From baby business to travel entrepreneur – how Rebecca earned back her joining fee in year one

When Rebecca Proctor joined Travel Counsellors, she wasn't coming from a travel background. In fact, she'd spent years building a successful career in estate agency before launching her own business selling baby products.

Fast forward to today, and Rebecca has not only built a thriving travel business from scratch — she's also earned back her joining fee within her first year.

So, what made the difference?

Seeking flexibility without compromising ambition

"Before having children, I managed an estate agency for eight years. When my daughter came along, I knew I needed something that gave me the flexibility to be there for her when she needed me” said Rebecca.

After successfully running her own baby products business for six years, Rebecca found herself wanting something more. "I loved the creativity and independence, but I did miss some elements of the corporate world."

Travel had always been a passion, and when the opportunity arose to sell her business, she decided it was time to pursue the career she'd always dreamed of.

"For me, having a franchise within Travel Counsellors combined the independence, creativity and flexibility I loved from running my own business, with the support, technology and community I was missing from the corporate world."

Building confidence quickly with industry-leading technology

One of the biggest concerns for people considering a career change into travel is whether they'll have the knowledge and tools to succeed.

For Rebecca, our technology platform played a huge role in helping her feel confident from day one.

"Phenix is amazing! Obviously coming from a non-travel background, I don't know anything other than this system, but I can't imagine any technology that could be more functional and user-friendly than what we have."

From training and quoting to customer management and AI-powered support, Rebecca quickly discovered that everything she needed was at her fingertips.

"The whole system — from the training platform, the app, the dashboard and TC Co-Pilot — is just fantastic. Everything is so clear and straightforward with prompts for everything we need."

The power of a trusted, global brand

Starting a business from scratch can feel daunting, but Rebecca believes being part of an established brand gave her immediate credibility with clients.

"This is one of the many reasons I joined Travel Counsellors. I wanted a trusted, reputable, global brand that I knew had the resources and professional backing to support me and my clients. Having that instantly gives you credibility and reassures clients that they're dealing with a professional, no matter how new you are to the business."

Finding a community that feels like family

Ask Rebecca what surprised her most about joining Travel Counsellors and she'll immediately talk about the people.

"I can't talk about the Travel Counsellors community highly enough."

Like many people considering self-employment, she wondered what it might feel like to work independently. What she discovered was a global network of business owners eager to help each other succeed.

"Before I joined, people mentioned how lovely and supportive the community is, but I don't think I was quite prepared for how true this was. I’ve never come across another Travel Counsellor or head office colleague who has not been the most helpful, lovely and supportive person."

The support that helped her succeed

Rebecca says collaboration with fellow Travel Counsellors played a major role in her successful first year. "Collaboration has helped in so many ways."

Whether seeking destination expertise, practical advice or reassurance during challenging moments, support was always available.

"My fantastic mentor, Andy, has been on hand anytime I've called him in a panic to calmly reassure me and talk me through how to do something."

She also credits fellow Travel Counsellors with helping her continually improve. "Any Travel Counsellor I’ve met through induction, training and events has helped me with so many little tips and tricks and useful pieces of advice. I don't think I could have had the successful first year I did without everyone's support."

A surprise achievement: earning back her joining fee

After successfully hitting a set sales threshold, Rebecca recently earned back her joining fee. "It was a really wonderful surprise when I got the call to be told. "I had set my own targets throughout my first year and was very proud to keep beating them.

"I don't think I really expected to earn much in my first year at all, so seeing my results has given me so much confidence for the future of my business."

Rather than focusing purely on profit in year one, Rebecca concentrated on building strong foundations. "My business plan from the beginning was to work on building the business and client base."

Now she's seeing the rewards as clients return and recommend her services to friends and family.

"You can already quickly see how the business grows when you see your clients coming back to you after their first trip and recommending you. There is truly nothing better than knowing they have valued your services enough to pass on your details to their friends and family and use you again for their next trip."

And as Rebecca looks ahead to year two, she's excited about what's next. "Here's to the next 12 months!"

Could you build a travel business like Rebecca?

Whether you're looking for greater flexibility, a career change, or the opportunity to run your own business with the support of a trusted global travel brand, Travel Counsellors could help you achieve more than you think is possible.

Join one of our upcoming Discovery Days to learn how Travel Counsellors can help you build a successful travel business — even if you've never worked in travel before.