The Travel PM blends business and pleasure to give you a unique travel experience
Kendra Abney is well traveled thanks to her career as a project manager. She spent the first few years of her career as a project engineer, traveling to different Naval facilities throughout the U.S. She eventually became a certified project manager, traveling to various sites throughout the U.S. and Canada.
While seeing the country on business, she wanted to take the opportunity to also see these places for pleasure. In a world that now aims to blend business and leisure travel, also known as “bleisure” travel, Abney decided to offer others the opportunity to fall in love with exploring new places and making the most of every business trip. That’s when she launched The Travel PM, a travel-planning company that creates customized itineraries for those on the go.
Abney gained essential planning skills when she became certified in project management, and she quickly realized that those skills were useful in other aspects of her life. “I learned early on that project management tools apply to virtually any new undertaking, whether it be personal or professional, and I saw an opportunity to merge my career skills with my passion for travel,” she says.
Through The Travel PM, Abney creates plans for travelers who are venturing to cities they’ve never been. “I’ve since created several plans for the top cities traveled in the U.S.,” she says. “Those plans are called The Perfect City Plan, which you can get from my Etsy shop.”
Not only does The Travel PM offer city plans, but, if you’re planning a trip, she can help you organize everything about it. “I’m very involved in the travel planning process with each one of my clients,” she says. “Travelers can schedule a consultation on my website if they are looking for a customized travel experience, and from there we’ll work together to create The Perfect Plan that is customized to their interests.”
To create even more new travel experiences for clients, Abney says she is working on providing a digital travel experience under the Perfect Plan. •
Planning a Girls’ Trip
With travel back at the top of everyone’s to-do list, you may want to consider planning a girls’ trip with your circle. In that case, Kendra Abney, founder of The Travel PM, says there are three important things to do to help make a vacation with your best girlfriends a success.
“Research your destination and plan out your trip,” she says. “Planning can be essential to your girls’ trip. It’s important to curate a list of activities and places to eat—that way the group stays organized. Don’t forget about providing the details to everyone in the group, and be sure to allow for down time to give others a chance to explore.”
As with most things right now, prices are rising, and travel is no exception to inflation. Abney says to book tickets early, by about six to eight months. You can save money for everyone when you opt for the cheapest option for airline tickets and book far enough ahead of time.
Lastly, she says, spend the extra money to stay in a good area. “Safety is important when traveling with a group or by yourself,” says Abney. “Spending the extra money to make sure you and the girls are in a safe area is important. This will help you rest easy knowing that you’re safe. No one should have to look over their shoulders every minute while they’re on vacation.”