Planner at Heart

Monica Fish, Founder

Glen Rock, NJ

2023

Planner at Heart answers timeshare owners' many questions

Owning a timeshare can get complicated. That's why Monica Fish started Planner at Heart to give them the one-stop resource they needed.

Helping travelers make memories

Monica Fish has learned quite a bit in her nearly two decades as a timeshare owner. Most of all, she's learned that this type of travel rewards those who plan ahead.

"When the pandemic hit and many timeshare owners couldn't get to their properties, I realized it was more important than ever for timeshare owners to have information and resources to make the most of the money they spend towards it every year," says Monica.

This inspired the creation of her website Planner At Heart, which aims to help the 9.9 million U.S. timeshare owners make their next trip memorable. "I take pride in not just being another company trying to sell people something. I'm committed to helping people travel the world no matter their budget."

After some publicity, Planner at Heart grew fast to the tune of over a million page views in a year. Her readers are mostly U.S.-based, of all ages and genders ‒ though they all share a love of travel.

Ads keep content free and accessible

Friends in the blogging community told Monica about Raptive, a Google Certified Publishing Partner, which could help her monetize her content while keeping it free and accessible.

"While many have suggested that I charge a fee for my guides, my site's accessibility sets it apart from others in this space and helps add to my credibility and trustworthiness," says Monica. "Trust is especially important in the timeshare community, where scams are all too common. It was important for me to show readers I'm not trying to sell them anything."

After embracing ads, Monica has seen her revenue explode. "Ad revenue now makes up the majority of my website revenue ‒ and the difference before and after embracing ads is truly night and day," she says.

Spreading the info, spreading the wealth

"My ad revenue allows me to keep these resources free while covering my business costs, providing a full-time wage to focus on my business as my only job, and compensating my regular contributors well for their time and efforts," says Monica.

She prides herself on being able to pay above-average wages to her "small but mighty" team of contributors. One freelancer is a mom who writes Disney-related content and what she earns from writing goes to her family's yearly Disney trip. Another is a college student whose contributions help them earn extra income over school breaks. "The impact of ad revenue ripples beyond just me," says Monica.

Ads also gave her the revenue needed to pay experts on the technical side, such as a web designer for a site remodel and an email wiz for newsletter help.

Best of all, she gets to be her own boss, which makes life much easier as a working mom. "Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Am I dreaming?"

“My ad revenue allows me to keep these resources free while covering my business costs and compensating my regular contributors well for their time and efforts.”

Enjoying the journey

Her experience working with Google has been fully positive. She receives useful continued technical support and great email responsiveness

With ads, Monica will keep getting to do what she loves most: helping people. "Sometimes, timeshare owners are in total panic when they reach out to me, and my favorite part is the positive influence I can have in their lives. For example, I can help them use a timeshare exchange company so they can start planning that next memorable trip."

About the Publisher

Former Public Relations leader turned publisher, Monica Fish took her love of travel and turned it into a full-time job she loves. She writes about smart timeshare ownership, vacation ideas, travel deals, plus family fun at PlannerAtHeart.com.