Dear friends and future friends,
In the world today, transparency is key. We have built our business on that very foundation. We do everything we do with extreme care, detail and integrity and will always be an open book. Our main objective is to provide the best service possible by intently listening to your needs and desires and putting together travel packages and/or special events that reflect your, and your companion(s), personalities, expectations and dreams. We feel it is very important to build a strong relationship with you first by asking questions about you and your lifestyle so we do not miss a single detail before the planning even begins.
As the owner of the company, I feel it is important to share a bit of my background with you. I started my journey as a young adult in the travel industry as an agent right out of high school in Minnesota where I was born and raised. During this time I was also working as a server/bartender on and off.
Many years later, when the travel industry took a hit due to the popularity of personal computers giving people the ability to book their own travel, I decided to fulfill a dream and moved to the beautiful mountain town of Grand Lake Colorado where I was a bartender at night and a snowboard instructor by day. I was there for 10 years. Colorado is where my two sons Bret and Will were born.
In 2006, the youngest of my five sisters, Jennifer, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1993 at the age of 17, had a major turn in her disease and became wheelchair bound requiring 24 hour care. I have always been extremely close to my family so my sons and I moved back to Minnesota to help out. We moved in with my sister and her husband so I could care for her while he was at work. The frustration of everything pertaining to our healthcare system and the fact that the treatments that were available for my sister were simply masking the underlying issues she faced led me to the natural healthcare industry. We hired a second caregiver, Chris to come in to help with Jen. I attended Northwestern Sciences University at night, continued caregiving and also worked outside the home part time to make ends meet.
In 2010, I was lucky enough to meet my soul mate, Jason and also graduate from college with a degree and a license in massage therapy. I then became a certified nutritionist, a reiki master and and a multiple sclerosis expert. Jason worked out of state for most of 2011 but when he returned, we moved 8 minutes down the road to a house we rented. I continued on as a caregiver for my sister and started my own business. In 2013, Jason and I were married in the backyard of that beautiful home on 17 acres that we then owned. I officially inherited two awesome step kids, Brandon and Cammy. (That home is where we currently live and run a small intimate event venue.)
In 2014, while working as an independent massage therapist and natural health consultant, due to all of the ups and downs my sister had experienced over the years with MS, we created a nonprofit to assist others to avoid some of the pitfalls we experienced by helping them navigate programs, treatments, financial help and emotional support that was available to them in the conventional and natural health arenas. I then began planning multiple events for the nonprofit which led to planning personal events for people I had met. I loved doing this as I have always enjoyed entertaining friends and family and planning events my whole life.
In 2018, I met a friend that has now become "my person", Heidi. She was a PCA, wow, imagine that! She came to work for us helping to care for my sister Jen. During that year my sister and her husband separated. Jen came to live with me for a while. In April of 2019, my bestie Heidi, her amazing daughter Hannah and her boyfriend Adam, moved into to Jen's house enabling her to return to her home, where they all still live today. During that same year Hannah and I noticed a tragic pattern that developed at the high school she and my sons attended in St. Francis, MN. There were over 20 suicides in less than 18 months. Hannah and both of my sons knew a lot of those kids. Having dealt with mental health issues ourselves at times, family histories and being a caregivers at heart, we wanted to learn more about what was happening and how we could help. We decided to change the focus of our nonprofit to Mental Health as a whole because as it turns out that seemed the focus with most with our MS clients already and this way we could reach more people that were struggling.
We were in the planning phase when COVID 19 came in 2020 and took away everything. It was a difficult time in all of our lives. Both businesses relied solely on human contact so I had a feeling we were doomed. I also feared what this isolation was going to do to the Mental Health issues that were already on the rise. I did my best to participate in the zoom thing and communicate with people via email, text and phone but this was very deflating for me. I am a social, face to face, hands on kind of person. Business and life in general was tough. So many people suffered in many ways during that time. If was definitely a life changer for us all.
In January 2021, my father, who also had MS (along with my mother and another one of my sisters) was hospitalized. Although he moved slowly before the hospitalization, after he was released he was wheelchair bound and required 24 hour care. I took a hiatus from the business to help my mom and family care for him. Sadly, on New Year's Day 2022, he passed away. This was a very difficult time. I am a lot like him and since his passing I have realized it even more. After some time, I learned I needed to focus on cherishing every moment I got to spend with him and using all the lessons he taught me over the years as an advantage. I picked myself up, dusted myself off and began to reevaluate my approach to life moving forward.
The COVID epidemic and the loss of my dad changed my thinking about what the future looked like for me. I was getting older and my massage business was a very physical job that was already in the tank with human touch being removed from our existence. I had to come up with a new plan. I began researching the travel industry again. In the meantime, I took a job as a server/bartender at Hidden Haven Golf Course in East Bethel where I acquired another family.
In 2023 things were starting to return to homeostasis. Still working part time at the restaurant, I started working as a Travel agent for a company. I absolutely loved planning and booking trips but this company's main business was selling memberships, auto and life insurance. Being required to push all of that was overwhelming and just not my forte. I then found Travel Quest, a host agency, and now work as an independent travel agent through them. They are amazing and have allowed me to have my own business again.
All the while, I have still been successfully planning and executing many weddings, birthdays, showers, anniversaries, fundraisers and other celebrations and events and the thought of doing it professionally was always in the back of my mind. During my time at Hidden Haven, where I still work a few nights a week, I have met some awesome people that have excellent talent in this area. After talking with a few of them, I decided to ask them to join me in a venture and take the advice of MANY people and added professional event planning to the repertoire. Hence, TLC Companies LLC, your travel and event planning experts, was born! We have several phases of growth planned, one includes reestablishing the nonprofit for mental health with a focus on our youth. We will launch one phase at a time as we grow. Stayed tuned for the info!
As you can see, it has been quite the journey but what I can honestly tell you is that everything that has happened in my personal and work life has led me to this very place. The knowledge I have absorbed, the people I have met, the places I have been and the lessons I have learned are all intricate pieces to the puzzle that makes up TLC Companies LLC. I believe you can clearly see where our values lye and we will take care of you like you are one of our own! I can't wait to meet you and learn about your journey. Let's plan perfect vacations and events that fill your heart with joy, together!
Until then...
Create an amazing day,