This ex-ad agency advisor is doing things different and it’s paying off big for his $2M agency. Find out how he stumbled into booking sabbatical travel, uses social proof to grow his agency, and how his boutique agency won a big corporate client from a large TMC. We also hear about DeJuan's new project, FamTripReviews.com.   | | | |   Show Notes + Transcript + Video/Pics: https://har.news/tac18

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Transcription + Notes

Vol. 18 | This Agent is a Master of Using Social Proof to Grow His $2M Agency. Meet DeJuan.

She came from the world of non-profits with her eyes set on helping people of all abilities travel. Learn how this Indiana agent uses her agency to give back. You’ll walk away with LOADS of knowledge and some actionable tips to help your agency be more comfortable booking accessible travel.

Tune in to hear about why she set up a travel accessibility advocacy non-profit (lots of words, I know) alongside her agency. The Greater Go Foundation challenges the boundaries of travel and creates opportunities for all who desire to travel. 

Plus, WE'RE HIRING! We'd love for you to join the HAR team. Applications due May 3rd, 2021. https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-jobs

Notes + Transcription

Vol. 19 | Get Comfortable with Accessible Travel + An Agency That Gives Back. Meet Becky.

Hear from a 26-year travel industry veteran and host of the radio show Traveling Culturati, about how she’s successfully tackled her agency’s multiple brands, created a successful frequent traveler program, and blended her passions together to form a unique niche. 

We promise you’ll leave with multiple creative ways to grow your agency! Whether through ideas on how to grow your agency through radio/podcast, creating your own frequent traveler program for clients, or planting a seed on how you can marry your passions to create your dream niche, we'll have something for everyone in this episode.

What’s Ja'Vonne's niche? This $2M agency has found major success in putting together come-along trips for radio stations, special interest groups that allow her to travel around the world and follow her curiosity and passions, as well as group trips for African American travelers. 

 ****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/tac20

Transcript + Notes

Vol. 20 | Multiple Brands. Frequent Client Rewards. Radio Show Host. This $2M Agency Shows us How!

****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/tac26

It started with Disney—doesn’t it always—and before she knew it, Amy Garner was introduced to the world of booking outside of theme parks and that’s when business really took off. Well, until the pandemic came. Despite the pandemic blip, Wicked Travel Concierage is looking to hit $1M in sales for 2023! 

Coming from a “neuro spicy” family, Amy came into travel wanting to help other families like hers that felt like anxiety, ADHD, autism, etc. were roadblocks to visiting Disney. She’s a firm believer that if there’s a reason you think travel is inaccessible to you, let’s have a conversation about it and see what we can do. Then she works her magic. 

In the last 5 years, Amy’s expertise and passion for accessible travel has grown beyond neurodiverse clientele and Amy openly shares her favorite accessibility resources as well as how she opens up the conversation with clients about any travelers with special needs. Whether it being plus sized, grandpa traveling with a colostomy bag, or anything else, Amy shines light on the different ways advisors can help all their clients be a part of and enjoy the vacation. 
Amy also shows us her email automation workflows for her clients—which she sets up for each destination and sometimes vendor—allowing her to spend more time getting to know her clients and providing that human touch.  

Everyone is welcome on this ride to learn about how a Disney-loving advisor opened up her agency to new destinations like Europe that many advisors think of as traditionally less accessible than cruises or US-based destinations and is reaping the benefits!

Travel Agent Chatter

Transcript + Show Note

Vol. 26 | From Disney to Cruises. Accessible Travel Tips. $1M in Sales for 2023. Meet Amy!

Discover how this Andrey Zakharenko of Russian Connections/Always Travel worked his way up from an agency intern at 17, to agency owner of a travel agency with $3.5M in sales. Hear about his most successful marketing techniques, the benefits (and challenges) of a dual brand agency, and why he charges service fees (and how he found the perfect sweet spot for how much to charge). 

