NATASHA: Rising Above Loss and Niching to Cruise Groups

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. Everyone, welcome to the No BS Travel Advisor Podcast. Hi, I'm Marcie Muensterman, and today I have Natasha with me. She is with Serenity Sand and Seas Travel. She's been an advisor for 7 years. She's a mama. She is doing lots of things and a retired nurse to boot. So I wanna chat with you with Natasha today about all of the things that she's experienced in the last couple of years. This is our, I think it's like episode 7, 6, maybe 6. And I'm just really excited to be here with Natasha today to tell her story. And I hope that you guys enjoy. All right. Welcome, Natasha. How are you?

I'm great. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. I'm a little bit nervous cuz I am shy, but once we, when we talking travel, that's when I just, I come out.

I love it. I love it. And I know that about you.

Yes. So thank you.

Absolutely. It's my pleasure. I am just glad to get to catch up with you because when I think about our relationship and how far back it now goes, it's almost 2 years, which is crazy. You were one of my first, uh, coaching clients that first summer I coached. So it's been a wonderful experience watching you grow. And I know that there's been a lot of challenges. So, but before we kind of dive into all that, like, what are you up to? How is wave season going? What's going on with you over there?

I am holding on tight. Wave season is waving over here.

I love that. Yes.

I loved, you know, when I did the coaching, I was that one who turned into the 2-year-old who was having a tantrum on the floor when you said, get rid of my form.

We talked about that a little bit on my last episode.

I'm like, yes. You said, get rid of the form. And I was gun-holed. I was like, oh my God, I invested so much into building this form, but Marcie is telling me to get rid of it.

Oh my gosh. That is so funny. I don't know if I knew. How attached? I probably did at the time, but didn't care.

Yeah.

No, you're like, I did it. It's fine. Are you not using your form during wait time anymore?

I am not. They are booking on my calendar.

Yes.

I'm going through the process. I took all of your courses.

Yes. I'm so excited.

And those rates, yes, it's about 90, 95%.

90 to 95%. I could literally dance in my seat every time I hear That kind of testimonial. And I'm just so proud of you because it is hard to make those big changes. And what I've seen in your journey is first, like, tell me a little bit about your family because you are a busy woman. So yeah, tell me a little bit about that. Tell everybody kind of your background, your story, how you became an advisor. Let's just jump into it. Okay.

So I'm gonna go all the way back.

Okay.

I love all of that. I'm a former New Yorker who was brought here. Uh, my daughter is almost 24. Um, and she was 3 months old when we moved from New York down here to North Carolina. I am about 45 minutes from Raleigh. I came down kicking and screaming, didn't wanna move, went into nursing, married first time, didn't work out. And I've always had, um, an interest in travel. I've been traveling since— there's pictures of me, I'm 6 months old, traveling to different places. And my godparents would use AAA, you know, that was the thing back in the day. And they would take me.

People still use AAA because it's such a well-known brand and you get your card and you get your discount. So it makes sense. And didn't you actually like walk right in?

You could. Yeah, I didn't pay for it. So I always had Travel advisor in the back of my head, probably 12. Went through my nursing journey, been a nurse for 16 years. 12 of that has been home health. And it's ironic that we are doing this today because today marks the day that I lost my patient.

And I remember that from last year. That was a hard loss for you.

Yeah. And taking that journey after our coaching, getting me prepared for this day, for that day. Was like, oh my God, it's finally here. What do I do? Follow Marcie's tips.

Duh. So when you, when you and I met, you were on this journey to sideline the nursing career. That was like really your ultimate goal. And we had talked about how long that might take. How long did it take? I mean, I know you said like we're a year out from losing your patient, but what was the original plan? How long did you think it was gonna take you to move forward from your nursing career to completely being just a travel advisor?

I thought I had another 15 months.

Wow. So you left nursing 15 months before you thought you would?

Yeah. After our coaching, I think our coaching ended in September. Mm-hmm. And she passed January.

And how has it been? I know you used to be with, um, an MLM, a multi-level marketing Hosts. Are you on your own now? You're on your own now. You have your own company. And when did you go independent?

Uh, it was 2 years. It was 2 years. So a year prior.

Okay. All right. So you went independent, you left the host agency. Did something happen at that company that was just like, I'm done, I gotta go?

You know, when I first started, like most or some MLMs, you get in and it just depends on who your mentor is, who your sponsor is, the level of nurturing or training that they also provide.

Right.

And I didn't have that when I first came in.

Okay.

And I was in not even 3 days before I then brought in someone into the business.

