Parachuting into luxury travel: Highroads Traveler creates bespoke experiences for discerning travelers
The wind picks up off the Brittany coast and whistles around the walls of Saint-Malo, France. A small group of tourists stroll the ramparts that protect the city from the sea, led by an attractive silver-haired gentleman, buzzing with excitement. For Joe Sacchetti, it’s just another day at the office at his newly founded company, Highroads Traveler. As the leader of a boutique small group travel company, it’s his job to make sure his guests experience Saint-Malo and the rest of Normandy in a way that brings the history, landscape and cuisine to life. And he does it well.
From Army Ranger to Travel Guru
Highroads Traveler is a new venture for Joe. Before launching his company, he spent nine years as an Army Ranger, then joined the ranks of corporate America and worked with upstart tech companies on the East Coast. Although there were worthy challenges to his skills, Joe always wanted something more. When his 60th birthday approached, and a contract with an AI startup ended, he knew it was time to make the leap.
“I always loved traveling and being a coach over the years,” Joe says. “I had built this huge body of knowledge after visiting more than 160 countries.”
Now, he’s using his vast travel experiences and business acumen to create what he calls a ‘bulletproof product.’ Highroads Traveler specializes in small group trips targeted at an audience with specific interests, including excellent local cuisine, wine, history, and locally-approved hidden gems. Joe leads several trips per year to areas where he has cultivated concierge travel experiences. Patrons can experience themed European tours like the Saints of Italy tour through Rome, Assisi, and Puglia or the WWII enthusiasts’s trek through Normandy, the Channel Islands and Paris.
Or perhaps the tropics are more your speed. Joe can show you the best places in Havana and let you stroll Varadero Beach or island hop on the undiscovered Caribbean tour of St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Eustatius. No matter which trip you choose, Joe and his team do the hard part for you–the planning.
“I love families and kids, but these trips are really aimed at people in the 45-years old and up category,” Joe says. “These people favor upscale hotels, eating nicer meals, and not having to lug around their suitcases. They want to know where to go for the best carbonara in Rome and enjoy an elevated experience.”
That elevated experience includes avoiding the snags that often come with travel. Joe’s team handles all paperwork, coordinates bespoke tours, and arranges all meals so that the only thing guests need to do is pack. From the moment of arrival, they can trust that all will be in the right place at the right time to create new memories, with zero stress from planning and executing a multi-location trip.
Creating a firm legal foundation
Although Joe has the well-stamped passport and the business pedigree to start a business (he also completed an executive business program at MIT), striking out on his own was still a big step. He developed a business plan and started mapping out what the business would look like, and he needed to keep up the momentum. Founding his LLC was the true beginning of the business.
“I was moving along rapidly, and by three or four months in, I knew I was ready,” Joe says. “The LLC has to come early so you can establish bank accounts and crucial initial items. The LLC is foundational.”
Joe had previously used a lawyer in Pennsylvania to start an LLC and wasn’t eager to repeat the experience, which he calls expensive and time-consuming. This time, he took the recommendation of a colleague and sought out LLC Attorney. He knew it was beneficial to incorporate in Wyoming, and the online process was quick and easy.
“I did virtually everything online, and it was all very seamless,” Joe says. “I chatted with a couple of people live when they were checking on some documents, which was great. It’s always nice to talk live for a second and have a reassuring voice on the other end.”
Altogether, Joe’s LLC was formed in a matter of days. Now, he has easy access to all relevant paperwork when he needs documentation. The easy system allows him to focus on more fun parts of his job–like booking reservations.
Although Joe has hosted several trips since Highroads Traveler was formed, he’s still in the early stages of the business. As he looks at the coming year, he sees areas of growth, both in how he makes money and where he travels. A recent scouting trip to Kenya hints at more rustic tour options. He’s also open to creating completely custom itineraries for small groups or large families.
He’s also diversifying his income streams. In addition to hosting tours, he’s creating a secondary business creating travel content on his YouTube channel, Highroads Traveler. With nearly 7,000 subscribers, he’s filling his channel with digestible bites of travel content focused on the areas that he and his clients love the best. He says that the YouTube channel has the potential to become a larger income stream than the tours.
Joe says that his years in the business world taught him two great business lessons. First, find your bulletproof product and stay pure to your intent.
“Make it easily sellable,” Joe says. “Your product can be good, but if it has 14 different colors and four sizes and everything can mix and match, you may end up confusing your target audience. Keep it simple and sellable.”
Second, build a sufficient margin to account for the unexpected.
“You can always trim your margins,” Joe says. “But if you start off undervaluing yourself with too small a margin, as soon as you forget something, you’ve failed. Build a buffer, which allows you to succeed even when business is unpredictable.”
Sounds like great advice from an expert traveler. Time to hit the road.
