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There are a lot of questions I get as a travel advisor, agency owner, and full-time teacher.
One of the most common?
“How do you do it all?”
The truth is…I don’t.
There are always emails waiting to be answered, ideas sitting in my notes app, and projects I’d love to tackle if there were more hours in the day. But over the years, I’ve realized something incredibly important:
Successful travel businesses aren’t built by doing everything—they’re built by consistently doing the right things.
I’ve stopped chasing perfection and started protecting a handful of weekly habits that move my business forward no matter how busy life gets.
Whether I’m teaching high school Spanish, hosting a group trip, traveling myself, or mentoring advisors in my agency, these are my weekly non-negotiables.
If you’re ready to stop feeling reactive and start thinking like the CEO of your travel business, here’s the checklist I come back to every single week.
1. Create Content Consistently
I don’t wait until inspiration magically appears.
If I only posted when I felt creative, my social media would be pretty quiet!
Instead, I focus on consistency over perfection.
Every week I aim to create content that does at least one of these four things:
- Educates
- Entertains
- Builds trust
- Invites someone to work with me
Not every post needs to go viral.
Not every video needs thousands of views.
But people can’t hire someone they never see.
Showing up consistently builds familiarity—and familiarity builds trust.
2. Follow Up with Leads
If there’s one habit that could dramatically increase your bookings, it’s this one.
Most travel advisors don’t actually have a lead problem.
They have a follow-up problem.
People get distracted.
Life gets busy.
Vacation planning gets pushed to the bottom of the list.
That doesn’t mean they’re no longer interested.
Every week I review my leads and ask myself:
- Who needs another email?
- Who said they’d talk with their spouse?
- Who requested a quote but disappeared?
- Who opened their proposal but hasn’t responded?
Following up isn’t pushy.
It’s professional.
3. Review My Sales Pipeline
As the CEO of your business, you should always know where your sales stand.
Each week I take a quick look at questions like:
- How many new inquiries came in?
- How many consultations did I schedule?
- How many quotes are outstanding?
- What bookings are pending?
- Which clients need attention?
You don’t need complicated spreadsheets.
You simply need visibility.
When you know your numbers, you can make smarter decisions.
4. Nurture Past Clients
One of the biggest mistakes advisors make is focusing only on finding new clients.
Some of your easiest sales come from people who already know, like, and trust you.
Every week I intentionally reconnect with past travelers by asking:
- Who recently returned from vacation?
- Who has a birthday coming up?
- Who traveled this time last year?
- Who may be ready to start planning their next adventure?
Sometimes it’s a quick email.
Sometimes it’s a Facebook comment.
Sometimes it’s simply checking in.
Relationships are one of the greatest assets in this business.
5. Keep Learning
Travel changes constantly.
New destinations.
Supplier updates.
Marketing strategies.
AI tools.
Industry regulations.
Every week I intentionally spend time learning something new.
That could include:
- Supplier webinars
- Destination training
- Industry news
- Business podcasts
- Marketing education
- Testing new technology
The advisors who continue learning are the ones who continue growing.
6. Improve My Systems
One of my favorite sayings is:
Build the system once. Benefit from it forever.
Each week I look for one small way to make my business run more efficiently.
That might mean:
- Creating a new email template
- Improving a workflow
- Automating repetitive tasks
- Updating my CRM
- Organizing client processes
Tiny improvements compound over time.
Future-you will be incredibly grateful.
7. Know My Numbers
Let’s be honest…
Many business owners avoid looking at their finances.
But CEOs don’t.
Each week I check:
- Revenue
- Pending commissions
- Expenses
- Upcoming payments
- Sales goals
- Profit
Nothing fancy.
Just awareness.
You can’t intentionally grow a business if you’re afraid to look at the numbers.
8. Build Relationships
Travel has always been—and always will be—a relationship business.
Every week I intentionally invest in connections.
That includes:
- Checking in with clients
- Talking with supplier BDMs
- Networking with fellow advisors
- Supporting members of my agency
- Participating in business communities
Those conversations often lead to opportunities you never could have predicted.
Relationships create referrals.
Relationships create partnerships.
Relationships create growth.
9. Make Offers
This one makes some advisors uncomfortable.
But here’s the reality:
People can’t book with you if they don’t know you’re accepting bookings.
Every week I intentionally sell.
That could mean:
- Promoting a group trip
- Talking about river cruises
- Sharing travel planning services
- Inviting people to schedule consultations
- Educating people about why using a travel advisor matters
Selling isn’t about convincing.
It’s about serving the people who already need your expertise.
10. Plan the Week Ahead
One of the best gifts you can give yourself is a plan.
At the end of each week, I spend a little time asking:
- What are my priorities next week?
- What content is going out?
- Which clients need attention?
- What deadlines are coming?
- What appointments do I have?
Even 30 minutes of planning creates so much clarity.
Monday feels a whole lot easier when you’ve already made the important decisions.
The Bonus Non-Negotiable: Protect Your Energy
This one isn’t on my planner.
But it might be the most important.
I don’t believe success comes from working 24/7.
I intentionally make time to:
- Travel
- Read
- Exercise
- Spend time with family and friends
- Recharge
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor.
It’s a warning sign.
Rest isn’t something you earn after success.
It’s part of what makes success sustainable.
Create Your Own CEO Checklist
Now it’s your turn.
Grab a notebook and ask yourself:
If I consistently completed just five things every week, what would move my business forward the most?
Maybe it’s:
- Following up with five leads
- Posting three times on social media
- Sending one email newsletter
- Completing one supplier training
- Reaching out to past clients
- Reviewing your sales pipeline
- Tracking your revenue
Whatever your list looks like, schedule those activities first.
Protect them.
Treat them like appointments you can’t cancel.
Because here’s what I’ve learned after years of balancing multiple careers while growing a successful travel business:
Consistency beats intensity every single time.
You don’t need to do everything.
You simply need to consistently do the things that matter most.
That’s what CEOs do.
And that’s exactly how sustainable travel businesses are built.
Whether you’re a brand-new travel advisor or working toward your first $100K year, these weekly non-negotiables will help you build a profitable, sustainable travel business.
- Connect with Lindsay to learn more about joining At Last I See The World Travel or working together to grow your travel business.
- Tern CRM
- Dream Big Business Planner & Tracker
