Lori Wall became a travel agent six years ago when an authorized Disney agent was looking to book trips as a fundraiser.
"I contacted her about doing it for a dog rescue I worked with," said Wall, an agent with Destinations to Explore in Hyde Park, New York.
The timing was perfect because Wall, who had her own trip to Disney World booked for the end of the summer, had just lost her job and was at a crossroads.
"My husband and I debated about canceling our trip, but we had already paid for it and figured it would be our last trip for a while," she said. "When we were away, I told my husband I wanted to be a travel agent. I became a travel agent because of my love for travel and planning. I love helping others find their dream vacations and saving them as much money as possible."
Wall started her career specializing in budget travel for families and, of course, vacations to Disney World. Today, she's expanded to include family travel, destination weddings, all-inclusive travel, and honeymoons.
"As my comfort level went up on destinations and the skills I needed, I wanted to branch out and it was a natural progression," she said.
Wall says the biggest obstacles facing travel agents today are the ability to book your own travel online and not knowing what a travel agent actually does: "In reality, a travel agent is free and will guide you instead of a nameless, faceless website. We have a personalized touch. In most cases, I can even price match if you find a less expensive price online."
If you want to become a travel agent, Wall says it's important to remember it's not a 9 to 5 job.
"I am almost always on call," she said. "It is a tough adjustment for my family sometimes. You need to be independent and able to push yourself to do online training without someone telling you that you have to. You have to think out-of-the-box about marketing and you need to keep yourself constantly updated on new travel ideas for your clients."
When first starting out, Wall attended craft shows and other local events to get her name out there.
At one of these events, she met a single mom who had dreamed of taking her son to Disney but couldn't afford it. Wall gave her a card and told her about a free dining discount that happens occasionally.
"I told her I would get in touch with her if that discount came out and we would work on finding the right package for her to make her dream a reality," she said. "I was able to find something she could afford, and she was able to take her son to Disney World."
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It's all about building relationships.
"In the process we became friends," Wall said. "I am forever grateful she gave me that opportunity to help her."
Since that time, her client has gone to Disney World several times: "She and her fiancée are going to Disney World this September, and I am hoping for a proposal! That is the best part of my job: really getting to know my clients and considering them friends in the end.'"
When she's not working, Wall prefers to cruise now that her children are getting older.
"They fit our family and have a little bit of everything for all of us," she said. "It helps us to get to see different places and have a lot of different experiences. Plus, cruising can be budget-friendly, which is something I am always conscious about."
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"My family and I love to learn more about our history and the United States," Wall said.
"We often go on long weekends to places close to where we live, like Philadelphia and Boston. There is so much to see and explore right here in our own backyard. Vacations do not always have to mean spending thousands of dollars and going to some exotic location. As a matter of fact, we are hitting the road this summer for a two-week road trip and stopping at lots of different places we have always wanted to see. Then we're hopping on a quick three-day cruise so we have the best of both worlds."
Being a travel agent is not just a job for Wall, it's a career.
"It's one I worked hard to embrace and build up my clientele for years," she said. "It was a struggle the first couple of years, and I even worked another job part-time to supplement our income while I built my business. I never imagined when I first started that I would be one of the top salespeople for my agency and have a full-time career that I love."
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