Amy Blades: Welcome to the Goofy Getaways podcast. I'm Amy Blades, owner and CEO of Goofy Getaways Travel Agency. I'm so excited that you're here. So if this is your first time joining us, thank you so much for being here. We're gonna try to give you some good content so that you'll wanna keep coming back, and if you are coming back and this is like your second, third, or you know, 25th episode, well, we really appreciate you and hope that you still continue to come. We had such amazing conversation on our topic about being a travel consultant. That we are going to extend it and talk a lot more about it. I got a lot of feedback from a lot of colleagues and a lot of not just travel consultants but travel agency owners that I'm friends with and people in the industry that really appreciated just my boldness to have this conversation and my boldness in sharing my team, but that's really what Goofy Getaways is. I say it all the time. It makes me so happy and so proud that I have the people on this team that represent this company. There's no secrets between us and they know that they can be as authentic and real as I am, that's really what we've come to expect. So buckle up because we're gonna get even a little more into the nitty-gritty. I think it's also good when we talk about our strategic council. that is what we it's our leadership team, but I I don't like to call it a leadership team because it a group of people that we get together and we're really strategic in what we're doing to move the agency forward. How can we better support the team? What can we do in working with vendors? Everybody has a very, very unique role, and I think that it is something that we've done really well is each person on the strategic council and the role that they're in is perfect for them. And that's very intentional also. We're gonna talk a little bit about the strategic council in a little bit, but I do wanna mention that I think that that's an important piece of an agency. Would you agree with me? Who the leadership, do you have a manager to report to? Do you have how does that work? Who, who handles this? Who? Right? Are we pretty clear about those
Lauren: yeah. I mean
Amy Blades: things for sure?
Lauren: Yeah, I love knowing who their strategic council is. I love knowing like, what, who to reach out to for what because we don't, everyone wants quality of life, right? So if ever if one person's inbox is getting full with everything, that's that's not balanced. We know exactly who our strategic council is. We know exactly who to go to for what. And it's not just that, Jess, you probably agree as well. They're reaching out to us too. And they want to hear back from us, and if they haven't heard back from us in a hot minute, they're like, hey, you good? So I just really I do, I love the whole structure and it's it's restructured since I've even been with the agency and it's just keeps getting better.
Amy Blades: What about you, Jess?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, I would completely agree. And they do reach out to us if they don't hear from us. And so I love that in itself that 'cause that helps us feel cared about too as an agent. And it does help us understand, okay, this person, this is their expertise, let me go ask this person this question or this other person this question. And that also helps us to not feel like we're bothering anyone. And of course no one ever feels bothered. Like everyone is going to answer any questions we have. But like at the end of the day, like we all at some point feel like, oh, am I bothering this person? And this really helps you understand like, no, this is their role. This is what they're there for, and it kind of just takes away that anxiety.
Amy Blades: Why don't you guys talk about the team in itself and do you feel comfortable or would you say that as an agency, we have people that are experienced in some things and not others, and that you feel like you could definitely reach out to somebody with quite talk about just the camaraderie of the team. I would like them to hear that from you instead of from me.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: So I absolutely feel comfortable reaching out to anyone else that I know this is their expertise, this is what they've booked before. I know one of our agents, Bree, she is a cruise guru with Royal Caribbean, and I'm just like, if I have a question, I can go ask Bree. Like it's very simple for me to reach out. Or Rachel and Lauren, like are both very good at accessibility needs or families. I don't have little kiddos, so I don't always understand what a child might need. I can guess all day. But if I need to rely on someone with that expertise, I can absolutely reach out to them whenever I need to.
Amy Blades: Lauren, you want to
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: piggyback on that?
Lauren: Yeah, I completely agree. there is definitely some things that I'm not great at. I you know, no one can be good at all things. I'm not good at internet, period. I'm not good at technology, period. And the amount of questions I put out to either members of Strategic Council or to other agents, like, hey, how do you navigate this app for this vendor? Or how do you navigate this for this? Whatever it looks like, those are the things that are really, really stressful. You know, there are certain places that I'm just not going to have availability in my life right now or the near future because my kids are small and the way we travel is very niche. That's, you know, we're not gonna be bounding around Europe anytime soon, but I love to help guests with new itineraries and curate those trips for them. But I definitely reach out to agents who like have availability. I also love that if I'm like, this is way too big for me, or this is so outside my wheels house that I can so feel so confident in the team that we have that I can pass that itinerary and that guest off to another agent and know that they're going to be so well taken care of.
Amy Blades: I love that too. That's what it's all about, right? That's why I want I I built the company because that's so important. I honestly feel like is there some fun competition? Because we do, we do some cool things for we do talk about sales because it's a business. So yes, we do talk about that, but I don't feel like everybody feels like they're in competition. Everybody really works together to try to help all the time. I say you're not in competition with each other. You're in competition with everybody that's booking direct with whatever vendor that
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: it is.
Lauren: And I always say, like, I'm in competition with myself every month. I get so much joy when I see that top five come out, regardless if I'm on it or not. I literally, if there's like someone I haven't seen up there before, I haven't seen I'm like I message them. I'm like, you go get it. I'm so proud of you. Like, what
Amy Blades: See, that's awesome, Lauren.
Lauren: have you done differently this month? How do you feel? I love seeing our team succeed, whether it's me up there, no matter who it is, it's just the coolest thing. So that comp that competition? It just,
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: it's a driving force of moving forward is what it is. And then it just makes you in competition with yourself. And that's the only person that we're in competition with.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, would agree with Lauren. Like I know our top five came out this week and I seen someone on there who I don't know if I've ever seen on there. And I was so excited, just like internal
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: excitement for that person.
Amy Blades: It it's exciting. It's exciting for me when I pull reports. Like it is really exciting for me too. Yeah, I love that.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah. And so like being able to know that each other is like to know that we're all excited for each other, like when we even just make a single sale, like that in itself is so exciting. And to be able to talk
Amy Blades: It is.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: to all the agents and they're excited for you and it really is what keeps us all going.
Amy Blades: Yeah, we do an agency summit every other year. And this we had our summit last year, and so next year would be the time for us to have our next summit. And we have an incredible opportunity with Royal Caribbean. And so I did not want the agents to have to choose between summit and doing this opportunity with Royal Caribbean. So I said, you know what, we'll wait and we'll go one more year because then it'll also be our our 15 year anniversary. My, there are a lot of things I love about summit. Probably my favorite thing, and it's always emotional, and it's something that I really pour myself into is the awards because we definitely talk about the awards for top sales, but there are a lot of other awards that are sprinkled in there too, because I think it's really important to let people know you see them. Now you might not be in the top five, but you might have had tremendous growth. You may have, you know, been somebody that started out one year booking one trip and now you booked fifty or I just love being able to point out and make people feel special and seen. And I think you've both obviously been to Summit and both received awards for Summit too. So and Jess, I will chuckle that I still have Jess's award because they spelt something wrong on it and it's at my house. Now that I'm looking at you I'm feeling guilty all of a sudden I'm like, I gotta get that to Jess. But it's something that's important to recognize people's hard work. And everyone can say, I don't need a pat on the back. Well, you know, everybody needs one. Everyone. I'm all I'm one of those who's like, look, I don't need anybody to make a really big deal of me, but there's just something to be said for like just a little thank you note or just a thank you email. Everybody needs that. I think it's important. So I love that you do that. That's pretty cool, Lauren, too. I'm gonna talk about transparency when you're looking for an agency, also. And this is like the green flag thumbs up type thing. I think that you when you're having a conversation with an agency, what are your fees? They should know what they are and they should be able to tell you exactly what they are for. I will not fault any agency for having administrative fees. Everybody does their own thing. So I'm not gonna say anything about that other than making sure that you know what your fees are for and that they are realistic and that you're getting something out of what you're paying for. Did I say that pretty good? Okay. Yeah, I think also making sure you understand how commissions are handled, when you get paid. What happens if you get paid and the amount isn't correct? What happens if it's been 45 days since travel? Like, do they have a process for lost commissions? If you file lost commission, is your agency owner, the manager, whoever's tracking that, are they fighting for you to get that commission? How are they communicating? If you are at an agency that is not comfortable talking about commissions or lost commissions, that is a huge red flag. I will tell you that you can call any one of my agents and they will tell you they know if they ever have a question about anything at all. I'm gonna be mad at them if they don't say something to me. We have a process in place, but I am gonna say that that is the biggest red flag because there are so many people and it's been out and about and in the news and giving those of us that pay out commissions a bad name sometimes. You have to make sure that you understand the amount that you're getting, where it where it's being deposited, when is it being deposited, all of those things should be in your independent contractor agreement. Another thing, a green flag is having an independent contractor agreement that makes sense for both the agency and the independent contractor. And that when you are having an interview and you're asking these questions, that the answers that you're getting are also in that contract. That's so important. Read the contract. I cannot tell you how many people do not read contracts. And it is essential.