Oh, wow.

And I didn't want them to feel like I felt. And so I immediately jumped in, took all the trainings that I could so that I can then be a resource to them. But what transitioned me to become independent was there was a lot of back and forth, who you can use, who you can't use, who you can build a relationship with and who you can't. And I just didn't feel working my business being handicapped, being handcuffed in that, in that manner.

Do you mean preferred partnerships with like suppliers, vendors?

Yeah. Just reach out to people, have conversations. Yeah.

Okay. All right. That's so interesting. It's, it's interesting every time I talk to somebody who has come from a place of like, this is what was happening to me, but then somebody in that same company will sometimes say, that didn't happen to me. I don't even know what you're talking about. And I think that's probably one of the main issues that we see in the multi-level marketing, like, segment of the travel industry is we know they're here to stay. I mean, they have a lot of buying power now. But that inconsistency and conversation and control and things like that is where a lot of people don't understand that they have options. And they think this is the only way to do this. And I think it's because their marketing is so aggressive and how they, you know, recruit and talk about the business in a very, I don't know. I think it's one of those things where this is where a lot of advisors over the years have gotten frustrated is they're saying things that are really untrue about our industry and how you earn. trips and how you earn commissions and things like that. And it's unfortunate because there is a space I feel like for them, but because of that inconsistency in their marketing, it really does cause, you know, some of you guys who are excellent salespeople, wannabe leaders to, you know, exit early. Really?

Yeah.

So you decided to go all in, all on your own, deal with the lower commissions with having your own agency. How is that going?

You know what? It's gotten better because I've had the time to market myself more and really focus in on that marketing piece and get my name out there and building my relationships with the vendor suppliers and BDMs. And so I see you, girl.

I see you everywhere. I'm like, she's at another lunch. She's going to another networking event.

Yeah.

So tell me more about how you have built those relationships, because I know that was very important to you during our coaching. And we had discussed like the different ways to build, but seeing it happen just because I get to be friends with you online and I love that is so fun to watch because I'm like, this is her goal. Like I get to, I'm literally watching your goal come true. How do you build those relationships? How did you get on those email lists? Like tell, tell the audience the things if this is something they want to try to do, because it doesn't cost anything.

It doesn't.

It's a good no-cost, low-cost activity. And you don't have to go to all the conferences, right? You just. There's opportunities right there.

Yep. You pick and choose, you know, who your preferred or who you want your preferred suppliers to be, what destinations you're looking to sell. So I really focus on those, but I'm a template queen. So if I can get a good template that tells me exactly, you know, things to include in an email, including something communication-wise, I utilize that. And I have a wonderful template from you to reach out. We love a template. Rinse and repeat. Love a rinse and repeat. And I just sent that out, introduced who I am. I introduced, um, you know, what I sell, what my niche is, and how I look to have more growth with that company or with that product or brand.

And how does it typically turn out? Like 9 times out of 10? Yeah.

They're like, oh, let me put you on my email list. Oh, I'm gonna be in your area soon. So I got you. I wanna meet you or re— We'll hop on a Zoom and they'll go ahead and do a one-on-one training with me. So it has definitely helped.

I really love that.

And I'm independent.

Yeah. And as an independent agent, you do, and then the agency owner and CEO of your business, you have to drive these conversations. I often will be online and seeing conversations around people talking kind of crap about BDMs. And I'm like, well, what are you doing to build that relationship? It is not a one-way street. Yes, we very much are the client. And I understand that perspective of they should come to me. I'm the one selling their product, but they have thousands of advisors in their districts. Usually they usually have a huge region that they have to cover. Perspective on it is if you want to have that relationship, you have to go work at having it. It's not, it's not going to just automatically come to you. And you're not entitled to their time, just like our clients are not entitled to ours. And so really choosing how to reach out and being very specific in your ask, I think is so huge. And you guys, you know what? I'm going to share the template. So we'll just like dig up the template and put it out there for you in the show notes. And I think, cause it's a great like way to introduce yourself and have lower expectations. I always say like the first couple of times, you know, they may not have time to respond, but I do think Greasing the wheels is on us. It's not necessarily on them. And I also think showing up is important. So if they do get ahold of your email and you're already getting emails from them, responding to that email or showing up on a webinar, things like that, something simple as that, they'll start to see your name and they'll see how serious you are about that relationship and building that brand up.

Absolutely.

Right.

Yeah. I recently went to a trade show for ASTA. I am a part of ASTA, recently joined.

Good.

