Travel Agent Achievers Podcast

Being a travel business owner is both exciting and challenging. Some days you feel full of energy, while other days it feels like the effort is draining you. Thus, traveling is a great way to take a break from your business and recharge your mind.    I'll admit I am a little bit obsessed with business and especially my travel business. Because I LOVE IT! However taking a break every now and then,...

In this new era of the COVID-19 pandemic, how do you navigate this new era? Everybody is busy, so how can you get your clients engaged?   Over the last couple of years in particular, Travel Business owners have increasingly turned to online marketing tools to help them engage with their clients.  Looking for a way to connect with their clients. Webinars have been around for years for suppliers, ho...

I'm a pretty relaxed kinda person. I don't normally get worked up over things and I NEVER explode or react in a way that would normally be considered an outburst. Let's just say I am cool under pressure (it's actually where I work best.)  However, over the last few weeks I have had a few conversations with people where I knew there was undertones, yet at the time I didn't react. I have now been th...

As a travel business owner/advisor/experience creator, our goal is always to create seamless and memorable travel experiences for our clients. However, what happens when we have a lead who seems like an unlikely prospect? Should we reject them? Or see the opportunity in every business interaction?   Our guest,  Maree Kirkpatrick is a sales trainer and business strategist with over 15 years of expe...

"Mindset" - A word more recently thrown around - quite a lot. I'm not sure how it sits with me yet. Yes - we have control over our thoughts, though if we are to work on our mind and the thoughts we have, I also think that someone who specialises in this area should be consulted as it is a very powerful topic.    I take this topic very seriously as mental health is something that is not a foreign t...

At the centre of a travel business is the service provided to clients. Nurturing relationships, building trust. One of the things I love about Travel Businesses is that the personal connections we have can create opportunities for others to fulfill their travel dreams. Helping people.    Our guest for this episode is one of the Hospitality Industries most sought after speakers and trainers. She ed...

Which is you in your travel business at the moment? We've just received the best news this week here in Australia and I couldn't help but feel so excited and happy! Finally, after two years, we are reopening our shores to international visitors again! Whoo-hoo! A part of this brings a lot of joy but there's also a part of me that has a bit of anxiety rising.  With the world opening up, there's sti...

Going out on your own as a travel business owner, just before the world shut down, was not something that could be predicted.    Belle Goldie had worked in the industry for over 20years and had decided towards the end of 2019 that she wanted to make a change. To go out as a work from home Travel Agent. And what a change that was. From the hustle of an office to the quiet of a home environment.   ...

In the past two years, we all have been on hundreds of Zoom meetings and possibly other types of online conferences/training or networking events. Let's be honest, somehow, we have all grown accustomed to this situation but it's also been exhausting.    In fact, when face to face connection became impossible as the world closed and we all began working and staying at home, an opportunity to move o...

A New year is always a great place to start with thinking fresh, getting yourself organised, cleaning your office, tidying up old emails, and a FRESH start. I absolutely think we all need that this year. 2021 was just another crazy year we all had to experience.    If you felt like the end of last year was another kick in the guts, I understand. If you are questioning yourself and your business ri...

In our (almost last) episode of 2021, I wanted to invite a friend, someone I admire and respect immensely and am also a HUGE fan of as a guest on the Travel Agent Achievers podcast.  James Castrission is not only a father and CEO of My Adventure group, but he was also the first person to Kayak across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand and then to also trek across Antarctica. (His stories...

Many travel professionals (mainly within Australia) that I know have been trained or have seen Meg Salter speaking at a travel industry event over the past 20 years or so. She has true passion for the industry and a HUGE heart wanting to help people achieve their dreams and goals.    When COVID hit and almost all of us were in a state of shock, grief and depression, Meg stood up and shone brightly...