Lauren: Read the contract. Can I can I say something real quick?
Amy Blades: yeah.
Lauren: I'm such a big proponent of the way so when I was first onboarded, there we had our standard operating procedure. I have ADHD I don't hide that from anyone. And I would go to read the standard operating procedure and I like, it was very pretty. But I couldn't, I was like, I can't, I'm not retaining so I messaged I forget who at the time and
Amy Blades: Noddea
Lauren: Noddea and Greg sent me within like two days a blank form standard operating procedure. So it was just like I was like so sorry that I'm being difficult, but I just I it's so important to read those. I remember getting a phone
Amy Blades: And I don't think anyone felt that, right? I remember getting a phone call about it and saying, hey, this is kind of what's going on. And I'm like, absolutely. And then it made us realize that's one of those things that when we redid our standard operating procedures, I have a child that has disabilities too, like with reading and such, so for me it was never that I'm like, I wanna make sure that this is the easiest for you.
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: Because I do think that an SOP is extremely important also. And obviously you're not gonna get that until you sign the contract. But your contract
Lauren: Correct, right, right.
Amy Blades: is really that preemp like ask the questions. Don't be afraid to ask the questions. And if you're not getting the answers that you want, then go to a different agency, because there are incredible agencies out there. I know them. I'm very, very good friends with many of them. I mentor a lot of different agency owners. I just want, I just want it to come across. That you need to make sure that you're asking questions and that if you get a weird vibe about a question that you're asking, press a little harder and make sure you read the contract. I think that's something that I'm super open about in the interview process, and commissions, I think everyone does know. Look, this is what a policy is. Definitely ask me because I know what it's like to not get paid when you're supposed to get paid. So I've seen it. I've seen it happen to people, I know people. And you help people put systems in
Lauren: And you help people put systems in place to make sure that they are getting paid for their commissions,
Amy Blades: Yeah, absolutely.
Lauren: which is huge. I remember Greg specifically because I again like yes, I had a lot of people traveling very soon after I started working. I was, you know, it was a lot. So he,
Amy Blades: Yes.
Lauren: his own time sat down with me for like, you know, on via the internet. He sat down with me and
Amy Blades: Yeah, yeah. And
Lauren: showed me how to pull my reports, how to look for lost commissions. How to like and how often he explained he's like, you know, it is contractual with the vendors that we book for. That's why it has to be done within X amount of time since travel. It's contractual for the agency. So if the agency wants to go to bat for us, we have to pull
Amy Blades: Correct.
Lauren: our weight. Sorry. If the agents yeah, within that time frame. And I've seen you
Amy Blades: Within that time also. Yes.
Lauren: go to bat for commissions. You're so open and honest with lost commissions and with vendors. And you, you know, it's It's kind of cool to see. It's frustrating in in the time when you have a commission sitting
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: out there for a year. But, you know, you don't let that slide. You're like, nope, my agent's
Amy Blades: Yeah. Mm-mm.
Lauren: gonna get paid.
Amy Blades: Yeah. And if they don't, then we're not gonna book business with you again. That's true too. I mean, but yeah.
Lauren: And I'm always like P please don't make me get to that point, please.
Amy Blades: No, no, right. No. I I'm so glad that you say that because it is
Lauren: Totally.
Amy Blades: absolutely the the truth. I just wanted to talk about just a couple other things as far as when you're interviewing an agency or you're being interviewed, I really think that it is important to talk about It's realistic. What happens if I leave? Is there an exit plan? What happens with my commissions? What happens with my clients? Who owns the client relationship? And I'm gonna say this the bookings, if you have bookings with an agency and you're planning on leaving and going somewhere else, it is horrible, horrible, horrible practice to think that you're gonna take those bookings that you booked with an agency and just cancel all of them and rebook them somewhere else or transfer them. That's not cool. I'm gonna tell you that. However, the client themselves and the relationship that you've built with a client, an agency cannot keep your clients. It is up to your client if they wanna continue to book with the agency that you're leaving or if they wanna continue to book with you. I just wanna make sure that I'm clear on both of those things. You can absolutely leave an agency, but please, please don't be a person that's gonna try to cancel everything. I understand that maybe you're gonna get a little more commission depending on what the exit policy is, but there's a reason that you went to that agency to start with. And that's just in my in my opinion, that's bad practice. But understanding the client and the client relationship, the agency obviously still has access to that client. That should be in a contract. And if the client decides that they want to discontinue a relationship, then that's up to the client. But make sure that you're having those conversations so that you understand that you're not all of a sudden like, oh my gosh, I'm leaving and I didn't know this, this, and this. And then you go back to your contract and it's there. It's one of those very open conversations that we have as a team. Make sure that you're understanding those things. Find out like what systems do I have access to? What am I able to use when I start? Am I able to book all vendors? What kind of training do I have to do? Do I have to do any training? Make sure that you're finding out, like, do I have support, like marketing? Do I do my own marketing? Do you have marketing that have to follow? We have really, really strict guidelines with our marketing, but that's because it's for the betterment of the agency. And so agents, if they want to have their own marketing, absolutely. But if they want to attach it to Goofy Getaways or Goofy Getaways logo or you wanna share Goofy Getaways info, like there's all of these things are in place, but that's because it's professional. And that's what helps us stand out in my opinion. So I think just finding out like what you're responsible for and those type of things too, it's really just having a really open conversation and things that you don't initially think about because you're so excited about having a conversation and just wanting to be able to start booking travel. But if you can remember these things right up front, write this down. Write a little note. Make a little note if you're thinking about it. Ask the tough questions and make sure that you're getting answers. And then decide. I really encourage you, check out a couple different agencies. And another thing that I'm going to say is, you know, I pride myself as an agency is the commission points that we pay. That's obviously not something that I'm gonna discuss on the podcast. That's contractual. But, you know, don't go to an agency automatically because you might make five percent more commission. There might be a reason you might get paid five percent more commission, but are you gonna have any support? You're not gonna have support. I'm not pointing fingers at all, but I'm just saying make sure that when you're looking. Commission is very important. The most important thing is to make sure you're working for somebody that's going to pay you and that you're gonna get paid on time. And if you're not gonna get paid, they're gonna help you get that money. And then it's also like the fees. Don't you you can't be opposed to paying fees. It's a business expense. And if you're not willing to you know have business expenses, then this business is not for you. Whether it's travel, whether it's kind of doing your own marketing, your own website. It doesn't matter what it is. Make sure that you're setting up a budget when you're getting ready to start your agency, your start with an agency. These are all things that we go through with our travel consultants and teaching them how to be their own owner. Is there anything you guys can think I missed on that? But being kind of transparent when you're looking for an agency, was there anything that was really important to either of you when you were kind of interviewing to find out if it was gonna be a good fit for you?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: So I feel like for me, I very much am all about the relationships. And so I am I pride myself on feeling that I can read people really well. And so I feel like, you know, if you are meeting with an agency that there's just something in your gut that isn't telling you that you're feeling too great, that to me means that maybe you should meet with a couple other agencies. I know with Goofy Getaways during my interview I felt fully comfortable. So I knew for me that it was a good space and it was going to be with good people. And so I feel like for me that's my biggest thing that I could tell people is trust your gut feeling.
Amy Blades: Okay. No, thanks. What about
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: you, Lauren?
Lauren: So I'm gonna be so for real with you right now. Cut it out if you want to. I'm gonna be so for real.
Amy Blades: I already know what you're gonna say, but go ahead. I don't think we'll cut it out. Go ahead.
Lauren: I, and I'm I know we're gonna talk about this later, I had so thick, I had very thick rose colored glasses on when I started as a travel advisor. So I now know when I speak to other agents, like, hey, you know, if they're struggling, like, is your agency providing this? Is your agency providing this? Can you ask about this? Who can you reach out to for this? Because as I've been in this now for two and a half years, since I threw myself into at the end of a deep end pool, that's how I do. And thankfully I had a team that helped me learn how to swim. I know what to ask for now. And I'm just really so thankful that I landed with Goofy Getaways because I definitely was an agent that thought that this was gonna be a side hustle. And I know we're gonna talk about that more later.
Amy Blades: Yeah, yeah. And and we I promise we're gonna kinda finish up this portion of it. I just think it's so important when you're looking for an agency to be so honest about the things that you should look for. Because you didn't, right, Lauren? You were referred by a friend that was working for the agency who was working for the agency because she was a client of another agent. Like so that's the whole thing. Now I think we do an even better job, even now, two and a half, three years later, of
Lauren: It was definitely explained to me also as well. Like sorry, not to cut but like it wasn't like I nothing was hidden from me. I was just like, no, this is great. I'm so excited to book Disney travel and then, you know, I do as I do. But yeah, it was laid out perfectly through the agency and that's where I'm just like I feel very fortunate that this is where I landed and I had I trusted my friend who was an agent at the time. so yeah, it's It's very important to ask those questions though, because that's not always the case. And I have several friends that were travel advisors with other agencies that unfortunately ended their their time as an agent.
