CHELSEY: From MLM Anti-Recruiter to Badass CEO

Hey everyone, welcome to the No BS Travel Advisor Podcast. I'm Marcie Muensterman, your no fluff, no filter, tell it like it is coach. I'm so excited to bring you the stories, strategies, and straight up truths right from the mouths of your colleagues. So glad to have you here. Let's get to it. Good morning. Good morning everyone. This is Marcie Muensterman with the No BS Welcome back to the podcast for travel advisors, and I am here with Chelsea today. She is with Wandering with Chelsea Travel, and she's going on 3 years in her travel business. I'm really excited to have her today, but before I get started, I want to introduce myself. I am Marcie Muensterman, and I am your burnout survivor veteran travel advisor here to help you. Find success in our business by maximizing the time you have, making the most money you have. And there are days when I just can't believe this is my new job. So I'm excited to be here and be talking with our colleagues and sharing their stories with you. So Chelsea, welcome to the podcast.

Thank you for having me.

Are you having a good morning?

Yes, it's been a lovely rainy morning here.

Yes, we actually have really good weather today, so I'm excited. So where are you from, Chelsea?

I am from Arkansas, a really little town called Lamar. I live out in the middle of nowhere on a farm, so probably a non-traditional travel agent, if you will.

I love that. And you told me you have cows, which makes me so excited. How many cows do you have?

We, so me and my brother and sister, we have probably 45 cows out there right now, but like, I personally don't own all of them. I just own some of them, but we all, they're all together right now having babies and everything.

Oh my gosh. I love a cow. My kids hate it because I will literally like pull over to see cows and I scream moo in the car. So I'm so pumped that you have cows. I was like, this is the best. But you also are really busy being a mom. So tell us a little bit about like your everyday life.

Okay. So my everyday life, I have 2 beautiful little girls. One is 4, her name's Ellie, and the other one turns 2 next month and her name is Izzy. And we live on a farm out in the middle of nowhere. They have a lot of grass they get to run around on every day. Um, I'm married. My husband is a welder by trade, and right now our lives are, I actually watch a couple kids during the week, during the day, so that way I can stay home and be a mom at home. And then I'm also a travel advisor, which I don't think it's fair to call a travel advisor part-time because you're full-time no matter what.

Everybody is full-time even when they're part-time.

That's right. That's right. So that is our life currently. 2 months ago, our lives were totally different. than that cuz we were traveling around the country for my husband's work, living in a fifth wheel. And we did that for 3 years. And so we finally got our house built and moved into. So here we go.

Well, congratulations. It sounds like so much has changed in your life. So how has your travel advisor business been during that time? What were you experiencing actually early in your career versus kind of how you are now? Take us a little bit through that.

Okay. So I'll start from the very beginning. So when my husband decided he wanted to go out on the road, he did. And he was out there for a few months and I had a full-time job and it was kind of the end of COVID Everybody was going back to the office. And while he was out on the road and I was back in the office, I had to figure out what to do with Ellie. And so she was in an in-home daycare. But my job at the time was not just a 9 to 5. Like I had evenings and weekends and programming going on. And so my family and all of our support system lived, I always say, an hour in the wrong direction from where we were.

Right.

So it finally, I just felt like a single mom, if you will, trying to have a full-time job, raise a little girl, but I had a husband and I never saw him and he never saw our little girl and I was I was like, I'm done. So we took the plunge of selling our house and bought a fifth wheel and off we go. And around that time, another one of my colleagues, she had just recently become a travel advisor. And every time we saw each other, we'd always chit-chat about travel. And she was like, okay, so I know you're moving, doing other things. I think you should look into becoming a travel advisor. It's like, oh my gosh, I think I would love this. It's something I can do from anywhere. So I jumped on and I started officially like January of '22.

Okay.

And so I did that. We were out on the road. Things were going honestly quite well for me. I was really excited about how my business was going. And then 3 months in, I literally got the worst phone call of my life one night. Um, that my parents' house was on fire and they unfortunately did not make it. So we—

I'm so sorry.

Thank you.

So sorry for your loss.

Thank you. It's not easy. Holidays really fucking suck. I'm gonna be quite honest. Thank you. And I'm sorry for your recent loss as well. It just, it sucks. Life sucks sometimes.

That's traumatic, girl, though. That's like over the top. I'm really sorry about that.

Thank you. And so we actually, we were in Florida at the time, so we were halfway across the country. And after kind of the initial shock wore off in the first 30 minutes, we just threw some clothes in a bag and got in my car and we drove home and got home as early as we could. And so we, um, I was home. I did not really focus on anything except, so my dad had a lot of animals. We had sheep. We had cattle. He had more animals than I think any of us realized, probably more than he realized too. And so I, um, and honestly, if I'm being quite honest about it, I don't think I've still yet grieved about them passing because it was just a, a go mode. Had animals to feed, animals to take care of. I had a little girl to take care of. It was just a constant go. And sometimes I'm thankful for that. Because I didn't just freaking melt down. Um, but there's times like I'm pissed that I've not really fully gotten to just breathe and let it all out. Uh, that's something that I'm hoping now that I'm home and there's so many reminders, I'll, I'll be able to do. But in that time, I, um, didn't let it stop me from being a travel advisor. That's the beauty of it, you know, being remote, making your own hours. You can do what you need, take all the time you need.

Right.

And to be honest, I actually planned some pretty big trips like during that time. And I was sort of thankful for it cuz it was something to keep me busy and keep me going. And so I experienced that while trying to freaking start a business.

Yeah, that is a lot to balance. And especially because your dad owned a farm, your family owned that farm, and I'm sure that was just a layer of like actual physical labor that you had to put out. And, you know, it wasn't just sitting behind the desk creating proposals, you know? I mean, there's just a lot that goes in, not to mention just taking care of your family and your daughter was too young to understand what was happening. So I'm sure that there was just a lot going on at that time.

Yeah.

So how was being a travel advisor during such challenging times? You know, I feel like you You wrote in your survey that you were just surviving.

Yes.

And yes.

And, uh, yeah, so it was just survival mode personally. And I still feel like that a lot of days.

Yeah.

Just surviving the day. Um, I'm thankful that I was in the early phases of being a travel advisor when that happened. So I didn't have anybody on a trip. I didn't have anybody that, you know, it was just proposals, still getting my name out there, the whole Facebook group thing. So I'm thankful for that.

Uh, right.

Because they probably would've crashed and burned a few trips if I would, if they were relying on me.

It's difficult, but it sounds like you really do have the tenacity to dig deep and you're obviously very resilient. But what was going on in the background of all that with your host at that time?

