5 Steps to Take to Become a Full-Time Travel Advisor

Hello WorldVia Travel Network Family,

A lot of you are building your travel business the same way most great businesses are built: nights, weekends, lunch breaks, and “just one more follow-up” after the kids are finally in bed. If you are reading this and have progressed to full-time business owner, you can probably relate to that journey (please don’t stop here though, I think there are some helpful reminders for all of us below).

That part-time season is honorable, and your hard work while others are watching [insert stupid reality show] is commendable. It’s also dangerous. Because if you’re not careful, you can spend years living in the in-between. Not quite a hobby. Not quite a profession. Always almost ready to go all in.

Going all in does not mean being reckless. It means getting intentional. It means making a clear decision that this is no longer “something I do” but “who I am professionally,” and then building the bridge from here to there.

If this is you, here’s a mantra for you: If it’s not scheduled, it’s not real.

Your dreams can feel real, but your calendar is real. So, let’s talk about how to make full-time outcomes inevitable, even if you’re still part-time today. Here are three concrete actions to turn this part-time interest into the full-time business you know you want.

Action 1: Write a Bridge Plan with a date, a number, and a runway.

Most people don’t fail to go full time. They fail to decide what “full time” even means.

In one page, you need to define three things:

• Your number: What monthly commission income makes this a real profession for your household?
• Your date: When do you want the switch to happen? Pick a date, not “someday.”
• Your runway: How many months of cushion do you need (cash, spouse income, savings, side income) to make the transition without panic?

Then work backwards in 90-day milestones from your date and ask: “What must be true by then?” This becomes your bridge milestone scoreboard. The goal should be steady progress until full-time business is your reality.

Action 2: Block “Business Hours” like they’re client travel dates.

Part-time advisors don’t usually have a talent problem. Often instead, they have an availability problem. Your business is able to grow in the hours you protect. So pick a minimum weekly commitment that’s real:

• Five to 15 hours a week minimum if you’re building (that’s just 1-2 hours a night during the week or an hour a few nights a week plus a Saturday)
• 15-20 hours if you’re serious about growing your business
• 20+ if you’re ready to accelerate your progress towards full-time business owner

Then assign those hours a job, for example:

• Two hours: outbound outreach (past clients, warm leads, referrals)
• Two hours: proposals and follow-ups
• One hour: marketing content or newsletter

You can adjust the mix, but don’t skip the block!

Action 3: Build a repeatable lead engine, not a motivation engine.

Motivation is a spark, but systems are electricity. Pick one primary engine for the next eight weeks and run it like a pro:

• Conversation engine: Three intentional conversations per week where you bring up travel naturally and confidently.
• Email engine: One short weekly email to your list. Helpful, specific, and consistent.
• Referral engine: Every client gets a post-trip “welcome home” note + a direct referral ask.

The key is consistency: One engine, One cadence, Eight weeks… No hopping.

Here’s two bonus actions that may make “all in” feel just a bit safer:

Move 4: Upgrade your process before you upgrade your life.

The fastest way to burn out is to go full-time with part-time systems. Before you scale volume, tighten the basics: a simple intake form, clear fee policy, a proposal template, and a follow-up rhythm that you run every time.

Move 5: Tell the truth about your availability, then deliver like a pro.

Part-time does not mean unprofessional. It means you set expectations. “Here’s when I respond. Here’s the value I provide. Here’s how I protect your trip.” Clients don’t need you on-call 24/7 (though monitoring an important client trip can be worth the extra effort). Clients need to be reassured that you are in control and will be responsive to their needs.

The bottom line

Going all in is less about quitting your job and more about quitting the “maybe.”

A travel business becomes a full-time profession when you treat it like one, in your calendar, your metrics, your outreach, and your identity. Schedule it. Track it. Repeat it.

And keep this in your pocket this week: “If it’s not scheduled, it’s not real.”

Best Success,

Jason

PS – If you have any struggles that you’ve overcome on your journey from part-time to full-time business owner, I’d love for you to share them with me at jblock@worldvia.com so we can all learn together.