After I interviewed Jeanne Polocheck, owner of Well Traveled Texan Luxury Travel for this month’s cover story, I kept thinking of how she said she felt when she opened the agency. She had no fear. “I’m not really ever scared of anything going into it because I know I’m going to figure it out,” she told me.
The thing is, Polocheck also felt confident starting her agency in 2016 because she was well prepared and knows how things work. She had knowledge of the industry and could visualize how she was going to accomplish her career switch from a television producer and advertising manager.
Here are some other things I learned from Jeanne as we discussed her business, which pulls in $10 million a year in revenue:
Know that you do incredible things: As Jeanne says, anyone can build a trip but it takes a really great travel advisor to create an incredible itinerary.
What do you sell best?: Jeanne and her team can create any type of trip but her favorite requests are for 50th birthdays because clients “want it all.”
Be nimble: During COVID, advisors at Well Traveled Texan created “American Safaris by Private Jet” to the National Parks when clients couldn’t travel to exotic locales to see wildlife. Those are some of their most memorable trips, she says.
Acknowledge where you excel: Well Travel Texan keeps their group travel to fewer than 25 participants. “We know who we are and where we can add value,” she says.
Be ready to advance your career: As a fledgling television producer, Jeanne’s hard work was noticed. Her engineer told his wife, who headed the network news bureau at ABC about her, and she was invited to interview for “This Week with David Brinkley.” Jeanne took the opportunity and advanced her career dramatically. There’s that courage again.
Know when to move on: Working on a weekly Washington news show generated a high level of stress and, so, Jeanne took her experience to Houston to work as a freelancer producing commercials for major brands. Takeaway: Don’t get stuck in a role that’s tearing you down; instead, know your worth and elevate your career by trying something new.
Diversify: Jeanne’s concept of having a travel agency/wine store sounds like the most brilliant idea in the world and that proved true during COVID. Can you diversify your business now as a safeguard in case there’s another stop to travel in the future?
Treat suppliers as partners: Well Traveled Texan has great space to host visiting suppliers in when they are in town. This is not just about being hospitable; it’s showing respect to the partners who make your advisors look like rock stars.
Be the local expert: Jeanne still goes on television as the local travel expert and gets plenty of business leads afterwards through the agency’s website. She has experience from her former career as a travel host, but all advisors can be this person. Do you feel comfortable speaking about travel knowledgeably? Have any insider travel tips for consumers? Offer your services to speak on air in your community or city.
Use knowledge from a past experience or career: Jeanne was a television producer and can visualize how to produce a trip using the skills she learned in TV. Can you be a better travel advisor if you call upon the know-how you had in previous jobs? Do you have project management skills that can speed up the process of building great itineraries? Think of the behaviors that made you successful in your past roles and apply them to your job as a travel advisor.
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