Cole Banks is the Founder of Sisters Traveling Solo where she helps drive the travel culture for sisters with unmatched global travel experiences. Her passion for traveling, solo experiences, and wanting to help other sisters led to the creation of Sisters Traveling Solo. The idea was sparked after Cole read an online post discouraging black women from traveling solo. As a woman of color, the post disturbed Cole who frequently travels the world solo–and she knew she was not alone. The Sisters Traveling Solo Facebook page is a community of over 70,000 women from all over the world, and there, they get to share experiences, travelling tips, and enjoy diverse thoughts and engagements.
In 2018, Cole left her corporate job at the Coca-Cola company to focus on Sisters Travelling Solo full time. Now her office can be anywhere she wants as she continues connecting, empowering, inspiring, and supporting sisters.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- The moment Cole Banks realized she had to be a trailblazer for women of color who love to travel and her decision to leave her corporate job and focus on Sisters Traveling Solo.
- The most interesting place Cole has ever traveled to and her favorite place to visit.
- How women’s personal interactions on Cole’s Facebook group have created a community.
- Cole explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her business and community.
- Cole talks about her master course for starting a travel brand and her Our Experience Africa brand for couples.
- How the travel industry has been changing to become more inclusive of women and solo trips.
- Cole talks about things that may go wrong on a travel trip and how she fixes it, and the importance of shared experiences and creating connections.
- How Cole helps women travel responsibly and empower women-owned local businesses in Africa.
- What Cole loves most about her job and how she manages travel experiences for all types of women.
- Cole shares her advice to women afraid to travel solo or looking to go into the travel industry.
- Why Cole’s superpower is execution and when their next conference will be
In this episode…
In many life situations, it is common practice to seek advice from others before taking up any activity, whether personal or professional. There are people with more skills, expertise, or experience than you and their advice can help propel you forward and guarantee the success of whatever it is that you want to engage in.
But there are certain instances in life where it’s totally okay to go out on your own without seeking other people’s opinions. Cole Banks advises fellow women not to wait too long to take the necessary steps when it comes to doing something that they’re truly passionate about. The perfect timing to travel or start a business is never later–it’s right now.
Tune in to this week’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston talks with Sisters Traveling Solo Founder and CEO, Cole Banks, about why women should travel solo and the value of having a support community. Cole explains why she founded Sisters Traveling Solo, what it’s been like to see her company and community grow, how the travel industry has evolved to accommodate women and solo travelers, and how she encourages women to put themselves out there through her brand.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
- Artitudes Design
- Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses Program
- Sisters Traveling Solo
- Sisters Traveling Solo on Facebook
- Sisters Traveling Solo on Instagram
- Cole Banks on LinkedIn
- Cole Banks’ Master Course
- Our Experience Africa
- Our Experience Africa on Instagram
- Sisters in Travel Conference
- Sisters in Travel Conference on Facebook
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.
They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.
To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.