Jennifer Evans. (Source: Jennifer Evans)
Success Stories focus on veteran advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Jennifer Evans, president of Aura Travel, with locations in Festus, O'Fallon and Kansas City, Mo.
How did you get your start as a travel advisor?
My family and I owned different businesses throughout many years – the one we owned the longest was a computer company, which was started by my dad. After about eight years of working with my parents in the family business, my brother decided to move his family back home and join the business – and that very next year my husband decided to join the military after six years of marriage and two daughters.
So, we left for the next eight years and traveled everywhere. About two years before we came back home, my family decided to start booking cruises in order to get inexpensive trips for themselves. They found out that they were not too bad at doing it, and it turned into another branch of our family business.
We came home to help in the multiple family businesses, and since I always had my hands in everything, I helped out in the accounting side and started helping on the travel side as well. I learned on the fly out of necessity because we were getting busy. So, that was actually the start of it all. My husband and I took the agency over 100 percent in 2012.
How did you build your business over the years?
I grew up in customer service-oriented businesses, so taking care of people has always come naturally for me. I feel like I spent a lot of time learning, changing and growing in different ways throughout the years to build the business. And knowing that change is good, even though it’s scary, has always been a part of our growth. Also, traveling and seeing the world has given us a great advantage in our business in terms of getting the first-hand experience.
What characteristics make you a successful advisor?
I truly care about each and every person I work with, and I think that comes out when connecting with clients. Patience is always a really good quality as well.
What have been your greatest challenges been?
Building and keeping a trusted team has been hard through the years but it really is coming out great now. Also, trying to make sure that we are running our business the best that we can. Sometimes it’s very much trial and error and learning on the fly.
What have your greatest accomplishments been?
I feel like being able to take something that I knew nothing about and push forward – and being willing to fall and get back up – to build a great agency along with my husband and our team is a great accomplishment. Also, successfully completing a rebranding and renaming of our agency after over 15 years in business after COVID.
What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?
Don’t think you know everything – always be in a state of growing and learning. If you find someone who is willing to help you and walk you through this industry, know what a powerful and wonderful blessing that is, and don’t take it for granted. Also respect and build real relationships in the industry. Never bully or feel entitled because you are being treated well by your partners in the business. Always remember everyone around us helps make this industry what it is, and as long as you respect that, you will do great.
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