There was a cruise line rep, BDM. I won't name the cruise line, but I introduced myself and, you know, get her information. And she said, hey, I know you. The whole time, you know, she was just kind of looking down. She was, you know, just kind of gathering her stuff. And as soon as she heard my name and my business name, she was like, I know you. I need your information. We need to connect. And it's been awesome since.

I love that. And that's, that's what I'm saying. Like she knows because you've probably emailed her a couple of times, you show up on her webinars and they're so busy. They have so many agents that they have to keep track of. And you don't necessarily have to be a top seller for them to get their attention. It doesn't, you know, you don't, especially if you're new. I mean that they're not expecting people to come rolling out in big numbers right away, but what they do enjoy in my experience, is just that respect, that, you know, undistracted few minutes that you're willing to give them, 15, 20 minutes for them to share their product with you. Now, this is not, you know, like I said, nothing's black and white in our industry. So there's some gray area here. But if you're putting that effort out to meet them, chat with them, and don't take it personally if they happen to take some time to get back to you, I think you'll have really good experiences with the majority. of business development managers. They're working very hard. Love it. That's, I mean, I didn't even know we were going to talk about this, but I remember it so well from your coaching that the biggest part for you was moving into higher commissions and how to get there faster. And in my opinion, one of the best ways is to build your relationship with your BDM because they'll go to bat for you on those commission levels and things like that. So that is so exciting. And so how has it really, you've got your own business, you've got this beautiful name. And you're out there and you're doing all the things, but like what has really been— I know with our coaching you had a lot of turning points. So like if you're thinking back that time together, what has been like one of the biggest turning points in your new journey of having your own agency?

The biggest one again was letting go of that form and making sure that all of my calls are on Zoom.

Okay.

Instead of, you know, yeah, a lot of us As agents, when we starting out, we're just so excited to get an inquiry. And if it comes through a DM, if it comes through a text, we are trying to do the quote and the sale in that text and DM. And no, everything has been going through Zoom. They get to see me, I get to see them, I get to play off of their reactions to things that I say to them. And yeah, that has been a game changer.

I love that.

Yeah.

I love that. Convincing travel advisors to change any of their process is like a whole thing. And then you add to it, you want me to go in person? But I can tell you one of the biggest reasons I think I was successful early on is because I used to meet people at Starbucks and it was intimidating. I mean, early days, like couples showing up, sitting down, you buy them a coffee and you're talking about their trip. But if you can get warmed up, and I know you're shy. So it probably takes a little extra effort to like bring the, bring the on, right? But I used to close them right there, like at the Starbucks table, because we would pick something out while we were sitting there. And after chatting, I'd be like, oh my gosh, I think you guys should go here. And then it'd be like, well, let's do it. It's like $200 deposit, you know? And I don't necessarily want to go out to Starbucks anymore, but I bet if we did. We'd have similar success. So the Zoom opportunity, I feel like, is such a key point in the sales process of propose to close. And the phone is okay. Like, I definitely want you on the phone, but what you're saying is so true, that face-to-face. And even us just chit-chatting here, like, I can see how beautiful you look today and like all the vibes and energy. And you can't necessarily get that from a phone call because also you don't know if they're distracted and you really can't get it. From the form.

Right.

So I'm so proud of you for moving on from that. But I also know that throughout this whole time, these 7 years, you've had just a lot of challenges besides leaving nursing. So do you wanna tell us a little bit about some of the things you've experienced that have kind of created, I don't know, I don't wanna call it like, I hate the word challenge, but just kind of put obstacle in your way that you're like mentally, emotionally, what have you been through?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So it started 5 years ago. January is a rough month. It started 5 years ago where I really honed in on where do I see myself in 5 years? And so 5 years ago, I said, you know what? I started with this MLM. I learned all that I needed to learn. So I won't say that, um, it wasn't something that I needed at that time. I did need to go through that journey of starting there, but I realized, you know what? I can retire from nursing. I said this 5 years ago. I can retire from nursing and do travel full-time. So what do I need to do to get there? And I reached out to a rep, and I'm pretty sure if I say this next piece, you're gonna know who it is. I got my vehicle wrapped.

Yay! I love that.

Vehicle wrapped. And I said, this is gonna elevate me to where I need to be. Godfather. Um, who introduced me to travel. Paris did, but he really introduced me to travel. He went to Venezuela and cruised to Alaska and Jerusalem and just everywhere. Had his second cancer diagnosis and he said, I'm not doing this. And 2 weeks later he was gone. And in that 2 weeks—

That's scary.