Amy Blades: We're like, yeah, Not doing it anymore. Yeah. No, I think that that's so true though. let's just talk about a couple more of like the red flags, especially in the recruitment process. And this is the thing that I was talking about just a couple minutes ago. if you are at an agency and you are trying to build like your own business, make sure that you are paying attention to if your commission is going to be somehow tied to or your path to success is going to somehow be aligned to if you're recruiting other advisors and you need to do that in order to make more commission, if there are only opportunities being presented to you for obviously larger costs, right? Like you'll get this, is it the same for everybody or if you pay a little bit more, you'll be able to do this or this or this. Like just make sure that everything is even and make sure that when you're looking at an agency, it's not your opportunity your job to build a downline. This is your own business that you are doing yourself. So if you're being tied to those type of things, that's just a red flag in my experience. Maybe you could
Lauren: Huge red flag.
Amy Blades: be somebody that wants to work for a company like that. and if you do, then you can turn off this podcast because we're probably not the right one for you. Obviously it works for some people because there are a lot of people that are doing it.
Lauren: And it's also extremely, I'm sorry, but like Jess, I'm sure you can speak to this too. How many of our guests have come to us and be like, I want tell me everything about being a travel advisor? Like, it would be so easy to build that downline because I mean, at least five times a month I have this conversation with my guests. And I'm so I'm like, I tell them the good, the bad,
Amy Blades: All of it.
Lauren: All of it, so honestly. Obviously, like I continue to do
Amy Blades: Mm.
Lauren: it and I love it so much, but it would be so easy to build that MLM style, but it's not honest if, at the heart of it, you're not being honest.
Amy Blades: Yeah, and I think if you're being expected to like primarily bring other people on in order to make money, I think what you really have to think about when you're looking at building a a business is like, okay, if I never have a like bring another person on, if you will, can I build a successful business based on the travel planning that I'm doing? Like it shouldn't be about anybody else other than you. So I just think kinda going over I think the big thing is fees. Wouldn't you say what the fees are, what the fees are for obviously communication, commission. and I think that you need to make sure that you're asking questions about time and effort. What's expected of you? I will tell people if you're looking to do this as a hobby, I'm not the agency for you. We pour so much into each one of our advisors that it truly isn't. Right? Would you guys disagree with that? Like if you're thinking you're gonna book one or two trips a year, it's not worth the investment.
Lauren: Absolutely. It's not. The agencies put so much, if whether it's insurance or training, the brand kits that we get, the brand images that are built for us, the communication that is lined up for us, all of those things are time and resources. So honestly, if you are going into to this to like book your own family's travel at like a quote unquote discount, or just get commission from your own travel, it's Honestly, it's just not worth it to do it period. It's it's really not it's really not.
Amy Blades: No, I agree. No, nope, I completely agree. I think another question to make sure that they ask also in an interview process is do I get leads from the company and how does that work? I'm so transparent about that in the very beginning too. Like, yeah, we're an agency that definitely we get leads that come into the agency, but I also have 55 advisors and there are definitely different thresholds and such, which is contractual. But just make sure that yeah, you are gonna get some leads, but also know that if it's an agency, like is the leads that they're gonna give you gonna help you build your business? Like is that gonna get you going or is it something that okay, you might get one a year or two, whatever it is, like knowing that you are responsible for building your own business and your own clientele. I talk about that right from the beginning because sometimes that's a huge misconception and and I want to talk about that too much because we did talk about that in the last podcast, but sometimes people come on and they're like, but I'm planning everybody's trips for them so I know everybody's gonna book with me and it's really not that easy. Yeah, I think the biggest thing when you're looking for an agency when you know it's like, yep, this is the agency that I'm supposed to be for. This is gonna be the one that's gonna work for me is is it somebody that's willing to invest in you? whether it's getting training opportunities, taking time to meet with you, making sure that you've got a whole training process, making sure that you can work with or or have relationships, conversations with agents that are on that team. tell me some of the green flags, you guys, that you feel like with Goofy Getaways.
Lauren: You hit them. Honestly as a whole, Goofy Getaways is so open and honest about everything. What the agency is going to provide for you, what you can expect back from the agency, all of those things and it's great.
Amy Blades: Yeah, I think it's important to be transparent, right? Because I'd rather have somebody come on knowing these things than them be halfway through and invested their time and money and be like, okay, but you never told me that. I'd rather say, you what, I know that you told like you said, Lauren, I know that you told me that, but this is a little bit harder than I thought that it was. So yeah, and I think you spoke to that too, Jess. I mean, I think you also know, right? Like in your gut, if you have an interview and I just want to remind people to ask the right questions. I want you to get excited about travel. I want you to be excited about having the interviews. There's definitely a really, really fun part of this job, whether it be the travel or the person that you work for, the company you work for, the people that you work with, there is so much good. It's just that you hear these stories and I just want to be so open and, I don't think there are a lot of people out there talking about what is something that I should be looking for, what is something I shouldn't. So that's really what we're trying to do is just give you some tools and some talking points to make sure and look at your contract and to ask the questions that are ultimately gonna be the thing that are gonna get you what you want for your business, you know what I mean?
Lauren: Yeah, and it when we share the negative, it's not to dissuade anyone from wanting to be a travel advisor. Obviously we love it, we do it. It's something that we've put so much time and passion into and we've built it into our lives. But when we're being honest about the downsides, you always want to know there's never a scenario in life where there isn't a downside. So when
Amy Blades: Yeah. You're right.
Lauren: we're talking about those, it's just being honest about what you can expect. And if you're like, cool, I can still handle it, then let's talk further.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, I would Just completely agree with that. And like it's all about transparency. And I don't think, especially Goofy Getaways, they don't want to set up anyone for not being able to succeed. And I think I know even although interviews have changed now, even in my interview when I was interviewed by Sue, she asked me, how do you plan to get your clients? And so immediately it was known to me that I was going to have to work for this. Like clients were not going to be given to me, and I had to have a game plan immediately coming in on what I thought I was going to do.
Amy Blades: Good. And I think that's sometimes the misconception too. Make sure if you're thinking about going to an agency that you are thinking about it, because it is a business. It is definitely a business and you've got to build your business. One of the things I really love about our agency, it I say one thing, all of the things, you guys know what I mean. Another thing. How about I say another thing instead of one thing?
Lauren: Another thing.
Amy Blades: is really that we we truly have a purpose-driven structure, if that makes sense. That we truly have a strategic council that is intentionally designed to provide specialized, accessible support for every single facet of the business, and I wanna talk just a a tiny bit for a minute about those things. You know, we have a vice president of communications and development. So for me, this was really, really important because it ensures clear, consistent, and constant communication and absolutely manages like the lead coordination, right? This is somebody that helps with the trainings that we do, the team meetings that we have, really making sure that the team all has the same message, the same communication, the same announcements, the same opportunities, just making sure everybody gets the same thing. We went from a team approach where we had the agency broken into teams, which was a fantastic way to run the business for many, many years. And then as we grew, I was finding that I was losing a little bit of touch with agents which I didn't like. And I was finding that each team had a different style, and so some agents may be getting a little something that maybe another wasn't, or so really we opened it up to have that counsel and in having my son as the CFO and being a real joint part of running the company with me. I can focus now back on the things that are so important to me with mentoring the agents, having my reaching having my clients. I do have an assistant that has been amazing. Shout out to Melissa because now I'm back to being able to book more trips than just a few. it's just really important, I think I say it but as an owner, to know what's happening in the industry. If I'm asking you guys to do something that I sure better be able to do it myself. I just think that speaks to leadership in general. But And talking about that communication vice president for sure. But then we also have our vice president of brand strategy who truly works kinda hand in hand with me and with our vice president of communication, works a little more hand in hand with Charles, my son, who's the CFO, just because the you know, they're like the brains or you know, the accountant, the money, like everything's regimented. And then you have Kayla and I who are definitely like the artistic planning, but I mean, I'm not gonna sell Kayla short because she definitely is one that has a vision for things too. And the way we work together is I say, look, this is really what I want, and then she makes it happen. But she protects our brand identity, our marketing direction, advisor visibility. She really works obviously to push that brand and making sure that people know that brand and understand that brand. And then the vice president of onboarding and company culture. This was a new position that we added this year. And it is perfect for at this, you know, with Noddea's who our VP is of that. And it focuses on welcoming our new advisors so that they feel welcome. They feel seen. They feel like they have somebody to go to if they have questions during that process. They know, you know, new advisors know that they can reach out to Charles and I, but they also know that that person is specifically there and dedicated to them during their training. And then obviously fostering the connection with our team. That's a huge part of the culture and preserving our collaborative culture. That's really important on the outside, looking at who we're collaborating with, what our company stands for. I think it's super, super important that we have those things, especially with the values that we put on in as an agency and put out there. And then we have our vice president of advisor success and resources. Because I still want every single advisor, even if you're not in training, that you still know that you have someone that is there to support. Obviously, this person provides ongoing like the tools, problem solving assistance, business development support. It's a really, really important part of the business. And I really think it really it just ties into who Goofy Getaways is as a whole. And that's why I loved hearing you guys say that earlier. What were your thoughts on when Charles and I met with each and every advisor last year to really hone in and dive in and vulnerable. Tell us what's working, what's not working. And then we designed this new system on that. So Jess, what was the first thing you thought when we were getting rid of the team approach and going to something new? So tell me the first thing you thought, but then tell me how you feel about that now. And then Lauren, I'll have you answer the same question.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, so I was terrified and I was like, I'm gonna have no one to tell my million things to. I'm not gonna know who to ask my questions to because I asked the former like manager like everything. Like I was always texting her, I was always like asking the questions, and I was like, now I have no one. And so that was my immediate thought. But overall, I love the strategic council, I love how it's set out. For me, I'm very type A and I need to know this person does this, this one does this, and this is like why I need to go to them. Like I'm very chain of command. I'm very like just like I said, very type A. A rule follower.
