. So it gets them out of their seats, moving around, meeting people and just start there with something fresh, something new, getting them out of their seats, and I felt like that was a good starter to the afternoon. I think that helped open the conversation at least, and I go there every year. So I think, as long as I continue to keep the conversation going, it helps, and every year that I present my chamber several times a year, but I'm there every week talking about a topic, talking about how time is or something new.

Jim Santos: 27:08

It helps. We'll be in Las Vegas in October, at the end of October, talking at an international living conference, and I'm always amazed I'm always amazed at these conferences how many people come up at. Their main question is is it going to be safe there? Am I going to be safe? Is is it? Is it going to be safe?

Jenifer Breaux: 27:22

there. Am I going to be safe? Do you run into that also with your clients? Yes, so I have. You know, when a couple of things happened in Cancun, it was hard. Covid didn't do any business for a year and a half. It was extremely hard. But out of COVID came a pent up demand and things are filling up. So when I talk about that, I get to talk about something every for 30 seconds every week and I tell them things are filling up. So when they hear that, week after week after week, I think that helps people understand that people are traveling. So I think if you hear that weekly, people understand that it is happening. And I'm doing more lives now on my social media. I have two channels, so I have a personal brand and I have my dream vacations brand. So I think by hearing it weekly, by showing them that I am traveling personally, I think that helps.

Jim Santos: 28:13

Yeah, if you're walking, the walk as well as talking to talk.

Jenifer Breaux: 28:16

Right and taking my children. So I'm not just taking me, I'm taking my whole family.

Jim Santos: 28:21

What do you think you learned from your time in the service that you're applying to travel arrangements now?

Jenifer Breaux: 28:26

Management organization so we had to be extremely well, I guess you didn't have to be, but I'm extremely organized. So having a filing system, having a tool to make sure I return people's phone calls, follow up, to have patience in working with people Maybe my kids taught me that, because I don't know if I was very patient with subordinates, if they- didn't do their job.

Jenifer Breaux: 28:52

So definitely organization and planning skills research. I had to do a lot of research, so the research is different, but it's still research. I love doing that. I mean, who doesn't love looking up vacations and the weather? And how can somebody protect themselves with clothing and being prepared about that? And is it sunny and is it well? The hotel has this and these are things that you can do and enjoy. Or your family wants to do all these things. Well, how can I make sure that they're accommodated and have the things that they wish and dream for happen? So I think research is really key.

Jim Santos: 29:29

What's next for you? Planning any more books? Or what's another big travel thing for you and your children?

Jenifer Breaux: 29:35

I wasn't even planning the first two. So this year I wrote one and I wrote two eBooks. So I was quite surprised I had all of that in me. The book tour is coming up next year. We'll probably travel two or three times with the kids. Usually we travel five or six times I am trying in two years to take. My sons are adopted, internationally adopted, so I am planning to go back to Korea with my eldest son. My husband and I will take the eldest son, probably in two years. So I'm starting to plan that out now and it's a beautiful country.

Jim Santos: 30:07

I've heard people who visited South Korea said that they really enjoyed it.

Jenifer Breaux: 30:11

It is. It's so different. I was stationed there in 92 to 93. So for a whole year and we did not, we didn't leave, we just traveled that country in depth for a whole year, my husband and I. And then, when we wanted to adopt, there was no place that we could think of. That we would want to have a child from was South Korea, and we've had him since he was nine months old. So for, oh my gosh, his gotcha day is today. So we've had him for 16 years, oh my goodness. And we really want to take him back. We always have the children's food, we use some of the words. I'm not very, I was never fluent, but could speak some words and so he works on the couple of words that he knows. And we want to take him back. We want him to appreciate he does appreciate where he's from, but he wants to be connected, continue to be connected to his culture, and we want to honor that. We don't want him to forget where he's from.

Jim Santos: 31:08

So, in general, do your kids enjoy the travel? Do they try to help pick out travel destinations?

Jenifer Breaux: 31:13

We do. We want to include them, but what we do instead of the destinations is something to do. So my eldest loves animals, so he swam with dolphins, fed manatees want to work up to him snorkeling. It's just hard for him to manage the snorkel. So we've done things. Train rides the kids have loved, so we've done those types of things. Boat rides when we went into Costa Rica. So he's enjoyed those things. And my little one he's I shouldn't call him little he just went into ninth grade but he's, he's such a tiny little thing but he loves train rides. So we've done those things with him. So we let them pick out the excursions.

