After nearly twenty years running a successful doll-making supply company, Cathy Rowland was burned out. She was not failing, she was fully succeeding... and exhausted. So she did what any rational person would do: She Googled "how to become a travel advisor" and started over from scratch. No clients. No industry connections. Just an entrepreneurial track record and the willingness to figure it out.
That was five years ago. Today, Amore Travel Designs generates seven figures annually, and Cathy travels almost every month while running her business from anywhere. Here's how she built it.
She started like many advisors do—scrappy, uncertain, throwing spaghetti at the wall. Chamber of Commerce networking events, cold calling (yes, actually picking up the phone), Facebook ads, blogging, SEO experiments... She treated client acquisition like a science experiment, tracking what worked and scrapping what didn't.
Her approach was pure entrepreneur: test fast, fail cheap, double-down on what converts. Within months, she was building a client base from these scattered efforts. No single channel dominated; instead, she created multiple streams that collectively built momentum.
Then 2020 hit. Her first full year as a travel advisor coincided with the industry's worst crisis. While others panicked, Cathy treated it like an intensive education. She became an expert in future cruise credits, insurance policies, and rebooking strategies. She convinced clients to postpone rather than cancel, building trust through crisis communication. That brutal first year taught her more about the business than five smooth years ever could.
She built onboarding workflows in Asana. Automated her client emails. Streamlined her concierge process. Building this structure for her business created a shift where suddenly SHE was running her business, it wasn't running her.
When Cathy's business outgrew what one person could handle, her husband Richard made the radical decision to leave his corporate job and join the business full-time. They didn't just wing it, they created crystal-clear role divisions. Cathy handles the creative, relationship-driven work she loves like sales and trip design, while Richard manages the detailed, service-oriented follow-through that ensures client satisfaction. They stay in their lanes and respect each other's expertise. They built a business that strengthens their marriage rather than straining it.
This isn't just about having help. It's about strategic capacity building. With Richard handling execution, Cathy can focus on growth.
I think the biggest thing that travel advisors can take from Cathy’s story is that she didn’t wait for everything to be perfect before she took action. She didn’t sit around hoping for inspiration to find her. She just kept showing up, refining as she went, guided by what felt aligned. That’s the beauty of deliberate focus, it’s not about controlling every detail but staying tuned into the energy behind your actions.
She's built a business that funds the life she wants: monthly travel, time with grandchildren, afternoons on the golf course. But she built it through discipline first, freedom second. The structure enables the spontaneity.
Cathy’s story reminds us that growth isn’t about hustle. It’s about finding harmony between action and alignment, process and passion, business and life. Freedom is not the absence of systems; it’s the result of them.
If you love hearing stories like Cathy’s, tune into The Travel Business Unpacked podcast! Each episode dives deep into the real stories, practical strategies, and transformational moments that turn travel dreams into thriving careers. Listen and subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and check out Cathy's full episode here.
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