I am so excited to introduce you to November’s Outstanding Agent of the Month Joanna Scott of Scott Travel.
Joanna’s positive attitude and outlook are contagious! 😎
Just like most of our Outstanding Agents, Joanna attributes her success to her mindset, along with hard work, and investing in training and support – the kind you get in the Travel Expert Marketing Academy.
You’ll want to watch this interview to hear about the challenges Joanna has recently overcome and how she is still rocking her business in spite of whatever life throws at her!
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Heidi:
Hello, today I would like to introduce you to our Outstanding Agent of the Month – Joanna Scott from Scott Travel. Joanna, thank you for being here and congratulations on being our Outstanding Agent of the Month!
Joanna:
Thank you so much! It’s so great to be here!
Heidi:
I’m your host, Heidi DeCoux with Marketing for Travel Agents and Joanna Scott is our Outstanding Agent of the Month inside of the Travel Expert Marketing Academy – she is truly a travel expert.
And, for those watching Joanna, who don’t know who you are, tell us a little bit about your travel agency and the type of trips that you book, the types of client that you serve…
Joanna:
Certainly. Well, I have been in the travel business for over 20 years, in all that time things have changed! So as they’ve changed – as Heidi teaches – us we have to change, too.
So I decided to take my agency in a little different direction. So, we have specialists in different fields. And what I take care of in the business is I focus on group cruises, and then there’s somebody that will do Disney and Universal and there’s someone that does Europe… and that’s how we’re growing, slowly but surely.
Heidi:
Yeah that’s fantastic!
And for travelers watching this you definitely want to work with a specialist because they totally understand inside and out what you want and can avoid all of the pitfalls, get you all the best deals.
And then for those of you that are travel agents watching, that is the number one thing that we teach inside the Travel Expert Marketing Academy – which is too narrow in your focus and decide who you’re gonna serve and who you really want to serve, what lights you up and be a specialist for them. So thanks for sharing that Joanna!
Joanna, what is your favorite part of being a travel agent?
Joanna:
Oh my gosh there’s just so many things! I’ve been in this business, like I say a long time… so you have to absolutely love it! I love to see the smile on people’s faces or their children if they surprise them with a trip. You know Christmas is coming up so that’s going to be happening. And just even being in an airport and just seeing smiles on everybody’s faces. So it’s nice to come to work and know in the end you’re gonna put a smile on somebody’s face
Heidi:
Yeah, absolutely. I know with Christmas you get all those fun at videos and people saying, you know, we’re going to do Disney! Those are going to be coming soon all over social media!
Joanna:
Yeah, absolutely.
Heidi:
Do you have a personal mantra or something that you tell yourself if you ever get stuck, you know, and you need to get unstuck? Because as a business owner, as a travel agent, you probably have those weeks that occasionally, you know, you’re just feeling a little stuck. Do you have a personal mantra and can you share that with us today?
Joanna:
The mantra that I use the most and always for everything is a little long, but it is: I am enough, I do enough, I am I am grateful for my blessings, I’m happy healthy mind body and soul, and I’m grateful to my God for that. So… I’m just I’m grateful! I am just learning to be so grateful in life and that’s my best mantra.
Heidi:
That is a secret to success for sure and who doesn’t want to work with the travel agent with that kind of an attitude.
I know that in part is why – Joanna – we chose you as our Outstanding Agent of the Month for November because of such a great attitude – you’re lit up. And many of you, if you’re a traveler and you’re watching this, that’s who you want to work with right?
Like you’re spending a bunch of money… you want to work with somebody like Joanna that is so such a pleasure to be around and such a awesome human being, that is spending her days looking for the good in the day and looking, you know, being grateful.
And those of you that are other agents watching this I encourage you to take on a similar attitude as Joanna has. She’s been able to be really successful in her travel business, I think in part because of that awesome attitude.
I know in the Academy she’s always uplifting other members. That’s the type of culture that we really create and cultivate in the Academy – to be each other’s best cheerleaders and to give each other virtual hugs on those tough days, on those tough weeks, because in business there’s, you know, always gonna be challenges.
Yeah, so Joanna, if you had to name just one, what would you say is one of your keys to success in your travel business? What’s one of the things…
Joanna:
Perseverance. I mean for sure perseverance, because of all the changes not only in the travel business, but in my life in the last year and a half – moving and divorcing… all just kinds of life things.