Amy Blades: A real follower. Mm-hmm. Yep.
Lauren: Mm.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: And so that helps my brain personally. But not only does it help like my brain, like it helps understanding the goals of the agency. And this person's goal is to help with this. And being able to meet with those specific people for those specific tasks that I want to work on in my own brand has been phenomenal for me.
Amy Blades: Good. What about you, Lauren?
Lauren: Yeah, so it's funny to piggyback off of that because I am very type C.
Amy Blades: Ha ha
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Okay.
Lauren: Depends Depends on which day you catch me. You can get a little
Amy Blades: Yep. Yep.
Lauren: bit of whatever. But what it helped me do is become a stronger travel advisor. Speaking exactly what I was like, so I can't just go to my manager for everything, but what if it's just silly? And then I'm like, well, if it's just silly, I don't need to bother anyone with it. Like I can, you know, I can figure this out too. And it's just made me
Amy Blades: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Lauren: be a stronger advisor in that aspect. And then again, I my favorite thing about like life in general is different people's experiences in life and learning from those. I feel like in most rooms that I'm in, I would actually prefer to just like hear what other people have to say because I truly love learning about other people's experiences or input for something. It's just something that is like one of my favorite things about the human condition, and just the human race in general. So now knowing like which each of these members what they specialize in and what they can help us as advisors hone in on or, you know, bounce ideas off of and that's going to be a little bit of a niche for them. It's made me a much stronger advisor.
Amy Blades: Good. Good. No, that's that's good, right? That's the point. We def absolutely and I think that we do a really good job of saying, hey, we provide support, but there's you gotta do stuff on your own too. I mean, there is definitely some of those things where you always say Google's your best friend, you guys. Now there's AI and I'll chat GPT, so you don't need that. But I always say that though, but I mean we wanna be there to help answer all things, obviously. But I think it does direct you back to okay, no, I can figure this out and then if not, I can ask the questions. So Yeah. I don't know. Hopefully in having a discussion about who would make a good travel advisor, who wouldn't. I think the bottom line is we're not trying to discourage anybody at all. We're just trying to be completely honest and really kind of touch on the fact that you really, really must want to run your own business and understand that you are your own business and you need to run it as a business to be successful. Alright, now I'm gonna kinda interview you guys. Are you ready? Lauren, what was your first difficult client situation?
Lauren: gosh. Okay. So you gave me this question a couple of days ago, and I'm gonna be honest, I've been mulling it over to figure out one. and I think what it comes down to is like a group of things that are hard that I didn't realize were going to be hard. And that is not everyone's going to be happy. And that's a really hard place to sit in. we are not ice cream. We're actually not Disney World. We cannot make everyone happy, and that's that's just what it is. Weather happens. Resorts disappoint people, but at the end of the day, we still have to be confident in the service we're providing.
Amy Blades: I would agree with that completely. It's like it's not like one thing. It's yeah. hey Jess, is there something that you have learned from first hand travel?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yes. The biggest thing that I have learned is be confident and courageous and being able to go specifically and exploring independently because that allows you to make sure that you don't regret not seeing something or not even like walking into a particular shop. And so just like allowing yourself to be a little courageous when it comes to travel and just making sure that you're also getting those memories met that you want to make.
Amy Blades: Absolutely. I like that. Yeah. Is there a booking that you're particularly proud of, Jessica?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: There is. sent a client to Ireland last August. I think that was like my first big international trip where like they were there for two weeks and we ended up mapping out five or six main cities. We they did like a car rental, so I worked through the car rentals and everything. And they just traveled all over Ireland and I was so proud of it. I found some really cute hotels that look like castles. And I just love that one. It'll be forever in my memory.
Amy Blades: Yeah, it made you feel confident in like what you're doing probably. Yeah. What about you, Lauren? I do want to have you answer this one too, because is there a booking that really stands out for you?
Lauren: man. again, I'm not like a I can't always like narrow it down to one. I think it's when I have a guest of mine that comes to me and we collaborate and we build an itinerary and then they come back and they've loved the destination that I've picked, regardless of if it was like what they had in mind. I just love that collaboration and just like curating these trips. It has it's not one specific booking I don't that I can think of. I mean there's a few that always stand out, but that's usually just personal
Amy Blades: It's more that
Lauren: that's yeah.
Amy Blades: yeah, yeah, for sure. what is something that you realized about that you I guess that you didn't realize about the job before you started?
Lauren: So I definitely did not realize that my guests would truly become like friends to me. I probably should have realized that, especially with my background as a hairdresser. I just tend to attach to people and I love my people. but
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: getting texts like, our baby was born, we sold our house, we bought a house, we can't wait to celebrate this milestone in our life with this trip. Hey, we're thinking about this. I really did not anticipate. I knew I'd be helping families make memories. I didn't anticipate the relationships I'd be building with my guests, and it's really special to me.
Amy Blades: Okay. Jess, is there something that you wish you knew before becoming an advisor?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: I think for me, I wish again for time management-wise, I wish I would have known how much time I would be spending on my computer and
Amy Blades: True.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: how many emails I would be writing, which feels like constantly. And it's not a bad thing at all. I absolutely love it. Again, very type A, like an email is my best friend. That's how I communicate with my clients. Like, give me all the bullet points. But I do wish
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: I would have known that a little bit, just for my own kind of work-life balance, trying to figure
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: things out there.
Amy Blades: Setting boundaries, hours. And being able
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yes.
Amy Blades: to put on your email, you're outside my hours, making sure your clients know these are my hours. Absolutely. Okay, I'm gonna have you both answer this this last question as we kind of wrap up the the podcast. Thank you guys so much for taking time. This is such a topic that is actually I like to talk about because it's real and it's transparent and we're always welcome to we always welcome new advisors like Goofy Getaways. If you're interested in becoming a consultant, we absolutely would love to have you apply. Interview us. I think that we have a lot to offer. So as we get ready to wrap up, I'm gonna have you guys finish out here. This is my question. How has the business impacted your life?
Lauren: Well, I never foresaw myself being someone who worked from home. I truly didn't. I was always very tactile with the job that I had for the career I had for fifteen years. But being able to be home with my family and support them when they need to working hard, I'm still, you know, working very hard for my guests and all of that. But being able to do that successfully and be able to be home and be a mom, was just something I honestly truly never thought was going to be a reality for me. So
Amy Blades: No, I love that. Do you feel like the mentorship helped you with that as far as putting like the boundaries and such in place?
Lauren: Yes, because it's going to give me longevity. We've talked about this so many, you know, because I am
Amy Blades: Good.
Lauren: I have a hard time with boundaries. So being able to be like, nope, I still love you, but like I do have a family
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: that requires my attention and that like a 2 a.m. text is not gonna get responded to. those, yeah, the mentors
Amy Blades: Nope. Nope. And giving you the confidence, I think, to know that that's okay.
Lauren: And that's okay. And my guests have responded to it so well too. So the mentorship
Amy Blades: Yeah. Good.
Lauren: truly, truly nailed that in for me and helped create strategies
Amy Blades: Good.
Lauren: and put systems in place for me to continue to be successful in both aspects.
Amy Blades: Good. Good. What about you, Jess?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, so it's impacted me by giving me a lot of life opportunities that I never thought I would have had. So I didn't grow up traveling very often. Like I would go to some cities. I only went to Disney one time before working there. And since becoming an agent, I've gotten to do VIP tour at Disney World. I got to do one at Epic Universe. Lauren and I got to go to Epic Universe before it even opened. And so like opportunities I never would have imagined being able to have in my entire life. Like that's how it's impacted me and just being grateful for everything that I've been given so far.
Amy Blades: That's awesome. See that just see, and that makes my heart happy because that's what
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah.
Amy Blades: it's all about, right?
Lauren: For sure.
