Today we’d like to introduce you to Ra’Jonna McMillan.
Hi Ra’Jonna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
At the time of starting my business I was in a place of starting life completely over. I had just moved back home from college, I changed schools, on top of managing daily responsibilities to live and cover basic necessities. At the time I was solely putting myself through school, which required an additional stream of income. I accidentally stumbled into an opportunity meeting to learn more about the travel business, and the rest was history.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This has been an extremely rocky road. One of the major obstacles was in the beginning. Being a business owner was so new to me, I had no sense of direction, and I was extremely young. If I’m being honest, I was a broke college student and many of my peers were in the same situation as myself. My biggest challenge was trying to change and expand my circle, because many of my peers were not in the position to book the types of trips and experiences that I wanted to sell.
One of my most recent obstacles has been trying to figure out what this pivot look like and my new normal. I have changed so much since I initially launched my business, and the biggest change has been becoming a mother and navigating divorce all at the same time. I am once again in a space of starting over again, but also recognizing I am not the same little girl from 2018. With recognizing that I have changed and I am different, but also having different desires, it is requiring me to restructure my business and I am trying to navigate what that really looks like for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Thank You Ray Travel?
Thank You Ray Travel is currently in the middle of a pivot and rebrand. We have always been known for being a full service travel agency and operating as a one stop shop for all travel needs. Very soon we will be shifting to groups only and destination weddings. The groups can consist of requests for our services to assist with travel planning and private groups that we will be hosting. Through our private hosted groups there will be opportunities to take bucket list vacations, while fostering community between those traveling with us. A website rebrand is on the way and will be relaunched very soon!
I am most proud of how Thank You Ray Travel has remained over time and the different people we’ve been able to work with from all over the world. I am also very proud of the business that we have been able to build to allow us to pivot and shift into the type of travel we are truly passionate about.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe the higher the risk, the greater the reward! You have to be willing to bet on and take a chance on yourself. I believe if you are not willing to bet on yourself, how do you expect someone else to? I have not taken any major risks as of lately, but I used to be a major risk taker. Over the last couple of years I have gotten away from it, because my confidence and my belief in myself really took a hit. However, I am getting back to myself at the core and am gearing up to take some major risks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thankyouraytravel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thankyourayyyyy_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thankyourayyyyy