Right. Um, I, I was with an, MLM at the time. And I don't even—

let's pause really quick and tell people what an MLM is because we use this terminology and I always catch myself. Multi-level marketing, right? So it's a direct sales company who happens to specialize in travel.

Correct.

Which, let's just talk about it for a minute because I think a lot of people have lots of misunderstandings and misconceptions of the MLM world. And one of mine, I'll just share my unpopular opinion, which might surprise people, is that they're not going anywhere and they're going to keep recruiting and they're going to keep putting people into our arena. But because of that, it's like we don't have to embrace it per se. Like, I'm putting air quotes around embrace, but I do think it's worthy of educating. Yes, they were recruited into the industry, but some— we're all recruited somehow. We're all attracted right to the business somehow. Like, Something has pulled us in and then we've had to find a space to land. And I know a lot of agents land in MLM because they're just out there promoting like the free travel piece. And I think that that can be really difficult for those of us who have been in the industry for almost 20 years. There is no such thing as free travel.

No.

But we get to live and work beside real people, usually women who are attracted to this. marketing that they put out. I just feel like you told me before that there were like 2 options usually when you sign up, like one to recruit and one not to recruit. So you do have that option, correct?

Yes.

Like, what was your split when you first started as an MLM?

So their split is 70/30 when you sign up, and then after you make $5,000 in commission, it bumps up to 80/20.

I think that's very fair as somebody who is an advocate for paying fairly. You know, I think that that's an actually fair moment. Do they go any higher than 80/20?

No, not that I'm aware of. I think pretty much the only way you could make more money is if you started recruiting.

Yeah.

Okay.

To the recruiting, which I think is where a lot of my fellow colleagues are like, like, that is where the ick factor is because it does feel kind of predatory to say, The kinds of things that they tend to say online.

Mm-hmm.

But having come from a direct, I actually used to be in a direct sales company as well. And I just know that there is so much camaraderie and a lot of things like that. But I think that you maybe didn't experience as much of the good side that could exist there. So like, how was your experience once you got going?

Right. So once I got going, I, I feel like it was just Baptism by fire. You had to figure it out all on your own. And they said they would offer trainings and you had to go through this training series. I don't really think I learned anything sitting in there and listening to it. And so it was me just figuring it out and like figuring it out. Yeah. That when I did my first booking, I did it correctly. So it was just one of those—

That makes me so anxious.

I know. Yeah. Me too.

For you and for every Every MLM travel advisor out there. But I also wanna say that could happen anywhere, in any host, at any agency if you do not have proper support. So I'm so sorry that you went through that, but like, how did you manage it?

So I think it's just me as a person. I've always been somebody, I'm gonna figure it out and I'm gonna do the research, put the time in. And cuz I'm one of those, like, I like to try to figure out the answers to questions before I ask. So that way, one, I've kind of done my research and I know what the answer should or shouldn't be. Um, and then two, I know if you're blowing smoke up my ass or not when you answer the question. So I try to do that and I'm, and I think probably this goes back to how I've been able to handle my parents' death is I just, when I'm in crisis mode, that's when I can kind of thrive and troubleshoot and do what needs to be done. And I feel like that's kind of what I had to do trying to figure out the travel business. And there was a lot of good information that I was able to stumble upon. But I will say, like, when I first started it, it was hard. Like, I didn't know where to start. And it was also a little daunting because you, this is what I will say about, and one of my icks, I guess, with them, because I will say I don't bash them. If it hadn't been for them, I would've never become a travel advisor or even—

We're so glad you're here. I mean, you're—

thank you.

We're glad you're here.

Yeah.

I mean, it's a stepping stone, right?

That's right. That's exactly right.

It's all figureoutable.

That's right.

And change, which you—

that's right.

And we'll get there, but go ahead.

But I was just really frustrated that you're dependent on who recruits you to pretty much train you. Heaven forbid they decide like, I don't wanna do this anymore, then you're just kind of left out in the abyss. Like I, you know, even though there's supposed to be tiers and in theory it makes sense that if your person Is no longer there, then you just go to whomever recruited them. Like it's a family tree, and that's not how it is at all, or at least not in my experience. Because when mine, when she withdrew from the recruiting side, I was just kind of left out there. But it was a team in that, like her upline, we had this huge Facebook group, so you could reach out to all these different people. And to be honest, I call her my travel agent bestie. That's who I met her through all this, and okay, we're now.

Positives all around. Again, that camaraderie, like you will find your people if you're looking.

Yeah.

But it took like a while to like find your footing.

It did.

And it didn't even think about, and I mean, I left, I eventually left my direct sales company. So there was somebody there that took my team members. I've not talked about this in a minute. So you do feel like abandoned, I think, as a team member. And I can, you know, at least relate to leaving and like really wanting them to get the support they needed. But that just wasn't the case for you.

Right. And they really pushed recruiting. And I will say, I guess maybe when I initially signed up, I initially signed up for both and I tried to recruit and actually I did sign up a couple people, but then they never did anything. Right. And so then I just also kind of reeled it back into me and said, okay, timeout, Chelsea. What is it that you really wanna do and can be successful at? I was like, how the hell can you recruit somebody to your team when you've never been a travel advisor and you don't know what the fuck you're doing and you're figuring it out? This makes absolutely zero sense.

The rational thinking process, Chelsea. And I think what we're really coming to learn as we're talking about this Is when you are recruited versus when someone makes a decision to be a travel advisor and researches their options and understands maybe what they're getting into a little bit better, you could have a better experience. But I think on the flip side, your story is not unusual in that you kind of went with the first person that, you know, you talked to about this industry. And I think that that happens to a lot. of travel advisors, whether it's MLM or just some random travel agent that they meet or work with one time. And then they're like, ooh, I wanna be a travel advisor. I specifically see this with Disney agents, with agents who specialize in Disney that, you know, they'll sign up with the first person that they've ever worked with. And it's not an MLM per se, but maybe they're not getting that support.

Mm-hmm.

And I think that it can be very common. And so that's the downside to our industry, right? Like you were saying, it's not all rainbows. When you are in commissionable sales, so much of it is figure out your own shit.

Like, yes.

But without proper mentorship, which even though I'm no longer with my original agency, I did have proper mentorship. And I think that that was something that at that time I didn't have a full appreciation of, but now I look back and I'm like, yes. That was a, a moment of like reflection. Now I'm so glad I had that. And unfortunately a lot of us don't get it. So what, I mean, you were obviously resilient. You really found your footing on your own, but you were still struggling.

Yes. Like I still just had this, this itch, if you will. And I think it's because you see all these people that keep getting signed on into the team.

Mm-hmm.

