Wanderlusting, the strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world, is big business.

 

“Direct spending on leisure travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $597 billion in 2012,” according to USTravel.org. Leisure, business and international travel spending continues to prove resilient as “3 out of 4 domestic trips taken are for leisure purposes (77%)” keeping travel among the top 10 industries in 48 states and D.C. in terms of employment.

 

Entrepreneurs, Shivani Ballesteros and Jana Wallis aim to capitalize on the wanderlust in us all and make planning your next getaway easier with a personalized approach.

 

Before working at an international law firm in Paris, Ballesteros studied foreign policy at Delhi University. While hiking the Yamunotri trail in India and convincing her girlfriends to jet off to Ibiza, her wanderlust inclinations were met with a common problem. “Women our age … we want to travel with our girlfriends, but planning is a constant obstacle,” Ballesteros explains. Wallis also found herself faced with a similar dilemma as she planned trips to sunbathe on the private beaches of Costa Rica, and weekends getaways to visit friends.

 

The two San Diego-based entrepreneurs, both avid travelers who sought out adventure, soon realized they could capitalize on their passion and develop a niche offering that could resonate with women like themselves.

 

In 2012, the two ‘escape artists’, Ballesteros and Wallis, launched Stiletto Escape, a trip planning and conceirge service for girlfriend getaways. Both founders believed that somewhere between traditional travel agencies and the overwhelming online and social media travel recommendation sites was the need for personalized travel planning services.

 

While the most widely-used information source to plan leisure trips is the Internet followed by online travel agencies, branded suppliers, and other websites, both women aim to meet the needs of their underserved niche.

 

Ballesteros and Wallis want to take the guesswork and confusion out of travel planning and help clients narrow their choices when confronted with a myriad of options. From travel booking to accommodations and personalized itineraries, Stiletto Escape envisions planning a client’s vacation from beginning to end.

 

Their bet and business may soon pay off. According to U.S. Travel Association reports, “Gen Y (those born after 1980) makes up 12 percent of all U.S. leisure travelers and those traveling in this group take and average of 3.9 leisure trips per year. Gen Yers also represent 13 percent of all business travelers and take an average of 4.2 business trips per year.”

 

“Our customers are busy women who struggle to plan trips because they simply don’t have the time. We provide the solution to that problem, while giving our clients the fantastic vacation they deserve,” said Ballesteros.

 

Learn how Shivani Ballesteros and Jana Wallis validated and launched their wanderlust travel startup and why they believe every entrepreneur should learn how to sell.

 

Company:  Stiletto Escape

Founders:  Shivani Ballesteros, Jana Wallis

Location:  San Diego, CA

Industry:  Travel and Tourism

Startup Year:  2012

Startup Costs:  Undisclosed

 

 

 

How We Got Started

 

We recognized early on in our friendship that we shared mutual passions for travel, food, and friends; in addition to a desire to have more autonomy in our work lives. We also noticed a common problem women our age were having: we want to travel with our girlfriends, but planning is a constant obstacle.

 

Everyone could find the time to take a vacation, but no one was able to invest the hours after work or on the weekends to actually piece together the trips we all wanted to take. We were inspired to start Stiletto Escape one day after sitting around a table with our girlfriends struggling to piece together our next vacation.

 

With our extensive travel experience and diverse backgrounds, we identified a missed opportunity in the travel market; somewhere between traditional travel agents and endless social media recommendations was the need for personalized service with a “local” type of destination expertise.

 

The turning point for us occurred when we tested our business idea with a focus group of over 50 women. Results of the focus group indicated that women were actually interested in this concept and needed it! After detailed conversations, hours of research, and a couple of “Okay, can we really do this?” considerations, Stiletto Escape was born!

 

After detailed conversations, hours of research, and a couple of “Okay, can we really do this?” moments, Stiletto Escape was born!

 

 

 

Best Success Story

 

After some great features by San Diego Tidbits and Chic CEO, including mention in a Forbes.com Top 10 list, we received our first organic sales leads; our first potential clients that couldn’t be traced to our friends or family. That was when we really knew that we had an idea that resonated with people, and the ability to grow it into full-time business.

 

Some of our most treasured successes are thank you letters and emails from clients describing how we made their trip a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s what keeps us going.

 

 

 

Biggest Startup Challenge

 

Creating and implementing a targeted marketing strategy has been a bit of a hurdle for us. We know our demographic, how she allocates her time and spends her money, but reaching her without a tangible “product” to sell has been a challenge.

 

We received great advice from Felena Hanson, founder of the Hera Hub (a coworking space in San Diego for female entrepreneurs) in regards to avoiding “the land grab” and marketing to any and everyone.

 

Finding our target audience, speaking to her in a language she relates to, and explaining why Stiletto Escape is something she needs, is a constant learning process for us.

 

 

 

#1 Tip for Entrepreneurs

 

Learn how to sell.

 

Everything revolves around the “sale” especially when you’re starting a business. You have to sell your brand to potential clients, affiliates, partners, and your target market.

 

Especially with a service-based business, we have to sell who we are to potential clients: everything, from how we look, where we eat, and how we like to travel, is part of the Stiletto Escape brand and can factor into a sale.

 

Connect with Stiletto Escape on Twitter.

 

This interview has been edited and condensed.