Today, I'm putting the traditional Agent to Agent format aside to announce an amazing adventure that I have started: I am now the host of "Just Go Trav," a television segment that is going national to 182 cities and over 30 million homes.
More importantly, I wanted to share the journey of how I got here and use it to encourage other travel agents to find their vision and accomplish their goals too.
My journey for Just Go Trav started with my friendship with Kevin Harrington, who I've known for about 11 years. For those of you who don't know Kevin, he is the original shark from Shark Tank and the inventor of "As Seen on TV." He has a multi-billion dollar corporation and whatever he's touched turns into billions.
Five years ago, I approached him about my idea for the Travel Agent's Success Kit (TASK), which is a line of products to help travel agents take their business to the next level. He loved the idea and helped me to build the TASK kit.
Since then, we've helped more than a hundred agents and the program has been extremely successful.
As with most things in my career, I didn't sit still just because TASK was effective. Instead, I built on the momentum and haven't looked back.
I've been speaking locally and nationally and wrote for a travel book. Then I was approached by ABC to do a once-a-month travel segment that I got fully sponsored in two weeks with destinations such as AM Resorts and Exodus Travel.
Why did it sell? Because nobody was doing what I was doing: Showcasing a particular travel product and educating consumers on travel, rather than just seeing price, price, price.
A little more than a month ago, I decided it was time to go national. People want to learn about travel and destinations, so I pitched Kevin again about taking my idea to a national level. He loved the idea and had me meet with the voice of Extra Jerry Panacoli to be my co-host. Jerry loved the idea too!
NBC Daytime launched with us and, again, we are sponsored by such companies as Exodus Travel. Gogo, Jamaica Tourism Board, and St. Lucia Tourism Board. We decided on JustGoTrav as the name because travel is an experience and you keep that memory, so Just Go Trav.
My next goal is to go global. Kevin and I have a five-year plan and are inviting anybody and everybody that wants to join us on this ventures.
I set this goal because I wanted to make a difference in the industry and continue to do so. Between TASK and everything else I do, I'm not a traditional travel agent. I am running my business as an entrepreneur, not as a hobby.
I've taken steps that we all need to do as travel agents: Make it your business to keep growing and evolving, never going stagnant.
Travelers are returning to travel agents, and my focus and goal is to make sure that consumers are educated.
So, travel agents, start building your business and taking it to the next level. Every year, you should have a goal of doing something better the way you did the year before.
The year before, I decided I was going to do TASK. This year, it's the show. There's something that you have to keep growing in your business, whether it's TV, radio, marketing or charities. There are so many opportunities. It's just that nobody wants to make that leap of faith or to jump and grab onto that opportunity.
On Facebook over the Thanksgiving holiday, I posted: "Don't wait till January to make your resolution. What's wrong with today? You have a few days off. Think about and set your goals of what you want to do for next year, the following year, from there forward."
You become successful by having a vision. What's yours?
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