How becoming a Travel Counsellor transformed Peaks for Markus Kendall-Young

Markus Kendall-Young launched his business after joining us from his role as a personal travel consultant at a large retail brand, and is already feeling the Travel Counsellors difference. We caught up with him to find out more about his experience so far, and to hear how joining our community has transformed his experience of the busy Peaks season.

What makes being a Travel Counsellor different to your previous role?

As a Travel Counsellor, I can really go above and beyond for my clients, and I have more control over my business. I can tailor-make beautiful itineraries and have access to a wide range of suppliers and great hotel rates.

I really enjoy the marketing support, as the team deliver materials and templates which look great. They represent the brand and what I want for my business so well. I can easily share great assets that I know will resonate with my customers – something that I didn’t have at my previous role.

How are our systems different from what you’ve used previously?

Phenix is amazing – I had a look at it when I enquired with the New Franchise Team, and I realised I could do everything I wanted to do. I can package things quickly and tailor make anything that I want to. I don’t need to worry because it’s all there at the touch of a button.

It really helps me run my business because it will monitor my bookings for me. I can keep track of everything so easily because my Phenix dashboard will tell me who’s in resort, who’s about to depart etc. It will send me reminders too – even for little touches like sending birthday cards and reminding customers to renew their passports, which is really great because it helps me deliver that personal service.

What has surprised you most since joining?

The sense of community! If you have any issues or questions, there’s always someone to talk to. The community brings me a sense of support and camaraderie. At the end of the day when you’re self-employed and working at home, you rely on others for their experience and help when things go wrong, and for their advice - that’s all very much there as a Travel Counsellor. The Relationship Management Team have always been there when I’ve had a question, when I wasn’t sure who to go to. They do what they say on the tin! They’ll point me in the right direction and give me a pep talk if I need it. My mentor has also been fabulous. I was introduced to her before I joined, so she has helped me in my transition. She’s been really helpful and has given me some really good advice. She’s always been there, even responding to my texts and emails at weekends when customers had queries that I couldn’t answer straight away.

Did you have any concerns before you joined?

As I was transitioning from a similar role in another organisation, I was worried that I would be getting used to new systems and new ways of working would feel like starting from scratch, but there was so much support all around me that I felt comfortable after only a few weeks.

What’s the difference between Peaks as a Travel Counsellor and Peaks in your previous role?

The biggest difference for me is not being reliant on third party retail suppliers to create quotes for me. I remember being on the phone to suppliers for hours and hours during Peaks, trying to multi-task with my headset on, doing social media posts at the same time. It really wasn’t healthy for me.

However, I have found that this year, as I’m now working with Phenix, I can create amazing itineraries and dynamically package in minutes myself, rather than spending hours on the phone to other suppliers. I can create even better itineraries for my clients, and I can amend them easily if needed, again in minutes. There’s no need to call anyone back and be on the phone for hours. I feel I’m working much smarter now and I have more time to myself each day, which is important.

Whether you're looking for more control over your business, comprehensive marketing support, or time-saving tech, we hope Markus' experience has given you an inspiring insight into how transitioning to Travel Counsellors could transform your career. If you're ready to learn more, why not sign up for one of our Discovery events to get started!