Meet Mary Jane Hiebert: Singing The Praises of Travel
by Judy JacobsMary Jane Hiebert knew nothing about the business when she bought a travel agency in 1994 at the age of 28. But that didn’t stop her.
Hiebert, who is now manager of Canada One Travel in Steinbach, Manitoba, was convinced that being an agent would complement her classical singing career and give her the flexible schedule necessary to perform as a soloist with orchestras and symphonies in Germany and elsewhere.
And it did.
At 18, after performing at festivals and competitions during her teenage years, Hiebert scored a weekly appearance on CBC Hymn Sing, a former national television program produced in Winnipeg. She performed on it for a decade.
During that time, she was also performing twice a year in Europe and working as a loan officer in a credit union. But she wanted something more and thought the travel business would be just that.
On the job learning
“I looked at the business model and it made sense to me,” Hiebert said.
“I loved to travel and decided that this would be really good for me, since I could perform my singing as well. I also thought it was a glamorous job.”
After purchasing the agency with money earned from CBC Hymn Sing and the credit union, Hiebert worked part time while finishing her degree in vocal performance at the University of Manitoba.
Then the real work began.
“I learned the job on the job,” she said. “I couldn’t have told you how to book a ticket, but there were two agents who came with the agency when I bought it, and they taught me a lot.”
“And I used the benefits of travel to be a singer and the benefits of singing to grow my travel agency.”
Been there . . .
Hiebert discovered places in Europe during her singing engagements and later recommended them to her clients.
One of these is Wiesbaden, where she first performed.
“It’s a beautiful city outside of Frankfurt, and I connected with many friends in ballet and opera. I sent many clients there after I returned,” she said.
Her classical music career lasted for about nine years. “I don’t perform so much anymore. I like being home. I love my job as a manager at this travel agency,” Hiebert said.
Translatable skills
Although her singing career has taken a back seat to travel, it’s given her skills that make her a better agent, including the ability to communicate and the confidence to stand up in front of people and “put it all out there,” she said.
In 2009, Hiebert merged her agency with Holiday Travel. On August 1 it was purchased by Canada One, an agency group with headquarters in Winnipeg and four branches.
 |
Hiebert’s branch is located in the main shopping mall of Steinbach, a town of about 13,500 that serves as the regional economic hub of southeastern Manitoba.
A thriving market
Founded in the 1870s by German-speaking Mennonites and still a center for that religion, Steinbach has become one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, thanks to an influx of immigrants.
In 1999 what’s known as the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program began to attract immigrants to help build up a stronger workforce for the area’s main industries – manufacturing, trucking, banking, farming and related agribusinesses.
A large percentage of these immigrants are from Germany, England and the Philippines, and many of them are Hiebert’s clients. She hired a German-speaking agent to help attract some of them.
Active in ACTA
Hiebert has also grown her business and her knowledge through involvement in the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, (ACTA), where she’s currently vice-chair of the board of directors.
From 2001 to 2007, Hiebert was president of the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce, an exceptional experience, she said.
“I learned so much about how the city works and how businesses work within the city, I also earned a lot of respect in the community.”
While continuing to be involved in the community through her volunteer work with Steinbach’s Summer in the City festival and a local education center, most of Hiebert’s energy goes into her travel business.
“It’s not just a job. It’s everything,” she said.