And then they get put in a Facebook group and they're asking all these basic questions that to me should have been answered, but then other people like me would comment about it and I'm not a recruiter at all. So to me, I was like, why is there, going back to the rational thinking, why is there not minimum qualifications before you start recruiting? Like you have to have been a travel advisor for a year. You have to have so many worth of sales because then those people, you know, can be successful. As a travel advisor. So then in theory, they should be able to train people successfully. And so—

In theory.

In theory.

Yeah. In theory. I mean, that's the thing is not every salesperson can also train a salesperson.

Right.

It's—

Right.

This is hard. It's a really hard job. Like it doesn't matter what you're selling. It's hard. I've sold all kinds of shit over the years and you have to be okay with putting yourself out there vulnerably in a sales position too.

So. And there was no, I had Zero workflow. I didn't even know what the hell a workflow was and what A, B, and C should be. Like—

Dogs don't know what a workflow is, but we all know it is a system, point A, point Z.

Yes.

Right? That is in a step-by-step process. Now we understand maybe cuz we're both in a place where we get it. But one of my really good friends, we were just talking about this cuz she uses terminology all the time. I'm like, girl, they do not know what you're saying. And she's like, That's basic stuff. And I'm like, not, we have to coach and teach. Like, I don't wanna offend anybody, but almost like you're speaking to a 3rd grader.

That's right.

Versus to a college graduate, which a lot of us are, but it doesn't matter.

That's right.

What the hell's a workflow? What's a system?

That's right.

You know, break down into pieces. So you didn't really even know what that was? No.

Like I didn't, I didn't know like you should do This, like when you get somebody interested and they reach out to you, you should do this and then this should happen. And then that should happen when you book. And after you book, this should happen. I was just doing, I guess I was somewhat fortunate that in previous travels I had hired travel advisors, so I sort of knew what they had done for me. And so I sort of did the same steps, if you will, whether those were right or wrong.

Right.

I don't know, but here we are and I have Fortunately stumbled upon your Facebook group, the Maximize group, so I could start learning. And I'm not gonna lie, there's so many different courses out there.

Yeah, there are a lot of courses and I've just like free options too. Like, yes, so much stuff just kind of flying at your face if you're looking for it. Yes. Especially if you're looking and Googling and yes, it can be quite the Google rabbit hole. So yes.

And I feel like you just have to really be able to click with somebody or you just are like, okay, I get it. Like, I like this lady. Let me see what this is about. And that's how I felt when I started with your group. I was like, okay, I can get on her train. There was some others I was like, I don't even want to take the horse.

It's a crazy train, but we enjoy it. We're riding it and it's honest.

Yes.

I think a part of this too is when you find someone, because I'm definitely not everybody's cup of tea, and I think that is something I had to embrace in order to help you guys. And it was, that was a challenge for me as well, cuz I was like, they're really not gonna like me. But I do find that you guys that do click with me, it's, it's all in just the direct conversation.

That's right.

You know, it's, it's like you don't always wanna like enjoy what I have to say, but I'm never gonna lie to your face. Like, it's just never gonna happen. So how did you, did you find the Maximize group in searching or before you left your MLM, or did you find it after? Like, what was that process like for you? Okay.

So I, uh, had decided, I had finally told myself, I was like, okay, I'm done with this. I'm tired of being, you know, like pushed to try to recruit when I don't have any desire to recruit. I just wanna be a travel advisor. I don't have the time or energy to teach others what I don't know.

I think acknowledging that is a huge piece, Chelsea. It sounds like a lot of people might wanna step back and consider like, do you also wanna be a somebody's coach when you're a brand new financial advisor? It's hard enough, you know? Yes.

Quit seeing dollar signs and think about yourself and them. And if you're actually going to be worthy, because I never thought I would be because I just was not there mentally, even though other people really thought I was, was like, no, not there.

Well, just share advice without being somebody's coach and make an impact. I mean, I think there's a lot of agents out there that have a lot of great things to say, but maybe they don't have the capacity to coach. And as a coach, it can be very difficult sometimes, like To show up and give like consistent, rational, real advice. And sometimes I'm like, ooh, that came across real nasty and I didn't mean it for it to, you know, like I think just like being able to recognize like this piece of it is, is really hard.

Right. And just recognizing that I didn't have the time. I had small children. I don't have the time. And I had already kind of started thinking maybe there's somebody better out there for me than who I'm with. And so I had started that process and I went to the hostagencyreviews.com and really—

Such a great resource, you guys. If you have not signed up with their newsletter, I love her newsletter so much. It's Host Agency Reviews. I'm blanking on her name. Apologies in advance, but she sends such great— beyond the host agency review piece, she just has great Information about our business all the time. So if you're not signed up for her newsletter, HAR, um, Host Agency Reviews. Awesome.

Yes.

Sorry to interrupt.

No.

Little plug for her, cuz I think she also has a podcast. I need to, I might have to put her name in the show notes cuz I'm feeling like I just am blanking while we're talking. So how was your experience on there?

It was great. I love that I could. You could even niche down, like if you wanted to just focus on cruises, well, here's those agencies. Or if you wanted to do Disney, here's those agencies. Or if you didn't wanna, you know, I loved that. And I actually, I guess, kind of went through the interview process, if you will. I had narrowed it down to a few that I was intrigued by. I interviewed with one and I was like, nope, that's not gonna work for me.

Right.

And then I interviewed with a second one and I was like, okay, I'm feeling this. I like what I'm hearing. I like what I'm seeing. And I jumped on. And I gave myself a promotion because it's a 90/10 split.

We love a self-promotion moment.

Yes. So I did that and they do not charge monthly fees. It's just your one-time signup fee, which is nice. And they have their own systems, back office, whatever you wanna call it in place. That's really handy. And they really do provide a lot of support and they have Preferred partners and all that, just like most do. But I just really felt that and I enjoyed the fact that all they did was travel advisors. Like, we're not— you could have your own team, but they're not there trying to force you to recruit to bring more people in. They didn't care about that at all. They just wanted you to be a successful—

So you could build out your own company under their umbrella?

Yes.

Okay. Yes.

That's awesome.

Do you wanna say who it is?

Sure. So I'm currently with Legato.

Awesome. Yeah, I've heard nothing but good things and I've actually talked to Bill myself and I know he is such a great guy. And one of the things I've really enjoyed about when I speak with Legato agents is that there is so much freedom to truly be independent, which is a core, you know, aspect of his business model. And so I am very happy for you that you found Legato. And me too. It, I really, I know he's kind of like doing no marketing. He's very under the, very under the wire, but I think he's up and coming. And for anybody looking for a new host, I think he is a great opportunity, like, and he takes the call. So like when you interview with them, you actually get to talk to Bill. So I highly recommend Legato to people looking. For a really solid independent contractor model. So, and I love hearing that he has like all the training and all the systems in place for you to be successful without the stress.