Amy Blades: All right. If you've made it this far and you're thinking, okay, I think this might actually be for me. We'd love to be part of your next step. Head to GoofyGetaways.com to learn more about becoming a travel advisor affiliated with Goofy Getaways. And to find out what our team, our training and support and community look like. And if you're still doing research, that's okay too. Take what you've learned in this episode and use it to ask questions and compare agencies. Read the fine print and find the environment that is going to be the best fit for you and for the business that you want to build. But if you think Goofy Getaways might be that fit, we would love to meet you. So visit GoofyGetaways.com Learn more about our travel advisor opportunity and take the next step toward building a travel business of your own. Whether you're listening because you're thinking of becoming a travel advisor or because you're simply dreaming about your next vacation, thank you for spending some time with us today. but until next time, let Goofy Getaways lead you to the magic.
Lauren: yeah. I mean
Amy Blades: things for sure?
Lauren: Yeah, I love knowing who their strategic council is. I love knowing like, what, who to reach out to for what because we don't, everyone wants quality of life, right? So if ever if one person's inbox is getting full with everything, that's that's not balanced. We know exactly who our strategic council is. We know exactly who to go to for what. And it's not just that, Jess, you probably agree as well. They're reaching out to us too. And they want to hear back from us, and if they haven't heard back from us in a hot minute, they're like, hey, you good? So I just really I do, I love the whole structure and it's it's restructured since I've even been with the agency and it's just keeps getting better.
Amy Blades: What about you, Jess?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, I would completely agree. And they do reach out to us if they don't hear from us. And so I love that in itself that 'cause that helps us feel cared about too as an agent. And it does help us understand, okay, this person, this is their expertise, let me go ask this person this question or this other person this question. And that also helps us to not feel like we're bothering anyone. And of course no one ever feels bothered. Like everyone is going to answer any questions we have. But like at the end of the day, like we all at some point feel like, oh, am I bothering this person? And this really helps you understand like, no, this is their role. This is what they're there for, and it kind of just takes away that anxiety.
Amy Blades: Why don't you guys talk about the team in itself and do you feel comfortable or would you say that as an agency, we have people that are experienced in some things and not others, and that you feel like you could definitely reach out to somebody with quite talk about just the camaraderie of the team. I would like them to hear that from you instead of from me.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: So I absolutely feel comfortable reaching out to anyone else that I know this is their expertise, this is what they've booked before. I know one of our agents, Bree, she is a cruise guru with Royal Caribbean, and I'm just like, if I have a question, I can go ask Bree. Like it's very simple for me to reach out. Or Rachel and Lauren, like are both very good at accessibility needs or families. I don't have little kiddos, so I don't always understand what a child might need. I can guess all day. But if I need to rely on someone with that expertise, I can absolutely reach out to them whenever I need to.
Amy Blades: Lauren, you want to
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: piggyback on that?
Lauren: Yeah, I completely agree. there is definitely some things that I'm not great at. I you know, no one can be good at all things. I'm not good at internet, period. I'm not good at technology, period. And the amount of questions I put out to either members of Strategic Council or to other agents, like, hey, how do you navigate this app for this vendor? Or how do you navigate this for this? Whatever it looks like, those are the things that are really, really stressful. You know, there are certain places that I'm just not going to have availability in my life right now or the near future because my kids are small and the way we travel is very niche. That's, you know, we're not gonna be bounding around Europe anytime soon, but I love to help guests with new itineraries and curate those trips for them. But I definitely reach out to agents who like have availability. I also love that if I'm like, this is way too big for me, or this is so outside my wheels house that I can so feel so confident in the team that we have that I can pass that itinerary and that guest off to another agent and know that they're going to be so well taken care of.
Amy Blades: I love that too. That's what it's all about, right? That's why I want I I built the company because that's so important. I honestly feel like is there some fun competition? Because we do, we do some cool things for we do talk about sales because it's a business. So yes, we do talk about that, but I don't feel like everybody feels like they're in competition. Everybody really works together to try to help all the time. I say you're not in competition with each other. You're in competition with everybody that's booking direct with whatever vendor that
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: it is.
Lauren: And I always say, like, I'm in competition with myself every month. I get so much joy when I see that top five come out, regardless if I'm on it or not. I literally, if there's like someone I haven't seen up there before, I haven't seen I'm like I message them. I'm like, you go get it. I'm so proud of you. Like, what
Amy Blades: See, that's awesome, Lauren.
Lauren: have you done differently this month? How do you feel? I love seeing our team succeed, whether it's me up there, no matter who it is, it's just the coolest thing. So that comp that competition? It just,
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: it's a driving force of moving forward is what it is. And then it just makes you in competition with yourself. And that's the only person that we're in competition with.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, would agree with Lauren. Like I know our top five came out this week and I seen someone on there who I don't know if I've ever seen on there. And I was so excited, just like internal
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: excitement for that person.
Amy Blades: It it's exciting. It's exciting for me when I pull reports. Like it is really exciting for me too. Yeah, I love that.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah. And so like being able to know that each other is like to know that we're all excited for each other, like when we even just make a single sale, like that in itself is so exciting. And to be able to talk
Amy Blades: It is.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: to all the agents and they're excited for you and it really is what keeps us all going.
Amy Blades: Yeah, we do an agency summit every other year. And this we had our summit last year, and so next year would be the time for us to have our next summit. And we have an incredible opportunity with Royal Caribbean. And so I did not want the agents to have to choose between summit and doing this opportunity with Royal Caribbean. So I said, you know what, we'll wait and we'll go one more year because then it'll also be our our 15 year anniversary. My, there are a lot of things I love about summit. Probably my favorite thing, and it's always emotional, and it's something that I really pour myself into is the awards because we definitely talk about the awards for top sales, but there are a lot of other awards that are sprinkled in there too, because I think it's really important to let people know you see them. Now you might not be in the top five, but you might have had tremendous growth. You may have, you know, been somebody that started out one year booking one trip and now you booked fifty or I just love being able to point out and make people feel special and seen. And I think you've both obviously been to Summit and both received awards for Summit too. So and Jess, I will chuckle that I still have Jess's award because they spelt something wrong on it and it's at my house. Now that I'm looking at you I'm feeling guilty all of a sudden I'm like, I gotta get that to Jess. But it's something that's important to recognize people's hard work. And everyone can say, I don't need a pat on the back. Well, you know, everybody needs one. Everyone. I'm all I'm one of those who's like, look, I don't need anybody to make a really big deal of me, but there's just something to be said for like just a little thank you note or just a thank you email. Everybody needs that. I think it's important. So I love that you do that. That's pretty cool, Lauren, too. I'm gonna talk about transparency when you're looking for an agency, also. And this is like the green flag thumbs up type thing. I think that you when you're having a conversation with an agency, what are your fees? They should know what they are and they should be able to tell you exactly what they are for. I will not fault any agency for having administrative fees. Everybody does their own thing. So I'm not gonna say anything about that other than making sure that you know what your fees are for and that they are realistic and that you're getting something out of what you're paying for. Did I say that pretty good? Okay. Yeah, I think also making sure you understand how commissions are handled, when you get paid. What happens if you get paid and the amount isn't correct? What happens if it's been 45 days since travel? Like, do they have a process for lost commissions? If you file lost commission, is your agency owner, the manager, whoever's tracking that, are they fighting for you to get that commission? How are they communicating? If you are at an agency that is not comfortable talking about commissions or lost commissions, that is a huge red flag. I will tell you that you can call any one of my agents and they will tell you they know if they ever have a question about anything at all. I'm gonna be mad at them if they don't say something to me. We have a process in place, but I am gonna say that that is the biggest red flag because there are so many people and it's been out and about and in the news and giving those of us that pay out commissions a bad name sometimes. You have to make sure that you understand the amount that you're getting, where it where it's being deposited, when is it being deposited, all of those things should be in your independent contractor agreement. Another thing, a green flag is having an independent contractor agreement that makes sense for both the agency and the independent contractor. And that when you are having an interview and you're asking these questions, that the answers that you're getting are also in that contract. That's so important. Read the contract. I cannot tell you how many people do not read contracts. And it is essential.
Lauren: Read the contract. Can I can I say something real quick?
Amy Blades: yeah.
Lauren: I'm such a big proponent of the way so when I was first onboarded, there we had our standard operating procedure. I have ADHD I don't hide that from anyone. And I would go to read the standard operating procedure and I like, it was very pretty. But I couldn't, I was like, I can't, I'm not retaining so I messaged I forget who at the time and
Amy Blades: Noddea
Lauren: Noddea and Greg sent me within like two days a blank form standard operating procedure. So it was just like I was like so sorry that I'm being difficult, but I just I it's so important to read those. I remember getting a phone
Amy Blades: And I don't think anyone felt that, right? I remember getting a phone call about it and saying, hey, this is kind of what's going on. And I'm like, absolutely. And then it made us realize that's one of those things that when we redid our standard operating procedures, I have a child that has disabilities too, like with reading and such, so for me it was never that I'm like, I wanna make sure that this is the easiest for you.
