Name: Carol Nunnery

Agency name and location: Dream Vacations—Nunnery Travels & Associates, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Franchisor: Dream Vacations

My former careers: In addition to working in direct sales and as a casino floor supervisor, I was employed as an independent consultant with Pampered Chef for almost 14 years, and earned a free trip each year. Since we had one free vacation for the year, we started taking two. If Pampered Chef took us on a family vacation, we would do a couples’ trip as a second vacation. If Pampered Chef took us on a couples’ trip, I would plan a family vacation for the same year.

Why I chose a travel career: I’m passionate about travel. Researching vacations was an obsession. In 2012 and 2013, I organized family reunion group cruises. In 2014, I started planning my 50th birthday girls cruise, working with a local travel agent. I picked the [destinations] and ship, and collected the deposits. I even assisted with the online check-ins and documents. It was during this process that I realized that I could be a vacation specialist! I started doing some research and found CruiseOne/Dream Vacations. By the time we took my birthday cruise, I was already a franchise owner.

Why I chose my host/franchise network: I liked the follow-up of the recruitment department.

My biggest challenge starting out: Learning the booking system. How I solved it: Practice!

My greatest challenge right now: Time management. I find that I work many hours. I started my business with a built-in lead list, so finding business was not the issue. Gaining product knowledge at a pace with booking requests was the real task. I had a lot of experience running my own business prior to buying my franchise, but I had no prior experience as a travel agent.

What I like best about the travel business: I love that the world is open [for exploration] and adventure is limitless!

What I hate about it: Since clients are constantly traveling, I am constantly micro-managing my business. I don’t like to disconnect in case anyone encounters obstacles while in transit.

How my other careers have helped me run my own travel business: My direct sales business taught me so much about running my own business, and how sales and service are really one in the same. My 15 years in Las Vegas put me on the receiving end of guests on vacation. I got to work with so many people from every demographic. It really taught me how to be a chameleon and adapt to many different situations. I worked for a five-star resort and was trained to never say no, but rather, ‘Let me find a way!’”

Why I love what I do: Every day is a new day. I never know what to expect—and it’s always exciting. I am passionate about planning amazing travel experiences and I love building relationships with my clients.