This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
A luxury travel planner specializes in four seasons resorts. Hey friends, hey community listeners, welcome to Side Hustle School and welcome as well to another segment that we call first $1,000. How did somebody go from idea to income? Significant income, in fact. And $1,000 often leads to much more.
It's a thousand, 10,000, $100,000, but it all starts with an idea and a way to monetize. So we've talked a couple of times before about travel agencies. For a lot of purposes, travel agents are kind of a thing of the past, but there are still travel agents for certain types of trips, certain luxury vacations in particular, which is what we'll look at here. And travel agents can still earn commissions on hotels. They don't usually earn commissions on flights so much these days or if they do, it's very minimal.
But with cruises, with hotels and resorts, there are some options. So in this case, we've got Sarah here who specializes her agency, kind of an upscale market luxury travel planning, specifically with four seasons hotels and resorts. The four seasons brand, it's not like a Motel 6, right? It's actually really, really nice and it's also pretty expensive. So the potential is there to earn commission.
She's gonna tell us exactly how much commission and how it's worked out for her. I'll be back at the end with a quick wrap up. So let's hand the microphone over to Sarah. [Music]
Hey there, I'm Sarah and I wanna share how I turned my love for luxury travel into my part-time business. As an avid traveler and a self-proclaimed hotel aficionado, I've always had a passion for planning trips.
A few years ago, I realized that I could use my expertise to help others plan their dream vacations. And that's how my personalized travel planning service was born. I started by focusing on creating custom itineraries featuring stays at the four season resorts. I chose this niche because I had personally stayed at several four seasons properties and was always impressed by their exceptional service. I knew there was a market for discerning travelers who wanted a curated high-end experience.
To get this started, I reached out to the four seasons preferred partner program which offers exclusive benefits and commissions to travel advisors. After completing their training and certification process, I gained access to special rates, promotions, and amenities that I could offer my clients. The commission structure was attractive. I would typically earn a 10% commission on the room revenue which is calculated based on the total room cost excluding taxes and fees. I started marketing my services through social media and careful online advertising.
I showcased sample itineraries featuring bucket list destinations like the four seasons of Bora Bora and the four seasons Maldives. I also offered a complimentary consultation call to potential clients to learn more about their travel preferences and desires. One of my first clients was a couple celebrating their 10th anniversary. They wanted a romantic getaway in Hawaii but were overwhelmed by the options. I crafted a bespoke itinerary that included stays in Maui and Oahu along with private dining experiences, couple spa retreat and adventure activities like helicopter tours and snorkeling.
They were thrilled with the attention to detail and booked the trip immediately. As I gained experience, I started getting more inquiries from clients looking for luxury experiences all over the world. One family wanted to take their kids on an African safari so I planned an unforgettable journey that included stays at the Four Seasons safari lodge Serengeti and the Four Seasons Nile Plaza in Cairo. Another client was interested in a wellness retreat so I curated a rejuvenating itinerary at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica with daily yoga classes and spa treatments. For each booking, I earned a 10% commission on the room revenue which quickly added up.
In my first year, I made over $30,000 in commissions and was able to turn my side hustle into a real business. I was able to add special perks for my clients like room upgrades, daily breakfast and resort credits which helped to give them a reason to book with me instead of directly. The key to my success has been my attention to detail. I take the time to get to know each client's unique needs and preferences and I use my expertise to craft unforgettable itineraries that exceed their expectations. It's rewarding to help people plan the vacation of their dreams and to hear about their experiences when they return.
Looking back, I am so grateful I took the leap. If you have a love for travel and a knack for planning, a personalized travel service can be an incredible way to earn income while helping others have an incredible vacation. Thanks so much, Sarah, for telling us about your first $1,000 and beyond. Indeed, if you're booking a lot of rooms and you're earning 10% commission and these rooms are pretty expensive and they're also multi-day stays, I would imagine most people who go to Cairo and stay at the Four Seasons there or if they go on a safari or they go on a round the world trip, like they're not just staying one night, it's not business travel, one or two nights typically. So they're often staying four or five nights or more and that just adds up a lot.
So I can see how it works for the right person. Of course, it's a very relationship focused business to build up a portfolio of clients over time. Anyway, listeners, I hope you enjoyed it. Remember, there is an idea out there for you as well. Hope you're gonna find it.
I hope something in the podcast will be helpful in helping you find it. Of course, I've got lots of books as well that might be helpful, all kinds of resources and I'm just gonna keep trucking along here, bringing you a new episode every day. This one is 2,725, much more is coming up. Of course, you can always subscribe, follow wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
You are listening to "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