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: Because I do think that an SOP is extremely important also. And obviously you're not gonna get that until you sign the contract. But your contract
Lauren: Correct, right, right.
Amy Blades: is really that preemp like ask the questions. Don't be afraid to ask the questions. And if you're not getting the answers that you want, then go to a different agency, because there are incredible agencies out there. I know them. I'm very, very good friends with many of them. I mentor a lot of different agency owners. I just want, I just want it to come across. That you need to make sure that you're asking questions and that if you get a weird vibe about a question that you're asking, press a little harder and make sure you read the contract. I think that's something that I'm super open about in the interview process, and commissions, I think everyone does know. Look, this is what a policy is. Definitely ask me because I know what it's like to not get paid when you're supposed to get paid. So I've seen it. I've seen it happen to people, I know people. And you help people put systems in
Lauren: And you help people put systems in place to make sure that they are getting paid for their commissions,
Amy Blades: Yeah, absolutely.
Lauren: which is huge. I remember Greg specifically because I again like yes, I had a lot of people traveling very soon after I started working. I was, you know, it was a lot. So he,
Amy Blades: Yes.
Lauren: his own time sat down with me for like, you know, on via the internet. He sat down with me and
Amy Blades: Yeah, yeah. And
Lauren: showed me how to pull my reports, how to look for lost commissions. How to like and how often he explained he's like, you know, it is contractual with the vendors that we book for. That's why it has to be done within X amount of time since travel. It's contractual for the agency. So if the agency wants to go to bat for us, we have to pull
Amy Blades: Correct.
Lauren: our weight. Sorry. If the agents yeah, within that time frame. And I've seen you
Amy Blades: Within that time also. Yes.
Lauren: go to bat for commissions. You're so open and honest with lost commissions and with vendors. And you, you know, it's It's kind of cool to see. It's frustrating in in the time when you have a commission sitting
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: out there for a year. But, you know, you don't let that slide. You're like, nope, my agent's
Amy Blades: Yeah. Mm-mm.
Lauren: gonna get paid.
Amy Blades: Yeah. And if they don't, then we're not gonna book business with you again. That's true too. I mean, but yeah.
Lauren: And I'm always like P please don't make me get to that point, please.
Amy Blades: No, no, right. No. I I'm so glad that you say that because it is
Lauren: Totally.
Amy Blades: absolutely the the truth. I just wanted to talk about just a couple other things as far as when you're interviewing an agency or you're being interviewed, I really think that it is important to talk about It's realistic. What happens if I leave? Is there an exit plan? What happens with my commissions? What happens with my clients? Who owns the client relationship? And I'm gonna say this the bookings, if you have bookings with an agency and you're planning on leaving and going somewhere else, it is horrible, horrible, horrible practice to think that you're gonna take those bookings that you booked with an agency and just cancel all of them and rebook them somewhere else or transfer them. That's not cool. I'm gonna tell you that. However, the client themselves and the relationship that you've built with a client, an agency cannot keep your clients. It is up to your client if they wanna continue to book with the agency that you're leaving or if they wanna continue to book with you. I just wanna make sure that I'm clear on both of those things. You can absolutely leave an agency, but please, please don't be a person that's gonna try to cancel everything. I understand that maybe you're gonna get a little more commission depending on what the exit policy is, but there's a reason that you went to that agency to start with. And that's just in my in my opinion, that's bad practice. But understanding the client and the client relationship, the agency obviously still has access to that client. That should be in a contract. And if the client decides that they want to discontinue a relationship, then that's up to the client. But make sure that you're having those conversations so that you understand that you're not all of a sudden like, oh my gosh, I'm leaving and I didn't know this, this, and this. And then you go back to your contract and it's there. It's one of those very open conversations that we have as a team. Make sure that you're understanding those things. Find out like what systems do I have access to? What am I able to use when I start? Am I able to book all vendors? What kind of training do I have to do? Do I have to do any training? Make sure that you're finding out, like, do I have support, like marketing? Do I do my own marketing? Do you have marketing that have to follow? We have really, really strict guidelines with our marketing, but that's because it's for the betterment of the agency. And so agents, if they want to have their own marketing, absolutely. But if they want to attach it to Goofy Getaways or Goofy Getaways logo or you wanna share Goofy Getaways info, like there's all of these things are in place, but that's because it's professional. And that's what helps us stand out in my opinion. So I think just finding out like what you're responsible for and those type of things too, it's really just having a really open conversation and things that you don't initially think about because you're so excited about having a conversation and just wanting to be able to start booking travel. But if you can remember these things right up front, write this down. Write a little note. Make a little note if you're thinking about it. Ask the tough questions and make sure that you're getting answers. And then decide. I really encourage you, check out a couple different agencies. And another thing that I'm going to say is, you know, I pride myself as an agency is the commission points that we pay. That's obviously not something that I'm gonna discuss on the podcast. That's contractual. But, you know, don't go to an agency automatically because you might make five percent more commission. There might be a reason you might get paid five percent more commission, but are you gonna have any support? You're not gonna have support. I'm not pointing fingers at all, but I'm just saying make sure that when you're looking. Commission is very important. The most important thing is to make sure you're working for somebody that's going to pay you and that you're gonna get paid on time. And if you're not gonna get paid, they're gonna help you get that money. And then it's also like the fees. Don't you you can't be opposed to paying fees. It's a business expense. And if you're not willing to you know have business expenses, then this business is not for you. Whether it's travel, whether it's kind of doing your own marketing, your own website. It doesn't matter what it is. Make sure that you're setting up a budget when you're getting ready to start your agency, your start with an agency. These are all things that we go through with our travel consultants and teaching them how to be their own owner. Is there anything you guys can think I missed on that? But being kind of transparent when you're looking for an agency, was there anything that was really important to either of you when you were kind of interviewing to find out if it was gonna be a good fit for you?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: So I feel like for me, I very much am all about the relationships. And so I am I pride myself on feeling that I can read people really well. And so I feel like, you know, if you are meeting with an agency that there's just something in your gut that isn't telling you that you're feeling too great, that to me means that maybe you should meet with a couple other agencies. I know with Goofy Getaways during my interview I felt fully comfortable. So I knew for me that it was a good space and it was going to be with good people. And so I feel like for me that's my biggest thing that I could tell people is trust your gut feeling.
Amy Blades: Okay. No, thanks. What about
Lauren: Yeah.
Amy Blades: you, Lauren?
Lauren: So I'm gonna be so for real with you right now. Cut it out if you want to. I'm gonna be so for real.
Amy Blades: I already know what you're gonna say, but go ahead. I don't think we'll cut it out. Go ahead.
Lauren: I, and I'm I know we're gonna talk about this later, I had so thick, I had very thick rose colored glasses on when I started as a travel advisor. So I now know when I speak to other agents, like, hey, you know, if they're struggling, like, is your agency providing this? Is your agency providing this? Can you ask about this? Who can you reach out to for this? Because as I've been in this now for two and a half years, since I threw myself into at the end of a deep end pool, that's how I do. And thankfully I had a team that helped me learn how to swim. I know what to ask for now. And I'm just really so thankful that I landed with Goofy Getaways because I definitely was an agent that thought that this was gonna be a side hustle. And I know we're gonna talk about that more later.
Amy Blades: Yeah, yeah. And and we I promise we're gonna kinda finish up this portion of it. I just think it's so important when you're looking for an agency to be so honest about the things that you should look for. Because you didn't, right, Lauren? You were referred by a friend that was working for the agency who was working for the agency because she was a client of another agent. Like so that's the whole thing. Now I think we do an even better job, even now, two and a half, three years later, of
Lauren: It was definitely explained to me also as well. Like sorry, not to cut but like it wasn't like I nothing was hidden from me. I was just like, no, this is great. I'm so excited to book Disney travel and then, you know, I do as I do. But yeah, it was laid out perfectly through the agency and that's where I'm just like I feel very fortunate that this is where I landed and I had I trusted my friend who was an agent at the time. so yeah, it's It's very important to ask those questions though, because that's not always the case. And I have several friends that were travel advisors with other agencies that unfortunately ended their their time as an agent.
Amy Blades: We're like, yeah, Not doing it anymore. Yeah. No, I think that that's so true though. let's just talk about a couple more of like the red flags, especially in the recruitment process. And this is the thing that I was talking about just a couple minutes ago. if you are at an agency and you are trying to build like your own business, make sure that you are paying attention to if your commission is going to be somehow tied to or your path to success is going to somehow be aligned to if you're recruiting other advisors and you need to do that in order to make more commission, if there are only opportunities being presented to you for obviously larger costs, right? Like you'll get this, is it the same for everybody or if you pay a little bit more, you'll be able to do this or this or this. Like just make sure that everything is even and make sure that when you're looking at an agency, it's not your opportunity your job to build a downline. This is your own business that you are doing yourself. So if you're being tied to those type of things, that's just a red flag in my experience. Maybe you could
Lauren: Huge red flag.
