From estate agent to travel entrepreneur: Chris McKnight’s story

Meet Chris McKnight, a successful Travel Counsellor and cycling enthusiast who made the leap from his family’s estate agency to running his own travel business. We caught up with him to find out why becoming a Travel Counsellor transformed his life, and how he has combined his passion for both cycling and travel in his new venture.

What were you doing before you joined Travel Counsellors?

Before I joined Travel Counsellors, I was working with my family in an estate agency business. However, I always found myself more interested in talking about holiday plans with my clients rather than discussing the property I was there to value!

How did the Travel Counsellors Academy help you set up your own business?

The Academy training set me up for success by giving me all the knowledge and tools I needed, at a learning speed suited to me. And then afterwards there was always someone available when I started to do bookings and quotes and had questions.

You also get so much knowledge from speaking to other Travel Counsellors. The learning opportunities and resources available to us are endless.

How have you grown your business?

At first, I was a little worried about where my enquiries would come from, but cycling is a passion of mine and I’m able to network really well through it. I started by booking cycling holidays for cyclists I’ve met and this has brought me lots of repeat customers, who come back asking me to book their summer holidays too. So I can book two holidays per client if I get things right!

I've been able to build my business on the basis of this niche. The booking platform, Phenix, is such a useful tool because it allows me to very quickly tailor trips to make them fit the needs of my cycling clients perfectly.

What is the support like at Travel Counsellors?

The support has been fantastic, right from recruitment to onboarding and training. No question is too silly for the team at the head office. My mentor is always there for me if I need any advice too.

What do you love most about being a Travel Counsellor?

It's really transformed my life - it's given me the freedom and flexibility that I've always wanted. I particularly love having my time back - I can choose to work the times of day that suit me, and I really like that I don't have to ask for time off.

For example, my sister had a baby recently and I was able to take my dad to the hospital to visit and support her after the birth. I was able to run my business around it so that I didn't miss that really special family time because of my work, which is priceless to me.

What advice would you give to anyone joining Travel Counsellors?

The one thing I would say is to trust that people will support you. I've been amazed and humbled by the support people have given me, so really lean on those in the community around you, and it will follow from there.

If someone is thinking about a career change, why would you recommend Travel Counsellors?

I would recommend Travel Counsellors to people looking to switch careers, because I switched careers precisely to join Travel Counsellors. I didn't switch careers to join a travel business - it was Travel Counsellors specifically because of the level of care, the level of support, and because of the expertise that every Travel Counsellor has. It's an incredible business to be part of.

Ready to go beyond, follow your passion and take control of your own time like Chris? Our Discovery events are a great way to meet the team and find out how you could transform your life as a Travel Counsellor. Register now!