From the grips of addiction to thriving travel entrepreneur – Dean's inspirational story

Looking at Travel Counsellor, Dean McMackin, now, it’s hard to believe his past looked so different from the life he’s created for himself. As one of our high-performing business owners, Dean goes beyond for his loyal customers, day in and day out. But, his history is a world away from the glitz and glamour of the travel industry.

A turbulent start to adulthood

When he was 18, he found himself mixing with the wrong crowd and moved into a hostel – where he began his experimentation with drugs.

“It wasn’t said at the time, but I definitely had mental health issues. It was a messy few years. I was effectively homeless – living in car parks and doorways. I had various run-ins with the police. I was shoplifting to feed my habit. There were times where I’d wake up to my sleeping bag on fire, or to find that I’d been urinated on.”

Dean also survived a brutal attack on the streets – and while horrific to experience, these life lessons have formed who he is today; his tattoo, which reads ‘what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger’, a daily reminder of how he’s turned his life around and achieved more than he ever thought possible with his travel business.

Taking the first step towards a brighter future

It was an encounter with a friend’s mum that give Dean the wake-up call he desperately needed.

“We had some old family friends, and their son, Frank, about my age, died in a car crash. His older brother, Rodney, had passed away a few years earlier. I went to Frank’s funeral, and I’ll always remember his mum giving me a hug and saying thank you for coming.

“At that moment, I realised that she could have been thinking – why have I lost both my sons, and you still have a chance, which you’re not taking. She didn’t say that, but I wouldn’t have blamed her for thinking of it. I reached out to my family for help, and on Monday 28th June, 2001, I took my last bit of heroin. I went to bed and I’ve not touched it since.”

Dean faced a brutal recovery – weighing just nine stone, unable to walk, and experiencing terrifying hallucinations. He also faced another challenge: replacing drugs with alcohol and violence – a move that would see him face a custodial sentence for fighting at a football match.

Being confined to a prison cell was what prompted Dean to fix his life for good. Upon his release, he got his first job in telesales – where romance blossomed with a colleague, who later became his wife.

Taking off in the world of travel

After losing that job as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, Dean secured a role at Fast Track Holidays, which took him across the globe. However, he found these experiences hard to enjoy. “I had imposter syndrome for a long time – I didn’t want to shout about it, because I didn’t want people looking at me, saying, why are you there, you don’t deserve to be in Australia.”

But, Dean had a dream to become a Travel Counsellor – just like one of his closest friends: a dream that became a reality at the worst possible time. His Travel Counsellors business went live just one week before lockdown started in March 2020.

The road to personal and professional growth

After the pandemic, Dean’s business started to recover with hard graft and the support of our caring community.

“In 2023 I had a wobble and – for the first time in my life – I started talking to a counsellor”, Dean said. As a result, his imposter syndrome began to vanish.

With a new-found confidence, Dean hit the incredible milestone of over £1m in sales in 2024, having carved out specialisms in premium leisure, honeymoons, and cruise.

Reflecting back on his awe-inspiring achievements, Dean said: “I was in Thailand at the river Kwai, having a kickabout with a couple of local boys. I like to get on with people and immerse myself in the destinations. I didn’t realise but one of my fellow agents took a video of me, and when I watched it back, it made me quite teary, but in a happy way. I’ve finally started to believe I do deserve to have these moments. If my family and friends can be proud of me, I can be proud of me too.”

Are you ready to change your life, just like Dean has?

As Dean’s story brings to life, our community is supportive, inclusive, and non-judgemental. As a Travel Counsellor, you’re free to be authentically you, and to craft the types of holidays that you want to sell. Whether you’re feeling stuck in a rut, want to ignite your passion for travel, or want to see what a life without limits looks like, book onto one of our Discovery events to find out how becoming a Travel Counsellor could change your life.