If you read my column in Friday's edition, you'll know I've recently returned from an eight-day vacation. It was the first time off I've taken in over two years and was a much-needed break. 

Business news never takes a vacation, however, so I wrote last week's Business Pulse before taking off for Orlando with my wife, Ashley, to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary in Walt Disney World. That leaves the matter of what to put in this week's Business Pulse. 

Having spent the past week rubbing elbows with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck didn't leave me much opportunity to scour McMinnville for business info. So consider this week's page the Business Pulse equivalent of your neighbor telling you all about their vacation, but with an emphasis on the local businesses that helped make my vacation a successful one.

The fairy godmother of travel

One thing I've learned after making three trips to Walt Disney World (WDW) is it's a lot of work to have a lot of fun there. While you might think it's no more complicated than heading to Orlando, buying a ticket and hanging out in the theme park, WDW is a huge community of its own consisting of four theme parks, multiple water parks, a shopping complex and an absolutely mind-boggling number of resort hotels from which to choose. 

As WDW is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, all the most coveted restaurant and experience reservations often book up two months in advance and require more planning and time spent on hold with customer service representatives than you might expect. 

Luckily there are some local Disney and travel experts who are available to take care of all of your vacation needs for not only Disney and Universal but other popular destinations. One of them is McMinnville's own Alyse Woodlee.

Alyse's business is called Fairytale Journeys by Alyse and was born out of her own family's love of all things Disney. "I always dreamed of taking my children to Walt Disney World as small children so they could experience the magic and wonder while it was still real. The thing I didn’t plan on was how real it would be to me, too. It started a new chapter in my life that I didn’t plan as a registered dietitian and mom," Alyse said. 

For her trips, Alyse used a agent out of Nashville who worked with Fairytale Journeys Travel. When that agent retired from the business, Alyse saw her chance. "This was around the same time I began toying with the idea of jumping into the business myself. Because of the high standards and wonderful service she provided, I immediately knew which agency I would go to when the time was right," Alyse said.

Alyse joined Fairytale Journeys Travel as an affiliate agent in July 2019. Alyse worked hard to establish a client base right before COVID threw the brakes on the travel industry. It was a tough time for a fledgling business but Alyse had faith in the power of Disney magic and good customer service. "I told myself everyday that if I worked hard and did right by my clients, they would all come back to me when they were ready to travel. Some of my loyal and repeat customers are ones that I worked diligently for to get their money refunded when the travel industry screeched to a halt," Alyse said.

More than just a sideline, helping make clients' vacations perfect is Alyse's full-time job. "In December 2022, I left my local medical nutrition therapy job after seven years to devote my time and energy full-time to travel and my clients. I attend annual trainings both online and in-person with my major vendors. I also conduct research trips and make efforts to attend special events on opening day so that I can be most informed in assisting my clients," Alyse said.

Alyse's services are completely free to her clients, something I certainly appreciated when it came time to pay for everything involved in a Disney vacation. Alyse, as a certified graduate of The College of Disney Knowledge and a Universal Partner graduate, has a vast knowledge of how to work all the angles and secure discounts the general tourist doesn't even know exist. 

She certainly did that for Ashley and me, booking us into a "moderate" Disney resort we thought was out of our price range for cheaper than the "budget" hotel we were originally considering. She also spends countless hours on hold with customer service representatives and getting up early to make reservations so clients don't have to. That's definitely worth the zero dollars Alyse charges her clients.

"My service is unique in that clients do not pay me for my time. Travel vendors already have the cost of a travel agent worked into their fees. When booking directly, the big companies keep the profit. When clients work with me, I earn a small commission following their trip. Among the services I offer, the key ones are travel quotes and proposals to aid in making an informed choice, itinerary planning, assistance with any changes or modifications, discount monitoring, and on-call assistance during time of travel. For clients sailing on Disney Cruise Line, I even offer on-board credit from me. My business reach has expanded to 13 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico but Middle Tennessee clients remain my focus," Alyse said.