Jim Santos: 31:55

Do you have a favorite destination? That's something that people always ask us, and it's hard to pick something Oh's hard, isn't it hard?

Jenifer Breaux: 32:02

they also asked me my favorite cruise line. I don't like to say I. I want them to pick out what they love I. My dream dream vacation was to go to ireland, and I did that this year, so ireland was on my list that's where we'll be in november. Oh my gosh, You've been there before, I'm sure.

Jim Santos: 32:20

No, no, we haven't. And Rita's heritage is from Ireland and I have some from Ireland and some from Wales and England, so we're going to be spending some time in England and Ireland and Scotland, so that should be nice.

Jenifer Breaux: 32:33

So gorgeous. Now, you said November.

Jim Santos: 32:34

Yeah, unfortunately yeah.

Jenifer Breaux: 32:39

I had to do a double take when you said that I'm like November.

Jim Santos: 32:43

Well, you've probably dealt with this too. We also have to consider the Schengen shuffle.

Jenifer Breaux: 32:48

Yeah.

Jim Santos: 32:49

Right now we're in a bunch of Schengen countries, so we've got to have some time. That's outside of that. If it gets too cold, we might pop down to Morocco or something.

Jenifer Breaux: 32:57

Oh, morocco's gorgeous, Loved Morocco.

Jim Santos: 33:00

Oh, you've been.

Jenifer Breaux: 33:01

I only had. I was stationed in West Africa and Liberia and I went up to Spain and my husband and I we did like a cruise and then we spent a week on the beach and then on my way back to Liberia I only had like 24 hours. I wish I had time, because I want to go to Fez and Marrakesh. I would have loved to do that, but I only have like 24 hours. So I hired a driver for like six hours and did some things and then I had a Lonely Planet guide and I did some things on my own using the Lonely Planet guide in Casablanca. But the plants, the music, the tones, like people speaking French, people speaking Arabic, and I was learning Urdu at the time of Pakistani language, it's like it's like Hindi. So I really tried, because it's a little similar like thank you to in Arabic. And I got to have tea with one of the shop owners because I was trying. So I had tea in one of the old, old old town old old town shopping places. So, yeah, it was really special.

Jim Santos: 34:07

Yeah, it sounds wonderful, I think just bumped it up on our list a little bit.

Jenifer Breaux: 34:11

Yeah, take the train out. Take the train I was talking to. He was a Royal Marine, my boss. When I was I was on a United Nations mission. But he says you need to go to Fez and you need to go to Marrakesh. And I just wrote about one of the. It was like a five-star luxury place out in Marrakesh. But he said take the train out there. So I'm going back someday to Morocco.

Jim Santos: 34:33

That wouldn't be the Marrakesh Express by any chance, would it?

Jenifer Breaux: 34:36

Yeah, yeah.

Jim Santos: 34:42

Yeah, I think it was yeah, See that's the problem.

Jenifer Breaux: 34:44

I'd have the Crosby, Stills and Nash song in my head the whole way. Well, we all have our little tunes, but it makes the journey so much fun.

Jim Santos: 34:50

Well, we've been speaking with Jenifer Breaux, a traveler, extraordinaire author and retired US Army vet, hoping to introduce you to luxury travel. Now for more information, you can check out our website at meetjenniferbrocom and don't worry about the spelling. I'll also be putting the link in the show notes. You can order her books there or find them on Amazon. So, jenifer, thank you for joining us on Travels with Jim and Rita, and I hope we run into you somewhere in the world.

Jenifer Breaux: 35:15

I hope so too, jim. You guys are a lot of fun. I, jim, you guys are a lot of fun.

Jim Santos: 35:26

I love what you're doing for the travel industry and I want to wish you safe travels wherever you end up in November. All right, you've been listening to Travels with Jim and Rita. Thanks for your support. We're now being heard in almost 700 cities in 58 countries, so please keep up the good work and continue to like, follow and promote on social media. Subscriptions to the podcast are not required but, of course, are always appreciated, and if you'd like to read more about where we've been, see some photos and video, check out our blog at jimsantosbookscom. You can access my books, audiobooks and short stories at jimsantosnet, and there are links to those sites Instagram, youtube, et cetera in the show notes. We'd love to hear from our listeners as well, so if you have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover, or want to tell your own travel story, email us at jim at jimsantosbookscom. So until next time, remember we travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape us.