Earlier this week I had the chance to sit down and interview one of our Top Producers, Stuart Marra. Stuart has been with GTN for two years now, starting in our Travel MBA program, and is now a member of our Top Producers Club.Within two short years Stuart has gone from learning the ins and outs of the travel industry to being one of our Top 30 producing advisors, so how did he do it? Today I would like to share the top 3 takeaways from my interview below. If you are thinking about starting your career in travel or have just gotten started, I hope these takeaways can provide advice and guidance as you begin to navigate your travel entrepreneurial journey.
Takeaway #1: The Importance of Education
Before starting his career as a travel advisor, Stuart went on a semester at sea across the Pacific Ocean for 100 days visiting 13 unique countries. After this eye-opening experience, he continued to travel each year and eventually traveled to 62 countries. As his Wall Street career came to an end, he decided it was time to choose a career path in something he truly enjoyed doing.He had two non-negotiables to get started:
- A Virtuoso-affiliated host agency
- An education program
“Despite being to 62 countries, I still didn’t know everything. I didn’t even know what a DMC was, and if I launched my business without the education it would’ve taken me so much longer to get to this point.”During his research, Stuart came across GTN’s Travel MBA program and knew this was what he needed to get started.
Takeaway #2: Building Relationships
Stuart just returned from the Top Producers Club trip in Panama and was able to spend time with nine other GTN Top Producers. The importance of building relationships and connections with other advisors and partners in person is unmatched. “Building relationships in my business and beyond is very important to me. You can’t just build this online you have to get out there and network.”
Takeaway #3: Efficiency is key
Stuart's final takeaway and also his most important is efficiency. He has provided his top three efficiency tips below:
- Eliminate the 10-minute tasks.
- Build your business database.
- Put your processes in place early, as this will save you time in the future.
We appreciate Stuart taking the time to share some of his words of wisdom with us. To learn more about the Travel MBA program and start your travel entrepreneurship, click here to chat with us!