Show Notes + Transcript + Pics: https://goo.gl/oASXbx

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Vol. 1 | From Travel Agency Intern to Owner of $3.5M Agency. Meet Andrey.

Jennifer Doncsecz, the owner of VIP Vacations, shares the story of her travel agency. Find out how she went from a home-based Disney agency to an award-winning storefront with nine employees. You'll hear about some fantastic marketing tips and how to own your success.   | | | |  Show Notes + Transcript + Pics: https://goo.gl/YR4V6i

Special thanks to our sponsor: Travel Quest

Subscribe today so you don’t miss another episode: https://har.news/newsletter

Vol. 4 | From Home-Based Agent to Storefront with 9 Employees. Meet Jennifer.

Madeline Jwahar, owner of Italy Beyond the Obvious, is a different kind of travel advisor. One that makes 80% of her income from service fees. Find out how she does it in this episode of TAC.    | | | |   Show Notes + Transcript + Images: http://har.news/vol8

Subscribe today so you don’t miss another episode: https://har.news/newsletter

Vol.8 | This Italy Travel Specialist Makes 80% of Her Income from Service Fees. Meet Madeline.

We talk all things destination weddings with Will Medina of Destination Weddings Expert, a travel advisor whose only form of marketing is social media. Not bad for a guy booking ~20 DWs a year, averaging 50 guests each!    | | | |   Show Notes + Transcript + Video/Pics: http://har.news/tac9

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Vol.9 | This Destination Wedding Travel Agent Only Markets Through Social Media. Meet Will.

Join us as Valerie, owner of a $6M agency, imparts her wisdom on group bookings. Her theory? If you're not doing groups, you're leaving $40k on the table every year. Find out how Valerie filled her 196 person group in just one month, what you should always have in your groups contracts and how she's trained her clients that booking early is truly when you get the best pricing. Thank you this episode's sponsor, KHM Travel Group!    ++++  Show Notes + Transcript + Pics: http://har.news/tac10

Subscribe today so you don’t miss another episode: https://har.news/newsletter

Vol. 10 | How This Group Specialist Filled Her 196-person Group Cruise in One Month. Meet Valerie.

To kick off the new decade, former nurse Janet Tracy, owner of The Travel Dreamer, shares creative ways to increase your sales and inspiration on how to set the work-life boundaries that so many of us struggle with. She also dishes how she turned a river cruise giveaway into major dollars for her agency. Listen to find out how!   
| | | |   Show Notes + Transcription + Pics/Video: https://har.news/tac13

Subscribe today so you don’t miss another episode: https://har.news/newsletter

Vol. 13 | Setting Work-Life Boundaries + Turning a Giveaway Win into a Major Dollars. Meet Janet.

We’ve got two listening delights for you on this channel, folks! 😲 

The first is Travel Agent Chatter (TAC), a spotlight interview of a wide variety of travel advisors that we publish every quarter. 

The second is our shorter, but more frequent Friday 15 series, where every Friday we answer your travel industry questions for — you guessed it — 15 minutes!

Travel Agent Chatter -- a Host Agency Reviews audio series -- talks about all things travel. We specialize in-depth interviews with travel agents from all walks of life.

Whether you’re a new or experienced travel advisor, we help you up your game by sharing where other travel agencies have found success and offering inspiring stories from the front lines!

Transcripts, videos and show notes of the TAC episodes can be found at https://hostagencyreviews.com/TAC

And every Friday at 12pm CT we publish the Friday 15 to our TAC feed. It’s 15 minutes over the lunch hour, where we answer your travel industry questions. Submit your questions and watch videos of the Friday 15 at https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15.

Travel Agent Chatter and the Friday 15 are hosted by Steph Lee, the founder of the website Host Agency Reviews and travel industry veteran. She's insatiably curious. A lover of travel, writing, gardening & the stars. Most importantly, she ♥'s her dogs, Fennec and Orion!

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