Thanks. In that 2 weeks, my mom then Received her diagnosis. And so 10 months of going through her journey and a new mom, I say a new mom, do have a 24-year-old, almost 24-year-old, 20-year-old, and the baby just turned 4. He passed a week after mom did. I mean, he was born a week after mom passed. And so a lot of challenges of how do I keep running my business? How do I get out of bed just as a mom, as an individual who has just experienced so much loss? How do I keep going? And just knowing, okay, my clients are creating memories. They're getting married. They're having anniversaries, elopements. And I just put one foot in front of the other and I just said, you know what? I told my mom my plan. My plan was to be an independent Travel advisor, retired from nursing with this amazing life, and I have to keep going. And so that's what keep going. I have to keep going.

Well, I mean, that's a lot.

Yeah, it's a lot.

It's a lot. And I mean, that loss is heavy.

Yeah.

Um, so being a brand new mom on top of it, and I yeah, and I know it's not even the end of your story. So I just want to say I'm so sorry for those heavy losses. But I love how you had a vision for what you needed to keep going, because grief can be very overwhelming. So.

Yeah. And like you got slammed not 2 years after losing mom with losing dad. And it's like, wow, what else? What else?

What else? I don't know. I mean, I feel like when we go through these challenges, they either, you know, tear us completely down or they Like open up the door, right? They, I feel like our angels are with us and that also helps, at least for me. I know just, I know my dad would not want me to lay in bed all day. So I keep thinking about that whenever I think of him and that as well. So I'm sure that's very similar for you and—

Absolutely.

Those losses.

Wow.

I'm overwhelmed. Sorry.

Yes.

Hearing you talk about it, knowing your story, knowing how far you've come. You know, COVID hits, you have high schoolers, what else is going on? It really probably felt like this, what, what am I doing here? Right?

Yeah.

Like some days, like, I feel like I just need to breathe a—

Yeah.

We need a shower. Sorry. We know the story ends with you doing the things that you, or it doesn't even end. It's just another chapter, right? Just a brighter chapter. We know that that chapter does get brighter. When you're able to retire from nursing even sooner than you thought, even though it came at another loss. So just a lot of strength is being shown, Natasha. Like, you are a phoenix, truly. And it's incredible to be able to share this story because I think people either allow those things to completely ruin their dreams or their goals, or they just can't get up. And that's okay too. Like it's okay to take that time and that break from and deal with the grief. But if we really want something and with travel especially, there's something that like gets in our soul when it comes to this business. I feel like we're supposed to be here. We'll figure it out. And I'm just curious, do you feel that way as well?

I do. I do.

Yeah, it's, it's incredible. So I think one of the really cool things too, that when we were coaching and you were literally like, I was walking you through the courses before they existed. I thought what was so interesting about your success is every time we would chit-chat, you were like, oh, I did the thing you said and it worked. And I wanna talk a little bit about what that looks like because I do think the implementation piece, not just the learning piece or the training piece or buying the course piece, but the actual implementation can be really challenging. Okay, y'all, let's pause for a quick break. I know you are tired of fucking hustling for scraps and feeling stuck in the TA grind. It's time to flip the script, y'all. Commission with a Comma is your no BS guide to building a travel business that pays you what you're worth. Imagine working with high value clients who trust your expertise and don't blink at your fees. This course gives you the tools to attract them, negotiate commissions that make sense, and upsell like a pro. So you can finally see those commas in every paycheck. This is about breaking free from fucking burnout and building a business that aligns with your life. The one you actually want, the one everyone thinks you already have. Are you ready to make it happen? Because if you are, it's time to head to my website and grab Commission with a Comma. Don't forget to use the exclusive coupon code in the show notes. Okay, now back to the pod. So how did you overcome the challenges of like getting rid of your intake form, but also going straight to the Zoom? Like, what did you say to yourself about these changes? Like, did you say, I'm gonna try it once, or were you like, I have to, you know, what, what does that process look like when you're in the middle of those changes?

Yeah, so after I had my little tantrum, Okay. It's time to implement. And I just sat down and I just went through all the things. I took the form down off of my website, just kind of hid it. Um, I went ahead and updated the calendar and attached it to the Zoom. I just went through all of the process to make sure everything's automated. So when a client comes in, they can follow that journey and it's the journey each and every time. And I just did it. You just have to do it.

You just have to do it.

You just have to do it.

Yeah. And why do you think it works though? Like what about it works for you?