Amy Blades: be somebody that wants to work for a company like that. and if you do, then you can turn off this podcast because we're probably not the right one for you. Obviously it works for some people because there are a lot of people that are doing it.
Lauren: And it's also extremely, I'm sorry, but like Jess, I'm sure you can speak to this too. How many of our guests have come to us and be like, I want tell me everything about being a travel advisor? Like, it would be so easy to build that downline because I mean, at least five times a month I have this conversation with my guests. And I'm so I'm like, I tell them the good, the bad,
Amy Blades: All of it.
Lauren: All of it, so honestly. Obviously, like I continue to do
Amy Blades: Mm.
Lauren: it and I love it so much, but it would be so easy to build that MLM style, but it's not honest if, at the heart of it, you're not being honest.
Amy Blades: Yeah, and I think if you're being expected to like primarily bring other people on in order to make money, I think what you really have to think about when you're looking at building a a business is like, okay, if I never have a like bring another person on, if you will, can I build a successful business based on the travel planning that I'm doing? Like it shouldn't be about anybody else other than you. So I just think kinda going over I think the big thing is fees. Wouldn't you say what the fees are, what the fees are for obviously communication, commission. and I think that you need to make sure that you're asking questions about time and effort. What's expected of you? I will tell people if you're looking to do this as a hobby, I'm not the agency for you. We pour so much into each one of our advisors that it truly isn't. Right? Would you guys disagree with that? Like if you're thinking you're gonna book one or two trips a year, it's not worth the investment.
Lauren: Absolutely. It's not. The agencies put so much, if whether it's insurance or training, the brand kits that we get, the brand images that are built for us, the communication that is lined up for us, all of those things are time and resources. So honestly, if you are going into to this to like book your own family's travel at like a quote unquote discount, or just get commission from your own travel, it's Honestly, it's just not worth it to do it period. It's it's really not it's really not.
Amy Blades: No, I agree. No, nope, I completely agree. I think another question to make sure that they ask also in an interview process is do I get leads from the company and how does that work? I'm so transparent about that in the very beginning too. Like, yeah, we're an agency that definitely we get leads that come into the agency, but I also have 55 advisors and there are definitely different thresholds and such, which is contractual. But just make sure that yeah, you are gonna get some leads, but also know that if it's an agency, like is the leads that they're gonna give you gonna help you build your business? Like is that gonna get you going or is it something that okay, you might get one a year or two, whatever it is, like knowing that you are responsible for building your own business and your own clientele. I talk about that right from the beginning because sometimes that's a huge misconception and and I want to talk about that too much because we did talk about that in the last podcast, but sometimes people come on and they're like, but I'm planning everybody's trips for them so I know everybody's gonna book with me and it's really not that easy. Yeah, I think the biggest thing when you're looking for an agency when you know it's like, yep, this is the agency that I'm supposed to be for. This is gonna be the one that's gonna work for me is is it somebody that's willing to invest in you? whether it's getting training opportunities, taking time to meet with you, making sure that you've got a whole training process, making sure that you can work with or or have relationships, conversations with agents that are on that team. tell me some of the green flags, you guys, that you feel like with Goofy Getaways.
Lauren: You hit them. Honestly as a whole, Goofy Getaways is so open and honest about everything. What the agency is going to provide for you, what you can expect back from the agency, all of those things and it's great.
Amy Blades: Yeah, I think it's important to be transparent, right? Because I'd rather have somebody come on knowing these things than them be halfway through and invested their time and money and be like, okay, but you never told me that. I'd rather say, you what, I know that you told like you said, Lauren, I know that you told me that, but this is a little bit harder than I thought that it was. So yeah, and I think you spoke to that too, Jess. I mean, I think you also know, right? Like in your gut, if you have an interview and I just want to remind people to ask the right questions. I want you to get excited about travel. I want you to be excited about having the interviews. There's definitely a really, really fun part of this job, whether it be the travel or the person that you work for, the company you work for, the people that you work with, there is so much good. It's just that you hear these stories and I just want to be so open and, I don't think there are a lot of people out there talking about what is something that I should be looking for, what is something I shouldn't. So that's really what we're trying to do is just give you some tools and some talking points to make sure and look at your contract and to ask the questions that are ultimately gonna be the thing that are gonna get you what you want for your business, you know what I mean?
Lauren: Yeah, and it when we share the negative, it's not to dissuade anyone from wanting to be a travel advisor. Obviously we love it, we do it. It's something that we've put so much time and passion into and we've built it into our lives. But when we're being honest about the downsides, you always want to know there's never a scenario in life where there isn't a downside. So when
Amy Blades: Yeah. You're right.
Lauren: we're talking about those, it's just being honest about what you can expect. And if you're like, cool, I can still handle it, then let's talk further.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, I would Just completely agree with that. And like it's all about transparency. And I don't think, especially Goofy Getaways, they don't want to set up anyone for not being able to succeed. And I think I know even although interviews have changed now, even in my interview when I was interviewed by Sue, she asked me, how do you plan to get your clients? And so immediately it was known to me that I was going to have to work for this. Like clients were not going to be given to me, and I had to have a game plan immediately coming in on what I thought I was going to do.
Amy Blades: Good. And I think that's sometimes the misconception too. Make sure if you're thinking about going to an agency that you are thinking about it, because it is a business. It is definitely a business and you've got to build your business. One of the things I really love about our agency, it I say one thing, all of the things, you guys know what I mean. Another thing. How about I say another thing instead of one thing?
Lauren: Another thing.
Amy Blades: is really that we we truly have a purpose-driven structure, if that makes sense. That we truly have a strategic council that is intentionally designed to provide specialized, accessible support for every single facet of the business, and I wanna talk just a a tiny bit for a minute about those things. You know, we have a vice president of communications and development. So for me, this was really, really important because it ensures clear, consistent, and constant communication and absolutely manages like the lead coordination, right? This is somebody that helps with the trainings that we do, the team meetings that we have, really making sure that the team all has the same message, the same communication, the same announcements, the same opportunities, just making sure everybody gets the same thing. We went from a team approach where we had the agency broken into teams, which was a fantastic way to run the business for many, many years. And then as we grew, I was finding that I was losing a little bit of touch with agents which I didn't like. And I was finding that each team had a different style, and so some agents may be getting a little something that maybe another wasn't, or so really we opened it up to have that counsel and in having my son as the CFO and being a real joint part of running the company with me. I can focus now back on the things that are so important to me with mentoring the agents, having my reaching having my clients. I do have an assistant that has been amazing. Shout out to Melissa because now I'm back to being able to book more trips than just a few. it's just really important, I think I say it but as an owner, to know what's happening in the industry. If I'm asking you guys to do something that I sure better be able to do it myself. I just think that speaks to leadership in general. But And talking about that communication vice president for sure. But then we also have our vice president of brand strategy who truly works kinda hand in hand with me and with our vice president of communication, works a little more hand in hand with Charles, my son, who's the CFO, just because the you know, they're like the brains or you know, the accountant, the money, like everything's regimented. And then you have Kayla and I who are definitely like the artistic planning, but I mean, I'm not gonna sell Kayla short because she definitely is one that has a vision for things too. And the way we work together is I say, look, this is really what I want, and then she makes it happen. But she protects our brand identity, our marketing direction, advisor visibility. She really works obviously to push that brand and making sure that people know that brand and understand that brand. And then the vice president of onboarding and company culture. This was a new position that we added this year. And it is perfect for at this, you know, with Noddea's who our VP is of that. And it focuses on welcoming our new advisors so that they feel welcome. They feel seen. They feel like they have somebody to go to if they have questions during that process. They know, you know, new advisors know that they can reach out to Charles and I, but they also know that that person is specifically there and dedicated to them during their training. And then obviously fostering the connection with our team. That's a huge part of the culture and preserving our collaborative culture. That's really important on the outside, looking at who we're collaborating with, what our company stands for. I think it's super, super important that we have those things, especially with the values that we put on in as an agency and put out there. And then we have our vice president of advisor success and resources. Because I still want every single advisor, even if you're not in training, that you still know that you have someone that is there to support. Obviously, this person provides ongoing like the tools, problem solving assistance, business development support. It's a really, really important part of the business. And I really think it really it just ties into who Goofy Getaways is as a whole. And that's why I loved hearing you guys say that earlier. What were your thoughts on when Charles and I met with each and every advisor last year to really hone in and dive in and vulnerable. Tell us what's working, what's not working. And then we designed this new system on that. So Jess, what was the first thing you thought when we were getting rid of the team approach and going to something new? So tell me the first thing you thought, but then tell me how you feel about that now. And then Lauren, I'll have you answer the same question.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, so I was terrified and I was like, I'm gonna have no one to tell my million things to. I'm not gonna know who to ask my questions to because I asked the former like manager like everything. Like I was always texting her, I was always like asking the questions, and I was like, now I have no one. And so that was my immediate thought. But overall, I love the strategic council, I love how it's set out. For me, I'm very type A and I need to know this person does this, this one does this, and this is like why I need to go to them. Like I'm very chain of command. I'm very like just like I said, very type A. A rule follower.