And I, yes, I really loved it too because it forced me to become a business. Like you had to have registered with your state, have a business checking account, the whole 9 yards, which with my previous one did not. give two shits about and never even mentioned any of that stuff. So I, I didn't even know. And so— Yeah.

Setting up your business can be a little challenging, but if you, even if you are selling 2 trips a year, you need to protect yourself. And having an LLC and being signed up with your state and having all those things in alignment are going to protect you. And having your own E&O insurance and business conditions. Because if you don't have those in place, you guys, it is like if something goes wrong, it is a personal situation. It becomes very personal and they can actually sue your person, which puts your house and your savings and everything you own at risk. And I'm not a lawyer, but having been multiple companies over the years, it's so important to protect your personal assets. So I'm so glad that Legato requires it instead of like, and there's not a lot of things that I think a business should require, right? But it makes sense to require you to set up your business correctly before you start selling travel.

Yeah. Just the basic business foundation. And so that was kind of scary for me. I was like, oh shit, I've been doing this for 2 years and I didn't—

Girl, we've all been there.

It's okay.

I mean, We're not like saying like mistakes aren't being made every day, but things can go perfectly fine for 15 or 17 years and then shit can hit the fan, right? So it's like, you're not, it's okay to be an IC without an LLC for like a certain length of time. But if you are starting to really sell, and I know you were, you were like actively successfully having, you know, quite a few in sales. I think you have your $2,000 in sales.

Yeah. Yeah, I was very fortunate and did well, you know, considering it's not the part-time full-time, but I was like, oh, I'm doing pretty good at this. And that's why I was actively wanting to keep pursuing it and finding a host that I wanted to be with. I started with them this past January, so January of '24, probably 6 months in, which I had already kind of started feeling a little burnt out cuz of the tire kickers, the ghosters, the holy shit, I just spent that much time and nothing happened.

Girl.

And so I had started toying around with the idea of charging fees cuz I was not charging fees. And that's about the time I stumbled upon, well, I was in the Resorts of the Riviera Maya.

Yes. We love Lori.

Yes. She had put up something about, okay, what are your current favorite Facebook groups or something like that? And yours was on there, The Maximized, and I clicked it and joined. And that's when I was like, this is everything I ever needed. Yes. Yes.

I'm so glad you found me.

Thank you. And so I, and it was like your birthday and you were having a big birthday sale. I jumped on and I bought the P2C, Propose to Close.

Yes.

Close to Home. So I bought both of them.

I know.

And that's when like everything changed for me because I learned sales strategies. I learned, I was like, okay, I'm gonna start charging a fee now. I know how to charge it, when to charge it. The whole 9 yards.

What to say. I think there's so much about this that gets agents like hung up. Like they have to overexplain and I'm like, pause. You do not have to overexplain the reasoning. This is your business. You get to do what you want.

Right.

So it's not to say that there isn't a reason, but it doesn't always have to be explained in this great detail. I think Propose to Close is absolutely my favorite course I've ever written. It took a while for me to pick a favorite. It's like children. They take forever to write these courses and then I birth them out and then I'm like, shit, now I have— no, I'm just kidding. But I'm so glad that you feel like you were getting everything you needed.

Yes, I did. That's when all of a sudden I now have a workflow and I no longer, I ditched the intake form that I had.

I hate the intake form, so I'm so proud of you.

Thank you.

It's like, yes, you have to cut the umbilical cord on this intake form, people.

Oh my goodness! So I think it—it was great because now, like I even just love getting on face to face and putting an actual human being. And so, and and like you said, like you can see and read people so much better, and they put a face with me too, knowing I'm an actual person. I'm not just some bot out on the internet trying to get a sale. And so it's been so freeing because. There's no more tire kickers. I'm not spending all night trying to find the perfect trip for them that is absolutely unrealistic, which I knew was unrealistic, but I'm trying to make it work for them. No, none of that shit's happening anymore. Like, this is the budget that you need to stay with, or this is your range. This is where it's probably gonna fall. We don't have a budget because you don't know what you wanna spend.

Right.

You just know what you want, but you don't know how much it costs. I, I do not consider myself a luxury travel advisor at all. Like, I really don't. I have been fortunate. that I have sold some massive trips before and I've had somebody stay at an $1,800 a night in Venice room. Like I've, I have had that and that's few and far between. But even them, when they're spending that money, they're like, I want it as cheap as possible. So people, that's what people are always gonna say. I want cheap. Mm-hmm. Well, sometimes cheap is $200 and sometimes that's $2,000. It's just You don't know the person.

Yep. So it really does depend. That's what propose to close is all about, is figuring out what's best for the client, but also deciding if you even want them to be a client. Okay, y'all, let's pause for a quick break. I know you wanna be the best travel advisor that you can be, and if you're tired of being a one-and-done booking engine and ready to build a business rooted in loyalty and referrals, and providing the best white glove concierge care from close to home is the course for you. You will develop a workflow that keeps you in control of your time and service the hell out of your reservations after the deposit is placed. You'll never miss a final payment again. You'll continue to connect with your clients between the deposit and their descent home. You will master that post-booking client care in ways you never thought imaginable. Learn how to VIP your clients that allows them to feel so special without breaking the bank of your business. You will sell more insurance. You will upsell them throughout the experience, build those relationships, all while setting boundaries. There is no 24/7 here. You'll learn to manage hiccups like a pro, and you'll have the confidence to follow up with them after they return and encourage them to rebook for next year. Stop chasing new leads and start creating raving loyal fans who never want to travel without you and refer you to everyone they know. Head to my website to grab From Close to Home, and don't forget to check the show notes for an exclusive Coupon code. Okay, now back to the pod. I think a lot of agents think that they just have to take everything and do everything and find the unfindable finds to be good at their job. But in fact, it just creates more chaos for both you and your prospects. So I'm so happy that you— did you feel like there was like an aha moment at any point as you're going through the course or The whole course. Dove right in. You bought it.

I did. I did it. I'm like, I'm getting on.

Some people, Kelsey, need like a little bit of massaging, but you're like, I'm just gonna do it. I like that.

I knew what I wanted and I, I went after it and I'm so thankful.

I'm so glad. I'm so glad. You said you felt excited and empowered. I think that is powerful.

Yes, I really did because Again, I went from sending out, okay, here are your 3 options. One that fits your budget, under your budget, and over your budget, which is what I was trained. That's right. Boo.

I know. I know.

