Today we’d like to introduce you to LaTanya Benford.
LaTanya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I founded L. Tee Designs out of my personal love for t-shirts! One year while packing up items to donate, I started counting how many t-shirts I had in my closet. After I got to 100, I stopped counting. I immediately started thinking about finding a t-shirt that I could wear to work and happy-hour. In late 2008, I launched L. Tee Designs to make the t-shirt the new black dress. My focus was on quality t-shirts and unique designs. I started small but quickly gained popularity with school organizations, family groups, and bridal parties. By 2011, I was able to expand my product offerings and my customer base.
In 2015, my husband and I took a cruise, and I made a t-shirt for every day! I got a lot of compliments on my unique t-shirts and networked with a few groups that requested I make t-shirts for their cruise the following year. I was well on my way to expanding my market segment with L. Tee Designs.
I always had a passion for traveling but had never experienced a cruise, and I was impressed. After our second cruise, I began to reflect upon my personal experiences with travel. I was introduced to travel as a young child when I would fly from Dallas to visit my family in Nashville. These early experiences shaped my love for visiting new destinations. My personal and professional travel afforded me the luxury to travel 3-4 times a month to various destinations. Many of my family and friends would often ask me, “Where can we go next?”. After a discussion with a colleague who was herself a travel agent and a lot of research, I launched Benford Travel in late 2015.
Travel has always been my way of recharging, and my goal when I founded Benford Travel was to take the guesswork out of planning a vacation. I believe everyone desires a once in a lifetime vacation experience without a lot of hassle. I have been able to blend L. Tee Designs and Benford Travel uniquely. When I thought back to the couple, I met on my first cruise and requested to make t-shirts for their upcoming cruise. I decided that each one of my clients would receive a personalized item to represent their vacation experience very time they booked a vacation experience with Benford Travel.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting any business is a process; nothing happens overnight. The biggest challenge for me initially was learning how to balance my professional career and build a business from the ground up. Creating a work-life balance looks different today than it did in 2008. Now many years later, I have a husband and toddler. Having an environment that supports a work-life balance means something different now. I have a lot of early mornings and late nights to keep pace with my growing businesses.
More recently, COVID-19 has impacted both businesses. For L. Tee Designs, my supply chain and distribution channels were slowed to a near halt. By early April, I found myself tracking down orders that had not arrived as planned and reshipping some items. All of my customers were very understanding and patient about the situation.
My travel agency has been impacted, as you can imagine. Many of my clients were preparing to travel for spring break when the first cases of COVID19 were reported. As cruise and flight cancellation loomed, many of my clients opted to reschedule their vacation. While everyone globally has been impacted by COVID19, my primary concern was for my client’s safety and well-being. As we have progressed through the summer and more travel restrictions are in place, many of my clients have decided to reschedule their travel to 2021.
L.Tee Designs & Benford Travel – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
L.Tee Designs. The name L.Tee Designs is derived from my initials and solved a problem myself, and many women face, finding a stylish t-shirt that fits a woman’s curves. At L.Tee Designs, I pride myself on quality and style. My stock designs include catchy phrases reflecting current events, both socially and politically.
Our product offerings include stationery like greeting cards and notepads, tote bags, backpack, and home accessories. Our most popular offering is the ability to customize anything from t-shirts to bags; we bring our customers vision to life. Customization extends to our corporate branding packages. Small businesses can re-image their logo on t-shirts, notepads, tumblers, and various items in small quantities. L.Tee Designs has also partnered with other travel agents to produce custom t-shirts for their clients. I can’t say it enough our quality and customer service sets us apart from other t-shirt companies. My first customer in 2008 is still a customer, and she still wears the first shirt she purchased!
Benford Travel is known for creating once in a lifetime vacation experiences for everyday people. I know that planning your weekend getaway or family vacation can be overwhelming and confusing. Researching and booking everything from ground transportation, excursions, and private dinners can easily stress you out, causing the whole experience to be full of frustration. It shouldn’t be that way!
At Benford Travel, I take the guesswork out of the vacation planning process and customize each experience to match our client’s personality. We are a full-service agency that specializes in family/group travel experiences and destination weddings. My clients feel reassured that all of the guesswork has been taken out of the vacation planning process. Our white-glove service includes location selection, customized itineraries, personal support throughout your vacation, and personalized departure packages. Each customized departure package consists of a personalized item commemorating the client’s vacation, like a t-shirt or tote bag, printed travel documents, and travel accessories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lteedesigns.com and https://www.benfordtravel.com
- Phone: L.Tee Designs 972-891-8195; Benford Travel 972-587-0282
- Email: hello@lteedesigns.com; trips@benfordtravel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lteedesigns; https://www.instagram.com/benfordtravel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LTeeDesigns; https://www.facebook.com/benfordtravel/
- Other: www.benfordtravel.live
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