Mentoring Session | w/ 9+yr Expeditions Agency advisor Jaclyn (Colorado)

Sharing with you all another candid mentoring session that I had recently with a travel advisor here in Colorado who has spent the past nearly decade within traditional travel agencies, and is now considering other opportunities, particularly branching out on her own as an independent advisor or independent consultant. Different to the previous mentoring session I shared here last month – the conversation with independent travel agency owner Athena down in Florida – this conversation today is answering or addressing the questions a newer advisor may have --- a newer advisor wondering what it would be like to go from a steady salary, from a steady & guaranteed stream of clients that flow into the agency off of someone elses brand/hard work/reputation/years of work versus having to go out and market herself for her own clients, what are the upfront costs of starting a travel agency, what advice would I give to someone starting out, what should one look for or consider when researching the right host agency to join? Newsflash on those last 2 points … don’t be afraid of taking the little things on like a weekend hotel only booking in Minneapolis, put your blinders on and do not compare yourself to others, and ya’ll … I hate to break it to you, but I see so many of you bouncing every year or every other year, completely uprooting your systems, bookings, email addresses, confusing clients with logos changing which may not seem frequent to you but think about it if you work with a client once every other year on a big trip and they’re seeing 2 different logos associated with yours during that time … furrowed brow. There is no perfect host agency. That’s my opinion. And if more travel advisors thought similarly, we’d see less hopping around … and more staying with 1 for 5, 6 years to learn as much as you can … and then go out on your own independently. The costs aren’t nearly as high as the industry would lead you to believe. And there’s a freedom, and a peace that comes with that business decision. I also take a little dive for her into how to determine what she should target to sell in terms of sales to make a salary or take home pay after taxes, expenses, that she needs in her household. It’s really simplified math, but it holds, and is a really good tool to have in the back of your mind when you’re thinking through things quickly. I hope you all enjoy this episode, and as always, thank you for being here.