That in and of itself wastes so much of your time just trying to find that 3rd option. And I finally even started telling myself, listen, you're looking for a needle in a haystack, quit. And if all you have are 2 options, then go with it. And then you have Do your first and best. Gee, I want—

I mean, I knew at first and best, it was like, it was like a post-COVID op. Like if I really look back at how I did, I was the same way. I would do 3 resorts, 3 different room categories, 3 this, 3 that. And I was like, after a while I was like, this is what they want. Why am I sending them all this shit? It's just clogging up the, you know, if you're anything like me and I think we both have ADHD, it's like, If I were a client, how would I feel looking at that? I can't even funnel through the options. And then you have to walk them through everything. It's like, why are we sending more than what they need? And so I took a risk very soon after COVID because I was, I was adding fees. I was so tired. I was like, COVID is a— it almost killed all of us, um, in one form or another, honestly, especially in the travel business, tanked us. But it also really highlighted the issues that we have. Working for free and giving more than our clients are willing to meet us in the middle on. So it's like if you need twelve options, you need to go to Expedia. I am not a booking engine, right? So I had to realize that, and then deciding on First Invest was a big step. And honestly, it was besides ditching the intake form; it was terrifying for me to put that into propose to close because. I thought you guys were gonna think I was crazy. And some of you still do. I get feedback on that a lot. Well, I'm so glad for you. It was like you could click into that because if you're qualifying a client properly and you know what they want and you can see it in your mind, I'm picturing you at this property on this beach. I can see you in the chair and be able to give that to them. Hands down. We're okay if they spend more, by the way. We send them if we need to, but we like to find out Yes, that's right. Yeah.

And I was so blessed during it because I, I hammered down, like I would get up 4 o'clock every morning and watch a module so I could get through it because that's just how I had to. Wow. I had 2 small children. It was either do it in the morning time or doing it, doing it at night. And I'm, I'm opposite of most people. I'm not a night person. I function, my mind is clear in the morning. I get up at the ass crack of dawn so I could do it. hammer down and get through it so I could be a better travel advisor. And within that time, like I was probably halfway through Propose to Close and I had gotten a repeat client and she wanted to do a trip. And so I just started implement— that was the first time I charged a fee, started implementing the strategies, the workflows, sent my first invest. She ended up booking first class, the whole 9 yards, a butler, Sandals suite, like All of it. And I'm like, oh my gosh, like, okay. And then pretty soon after that, I had another just random on my Facebook group reach out again, sent the Calendly link, had an appointment. We charged the fee. I sent the first and best in the freaking most expensive room at that resort and she booked.

So it's like, I am so pumped for you. Well, I'm pumped. I think you were sharing some of this along your process too, because we have the exclusive group. And I remember being like, oh my gosh, Chelsea is rocking and rolling it. And I think it's because, and I love hearing that you created that time for yourself to take the course, because one of the main things I see is people buy it during a sale, you know, they're excited and then they're bogged down in their poor habits. Mm-hmm. Let's be honest. And don't create time to learn the thing that you purchased. You know, it's like going to the gym, like, mm-hmm, bought this membership, make time for it, or you will not get stronger at what you want.

Right.

And I feel like if you don't, I mean, when you said you get up at 4:00 AM just to do a module, I mean, you could do that from your bed. Like you didn't have to get all the way up. And I also think too, just that commitment to change. I'm getting goosebumps cuz it's like if you are committed to change, You can change. People who want to stay stuck choose to stay stuck. I'm not going— I'll die on that hill. Like, if you really want change and you own any of my courses, you guys, if you're listening and you own any of my courses and you've only done one or half or none of the modules, you will not have change in your business. And I don't give refunds for this reason. Like, I'm not going to force you to take the course, but you aren't getting your money back for it. So you might as well give it a shot. Like, you Invested in yourself. Like, take that time, get up at 4:00 AM if you have to. And you know, I'm anti-hustle, but when you're in the middle of a big change, whether it's life, business, whatever, that transition has to be committed to. And as a person who is avoiding committing to working out— Not refused to join a gym again. No, I called, um, oh, I'm gonna go off on a little tangent cuz why not? I called somebody who was a mobile Mobile trainer, and I literally told her, I don't even know if I'm gonna do this, so I don't know if you really wanna come out here, you know? And she's like, I do wanna come out there. I wanna talk to you about your goals. And I was like, I have zero goals. I've just been told I have to do this or I'm not gonna feel better. And I know in my heart as a business coach, and she's like, you have to get uncomfortable. She's like saying the shit that I don't—

That's funny.

That I say to all of you guys, like, you have to get uncomfortable. You have to do things you've never done before. You know, you have to get up early and take the course or what's the point? And it's like, if I wanna be a stronger human, like physically stronger, I'm gonna have to listen to what she has to say and I'm not gonna always like what she has to say. And I think if you can embrace hearing things you don't wanna hear, it becomes your own idea because you chose to purchase, you chose to invest in yourself. Like now, like take the course, you know, like implement the strategies. It's not a waste of time.

And I'm, I'm kind of in that. I have to kick my own ass right now cuz I bought Facebook course last month and I'm just, I'm on module 3 and I have not watched it yet. And how, cuz I was like, oh, that's a long one. I'm really gonna have to carve out some time.

It's the big one cuz it's all about the pillars. Let's do it.

I really have to just kick my own ass.

Some of them group down in front of bed or just do it in the bed. And listen to it while you're, while you're waking up.

But yeah, no, I, I will say, and I, any travel advisor I ever run into, I highly recommend your courses.

Aw.

Especially, yeah, like I really didn't. And it also like Close to Home made me look like a freaking rockstar with bookings I already had. Like, so I didn't even do the Propose to Close on those. This was just, okay. I've gone through this course. Let me try out these strategies.

Girl, you've like been through the gamut of like, you really did dive in. I'm impressed.

And so, so that was what, like in July? So I had actually 2 sets of clients go to Italy in the very beginning of October. So here I am in September, like, okay, VIPs, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. This happened. Let me make you reservations.

Did you use my tip of like Speaking in Italian at the beginning and at the end of the email. Or just, I said, a lot of people think that's crazy. And I'm like, oh my gosh, no, it butters the bread.

That's right.

So much. Yes.

So I did that and then I actually had both sets of clients called me after they got home and we just chatted about their trips and they were like, oh my gosh, Chelsea, it went off without a hitch. I was telling everyone who was there about you that had travel advisors that did not do this or this or this for them, but you did this for us. So I was like, thank you, Jesus. So now I've got—

And they'll come back.

Clients for life. Right.