And when I did it, because again, I was, if it comes through Facebook Messenger is a huge one for me. A lot of people will say, hey, I wanna do this. I wanna go this place, these dates. And I will automatically just go in there and, and give them information. And now getting them on the Zoom, I believe it was during our coaching I did that and I closed It was August and I closed an almost $14,000 trip for that December.

Wow. I remember that. I always remember the good messages, like, yeah, I just did this.

Yeah.

Yeah. I think that's amazing. So it's like, okay, this is working.

Like, it's working. Yeah. I keep hitting those same numbers each time. It's like, okay, I'm not necessarily luxury like you are. But I do have those expectations and tell my clients, okay, I educate them. This is the cost of what you're looking to do. How are you looking to proceed?

I love that because I think one of the other pieces of propose to close that a lot of people get really anxious about is they hear me say, don't ask for a budget. And then people are like, no, you have to know how much they have to spend. And we're still finding out if they can spend the money, but it's just in a different way, right? We tell them. We educate them, we listen because everybody's vision is so different, but also we know how much things cost. And especially if you are niche, and I know you're very niche, which also really helps with being a Caribbean specialist, it might fluctuate here or there. If they're a more luxurious client, obviously it's gonna cost a little more, but you know your averages. And if you know your averages, guys, you know more than the next person, you know more than that client. And that I think is a game changer when you are able to confidently Guesstimate. I don't even mean guesstimate, but truly estimate for them how much this trip is gonna cost instead of saying, how much do you have to spend?

Right.

You know, we're gonna tell you how much it costs and then we make adjustments. We're not saying, you know, never find a budget. It's just finding it in a different way that keeps you in control of the conversation. And that also starts with getting rid of the intake form because we don't need to be planting seeds that we can put together a $1,500 trip. To one of the most expensive Caribbean destinations in the world. So you have to be careful about planting those seeds with those options of costs.

Yeah.

Yeah. So—

And for new agents, I would say, you know, if you're not quite niche, if you're new to the industry, it's okay to go and do a quick, you know, do some research, find out what it costs. What's the lowest budget that you can attach your business name to? Because I do have a minimum spend. And then what's the highest? So that you have those ranges. So as you're building your portfolio. I love that.

I love that advice. She's given all her free stuff away now, guys. Like you can do all of this without investment. It's the best. So when you're on your own now, it's, we're like a few, like a year or so out from the coaching. And I know you're doing really well and you're building all these incredible relationships. I'm just curious as far as like you niching. Where are you at in your niche journey too? Because I know that was a little like, what am I going to— I know you wanted to do a lot more destination weddings. That was a big one. How is that going for you?

So this, this year it's a little slow, which is okay. But last year it was, I was knee deep in the destination wedding groups and getting that done. Right now it is group cruises and still all-inclusive. So. And I mixed up a little Europe in there, so I had to go do my little research.

Europe.

I love that.

I love that.

With the cruise line.

I'll fight tooth and nail for you guys, Denise, and you're still like, I do all of it.

It's fine. I was attached to a cruise, so.

Well, then that's definitely in your, in your wheelhouse, cuz I know you love cruising and I know you love sending people on cruises. What is your favorite cruise line?

My favorite is Carnival.

I love that. I love that. What really makes you happy?

Just how in tune they are. You know, I always get the drink package.

Yes.

That's the competition between me and my husband. You know, can we, how many can we get these 15 drinks in?

I mean, it seems like that would be a good challenge to have on a vacation.

So, but I love how in tune they are with keeping track of you know, your name and your favorite beverage and even the little ones. So we took the now 4-year-old on a cruise. He was 1 and travel agent mom, he still has memories of that. He still talks about it. Yeah. And so yeah, Carnival, Royal Caribbean are 2 of my faves.

I love that so much. So you're doing a lot of group cruises. What does that look like and how do you, you know, successfully put one together? I think this is a really common question that we see in the Maximize group. And because I'm not a cruise specialist, I often can't really answer. I mean, I can help you market it because marketing's my thing, but how do you, from kind of like a general overview of putting that cruise together, what does that look like?

So they get on my calendar. I do ask just a few questions, just general questions, get them thinking about their dates. If they don't have dates, that's fine. I do something kind of off cuff from propose to close. I'd still do the Zoom call. But I act and treat it as if they was calling in direct.

Okay.

So I'm doing the quote, but for my cruises, I don't charge a fee. So I have to put that disclaimer on that, on that part. Everything else has a fee, but not for my cruises. And so having them on the Zoom while I'm emailing them the itinerary and we're talking about it and we're getting excited about it.

Oh, I love this.

Oh, this is amazing.

Yeah.

