by Audra Anders for The Aha! Connection
I’ve known and adored Danielle Garrett for many years. It was so fun to introduce her (in person-finally) to Peggy earlier this week at Novo Cucina. Now I get to introduce her to you! You’ll recognize her name from the many Travel Talk articles she’s written for us over the years but today I get to tell you all about her! First we’ll talk about the food…..
I picked the restaurant this time and chose my personal favorite local spot…Novo Cucina. Why is it my fave? They have the absolute best gluten free pizza crust in the WORLD. Yes…I’ve had GF pizza in Italy, NYC and tons of other places and I would put my money on Novo for being the BEST. I never even look at the menu as it’s always an unsweetened tea and Sorrentina pizza for me! Danielle didn’t need the menu either and ordered the Mista Salad with grilled chicken. Peggy chose a pizza too (Margherita) and we loved our food!
Now let me tell you about Danielle…She’s from Dunwoody and graduated from Dunwoody High School. Several of her classmates were actually in Novo at the same time as our lunch, planning their upcoming class reunion! Danielle and her husband Matt live in The Branches Neighborhood and have three kids. Her daughter is a DHS Senior and will join her mom and brothers as DHS grads this spring!
I JUST learned from Danielle that she grew up in the Manor Oaks subdivision (next to Mill Glen). Her father bought the land and was the original developer of the subdivision. He built several homes in the neighborhood (3 of which his family lived in) and sold the other lots to builders. I just love this history of our small town!
Danielle has always loved to travel and plan trips for her family. Years ago she was planning a trip to Europe with her husband and young kids of three different ages. She reached out to a travel agent for advice with where to go, what to do for kids, etc. The travel professional offered little help other than a willingness to book the flights and hotels, so she tackled the planning alone. A lightbulb went off and she quickly realized there was a void in the travel industry. The void: travelers that need a travel professional to partner with them to ensure a seamless vacation. A fully personalized trip that caters to all types of travelers with varying travel styles and needs.
Danielle and I were sitting on the baseball bleachers at DHS one afternoon and she invited me to lunch. She wanted to pick my brain about being a business owner and to let me know about an idea she had for her own small business. I already had the utmost respect for her as a Mom and a human. She was the Dunwoody Baptist small group leader for a group of my oldest son’s girl friends and they loved and respected her so much. Over lunch that day, I learned she grew up with an entrepreneurial family, had a knack for planning trips, and wanted to give planning travel itineraries a shot. I personally thought it was an exceptional idea and our business relationship began! In the beginning, she first planned trips for me to NYC and Southern California and then she planned a Colorado trip for my son and his friends. I don’t plan a first time trip without consulting Danielle. She’s since planned trips for me such as Turks & Caicos, Spain, Italy, Ireland….and now she’s training a new employee through my current trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park! By the time this article is published, I’ll be well on my way from Southern California to the Zion National Park area!
PlanIt Itineraries started taking shape in 2012 and has morphed into the very successful PlanIt Travel Designs. FUN FACT: she changed the name during Covid because she was tired of no one being able to spell itineraries! Danielle’s company is born out of a personal passion for travel. She saw the need for more than just someone to book things but to plan an entire trip from start to finish and everything in between, no stress, nothing to worry about, no need to Google…just plug and play. She customizes trips based on her clients travel style, desires, dreams and interests! An important goal for each of their detailed itineraries are to include experiences for people or unique opportunities to engage with locals that they would not find on their own. Danielle says “it’s the experiences that people remember long after the trip is over”. She is NOT a travel agent. She’s a travel DESIGNER! She’s pure travel magic if you ask me! My mother-in-law is one of her biggest clients! She also planned an amazing trip for my parents! I’ve referred her to anyone who asks me for advice about travel, especially to Italy. PlanIt Travel Designs charges a fee based on the number of travel nights. They are never influenced by commissions, allowing them to consider smaller properties and apartments that do not pay commissions (a great way for a family to not overpay for accommodations and have space while traveling through Europe!). Nothing is marked up allowing for pricing transparency.
My husband was thrilled to see their trip planning app. He loves studying the next day’s itinerary every evening of our vacations so we know exactly what’s happening and can plan ahead. It’s the coolest app. This way nobody in your group has to be “in charge”. The app is “in charge” and everyone in the group has access and can review the itinerary. Here’s a screenshot of the app for a trip Danielle planned for our family last May.
Peggy asked Danielle if most of her clients are in Dunwoody. The answer: NO. PlanIt Travel Designs is almost all referral based and now clients contact her from all over the US. Previous clients use her again and again!
In fact, her business has grown so much that she had to hire help! Danielle says that travel planning is not for everyone as it takes tremendous time. Being very detail oriented, caring about the planning process and the people is as important as their own passion for travel.
Fara Yarbrough is the most recent Travel Designer on staff. She’s been working closely with me on my current trip and I can’t wait to share our experiences with you once I get to Zion! Fara has been to most US National Parks and is so knowledgeable about adventure travel. I can’t wait to show you the place she has Kirk and me staying in Zion!
Susan Johnson started as a Travel Designer in January and works mostly on planning overseas experiences as well as Caribbean vacations. She comes to PlanIt Travel Designs with several years of experience in the travel industry.
Traci Smith has been working with Danielle for over two years as her assistant and does all the behind the scenes work. Traci also has extensive travel experience and shares the same passion allowing her to help with the planning of many trips She’s especially great at helping with Hawaii and Alaska trips. She’s so vital to the operation that Danielle joked if Traci ever quits she’s closing the business! (maybe she wasn’t joking)!
We finished our lunch by asking Danielle her personal favorite travel destination. She was quick to reply “It is a tie between Italy and Greece….especially Tuscany!”
Thanks Danielle for making our August Lunch and Learn so much fun….and for being a dear friend and an amazing travel planner. I’ve seen so much more of God’s wonderful world thanks to you and your planning magic!
If you are ready to get help planning the ultimate vacation experience, contact Danielle, Traci, Susan or Fara today at PlanIt Travel Designs!
PlanIt Travel Designs
Danielle Garrett
678-596-1014
danielle@planittraveldesigns.com