The point of building a sustainable business is when you serve oversell, when you put the service, you put the qualifying ahead of everything. When you then touch base and stay in touch and VIP your clients and really take the time after they've booked, they will come back. They will come back. Why would we wanna keep spinning our wheels on finding new aligned clients when we already have aligned clients if we just step up our service game? And it doesn't take a ton of time to step up your service game, but it's actually some of the least, most fun, best return on investment of time and money. Close to home is going to be a really good thing if you're struggling with what to do after you take their deposit. I'm so glad that helped you because when we have clients for life, that's less work in the future. You don't have to start from scratch getting to know each other. You don't have to worry about, will they like me? You already know they love you. They're referring you and they're referring you to quality leads 9 times outta 10.

Yes. I did not come from a sales background, so I had to learn all of that. I will say I've always been more of a customer service person, so it's It's the little details that I've always paid attention to, and you just helped me pay attention to more I didn't know existed. And I'm so thankful and fortunate that a vast majority of my clientele right now is repeat and referrals. And I love it because I, I know what my clients want and I know when they refer me, they're referring me to clients that I want.

Nice.

I've been so fortunate in this business that I knew nothing about coming into it. And, you know, I, like I said, baptism by fire. I've already switched host agencies.

You've done a lot.

Like, yes, I feel like I'm playing catch up, but I feel like I'm in the teenager phase. Like, I know enough, you can't bullshit me, but I don't know everything and I have to be willing to open my ears to that.

You'll never know everything, girl. The needs have changed over the years. The connection, you know, I do think people are craving the in-person connection, which is why I'm, I die on the Zoom hill. I mean, there's a lot of hills I'll die on by myself because There's so many things in this business that I feel like could be easier if you're willing to do just these small things. What I love about your story, Kelsey, is truly you have been through it. Like personally in your life, it's been really tough couple of years, but you made these changes in your business in under 6 months. Like you bought into your new host and we love that. That's a big, big change. And then that transition of host takes time. But like to change how you like almost burnt out to this is the best thing I've ever invested in. This is the, you know, like did for myself and my business and how much has changed in 6 months, not even 6 months, cuz you bought it in July and it's only December. And that's something I have realized in having these podcast interviews is I am a baby business. I've only been in business for less than 2 years and you guys are making changes so fast that we have this to talk about. It could take 2 years for you to make a big change, you know? And that's still pretty fast in a business. So I'm so excited that you were able to process through all of your grief and still grieving and being a mom and owning a farm and having a husband that's out in the world doing crazy cool shit. And then just like doing a lot of that on your own. It's, you know, but you found a travel agent bestie, always, always highly recommend and have really been able to collaborate with our community.

Yes. Thank you. Well, if I wanted to succeed, I had to, like, I couldn't just sit here and pretend like something was going to come to me. It's not. Mm-hmm. This was a brand new industry for me. Like I had to go seek out what I wanted and what I needed to know so I could be successful. Because I truly, truly enjoy planning trips and watching my clients go on these amazing trips. Like, I'm so freaking pumped. I have some clients that leave out next week. Well, I leave out next week for my own personal vacation.

Where are you going? Where are you going?

Cuba.

Ooh, have you ever been?

No.

Oh my God. Well, it's a good time of year to go. It's gonna be hot down there.

Yes, I'm pumped. We're going for a week. We're gonna see the island, enjoy ourselves, and then—

I'm so excited. I'm so excited for you and so deserving. So you do have clients traveling at the same time as you?

I do. And they're going to a whole different part. So they're going to Iceland and Ireland. So yeah.

Pretty cool.

Uh, yeah. And that was an interesting trip because they, um, when they first reached out, they, well, they wanted to go to Iceland for 2 weeks and I was like, okay, Iceland's cool, but I don't know if you wanna go for 2 weeks in the dead of winter with like 3 or 5 hours. Yeah.

Like, okay, if I'm correct. Yeah. The little bit I know about Iceland is like, uh, and it's cold as F up there.

Yes. And so I think this is where you have to be you and be a true travel advisor. And even though they came to me wanting that, I said, okay, how about this? What if you went to Iceland for a week? And I said a week because it's Christmas. So you've got Christmas Eve, Christmas Day that you're obviously not gonna have a whole lot to do cuz they're holidays. But you're right there by all these countries within a short direct flight. Wanna go somewhere else too? And they were like, oh my gosh, I hadn't thought about that. I love that. So they're going to Ireland for a week and they're gonna get to see all the Christmas markets. They're going to do the Northern Lights.

It's like the best fucking time. That's how she— now I wanna go in the winter and I am not a winter girl.

Same. And again, like you're making me, I'm gonna look like a freaking rockstar cuz I've sent out all my VIP emails that have came back to me. Well, we'd be delighted to leave a treat in the room for you and a note and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, thank you, Jesus.

Because you can now leave to go on your own trip knowing that they are in good hands, but you are still, are you gonna be available to them or what's yours? What's your plan?

So I, I have told them like, I'm going to be on my personal vacation, but—

Love the honesty.

You will, I will have my phone on me. So if you have any issues, please don't hesitate to reach out, but just know we're in different Different time zone.

Yeah.

You know, I've got my own shit going on. So like my husband and I, ever since we got married, our big deal when we go somewhere is we go fishing. So I've got 2 days that we're gonna be out on the water fishing that even if you tried to call me, you're not gonna get ahold of me. And unfortunately, one of the days is Christmas Day that we're going to be fishing. There's nothing, I mean, you can't do anything on Christmas Day anyways. They've already got reservations for Supper that night and I think lunch that day. So she's honestly been great to work with cuz she's been a go-getter as well. And so—

We love that.

Yes. And then I've been able to make her life easier because of my itinerary builder that I can use and it's a nice pretty app she can download and—

Love it.

Yes. So I'm thankful for that. And then like I have some clients leaving in a couple of days to go on a cruise and they get back when I leave. So it's just like you said, clear is kind, telling them I'm going to be gone. I will have my phone on me, but this is what's gonna happen. And so also I have clients leaving at the end of December, already got them prepped and ready to go. And I've got clients leaving at the beginning of January. I'm gonna make sure they're prepped and ready to go before I leave.

Girl, you're busy. You have a very busy holiday coming up. I'm very impressed.

This is when I say, I don't know how I have not just crashed and burned some trips before because it's just like there's a complete lull, nothing's going on, and then all of a sudden, bam, you have like 100 trips to plan or to get through, it seems like.

But I know, but that check is coming and you, that is like what we look forward to because I don't think people realize like the waiting game on getting paid, like when I'm waiting on 3 groups To pay out that traveled 60 days ago, you know. And I'm like, when am I gonna get this money? It's not gonna be in. It's not gonna be this year. I'll tell you, like 2024 is over and those checks aren't coming. So I don't think people understand like the amount of time and energy that goes into a vacation. And then we are ready to get paid. We should be getting paid. And sometimes we still have to wait because the vendor is taking a little longer. So I mean, there's just so much that goes into it. And I'm. I'm just so proud of you. I'm not saying that in a way, I say this every—

Oh, thank you.