Sometimes, when things are hard, a question that arises, is WHY….  Why have I chosen to do something. In this instance, a question I am hearing often right now is: "Why am I still here in travel?" "Why do I still remain on the roller coater of emotions as a pandemic surrounds me?"    If you have asked yourself this or many other "Why" questions, you are not alone. Sometimes I too ask myself this w...

If you've listened to our previous episode, I talked about the recent news we've been hearing all over the world about the world slowly opening up. I invited a special guest onto this episode as I wanted to dig a little deeper into the topic with an incredible woman who champions other women on their business journey. Michelle Broadbent.    We both want you to be ready for what is on it's way with...

Recently, there has been lots of positive information and news about the world starting to open up. A lot of discussion around what we can and can't do, how we will navigate the travel experience and seeing things from both sides of the industry - suppliers/operators/wholesalers and travel agents/advisors and professionals.     Things are happening. The question is at the moment, ARE YOU READY?   ...

As we all know, the entire Travel and Tourism industry is among those harmed the most by the COVID-19 pandemic. In previous episodes, we have highlighted voices of amazing travel professionals who in spite of COVID-19 have continued to move forward and achieve results for their travel business that they may not have had time, insight or the determination to chase before.    There's so much that we...

Do you realise or understand the level of service, the expertise or guidance you provide to your clients?  I know it, you ARE the expert.  So why is it that sometimes we question everything we do. We feel guilty when we can't control a situation. Do you feel the pain physically or emotionally when a client gets upset?    Sometimes we don't or our clients don't actually understand the amount of tim...

Do you take the time to acknowledge your progress in your business?  You get a new client - Whoo Hoo! 🎊 You double your commission from previous months - YAY! 🎉 You reconnected with customers, by sending a newsletter, email, personal note - Great job! 🥂 As travel business owners, or even small business owners, we often have our to do list and then just tick off the task as it is completed.  No...

Overwhelm is real! When we don't have direction, a plan or strategies in place, we can be led astray and feel like we have to do 'all the things.'    Whilst coaching and mentoring Travel Professionals and other business industry professionals, I have seen over and over again, how we can be learning and listening, see or hear of a NEW thing we 'should' be doing and then jumping onto it. It can be e...

"I need more time" is a common remark I hear often from business owners and occasionally myself internally too. :-)  Unfortunately time is one thing that we all have exactly the same amount of.  I can't give you more of it, but I can share some of the tools and resources we use in our travel business to help reduce stress and wasting precious seconds, minutes and hours in our work day.    As you s...

Have you ever put together a 'Budget' for your travel business? Or been told - you NEED to have a budget so you know what you can spend?    Well, when I think about budgeting, it scares me to bits. Why would I want to be restricted and whenever I have put together a personal budget, I've been depressed. What do you mean I can't go out to dinner more than once per month! Haha   However when you own...

There are times in life when at the time we may not feel as though we are making progress, however when we look back at actually assess where we are at,  many things may have shifted and progressed. This episodes guest is SMART! Not only taking a risk and launching her travel business shortly before COVID hit the shores of Australia.  Kristy, did not back down or give up. Instead, she started work...

Do Sales or implementing a Sales System scare you?  With all that has happened in the world relating to travel businesses, it's no wonder that when it comes to promoting and booking clients caution naturally comes into play.  As we kick off this episode, I let down my own guard and talk about my own fear of sales. How Imposter Syndrome can easily creep in and its process to ensure that we work thr...

Ever wondered HOW people find you when you put content on your website? Do you feel like sometimes you write a blog for your website and it goes into an 'abyss'? How do you even know if people are looking at your stuff? Is it of interest? Well, we know we have to be in more than one place for people to find us, which is why I wanted a special expert to come onto the Travel Agent Achievers Podcast...

Existing clients are the lifeblood of your travel business. They are the ones whom have been there prior to the current situation and hopefully they will be the ones there when they decide to travel again.  If we don't have clients, we don't have a business. When was the last time you connected with your existing clients? When did you show up for them and show them that you're still here? Even if...