They make their decision before we get off the phone. And so from there, from there, yes.

Yes.

If it's a group, I go ahead and make their group booking page. Hey, here's the process. It's easy. It's stress-free for your friends and family. And that, that wins and seals the deal every time.

I think this, this is proposed to close though. I mean, yeah, you've adjusted for this specific type of trip and it makes sense that you could get them on in an hour, maybe 30, 45 minutes and get them so hyped that they're like ready to book. Especially with cruising, because you can put something on hold and, you know, have everything in front of them so that they can see the outline of the trip, the itinerary. And you can narrow— I assume you're narrowing it down very quickly with them off the phone.

Absolutely.

Yeah. So you're really just working the propose-to-close process. I feel like just on a little bit of, you know, just like giving it a little bit of speed, which I mean, the whole point of P2C is to close in 3 to 5 business days. Well, if you can close same day on the phone, please do. Please do. Because the whole point is that we are not wasting time anymore. We are maximizing the time we have with that client one-to-one. And if you can get them to pull the trigger right then and there, this is brilliant, girl. I am so excited for you. Like this is giving me all the goosebumps. I'm so excited about this. Now you said something that there was a group Booking page. What does that look like? Because I know that somebody's going to be like, Natasha, tell us about it. Is it a landing page that you create? Is it something that it's easy to put together? Is it in one of your CRMs? Like, what does that look like?

All of the above.

Okay.

So I use TravelJoin. I take that link and I have it on my website. They click a button, they have all the information for the cruise. That's, this is how I post it.

This is how I post it. Straightforward. Now, do you text it to them or do you email it out to the group? Does your, does your Pied Piper, I hate the word Pied Piper, by the way, but that Pied Piper, that person that's in charge of the cruise, do they do the work? Like, how do you guys partner together?

Yeah. So I normally will send out an email with the link also because of proposed to close, close to home.

Close to home?

No, it's proposed to close. Proposed to close.

Take a close. Everybody, there's too many, there's too many courses. There's 4 courses, guys. She's talking about the 2, the 2 that go together, sales and service.

I text them the link and I also create a Canva graphic. Not only am I giving them the information for those that are close to them that's looking to go on the cruise, but here's a graphic that you can go and put on your Facebook. Here's, you know, I'm so excited. This is where I'm going. And they generate more business for me.

I'm just, I'm obsessed with this. I mean, you literally went from like full-time nursing. home health, doing this part-time in terms of hours. What I always say though, is really, I would love everybody to always be at part-time hours, but making full-time income. That's what I, that's my dream for the industry is that you, that you just are not killing, like killing yourself to sell and build relationships. It just shouldn't take 80 hours a week to have a successful, you know, income business. And so whenever I think about full-time, part-time, are you full-time travel hours?

I am no longer full-time travel hours.

How many hours a week are you working?

I went from 40 to 60, 60 hours.

Just traveling?

Just on travel.

40 to 60 when we met.

Yeah. Oh, crossing, one eye open, working late hours of the night, first thing in the morning, lunch breaks, everything.

Oh my God. Like in every nook and every cranny of your day, you were shoving travel in. Yeah. It's hard and it's exhausting. And you may have never gotten to the nursing or, you know, gotten to the retirement of nursing if you would've made, tried to make, it's just not sustainable. Like, I mean, into all that, you're also grieving and you have your kiddos and I know adult kids aren't any easier than young kids. So you probably have different kinds of issues going on as mom. So how, I mean, no, like I know people are gonna ask, but guys, she really did just do everything.

Yeah.

We coached, everything I taught and all the courses. But how many hours are you working now?

I'm averaging about 25 hours. And with that, I was able to scale and hired a VA. So I have a VA that's assisting me now.

Yeah. That's so exciting. Okay. I have seen you in Mary Beth's group. That's fantastic. So for those of you who don't know Mary Beth Lynn, she's a dear friend of mine. She teaches travel advisors. how to scale their business using a virtual assistant. And she has a phenomenal course and we'll drop her group in the show notes. It's Life-Changing Assistance for Wedding Planners and Travel Advisors, something like that. If you want to go look her up, but she's incredible. So how many hours a week does your VA work for you?

Um, she's averaging about 10, 10, 15.

Okay.

So she's serious.

Even combined, you're not at 40 hours.

No.

And are you making more money?

I am. I am because we didn't touch on this piece, but before coaching, I literally was considering or thinking about having to close my door.

Oh, wow.

So to be where I am now and to be able to hire a VA.

