Gabby Profit and Trina Craft Trifilo are the founders of a women’s Black-owned travel company, Besties That Travel LLC. They are New Orleans natives with a passion and love for all things travel. The two have booked and arranged travels for the last 10 years and have been best friends for over 25 years! Creating memorable travel experiences for others is their passion. They are your personal travel concierge that assists with booking flights, lodging, transportation, excursions, and daily itineraries. They even serve as travel advocates and liaisons during your travel experiences and are there to assist with simple guidance and advice in the new world of travel, with the ever-changing travel restrictions.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Gabrielle, Gabrielle, and Katrina, Katrina?
Gabby: I am an overall outgoing yet chilled personality. My swagher would be my genuine approach to everything and everyone in life. I have been given a gift to effortlessly bring people together. I walk it like I talk it, ensuring good energy is put out into the world and always putting God first. God is truly my MVP in my life.
Trina: My swagher is my vibe! I am a social butterfly; I love to strike up conversations with total strangers. I always lead with intuition and good energy. I truly believe in the motto, “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” I surround myself with women of integrity who are ambitious and full of positive vibes. I take pride in normalizing traveling in luxury in our Black community. It is obtainable to those who desire it.
Fancy: How did you two meet?
Trina: We met in 1996 in sixth grade at Prince of Peace Lutheran School in New Orleans East and have remained friends throughout all these years. We were little bosses at a young age. Together we orchestrated the school’s first dance and eighth-grade class trip.
Fancy: What inspires your passion for travel?
Trina: Travel takes us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to see, taste, and try new things. It serves as a reset in life, giving a breath of fresh air and allowing us to see the world from another perspective and culture. Traveling also encourages us to engage with different people, embrace adventures, and share new and meaningful experiences with friends and loved ones.
Fancy: Would you say the journey to starting your travel business, Besties That Travel, was easy or difficult? And why do you say that?
Gabby: It was a little of both. The easy part came with us already knowing each other and our transparency with one another. We think alike on a lot of things, so our desire to give travel to the world was already there. We had been coordinating trips and events for over 10 years in our personal lives. The difficult part came in once we became an actual incorporated business. We have learned so much in the last year with communication, processes and forms, accounting and finances, the uncharted territories in this global pandemic, and getting used to operating as a business with honoring the value that we bring into this travel world and understanding pricing of services rendered.
Fancy: Who does what for the business?
Gabby: Together, we make the major decisions and meet weekly on strategies and next power moves for the company. I handle most of the travel planning process for our clients along with training our team. Trina handles the majority of the marketing with social media and networking and assists in our VIP experiences for our high-profile clients.
Fancy: Please tell us more about your travel journal, Manifesting Your World.
Gabby: Manifesting your world travel journal serves as a guide to help you visualize your traveling desires. It is an interactive journal that allows you to capture your thoughts for travel on paper. Sometimes you have these big travel dreams and destinations, and it can get frustrating or even discouraging when trying to put everything together. This travel journal gives you all the intricate parts of travel such as your desired destination, budget, packing list, shopping list, activities, and travel requirements, and assists in developing a realistic strategy of how you may plan to reach that goal and bring it into fruition. It has been proven that writing down your desires even if you’re not there yet is a powerful tool in manifesting what you want.
Fancy: How would you describe the ideal client for Besties That Travel?
Trina: Our ideal client is someone who has a desire to travel and see the world. We arrange travel for any desired destination, and we receive a lot of first-time travelers. Offering them security in their travels is the value we bring.
Gabby: We are truly your travel besties. We are here to answer any questions, make recommendations, and remain accessible, even when you are on your trip
Fancy: What was it like working with Essence Escapes and how did you all come about that opportunity?
Trina: We had a feature on Black News Channel and someone from their team passed our name along to a producer working with Essence Escapes. It was a fast-paced environment with quick turnarounds and a lot of networking and connecting. Working with Essence Escapes was one of those experiences that has prepared us for so much more of what’s to come.
Fancy: What advice would you give to those undecided about travel during the first of the year?
Gabby: It’s ok to have a desire for travel and to still be undecided. We always recommend knowing your environment and entry requirements before you go and preparing early. In this new age of travel with the pandemic, you want to remain safe and secure in your decision. That’s why we are here. We are your travel resource to help guide you on a realistic budget, the best times of travel for specific destinations, travel restrictions, and any other questions or concerns you may have. It’s never too early to start the planning process for your travels.
Fancy: What can we expect from Besties That Travel this year?
Trina: We are working on expanding our network and our team. This year we have a group trip in Montego Bay, Jamaica in June, with a possibility of an additional group trip to Dubai later in the year. We also have some awesome collabs with other travel companies and influencers that we are excited to connect with and will continue to get our Manifesting your World Travel Journal out to the world.
Connect with Besties That Travel below.
Our website is www.bestiesthattravel.com and our Instagram is @bestiesthattravelllc.