In addition to Disney and Universal trips, Alyse and her connections with Fairytale Journeys can assist with a wide variety of vacations. "Our agency is considered Platinum for our high volume of sales to these destinations. Additionally, I branched out to various cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, and Princess Cruise Lines. I am a Certified Sandals Specialist (CSS) and also completed training to be a Sandals/Beaches “WeddingMoon” specialist. I am trained in destination weddings and elopements, honeymoons and anniversary trips," Alyse said.

In addition to planning trips for clients, Alyse is raising three elementary-school-age boys and training two German Shepherds, along with her husband, Josh. "They are all incredibly supportive of my career, even if it means I get to photograph their meals before they can eat on trips," Alyse said.

Alyse has won the Southern Standard's Best of the Best Travel Agency title in 2021, 2022 and 2023. She has been a top-25 producer among the 250 agents of Fairytale Journeys Travel in 2021, 2022 and 2023, a top seller of Sandals/Beaches in 2021 and she has been named a Goal Setting and Growth Mentor for Fairytale Journeys for 2021- 2023.

Alyse can be contacted at ftjbyalyse@gmail.com, (931) 212-4182, ftjbyalyse.com and on Facebook at ftjbyalyse. She is also a frequent guest host on the Mouse Ears Podcast.

Get MOO-ving with proper footwear

Over the course of our seven days in Walt Disney World, Ashley and I walked an average of 21,620 steps (9.5 miles) per day. That's not something you want to do without the right footwear so, prior to our trip, we visited Monica Moore at Mad Cow Running Company and Outfitters at 402 N. Chancery St.

Monica and Lacy Garrison used their expertise to help Ashley and me pick out shoes to keep us going over the course of our trip without causing blisters or foot pain that would bring a premature end to the Disney magic. 

They helped fit Ashley with a pair of Hoka Bondis and me with Hoka Cliftons. We both were quite pleased with our selections after a week of uncharacteristically hard walking for us. We were certainly tired, but our feet didn't hurt. 

After teaching for 27 years, Monica wanted a change and launched Mad Cow Running Company and Outfitters in May 2021. Monica began running in 2016 and became passionate about it and its health benefits and wanted to offer the resources locally to help the community have access to brand-name quality shoes. 

Monica strives to offer brands her customers request, with some of her most popular offerings coming from Hoka, Saucony, On, Brooks and Altra. Mad Cow boasts a Trail Room which offers apparel, gear and nutrition options for trail runners.

One of the things Monica enjoys most about the business is the community of runners she has cultivated which she lovingly calls "The Herd." Around 20 gather at the store at 6 p.m. every Tuesday to run together. Mad Cow also offers a walking group every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Monica welcomes all to join the free events and posts routes and mileage for the runs and walks on the Mad Cow Facebook and Instagram accounts. "I love these people. We train together, travel to races together, but most of all, we support one another.," Monica said of The Herd.

Mad Cow has its own branded gear thanks to a partnership with Custom Vinyl Shirts and Signs. "Additionally, we are teaming up with Custom Vinyl and hosting more races. I’ve also teamed up with Cumberland Caverns to host a trail race called Caving Cow that will go inside the cave next month. This provides local runners with an easily accessible, historic race while also providing our community with the benefits of tourism. So far, runners have registered from other counties and even other states, including California, Florida and Alabama. I’m excited to offer unique race opportunities while doing my small part to bring revenue into our community," Monica said. 

Monica wants to be a part of helping the residents of Warren County to get healthier and welcomes all to join The Herd. "I hope to get more of my community involved in our weekly meet-ups and race events.  We all know that being active is good for your health, but it is also a great stress reliever and can clear your mind of any emotional things going on in your life. Being a small business owner, I’ve learned a lot in these nearly three years. I am thankful for the support that my community has given me and feel so blessed to be back in Warren County," Monica said.

For more on Mad Cow's retail offerings and upcoming races, call (931) 507-2697.

Until next week ...

Well, vacation is officially over and I'm back to the grind. If you have local business tips, please let me know at editor@southernstandard.com. Thanks for reading!