In just like a little over a year since coaching ended. I mean, so much has changed in a year. I think that's something that travel advisors really should take away from a lot of these episodes is I was, I think it was maybe the second episode I said, I've only been a coach for less than 2 years right now as we're speaking in January of '25. I started, my first coaching client was March of 2023. My first course released 2023. So if you all are making changes in that 2-year span, that's Allowing you to quit your full-time jobs, have the life you're wanting to have—that is just not very much time. And so I am just blown away by some of the changes you all have made, and that's what really inspired the podcast because I was like people need to hear that you can make change quickly and turn things around even in the midst of. All the life challenges that come at us. And so I'm just, I'm so happy for you. Like it's, yeah, it's just incredible. Literally just watching you thrive and I see you just talking about your clients and they're, they seem to love you and just the relationships that you're building. So excited for you. Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you.

It's only gonna get better in 2025. Like I know you're in the middle of wave season. For those of you who don't know what wave season is, it was actually, it's kind of an old term from our business where basically from January to April-ish, May, it's when the cruise lines used to come out with some of their best pricing throughout the year. I don't know if it's still true in terms of cruises, but I know that our busy season still tends to be with new bookings and people coming out of Christmas and they're getting cold. We know this week especially has been like—

Yeah.

I need to go on a vacation. So it's considered wave season and it was all stemmed from that terminology that the cruise lines came up with a long time ago. So you are in the wave season. How many clients a week are you currently chit-chatting with?

So during wave season, since we started—

But especially during wave season, you're probably extra busy.

Usually it's about 1 to 2 a week, but wave season has been busy. I've had 6 inquiries.

Awesome.

5 of which are group cruises. Yes. One was a—

So again, your version of P2C, getting those locked in. I love it.

Yeah. Had a family of 6 looking to go to Puerto Plata. Okay. And they closed almost $9,000.

That is fantastic. Your numbers must be through the roof now. I'm so pumped for you. Like, I'm just, I'm so excited. So this has just been so much fun chit-chatting with you. And at the end of each episode, I like to kind of get into even more now, because really your entire episode has been one big, full just investment of time in terms of like teaching us things that they can be doing without investing in anything and without making, you know, paying any money out of pocket. But like, what would your top 3 things be if someone were to listen to this episode and be inspired to go do something right now in their business that can change it, what would be your top 3 things to do?

Yes. Top 3 is one, to declutter your space. So that is your home, different, you know, the kitchen, your bedroom, your office space. Um, you know, we all work on some kind of device. So your desktop, your laptop, all of those windows, all those files. Organized it.

I really need this in my life. And I do, I feel like you're calling me out, like right now, and these are pictures of my office. Why do I need to declutter? Because I mean, I know the answer, but I need you to tell me.

Yeah. Yeah. It, it creates a sense of order and, and calm and feeling because if there's chaos around you, then that creates the chaos in our brain. How can we really focus?

I'm not going to show you my phone, right? Because I am one of those people with like 10,000 unread emails. Even with a VA, I'm struggling to keep— he's struggling to keep up.

But yeah, this helps with our productivity and with our mental capacity just to kind of clear the space, clear our minds. And so I guess my second one would be to practice gratitude. So there is so many, so much negativity in this world. If you turn on the TV, if you go on these Facebook groups, it is just like, really?

It's stressful.

Yeah. So I always say if we can take just a few minutes just to kind of just go through and just say what we're thankful for. So it can just be, you know what? I'm thankful I was able to get up. I'm grateful that, you know, I have a thriving business and whatever that thriving looks for you in your, in your business. Um, just improves, you know, how we feel throughout the day. And then it goes into my third one, which is affirmation. I believe in affirmation and just speaking to what is and what is already done for you. And so I have 3 that I have written down. And that I just say every day. And so I am capable of achieving great things. I create space for peace and productivity in my life. And the third one is each day brings new opportunities for growth. Wow, Natasha, this is, this is good stuff.

And anyone listening or watching the podcast right now, really this entire episode has been one, just to me, one big therapeutic moment. And I am just overwhelmed with gratitude that you were able to come and share it with us because these are definitely things that all of us can learn from, take from. And I just am so thankful for you. It has just been such an amazing— you trusted me very early in my coaching career and I was always really nervous coaching agents who were, you know, very nervous about where their business was going. But you guys have all proven that if you can do some of these activities small implementations each day and trust the process that it does work. It's not just something that worked for me. And I'm just so glad that you have been able to kind of come full circle since we met. And I'm just, I just can't believe it. Like, I feel like every person has a spot, you know, and getting to talk to you guys on this podcast has just been such a blessing for me, especially in the grief, because sometimes I'm like, why am I even still doing this? Like, It can be so exhausting. So I really appreciate you so much.

