Our most recent August Travel MBA Cohort just completed their three-day in-person Jumpstart Orientation. So we thought, what better way to highlight this experience than to write an article uncovering the in's and out's of what really happens over the course of these three days.
Well, let's get into it!
So what exactly is Jumpstart?
The Travel MBA Jumpstart is a three-day orientation held at the GTN headquarters office in Mooresville, NC. Each Jumpstart directly correlates with a Travel MBA cohort. Let me explain how the process works:
First, submit your application.
Once your application has been approved, you will schedule a Zoom consultation call with our Membership Development Coordinator, Heather Kuhlman
After you have further discussed the program details with Heather should the Travel MBA program be the best fit for you and your business, you will be accepted into the program and the cohort that best aligns with the date when you interviewed (we have a total of FOUR Travel MBA Cohorts per year).
Then you will receive further information regarding your Jumpstart Orientation dates! You must be able to make this three-day orientation on the start of your cohort date. This is mandatory.
Now that you know a little bit more about how the process goes, lets get into what this three-day in-person Jumpstart Orientation is all about, shall we?
Day 1:
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The first day of Jumpstart begins with a brief tour of the GTN office. During this time you will have the chance to meet some of the GTN staff and really get the full "behind the scenes" look at the day-to-day operations at GTN. Then your "classroom style sessions" begin! Director of Professional Development, Kristin Matthews and Lead Travel MBA Mentor Amy Kaufman - Relihan will lead some of these sessions and be there to answer your questions along the way.
Each session will cover something new, as there is no shortage of information to learn. You will have the chance to get to know your mentors and the vital role they play in the Travel MBA program. While learning more about the history of GTN and our consortium, Virtuoso. Once you break for lunch, you have the opportunity to meet a GTN preferred partner representative. While they do pitch their company and what sets them apart, they also help the group understand how to use our preferred partners, what resources they have available, when to call our BDM vs. customer support, etc,.
The afternoon is filled with informative sessions regarding technology platforms and login information.
Our Most Recent Cohort Highlights: 2023 Travel MBA August Cohort
Our most recent cohort consisted of 13 new GTN advisors. Their Jumpstart Orientation started with Membership Development Coordinator, Heather Kuhlman officially kicking things off!
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The first days' Lunch & Learn was presented by GTN Preferred Partner Royal Caribbean.
Day 2:
On the second day of Jumpstart orientation, you will start the day by taking a professional headshot, provided by GTN! We know the importance of having a professional headshot for your website, LinkedIn and other professional marketing needs, so we help you get started on the right foot! The remainder of the day is filled with sessions and presentations from the GTN team. You will hear from the commissions team, partner relations team and the marketing team with valuable information to help you create processes & procedures, tips & tricks and help you build the foundation to your luxury travel business.
Our Most Recent Cohort Highlights: 2023 Travel MBA August Cohort:
The second day of Jumpstart began with headshots for each of the August Cohort members. Then followed by the group shot (pictured below).
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The second days' lunch & learn was presented by GTN preferred partner Classic Vacations.
Day 3:
The final day of Jumpstart is designed to wrap up everything you have learned thus far and create a tangible action plan. The sessions during this day can include creating a vision for your business, mindset and what it has to do with your entrepreneurial journey, the next steps and end with a Q&A session. At this point, you will have the knowledge and information to start booking and selling travel, however it does not mean you will be an expert in this just yet. There is still much to learn throughout the next 12-months of the program.
Our Most Recent Cohort Highlights: 2023 Travel MBA August Cohort:
We asked our 2023 August Cohort members to share their key takeaways during their last day of Jumpstart, here is what they said:
- You have to start by getting all of your processes in place!
- Make it a habit of adding information to Clientbase the second you make a deposit.
- What resonated with me most is when Amy said "always do what is right by your client, when you do that, you will always win."
- The true importance of relationship building is to stay in touch with your clients after they have booked, before they travel and after they return.
- The importance of delegating – learning about tour operators and DMCs and learning that there are resources for advisors so we don’t have to piece everything together for every trip
- You have to implement charging fees, this is a true value of your worth and your time
Followed by the final Lunch & Learn presented by GTN Preferred Partner Railbookers
And there you have it! A brief overview of our Jumpstart Orientation. If you are interested in joining our Travel MBA program, we encourage you to apply now, if you have further questions please email joinus@giftedtravelnetwork.com and we will be happy to answer those for you!