Every episode I'm like, I'm so proud. But I think it's because I, I know how hard you've worked and the changes you had to implement. And my stuff is not easy. It's a really buy-in mentally. It's, it's a mental game too. And I love like how you felt empowered by the courses, you know, through the process of listening to the coaching on the courses. Because I do spend a ton of time like talking you guys up. Like it's not just do this, do this, do this, do this. It's like, do this because all this other stuff will happen for you if you are willing to make these changes. I'm so pumped.

Side note on the courses, like if you're doing the course, you need to go to the resource section first and download the handbooks, like the guidebooks. I mean, like seriously. But like, I love that you said you printed it off.

You, yes.

Yeah. Good. Do it first thing. You bought it.

Like it comes with all this great stuff. I do think that that's probably one of my bigger annoyances is like when the questions come in on the, on the groups and they're like, well, I haven't finished the course, but I need X, Y, and Z. And I'm like, well, it's there. It is all in the resource. And they're like, where's the resource? I'm like, it's It's under the resource button or it's under the module that, that is collaborate. You know, I tried to put 'em together in modules. I tried to be really organized. Everybody, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but like we all kind of want that answer to be handed to us. And what I love about you, Chelsea, is you were like, I know it's not gonna be handed to me. I have to go do this work. I have to get up early. I have to do the modules because it's never gonna click in if you're just like cherry picking from the course. The whole system, especially with Propose to Close and Close to Home. And the Facebook groups course has a system in place to make your life easier. But if you skip a section, you're gonna be like, okay, what the fuck just happened? Okay. At the end of each episode, we're doing a couple of things and I wanna talk to you first about what is your unpopular opinion about travel?

That it's not all rainbows and sunshine.

If that's not the most actual, like real talk ever, I think our entire episode is about Like that's the theme is it's hardly rainbows, right?

No, not at all. And especially when you're first, okay. And like you mentioned earlier, the whole waiting game to get paid.

So it's not rainbows. We know that. So you gotta get your mind right.

That's right. It ebbs and flows, just like what I was talking about earlier. There may be crickets for a long while and then it hits all of a sudden where everybody wants a trip or everybody's traveling at the same time. So just being able to manage that, manage that, oh, you're busy and something—

Manage your calendar. Yes. You have to know what's happening in your business all the time. Be super self-aware. I put everything in my reminder app. And what do you do to stay organized now that you have those tools?

Yep. So I live and breathe by my calendar of, and actually I just bought a new, it just came in the other day. Uh, wall calendar so I can get them all visually. So as I'm on a call and they're like, okay, we're wanting our dates to be this, I can flip through my calendar real quick and say, oh, can we like bump it down a week or two? Or, you know, so that way I have calendar control and I'm not scheduling.

But I feel like we could do an entire episode on what you just said.

Like, yes, you can.

Other agents are gonna listen to this and be like, what does she mean bump it down? I'm gonna tell you right now, you get to control when people travel if you're willing To talk to them about your own schedules.

Yes. And I'm able, like my Calendly is linked to my Google, which is linked to my iPhone calendar. So it's all there regardless of which calendar I'm opening. It's all there.

Amazing. I love that. So what else can they do right now?

Ditch the intake form.

But then what are they supposed to do? Like—

Then you have to have a phone call. You set up an appointment and you talk to that person. And I love Zoom as well, cuz I love face-to-face. interaction, but I live in the middle of nowhere, issues with internet connection. Yeah. Before enough. So even when it was supposed to happen, I immediately called them. I got their, I got their number, like, so we had a phone call about it. Mm-hmm. So just talk to them in one form or another, whichever platform you use.

Perfect. Just talk to them.

That's right. Yes. My next one would be charge a fee.

Ooh. Now this may not be 100% free because if you are in an SOT state, things like that, you might have to invest in some of that protection. Mm-hmm. But it will make up for it because you're charging a fee.

That's right.

That back into our business, right?

Yeah. And it's nice because it creates a second revenue stream for you now that you're getting paid right now. So that trip that's a year out, well, you've already got some money from it and you are now more vested in the trip as well. And you're also not going through each vendor like Oh my gosh, this one's gonna pay $50 more in commission than this one is. Like, you just go pick whichever vendor you want to work with and work with them regardless of what may or may not be the end result and of the commission because you've already gotten paid some. And just in the handful of bookings I've had this year alone, I've gotten several thousand more dollars than what I would've had.

I'm so glad. And we are deserving of that. I mean, I think people are like, oh, there's so many free agents and there are, there are, but it doesn't mean that we are not worth what we charge. So, you know, that unpopular opinion of somehow we're defrauding the industry, it's like, no, ASTA is on our side and they represent all of us in some way. And then also it's just, it's not 1997. We're not getting paid on airfare anymore. We're not always getting paid on a tour or a transfer. And if we really wanna be giving you the full experience, things where we don't get paid, it's easier for us to invest in you if you're investing in us to give you something that you would love that maybe doesn't pay commission because we've been paid. So I think like there's a flip side of that, of agents who charge typically are also very open to booking things that don't pay us. So, you know, cuz we've been paid. And then just all the time and investment and all the extras that we are able to really feel excited to do. And I think a lot of agents get burnt out because they're doing all this stuff for free all the time. And then it's like, was it even worth it? Like I made $8 on that entire booking after all the hours I invested. It could be, you know, hundreds of hours depending on the, the client and the situation.

Right. But my aligned client is going to pay my fee.

Boom. That part. Anything else you would advise like a new or even a veteran agent, somebody that's been doing this longer than you?

Yes. So this is your business. Treat it like one. So you don't have to take every single lead, just like you were saying. If it's not your aligned client or you're just not feeling it, then You can be nice and refer to another travel agent that it would be. It is making those business foundations of having a business checking account and getting your LLC, DBA, whatever you need to do set up and your E&O insurance, which I have to put out there. You know, when I was with my previous host agency, they were like, we have E&O insurance for everybody, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, then after coming on with my new host. And learning the things I learned, I was like, oh, that's sketch. Like, I don't know that they really did have my back or not. And I've already—

They definitely have their own back.

Yes. And I purchased the E&O insurance and I've already got my return on investment because I actually did use it for something.

You did?

I did.

Can you tell us a little bit more about what that was like?