You just have to persevere and just recreate as the time comes. And I’m thankful that I’m able to do that.
Heidi:
Yeah, absolutely. I think it was Steve Jobs that said, you know, what sets the professionals from apart from the amateurs is perseverance.
Like it’s showing up every day, day in and day out, regardless of what’s going on…regardless of, you know, what happened the day before… regardless if you feel like it… regardless of if you’re in the mood…. regardless whatever! Like, you are showing up for your clients day in and day out. You’re showing up for your business day in and day out, and you’re treating it like a real business.
And that’s another reason we chose Joanna Scott as our Outstanding Agent of the Month here in the Travel Expert Marketing Academy because she shows up every day and she does the work and so she’s working on herself she’s working on her business day in and day out and treating it like a real business and not just a hobby.
There’s nothing wrong with hobbies, you know, if you’re an agent out there or you’re just a traveler watching this and you have a little side hustle that’s just your hobby there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! You’re just gonna get different results then if you are really showing up day in and day out regardless if you feel like it that day or not.
Joanna:
For sure. Yeah, that’s so true because as long as you’re there for everybody and you make them feel okay about whatever is happening that’s what it’s all about that’s my job.
Heidi:
Absolutely! So Joanna, what have been one of the hardest parts of marketing your travel business or maybe you could share like a big obstacle that you got over?
Joanna:
Well, really I would say is the move. So I made a long move from Pennsylvania to Florida, and by myself, basically. And to move out on my own, in a place that I haven’t lived in ever in this area. But, so that’s been a challenge on how to reach out in my community and I’m just starting to be able to do some of that, and meeting people here. So that part of the marketing, the face to face that I used to do when I lived in Pennsylvania… I did a lot of different shows and things and I was out there.
Well, I haven’t had that yet, but I’m starting. I’ve done a wedding show and I’m doing something else this weekend, so that’s the way I’m gonna try to reach that market.
Heidi:
Okay. Awesome.
Yeah, well because of your skill set, your awesome attitude and because you are all about perseverance… you show up every day rain or shine… I have no doubt that you are going to create a vibrant community around you in Florida! And that’s a great place to live!
Joanna:
Absolutely, it really is.
Heidi:
Fantastic. Well, Joanna thank you so much for being here today and sharing your pearls of wisdom with our community!
For those travelers that are watching with this where can they find you?
Joanna:
Okay, so you could either email me at [email protected] or our website is Scott-Travel.com.
Heidi:
Fantastic! So Joanna with Scott Travel – if you are booking Disney, Group Cruises… what were the couple of other things that you guys specialize in?
Joanna:
Europe, we do United States travel – we’re trying to do Amazing America – let’s see our country! You know, we do it all! We have a specialist for everything we do.
Heidi:
So if you’re looking for an awesome travel agent connect with Joanna Scott. I can vouch for her she’s pretty awesome.
And if you’re a travel agent and you’re not yet in the Academy what are you waiting for?
Joanna:
Absolutely, absolutely. Heidi, I will say that it’s the best things in the 20-plus years, I have ever done! With my accountability partner every week… it’s just such been such a fabulous experience! And anybody who’s not in the Academy, really you need to do this and you need to do it forever! You don’t need to pay month-by-month – I learned that lesson! Go in and do it!
Heidi:
Yep, become a Lifetime Member! That’s awesome! So thank you for sharing that Joanna!
Joanna:
Absolutely, it’s so worth it!
Heidi:
Thank you Joanna.
So yeah, if you’re a travel agent interested, come on over to JoinTravelAcademy.com.
We have a free online marketing class that you can attend, which is a free preview, so if you like that free marketing class you’re gonna absolutely love the Academy! And there’s a special offer at the end of class to join the Academy.
So come on over to JoinTravelAcademy.com and then, like Joanna said, once you join you have the option to upgrade to a Lifetime Membership – which Joanna is a lifetime member in the Academy. Because marketing and business is not a one-and-done thing, it’s something you gotta show up for every single day.
Joanna:
Absolutely, it’s changing all the time and Heidi knows what’s changing and she lets us know.
Heidi:
Yes, exactly. Yep, so that you can put your blinders on stay focused in your travel business and we’ll help you with the marketing. And we’ll be there as a support team for all of your years as a travel agent.
Awesome Joanna! Thank you so much for being here and thank you guys for watching and we’ll talk to you soon!
Joanna:
Thank you! Bye bye!
Heidi:
Bye bye!
