In an Interview with Butterfly, Linda Schuller Shares Her Journey of Travel and Motherhood

As reported by Butterfly Co-Founder, Bradi Nathan

BN:Did you ever imagine that a cup of ice could serve multiple purposes? On a dreadfully long flight home from Mexico years ago, I had a toddler that would not and could not sit idle. I would have handed her the pull down oxygen mask to play with if I could. It was the simple cup of ice on my tray that interested her the most. She licked it, dropped it and covered herself in cubes until the flight landed. How I love ice.

Travel tips are not easy to come by. No one knows this better than Linda Schuller, mother of two grown children, who has worked in the travel industry since 1978. Linda continues to help families find the best vacation destinations… ice included! In an exclusive interview with Butterfly, Linda shares her journey of balancing travel and time:

BN: What prompted you to start you own travel agency?

LS: In 1978, I met a fellow mom who was working for a travel agency in Edison. She wanted to start her own agency and I was very well traveled. It was a great opportunity for me to go back to work so together we opened The Great Escape in Livingston, NJ.

BN: What have you learned from being your own boss?

LS: Aside from taking care of your clients, in this business, when you're the boss, it's all about the personnel and how you manage your employees. If you can't do that, no one will want to work for you.

BN: How did your children react to having a working mother when they were young?

LS: My son was fine. I started when he was 9 and my daughter was 7. She was also okay until she got a cold. It was then that she wanted me to be home with her. Most mothers didn't work at that time. I tried to be there for them at the crucial times. My daughter used to say there were no good smells in the house when she came home from school, hoping for baked cookies.

BN: How did you balance work and family?

LS: I always drove carpool for school and activities. Kids always came first.

BN: What advice do you have for moms who are looking to explore “second careers”?

LS: Go For It! I was a teacher, changed totally after the children. Do something you love, something that attracts you. It can be fun.

BN: In 2001 you sold your own agency. Why?

LS: I had turned 60, my daughter had her first child and I was planning on retiring. I was reluctant to give up what I had built, but I decided I wanted to work less. I had a 4 yr. contract to stay on to run the NJ office of Protravel and I stayed on. I realized that I really do not want to retire. I don't see myself quitting, because I'm having a good time. I am still selling travel, but I now have more flexibility and freedom.

BN: What did you find was missing in your life without your own business?

LS: I needed to do something for myself that had nothing to do with husband and children. Something I cold accomplish outside of the family.

BN: How has your husband supported your career over the years?

LS: I never could have succeeded without 100% support from my husband. He has always been proud of my accomplishments, always there for the children when I travelled and encouraged me when I left my partner in 1982 and went out on my own.

BN:How, if at all, has your mother and/or grandmother influenced your life?

LS: My grandmother had four daughters in Brooklyn ages 6-18. Her husband was shot and killed in a holdup in their restaurant and she was left to fend for herself. She opened a beauty parlor in her apartment and took care of her family. She was a fabulous person.

BN: Do you have any advice for moms looking for work in the travel industry?

LS: Travel can definitely be a part- time career when your children are young. You must have good contacts to begin. It usually starts with friends and family and branches out from there. We have two types of people working in travel. People who work full-time for the "house" and independent contractors. Independent contractors could work from home, set their own hours and have to get their own clients. This is especially appropriate for agents who work on leisure travel.

www.protravelinc.com

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