Three years on: how Jen Clifton built a thriving business

When Jen Clifton joined Travel Counsellors three years ago, she was looking for something many travel professionals aspire to: the freedom to build a successful business on her own terms.

Today, she has a loyal client base, a strong referral network, and the flexibility to balance running a thriving travel business with family life. Here, Jen shares her journey from employed travel professional to successful franchise owner.

Taking the leap into business ownership

After returning from maternity leave, Jen found herself at a crossroads. Having worked in the travel industry for more than 20 years, she recognised that the demands of senior-level employment no longer aligned with the flexibility she needed as a single parent.

“I’d always thought about going out on my own,” says Jen. “My parents were self-employed, my brother’s self-employed, and it felt like the right time to make it work.”

With a long-standing awareness of Travel Counsellors and several former colleagues already part of the community, she began exploring the opportunity in more detail.

Why Travel Counsellors?

For Jen, speaking directly with existing Travel Counsellors was a key part of the decision-making process.

“I could get first-hand information from people already doing it,” she explains. “The size of the business, how long it had been around, and the quality of the systems all gave me confidence.”

She was also attracted by the idea of being self-employed while still benefiting from a supportive network of like-minded travel professionals.

Building a business from scratch

Unlike many people entering self-employment, Jen started with no existing client base.

“Although I’d spent over 20 years in the industry, I hadn’t been selling travel for the previous 12 years,” she says.

Determined to grow her business, she immersed herself in networking, attending multiple business networking groups each week and actively building relationships within the Travel Counsellors community.

“I made sure everybody knew what I did. I built my business through contacts, friends, family, networking and referrals.”

Today, the majority of her business comes through recommendations, with an impressive 76% client rebooking rate.

Overcoming the challenges

Jen is honest about the realities of running your own travel business.

“It’s a massive learning curve,” she says. “As a Travel Counsellor, you’re doing everything yourself.”

One of the most important lessons she learned early on was the value of finding her support network.

“I had a brilliant mentor, and I actively sought out like-minded people. Finding your tribe is really important.”

She also emphasises the importance of maintaining a strong work ethic.

“You absolutely get flexibility and work-life balance, but you still need to consistently put the hours into building your business.”

The support behind the success

While Travel Counsellors offers the freedom of business ownership, Jen believes the support available has played a significant role in her success.

“The mentor programme has probably been the single biggest support for me,” she says. “But the head office teams are brilliant too. Whether it’s IT, back-office support or just help with something you’re unfamiliar with, there’s always someone there to help.”

She has also benefited from industry events, conferences and the wider Travel Counsellors community, which she describes as having a genuine sense of belonging.

“There’s always someone who has your back.”

And this week, she’s heading off on an immersive familiarisation trip to the Arctic to experience a very special expedition cruise around Northern Norway.

The most rewarding part?

For Jen, success isn’t measured purely in sales.

“The relationships I’ve built with clients are what I enjoy most,” she says. “I’ve got clients who have become friends. Being trusted with people’s bucket-list trips and hearing their stories is a real privilege.”

Her advice for future Travel Counsellors

For anyone considering joining Travel Counsellors, Jen’s advice is simple:

“Come in with a strong work ethic, build your network, speak to as many people as possible and make sure it’s the right fit for you.”

Nearly three years on, it’s clear that taking the leap was one of the best decisions she ever made.

Ready to explore your own Travel Counsellors journey?

If Jen’s story has inspired you to build a travel business with the support, technology and community of Travel Counsellors behind you, the best place to start is by attending one of our Discovery Events.

You’ll hear from existing Travel Counsellors, meet our support teams, and discover how you can create a successful travel business that works around your life.

Book your place on an upcoming Travel Counsellors Discovery Event today.