Mandy Gonzalez (Photo Credit: Mandy Gonzalez)
Travel Advisor Success Stories focus on accomplished advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Mandy Gonzalez, who was recently named corporate travel lead at TravelMation.
How did you get your start as a travel advisor?
My good friend introduced me to TravelMation because she noticed that I was already planning so many of my friends’ trips to Disney and she thought becoming a travel advisor would be something I would enjoy.
During this time in my life, I also needed a job that was remote because my daughter was having some medical issues that came with a lot of unknowns for the future and I needed to be available for her.
I scheduled an interview and met with my team lead, Kristina Cooper. We talked through all the opportunities that this industry has to offer. I signed my contract that same day and the rest is history.
How did you build your business over the years?
When I first started, we were coming out of the global pandemic, so I focused mostly on theme park vacations because that’s what I was most comfortable with, and they were some of the few things that were open. As cruising came back, I quickly expanded into that market and eventually found myself planning destination weddings at all-inclusive resorts.
However, in 2023, I decided that I wanted to really focus on corporate travel. It was an area of the industry that really intrigued me due to its predictable revenue and logistics management. I spent all of 2024 laying the foundation to go ‘all-in’ on this side of the industry. I met with several companies over that year to start planning their incentive trips and meetings for 2025 and beyond.
I learned everything that I could about contracts, negotiations and industry standards. I feel like I have spreadsheets for spreadsheets these days, but I would not change a second of it. I scaled over 280% from 2024 to 2025, and currently have over $2 million in sales for 2026, and I feel like I am just getting started.
What characteristics make you a successful advisor?
In relation to corporate travel, I am very organized and am a bit of a data nerd, so I am constantly running numbers to ensure that we are hitting our targets. I try to think of everything from the perspective of the attendee who is participating in my event, as well as the perspective of the person running the event because I want both to have a wonderful experience.
I really enjoy integrating myself into their team so they can focus more on the purpose of the trip rather than the logistics of it. If my schedule allows, I also travel with my corporate clients so that I can manage everything on-site and keep things running smoothly.
What have been your greatest challenges?
Sometimes even the best-laid plans run into roadblocks. While I am great at thinking outside the box, there are some things that are simply out of my control.
For example, this past January, a winter storm hit Austin, Texas, where one of my clients was hosting their annual employee conference. Flights were getting delayed and ultimately canceled. People were missing Day One meetings, so they were opting to attend virtually. Some people who arrived early couldn’t get a flight home and had to extend their stay. It was a mess.
And, of course, this was all happening while I was at my company’s annual retreat in Orlando. Instead of panicking, I went into survival mode and got the job done. I contacted all the group leaders, stayed in constant contact with the hotel, and started moving people where they needed to be. I updated over 100 itineraries, followed up via text message, and tracked flights like my life depended on it; somehow, in the chaos of it all, I negotiated addendums on attrition rates so my client didn’t have a hefty bill at the end. It was honestly some of the most fun that I think I have ever had in the middle of a travel crisis.
What are your greatest accomplishments?
Being asked to join the Travelmation leadership team as the corporate travel lead has definitely been one of the highlights of my career. I am so excited to support travel advisors eager to learn this side of the industry.
Hearing my name be called out as one of the Top 20 advisors in our agency comes in a close second, followed by negotiating a first pitch at a major league baseball game as a concession in a conference room block.
What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?
Don’t be scared to hear the word ‘no.’ I chased one of my biggest clients for almost two years before I finally heard the word, ‘yes.’ Sometimes ‘no’ can just mean, ‘Not right now.’ All feedback is good feedback because it is an opportunity to learn and do better next time. And, finally, when negotiating on behalf of your client, don’t leave anything on the table. You will never know what is possible if you don’t ask.
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