Meet Dianne who went from Retrenched to Business Owner

Dianne has recently moved from Johannesburg to Ficksburg. She will be doing her 2-week induction online, right from the comfort of her own home. Her laptop that has been fully prepped and loaded with all the Microsoft programmes has been couriered to her home and Dianne is currently working on her pre-induction course. This will help her to prepare ahead of time for her.

We caught up with Dianne to learn more about her journey to becoming a Travel Counsellor. Take a look at what she had to say:

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I have 3 amazing children, my eldest son is 29, my eldest daughter is 27 and my youngest daughter is 25 and she is teaching English in Vietnam. I have lived in Johannesburg for 20 years and a few weeks ago I moved to Ficksburg (semi-permanent). I enjoy the quietness of a small town, that is not so rushed, I wish I had lots of money to fix their roads! I do a lot of baking, sewing, knitting and crocheting. I also love to read and to travel. I have visited some amazing countries like New Zealand, Reunion (loved Reunion!), UK, Mauritius, Austria and Portugal to name but a few. I am also getting into the gardening scene. My partner has the most amazing garden and we are slowly building up a veggie patch!

What does becoming a Travel Counsellor mean to you?

Becoming a Travel Counsellor has always been a dream of mine, especially now that I live in a small town. I can work from home whilst being a professional consultant without having normal office interruptions. Although my family are not with me, I can still take time out to either call or video call them and not feel guilty for using company time. I am looking forward to obtaining new business from the residents in this area and its surrounds.

What are you looking forward to most about being a Travel Counsellor?

Working for myself! I won't have to ask for permission if I need to go to the doctor! Focusing all my attention on my clients and providing them with a professional service.

Have you set yourself any goals or milestones for what you want to achieve in your first year?

I would like to build up a client base first, then focus on my monthly goals and milestones. Being based in a small town, I do realise that this will take time for them to get to know me and to trust me but by the end of the first year, I am hoping to have some loyal travellers.

What do you love most about working in the travel industry?

The travel industry is unlike no other! It offers variety! You could be working on a hotel booking one-minute and then along comes a trip to the most exotic island. Variety is the spice of life and I see travel that way, and I love it! Your clients are also not the same, which also adds to the excitement of travel. Dealing with people and wanting to know their travel desires inspires you to plan their dream trip.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Egypt! I have always been interested in Ancient Egypt and it's treasures. Russia! I would love to do the Trans-Siberian Rail trip And then I would love to do a cruise to Antarctica, but I don't know if I will survive the cold. But it is a dream of mine. Another destination I would love to go to would be Patagonia. No specific reason -just for the scenery!

If you too can relate to Dianne’s journey, or perhaps like Dianne you have a wealth of travel experience and it has always been a dream of yours to start your own travel business. If this is you, then we would love to chat with you. Please give us a call and we can set up an online demo and explain how it all works