Amy Blades: A real follower. Mm-hmm. Yep.
Lauren: Mm.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: And so that helps my brain personally. But not only does it help like my brain, like it helps understanding the goals of the agency. And this person's goal is to help with this. And being able to meet with those specific people for those specific tasks that I want to work on in my own brand has been phenomenal for me.
Amy Blades: Good. What about you, Lauren?
Lauren: Yeah, so it's funny to piggyback off of that because I am very type C.
Amy Blades: Ha ha
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Okay.
Lauren: Depends Depends on which day you catch me. You can get a little
Amy Blades: Yep. Yep.
Lauren: bit of whatever. But what it helped me do is become a stronger travel advisor. Speaking exactly what I was like, so I can't just go to my manager for everything, but what if it's just silly? And then I'm like, well, if it's just silly, I don't need to bother anyone with it. Like I can, you know, I can figure this out too. And it's just made me
Amy Blades: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Lauren: be a stronger advisor in that aspect. And then again, I my favorite thing about like life in general is different people's experiences in life and learning from those. I feel like in most rooms that I'm in, I would actually prefer to just like hear what other people have to say because I truly love learning about other people's experiences or input for something. It's just something that is like one of my favorite things about the human condition, and just the human race in general. So now knowing like which each of these members what they specialize in and what they can help us as advisors hone in on or, you know, bounce ideas off of and that's going to be a little bit of a niche for them. It's made me a much stronger advisor.
Amy Blades: Good. Good. No, that's that's good, right? That's the point. We def absolutely and I think that we do a really good job of saying, hey, we provide support, but there's you gotta do stuff on your own too. I mean, there is definitely some of those things where you always say Google's your best friend, you guys. Now there's AI and I'll chat GPT, so you don't need that. But I always say that though, but I mean we wanna be there to help answer all things, obviously. But I think it does direct you back to okay, no, I can figure this out and then if not, I can ask the questions. So Yeah. I don't know. Hopefully in having a discussion about who would make a good travel advisor, who wouldn't. I think the bottom line is we're not trying to discourage anybody at all. We're just trying to be completely honest and really kind of touch on the fact that you really, really must want to run your own business and understand that you are your own business and you need to run it as a business to be successful. Alright, now I'm gonna kinda interview you guys. Are you ready? Lauren, what was your first difficult client situation?
Lauren: gosh. Okay. So you gave me this question a couple of days ago, and I'm gonna be honest, I've been mulling it over to figure out one. and I think what it comes down to is like a group of things that are hard that I didn't realize were going to be hard. And that is not everyone's going to be happy. And that's a really hard place to sit in. we are not ice cream. We're actually not Disney World. We cannot make everyone happy, and that's that's just what it is. Weather happens. Resorts disappoint people, but at the end of the day, we still have to be confident in the service we're providing.
Amy Blades: I would agree with that completely. It's like it's not like one thing. It's yeah. hey Jess, is there something that you have learned from first hand travel?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yes. The biggest thing that I have learned is be confident and courageous and being able to go specifically and exploring independently because that allows you to make sure that you don't regret not seeing something or not even like walking into a particular shop. And so just like allowing yourself to be a little courageous when it comes to travel and just making sure that you're also getting those memories met that you want to make.
Amy Blades: Absolutely. I like that. Yeah. Is there a booking that you're particularly proud of, Jessica?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: There is. sent a client to Ireland last August. I think that was like my first big international trip where like they were there for two weeks and we ended up mapping out five or six main cities. We they did like a car rental, so I worked through the car rentals and everything. And they just traveled all over Ireland and I was so proud of it. I found some really cute hotels that look like castles. And I just love that one. It'll be forever in my memory.
Amy Blades: Yeah, it made you feel confident in like what you're doing probably. Yeah. What about you, Lauren? I do want to have you answer this one too, because is there a booking that really stands out for you?
Lauren: man. again, I'm not like a I can't always like narrow it down to one. I think it's when I have a guest of mine that comes to me and we collaborate and we build an itinerary and then they come back and they've loved the destination that I've picked, regardless of if it was like what they had in mind. I just love that collaboration and just like curating these trips. It has it's not one specific booking I don't that I can think of. I mean there's a few that always stand out, but that's usually just personal
Amy Blades: It's more that
Lauren: that's yeah.
Amy Blades: yeah, yeah, for sure. what is something that you realized about that you I guess that you didn't realize about the job before you started?
Lauren: So I definitely did not realize that my guests would truly become like friends to me. I probably should have realized that, especially with my background as a hairdresser. I just tend to attach to people and I love my people. but
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: getting texts like, our baby was born, we sold our house, we bought a house, we can't wait to celebrate this milestone in our life with this trip. Hey, we're thinking about this. I really did not anticipate. I knew I'd be helping families make memories. I didn't anticipate the relationships I'd be building with my guests, and it's really special to me.
Amy Blades: Okay. Jess, is there something that you wish you knew before becoming an advisor?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: I think for me, I wish again for time management-wise, I wish I would have known how much time I would be spending on my computer and
Amy Blades: True.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: how many emails I would be writing, which feels like constantly. And it's not a bad thing at all. I absolutely love it. Again, very type A, like an email is my best friend. That's how I communicate with my clients. Like, give me all the bullet points. But I do wish
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: I would have known that a little bit, just for my own kind of work-life balance, trying to figure
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Jessica Hobart-Collis: things out there.
Amy Blades: Setting boundaries, hours. And being able
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yes.
Amy Blades: to put on your email, you're outside my hours, making sure your clients know these are my hours. Absolutely. Okay, I'm gonna have you both answer this this last question as we kind of wrap up the the podcast. Thank you guys so much for taking time. This is such a topic that is actually I like to talk about because it's real and it's transparent and we're always welcome to we always welcome new advisors like Goofy Getaways. If you're interested in becoming a consultant, we absolutely would love to have you apply. Interview us. I think that we have a lot to offer. So as we get ready to wrap up, I'm gonna have you guys finish out here. This is my question. How has the business impacted your life?
Lauren: Well, I never foresaw myself being someone who worked from home. I truly didn't. I was always very tactile with the job that I had for the career I had for fifteen years. But being able to be home with my family and support them when they need to working hard, I'm still, you know, working very hard for my guests and all of that. But being able to do that successfully and be able to be home and be a mom, was just something I honestly truly never thought was going to be a reality for me. So
Amy Blades: No, I love that. Do you feel like the mentorship helped you with that as far as putting like the boundaries and such in place?
Lauren: Yes, because it's going to give me longevity. We've talked about this so many, you know, because I am
Amy Blades: Good.
Lauren: I have a hard time with boundaries. So being able to be like, nope, I still love you, but like I do have a family
Amy Blades: Yeah.
Lauren: that requires my attention and that like a 2 a.m. text is not gonna get responded to. those, yeah, the mentors
Amy Blades: Nope. Nope. And giving you the confidence, I think, to know that that's okay.
Lauren: And that's okay. And my guests have responded to it so well too. So the mentorship
Amy Blades: Yeah. Good.
Lauren: truly, truly nailed that in for me and helped create strategies
Amy Blades: Good.
Lauren: and put systems in place for me to continue to be successful in both aspects.
Amy Blades: Good. Good. What about you, Jess?
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah, so it's impacted me by giving me a lot of life opportunities that I never thought I would have had. So I didn't grow up traveling very often. Like I would go to some cities. I only went to Disney one time before working there. And since becoming an agent, I've gotten to do VIP tour at Disney World. I got to do one at Epic Universe. Lauren and I got to go to Epic Universe before it even opened. And so like opportunities I never would have imagined being able to have in my entire life. Like that's how it's impacted me and just being grateful for everything that I've been given so far.
Amy Blades: That's awesome. See that just see, and that makes my heart happy because that's what
Jessica Hobart-Collis: Yeah.
Amy Blades: it's all about, right?
Lauren: For sure.
Amy Blades: All right. If you've made it this far and you're thinking, okay, I think this might actually be for me. We'd love to be part of your next step. Head to GoofyGetaways.com to learn more about becoming a travel advisor affiliated with Goofy Getaways. And to find out what our team, our training and support and community look like. And if you're still doing research, that's okay too. Take what you've learned in this episode and use it to ask questions and compare agencies. Read the fine print and find the environment that is going to be the best fit for you and for the business that you want to build. But if you think Goofy Getaways might be that fit, we would love to meet you. So visit GoofyGetaways.com Learn more about our travel advisor opportunity and take the next step toward building a travel business of your own. Whether you're listening because you're thinking of becoming a travel advisor or because you're simply dreaming about your next vacation, thank you for spending some time with us today. but until next time, let Goofy Getaways lead you to the magic.
