Until recently , Pack Up + Go has concentrated on three-day trips to destinations around the United States , but they ’ re planning to launch longer trips and launched new travel options like staycations , surprise road trips and outdoor-style vacations ( think glamping and cabins ).
After an inauspicious opening , the company has rocketed to over 12,000 trips , many for repeat clients .
“ I launched the business on Jan . 1 , 2016 ,” Rafson says , “ and really all that meant was making my Squarespace go live , and I emailed all my friends and family . And then nothing happened . There was radio silence and I was sitting by myself at my desk at a coworking space thinking about what to do next .”
As a millennial , Rafson was extremely comfortable in the startup culture and loved its can-do spirit . But when she found herself working for a startup selling goods that didn ’ t exactly excite her , she quit her job and resumed the traveling that had so inspired her during a year abroad in Paris while she was at NYU .
She found herself in Riga , Latvia , where she met two women who ’ d been sent to Riga by a Dutch surprise travel agency . Rafson had never heard of the concept , but she knew she loved it . “ It was a lightbulb moment for me , as cheesy as that sounds ,” she laughs .
It also occurred to her that she ’ d made it all the way to Latvia , but had never been to Denver . As a student abroad , she ’ d thought nothing of taking spontaneous weekend trips across Europe . “ It ’ s just not part of our routine in the States ,” she says . “ And how could I encourage that ? So I think that sort of embodies everything I love about Pack Up + Go .”
Rafson returned to her hometown , Pittsburgh , not really intending to stay , but she found herself in love with the city . “ Nobody thinks of Pittsburgh as a leisure destination , but it has awesome museums and restaurants and a cultural scene ,” she says , citing it as another example of everything she ’ d envisioned for her company .
A lot of luck entered into the success of Pack Up + Go .
First , Rafson found mentors in travel-related businesses who were generous with their knowledge and connections .
She found people in the startup world who were just as excited to help . That , and she Googled and Googled .
Second , Rafson had something unique to offer and nothing to lose . She took on an evening bartending job . “ I felt that even if it didn ’ t work , I could still support myself , and the worst-case scenario was really that I had a cool experience and I learned some stuff about starting a business and I could apply those lessons elsewhere .”
Third , Rafson entered a local business pitching competition and won . When she posted her win on social media , a friend of a friend saw it and contacted her . This was a writer for Business Insider , and once the article appeared , the reservations started pouring in . In the first six months , Rafson planned 250 trips .
She didn ’ t pay herself or take on her first employee until six months in , and that was someone to take over marketing and business development . She ’ d discovered her passion lay in working with clients .
Rafson continued bartending in the evening throughout the company ’ s first two years . She may have been comfortable in the startup culture , but not with their tendency to grow too fast .
“ Especially in the travel industry ,” she says , “ there are so many factors outside of your control and customer service is really hands-on and very specific to each individual traveler . So I ’ ve always been wary of growing too quickly and compromising our travel experience .”
There are now 10 employees , counting
Rafson , each hired only when absolutely necessary . Rafson still has not accepted any outside investments .
The first year she took on no industry partners . “ I wanted to be sure that when we were ready to reach out to them , we brought something to the table ,” she explains . “ So the first year we were collecting feedback from our travelers about the hotels and activities we booked for them . And we also saw who was easiest to work with . So we could go to a hotel and say , ‘ Hey guys , last year we booked 60 room nights with you . We booked 200 nights in all in your city , but we enjoyed working with you the most . How can we partner ?’ That way we had something to offer and we weren ’ t just asking for discounts and giveaways .”
To offset the carbon of the business and the airline flights , Rafson joined the Carbon Fund , and the Pack Up + Go team has engaged in local Pittsburgh volunteer projects , like cleaning up parks and working on other beautification projects .
What advice would she give to someone starting a business ? Having a unique niche is good . “ And I would say , take the leap ! It ’ s a wild ride . It ’ s a lot of fun , and if you love working with people , it ’ s a great opportunity for you . It doesn ’ t come without its hardships , but it really is an incredible way to meet people all over the world .”
And the future of Pack Up + Go ? Rafson says she might consider expanding into international travel . But not now . “ I ’ m really encouraging the idea of traveling domestically and spreading the economic benefits of tourism here .”
SPRING 2021 / THE COMPASS / 23