Episode 102: Lillian Rafson

Episode 102: Lillian Rafson

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning March 8, 2023 Duration: 44:03

In the latest episode of the Travel With Meaning podcast, host Mike Schibel speaks with Lillian Rafson, the CEO and founder of Pack Up + Go. Originally from Pittsburgh, Lillian shares how her passion for travel after a carefree Summer backpacking around a region she knew nothing about led her to start her own company that plans surprise trips for its customers. 

Pack Up + Go, encourages spontaneity, exploration, and adventure among American travelers. She launched the bootstrapped business at 23 years old and has grown it to 25+ team members and $7 million+ in annual revenue. Lillian has been honored as a member of the Pittsburgh 30 Under 30 and 40 Under 40, a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, a Travel & Leisure A-List Travel Planner, and a Top Woman in Hospitality. Outside of Pack Up + Go, Lillian is a business coach, focusing on helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses!

 

Show Notes:

15:22 This could be one of the most ambitious ideas for a passionate traveler about starting a new job. 

26:24: Where did the idea for surprise travel come from? Where was Lillian and who were where the other travelers that got Lillian thinking about the idea?

30:57: Who was the first guests to try Pack Up + Go and how did the brand go viral? 

 

As always thanks for listening.  If you like the episode, please leave a rating and share it with your friends. 

 

For more information on Pack Up+Go www.packupgo.com


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Travel With Meaning
Podcast Episodes
One Bite Changed Everything with Lawrence Longo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:53
Mike sits down with Lawrence Longo, a serial food and hospitality entrepreneur whose journey from hidden menu curator to restaurant empire builder has reshaped how people connect through food. Lawrence shares how his ear…
Pacific Palisades: A Story I Never Expected To Tell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:08
In this deeply personal episode, Mike returns to his childhood home in Pacific Palisades — a place that once symbolized comfort, community, and family — now forever changed by one of the most devastating wildfires in U.S…
How Condor Airlines Is Bringing Fun Back to Flying [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:27
Ever wondered what it's like to record a podcast at 38,000 feet? Host Mike Schibel takes Travel With Meaning to new heights—literally—onboard Condor Airlines' flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles on the sleek Airbus A330…
Moments That Flow: Redefining Slow Travel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:11
What happens when you trade speed for stillness? In this special episode, Mike shares his journey along the legendary Danube River aboard the Riverside Mozart. From the historic streets of Vienna to quiet castles and vin…
The Road to Inspired Businesses with Laura Grier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:13
Recorded in front of a live audience at the KINN in Venice Beach as part of their weekly Startup Café series, this is a special Travel Talk episode hosted by Travel With Meaning, exploring how travel can spark entreprene…
Redefining Travel with Purpose: A Conversation with Jessica Blotter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:34
In this special Travel With Meaning podcast episode, recorded live in front of an intimate audience at The KINN in Venice Beach, we reconnect with Jessica Blotter — CEO and Co-Founder of Kind Traveler, and a returning gu…
¡Celebrando Seattle! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:33
While recording the Celebrating Seattle series with Jeannette Ceja, in collaboration with Visit Seattle, we had the privilege of meeting inspiring business owners within Seattle's Hispanic-Latino communities. We listened…