Yeah. Travel has literally been my therapy.

Yes. Yes. And there was a time, and I don't know if you ever felt like this, it's kind of same topic, but I'm just going to ask you because I know you've been through it so much, but since I lost my dad, I've actually felt, I felt challenged to keep booking. I was almost like, there's so many more important things than going on vacation. And so I had this like couple of, well, it was almost 2 months where I really didn't even want to talk about vacations. I didn't want to talk about like having a good time or Or, you know, even though that is what we do, I don't know if you ever went through that at all. 'Cause you said, you know, they're making memories and they're celebrating. And I kept thinking, did— no, but I was like, I was really struggling through that.

I was like, yeah, I don't care about those things.

But at the time of my deepest, some of my deepest grief, I was really struggling with like wanting to help people.

Yeah. And, and, and just sharing your day-to-day, right? I shared my day-to-day with both my parents. And to be like, okay, these are my wins. Or, you know, I had a sucky day. Yeah, it was a sucky day. And yeah, not be able to share that. I was like, you know what, let me just dive back into travel. Let me help other families create lifetime memories. The drama that I went through, and I'm hoping that you have not had any drama with losing your dad, but the drama that I Had losing both my parents. It was like, why? You can make up this narrative.

I've been very lucky that I get to grieve without drama. So that is definitely—

You can make whatever narrative that you need to, but these memories that I created with our loved ones, no one can take that away. No one can, can drag, you know, down on that, on that piece. And so, yeah, I just, I love travel. I love helping families just create those memories.

Yeah.

So that there's something that they can look back on. Well, thank you.

I, I'm just, it's, it's a lot and we're all going through so much and so much of it is done alone right here. You know, it's like, yes, we have our pups and they hang out with us, but they're not able to fully, I mean, there's just, I think this job can be very lonely and it's really the reason I started my Facebook group. Yeah. Some of the Facebook groups are so terrifying and they're so negative. Um, yeah, it was just a space for us to land. I just have always, I've always really enjoyed helping other people learn. how to run a business. And so it is so inspiring to hear how much you love travel, your passion for travel, and despite everything else, being able to do a little bit each day. And then not only that, but just to reduce your hours down, make more money, have a more fulfilling dream life of doing the things you really wanna do, which I know you love to go on trips. I know you love to take your family places. Where is your next trip?

My next trip. It's going to be Punta Cana.

Punta Cana. Cool.

Yeah.

Where are you staying? We're going to have to ask. Which resort?

I'm doing my own little fam.

Literally in the middle of planning.

Okay, well, we need to— Yeah, I'm planning.

We're our own list. Are you struggling with this decision? The last time I went to Punta Cana, I was like, there's 1,000 resorts.

Yes.

I love this. Oh my gosh. Well, I can't wait to see the pictures. Follow along.

Yeah.

Before we go, I want to ask you, what is your Travel agent unpopular controversial opinion.

Okay. So I went through a few. Okay. And mine is say no. Say heck no. Say no and no and no. No again. I'm a part of an AP group and every year we would do a retreat. And this particular year, my little one, since I breastfed, was literally still attached to me. He was 2. He went with us, went with me and The word was no, and it just, it stuck out to us. You know, not every client aligns with us. Um, and so, yeah, not every client is worth taking on. Saying no is better for your business and your sanity.

Oh, I love this. I don't even know. I mean, you know, it's not unpopular with me, but I definitely feel like a lot of advisors struggle with this because of the messaging that our industry Owners, agency owners, hosts, just take everything. That's how you, you never know. I always say, well, then I'll never know.

Right.

Never know. Right. Just fine. Um, but that whole, you'll never know, like who that person knows, like you should suffer through it basically. And it's like, well, we're suffering through a lot of other shit and we're learning as we go, which is work. So we don't need to suffer in a relationship over a vacation. So I love that so much.

I love that. I love that. I'm, I'm all, I'm all for protecting, you know, our time, our energy, and just servicing those that, that do align with us. So it's okay to say no.

It is okay to say no. And I think that is an excellent spot to start, like get off of here and go say no to something and go say yes to yourself for something else. 'Cause that's what I've done and it's an excellent place to end this podcast, which I'm gonna miss you already. So thank you so much for sharing so much vulnerable stories and just the journey that you have been on. I think so many women in our industry can relate. And I just, again, I appreciate you being here.

Well, 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.