Yeah. So I had a client, he was military and he was overseas and he was planning a trip with some friends and where he was from, Like that airline that he was gonna have to go on, it's not domestic by any means. And so I had booked through a travel partner for the airfare, just the airfare, and my fault, but I did not realize that the ticket was basically, if you have to cancel, you don't get any money back. You don't get a refund. You don't get a travel credit. You get zip. And so I was like, oh shit. Well, then he ended up Moving back over here to America and was going to need to change his flight. Okay, no big deal. I didn't think it was a big deal until I did not read the fine print and all this other stuff. So I finally just called the E&O insurance and said this was my F-up, 100% my fault because I didn't read the fine print. What options do I have or not have? And they were able to basically take what you know that. There was no refund, no, none of this, none of that. And he did have insurance, but again, I've—

Doesn't, it doesn't cover the, the fine print.

Right.

With choice change, right? Like it's not canceled for any reason.

Right. So it was, it was just the whole thing. But fortunately they were able to take that it was like a change of job, military thing. Mm-hmm. And that, and he was able to, he provided me with all the correct documentation as well as me providing the correct documentation. in from the airline that he wasn't gonna get anything back. And they actually, I was kind of surprised, they actually were paid the airfare of the new ticket, not the old ticket, but the new ticket. And minus the deductible that I was required to have, like I had to pay. But I was like, this—

That may be a life changer right there.

It did, because again, it was my mistake. And I know everybody has their own views on how they run their business. But I'm very much a, if it's my mistake, I own up to it. And I was ready to pay out of pocket for his new flight because that was my— yeah. Um, so fortunately the insurance paid, but what the difference was, I did pay out of pocket, which was very minimal. It was like a couple hundred dollars because of the deductible I had to, you know, they didn't pay.

I think it's literally, you might be the first time I've ever heard about a story like this. I mean, I think people don't. know if it's gonna pay off to— it's like, it's like any insurance. Like you don't need it till you need it. It's, you know, well, and I was so thankful because they could have easily said, nope, sorry.

Like there's nothing I can do. But they did, they worked through it. It was a very easy claim.

Like, who was the company? Because I think we're all interested in knowing who a really positive, you know, insurance company.

With Berkshire Hathaway.

Yeah, Berkshire is one of the best. So I'm very happy that you were able to work with them closely and get that fixed. I think this is such a great, like, y'all, these are unplanned conversations and I had no idea we were going to be talking about this and I love it so, so much. It sometimes means we go over in time, but thank you for sharing that. And I'm very glad that that turned out well, but it also, I think, again, we make mistakes, we're human, and I do think that realness is really the piece that makes you so successful, Chelsea. Like you're so willing to be honest with your client, yourself, you know, and make these decisions that work for you. Because I always say like, I'm not anti-signing up. Like I want, I want as many people in the, in the who wanna be travel advisors to be travel advisors. I just want you to be set up for success. And that takes more effort than just signing a document and paying a fee. We have to be Like ready for everything that comes because these people are boarding aircraft. This is not a little thing. I don't care if you spend $2,000 or $200,000, like they're getting on an airplane, they're going somewhere, and we're in charge of that.

Mm-hmm.

So like, take it seriously. And I think that that's the piece where people, whether you do this quote unquote as a side business or part-time or whatever, there's just so many things that go into it and not having all of that knowledge can really get Expensive if you're not protecting yourself and protect, you know, putting your client first. So I'm really excited for what's to come. Chelsea, like, what are you so looking forward to in 2025?

I'm looking forward to upping my fee because I—

Love that. Giving ourselves grace.

Because I think I can, and I think that I, I was apprehensive to do it cuz I hadn't done it for 2 and a half years and I didn't know what my clients may or may not be willing to pay. And to be honest, there's only been one person who, and that was just a, a new client anyway that was not with me before, who did not pay the fee. So you know what? I didn't waste any time trying to put a proposal together.

No, totally.

I'm gonna, I'm gonna up that in '25. The other things is like, I, I have a sales goal for myself and, you know, now that I've been through Propose to Close, Close to Home, I'm hoping to get through the Facebook one pretty soon. That I have all these strategies now that I can just put into place and let my business run itself. And, and I love the repeat and referral clientele cuz I know them, they're my clients. But if I can get new ones, that's great too. But I'm not gonna sit here and stress about it either. Like it's gonna happen if it's supposed to happen. And I'm, I guess trying thinking about new business ventures as well within it because I think there's great resources for everybody to be had. And I started creating these really beautiful destination guides to send to my clients before they go with all the information that they need. So I think I'm gonna start trying to do sell temp— the Canva templates online for other advisors. So I'm excited about that. I've got, it's another, it's just scary. Like you just, I'm just—

I know.

Do it.

I know you just have to do it scared. And yes, like what's the worst case scenario? No one ever finds the Canva templates. Like that's literally the worst case scenario. That's right. And as someone who sells Canva templates, they do expire those links. I did not know this. Like again, like doing new things and being on Etsy and all of that stuff, it's a lot, but it has been so worth learning and helping others. Like you'll feel so excited to be able to like really help other advisors thrive and level up.

I think 2025 is just gonna be a total Personal growth because I've also learned so much about myself with all the mindset shifts of this is my time and I'm gonna use it how I wanna use it and you don't get to dictate that anymore. So just that, that I can be professionally better, personally better, be a better mom, a better wife. Like I think we're always trying to strive to be better, but it is such a mind It is.

It is, especially this time of year.

Yes. Yes.

And somehow we're here and we're talking business and it's a lot of fun. So thank you so much for coming onto the podcast today. You have been a joy to talk to and I am, I know that this is going to impact other advisors and I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode. We want to only get 5-star reviews. I'm supposed to say that. And we will have all of your contact information, Chelsea, that you want us to share in the show notes. So if you have any questions for Chelsea or need us for anything, you'll be able to reach out to her on Insta or wherever. So thank you guys so much for joining us. And Chelsea, thank you.

Thank you.

That's a wrap on today's episode, friend. Thanks for hanging out with me again on the No BS Travel Advisor Podcast. I hope you're leaving this episode feeling fired up, inspired, and ready to take back control of your business. And let's be honest, your fucking life. If today's episode hit home, do me a favor and share it with your fellow travel advisors who need to hear this. And don't forget to leave a review. Your support means the world and helps me reach more badass advisors like you. And hey, if you've got a story to share or some no BS advice of your own, you've taken a course or two of mine, maybe you've been a coaching client, I want to hear from you. Head to my website to apply to be a guest. I'd love to feature you on an upcoming episode. Until then, you fucking got this. Keep being bold, keep being unapologetic, and keep building the business you fucking deserve. This is Marcie Muensterman signing off with zero fluff and a whole lot of heart.