Jumping in Feet First

Tiel McKee, Co-Owner of Dream Vacations, was a former elementary school bilingual teacher for ten years.

Tiel worked for a Dream Vacations franchise as a way to earn extra income. She began to build her business on a part-time basis for two years. Her company began to take off, and she was at the infamous crossroads of change. Faced with making a pivotal decision, she mulled over remaining as a teacher or building her part-time business into a full-time career. She leaped and retired from teaching to develop her own franchise alongside her husband Jeff. That has proved to be an intelligent decision as her sales have tripled to over $1 million annually.

Tiel has spent her life traveling. In college, she was asked by a friend to take her to Costa Rica. Tiel and her family lived in Puerto Rico until she was the age of seven. Her family then moved to Costa Rica and spent five years there. When they discussed a trip together to Costa Rica, something clicked in Tiel. She began to think of ways she could do what she loved, which is to travel the world and make a living doing it.

With a Masters in Education and being bilingual, Tiel knew that she could do more than teaching. She knew she could build a business for those who want to see the world and assist both English and Spanish speaking travelers.

In February 2016 Tiel and her husband Jeff jumped in feet first, and with unshakable confidence, they purchased their own Dream Vacations franchise. Tiel already knew the franchise well and had no doubt the Dream Vacations franchise would support her and steer her to a successful business. She mentioned the support is incomparable. It is 24/7 and they answer any and all questions immediately. Tiel applies the same principle for her own franchise offering 24/7 support for her own clients. She wants to make sure they are supported during their travels and makes sure she answers the call. That is one of the benefits of partnering with her travel agency, Dream Vacations. If you come into a problem, she is there to guide you through it. Tiel hopes to help those who have booked their own vacations and have had less than a beautiful experience. She also wants people to know that “If you can dream it, we can make it happen.” With her life long traveling experience, Tiel and her husband know first hand what you need and equip you with it, assuring that your vacation will be a Dream Vacation. Owning a Dream Vacations franchise has allowed them to raise their children and show them the world all the while spending as much time with them as possible. Dream Vacations has turned out to be their dream job.

-Rose Mango, Chief Editor