Today we’d like to introduce you to Keri Haverland.
Hi Keri, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We both started learning about traveling with points and miles around the same time at the end of 2022 and start of 2023. Lauren’s oldest son was in my (Keri’s) 1st grade class and we soon realized that we both had the same new hobby of traveling on points.
Lauren started a small private Facebook group to teach some friends about points and it quickly took off! Lauren and I had messaged a lot about tips and tricks of travel, so as the group started to grow, Lauren asked me to help manage it. That Facebook group continued to grow as more and more people from the KC Northland started joining, and it soon became a group for all of KC and surrounding midwest areas. Our Facebook group has now grown to over 10,000 members!
We wanted to continue to reach even more people to help families travel for a fraction of the cost. So, Lauren had the idea to start a public Instagram page. Our Instagram account has a following of 25,000 people and is continuing to grow. Our mission has stayed the same all along- to help families travel more and make memorable experiences with out being limited by income.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have absolutely loved watching KC Savvy Travelers take off! We get so many messages from people that tell us about trips they have now taken with their families that they otherwise would have never been able to dream of. Families are making memories together and traveling has become possible for so many people that thought they couldn’t afford it.
The biggest challenges we have faced have been the typical obstacles of turning a passion project into a small business. We have worked with a credit card affiliate companies and the rules and regulations of what we are allowed to say and how we present information can be challenging at times. The “affiliate” world and credit cards are ever-changing, so navigating the ins and outs of that along with staying up to date with the most current information to advise people is something we always have to be on top of.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We teach families how to use their everyday expenses and earn travel credit card points to be able to take their dream vacations. We explain how opening credit cards strategically can open up a whole new world for people. When done the right way, learning to open cards can help people save money, improve credit scores, and make those memorable experiences possible! The Midwestern travelers in our group have taken trips all around the world thanks to figuring out how to use points and it’s been so fun to see our community grow as we share trip reviews, inspiration, and travel tips.
There are several other social media creators out there that help people learn to travel with points and miles, but having a niche of traveling out of KC and the midwest is what sets us apart. We even have a 48 page guide specifically designed for the “KC Traveler!” Our content is helpful, specific, and helps make bucket list trips accessible to normal families living on a budget.
We frequently have people mistake us for travel agents but that’s not what we do. We empower people to plan, book, and pay for trips themselves and support them along the way!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We have created several resources and guides to help people get started with learning to travel on points and miles. We share them on our social media accounts, but they can easily be found on our website at www.kcsavvytravelers.com.
We also share a lot of other travel tips and tricks, as well as trip inspiration (close to KC, domestic, and international) on our website and on our social media accounts. We’d love for people to follow along!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kcsavvytravelers.com
- Instagram: kcsavvytravelers
- Facebook: KC Savvy Travelers (private group)
- Other: https://www.kcsavvytravelers.com
