With 29 years’ experience in travel, discover why Angeline decided to start her own business with Travel Counsellors

With more than 29 years' worth of working experience in both leisure and corporate travel, Angeline decided that it was time to start her own business. Angeline says goodbye to the commute and hello to a better work-life balance and a higher earning potential.

What is your background and where did you work before becoming a Travel Counsellor? I have 29 years of experience working in the Travel Industry. I a 3-year National Diploma in Tourism plus an IATA/UFTAA Advanced Certification from Geneva, Switzerland.

After working for 7 years at TFC/American Express, I was employed for 22 years by Rennies Travel. I was first employed as a travel consultant for 8 months. Thereafter, I held various Management roles. I worked my way to Operations Manager for their Pretoria hub and for all their Pretoria In-house Travel Agencies. During the last 3 years, I held the position of Operations Manager for 9 In-house Travel Agencies in Gauteng; SA Reserve Bank, FNB, KPMG, SABS, Dept. of Higher Education and Training, Development Bank of SA, Exxaro, Gold Fields and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems. I was awarded the Top Cruise seller in 1992. I was one of the 8 top travel consultants, countrywide, who adapted to the introduction of the Galileo GDS system, which I still use today!

Tell us a little bit about yourself? I am a single mom and I have an 18-year-old son. My awesome family all live in the Cape, whilst I live in Pretoria. I do miss them. My hobbies are studying food that have Medicinal properties, Ancient Medicine and Aromatherapy. I love gardening and making greeting cards using an embossed method. I go to the gym and I love to live my best life by eating healthy and applying healthy habits. I have travelled to; Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK, France, Italy, Mauritius, Victoria Falls, Malaysia, Australia, South America and North America.

What does becoming a Travel Counsellor mean to you? As a Travel Counsellor I will be able to focus on adding value to my customers travel experiences. Working from home will give me the opportunity to work uninterrupted and to say goodbye to the long commute each day. The business model encourages creative thinking. I love that there are so many ways that I can engage with people and to gain more clients. I am looking forward to using Travel Counsellors IT and technology. I am also looking forward to the support that the head office team provide. I know too that my customers will love the value for money commercial deals. I am looking forward to a higher earning potential as a Travel Counsellor. I will have a better work-life balance and I am looking forward to being able to go to the gym in the mornings (which is when I have the most energy) to exercise.

What motivated you to start your own travel business? I have 29 years of working experience in travel and I believe that I have all the values required to run my own successful travel business. Travel Counsellors provide great systems and the head office support team are amazing. All this coupled with my experience is the perfect match.

What are you looking forward to most about being a Travel Counsellor? I am looking forward to earning a good income. I can't wait to explore exciting travel options and destinations for my customers. I am looking forward to meeting all the other Travel Counsellors from around the globe. I love how Travel Counsellors share their knowledge and offer advice. I love too that the company is a people first business, who put our customers at the heart of everything that they do.

Have you set yourself any goals or milestones for what you want to achieve in your first year? I want to be earning more than I have in the past and I want to have built a healthy client base.

What do you love most about working in the travel industry? I love that I sell dreams, that I can offer my customers wonderful experiences and provide them with travel memories that will last a lifetime. What better job is there than that? People booking a holiday are happy and excited and this excites me. The world is a beautiful and an exciting place. It is a privilege to travel to destinations firsthand but also for me to make this possible for my customers. I love hearing my customers tell me all about their travel experiences.

If you too have either leisure or corporate travel experience and would like to take hold of your future, then why not chat to us about you starting your own travel business. We will explain how it all works and would love to chat to you.