Somehow, we’ve hit the halfway point in the year. (How did that happen?) If you’re like most travel advisors I know, you’ve been riding the wave since January—fielding bookings, navigating supplier issues, and squeezing in client calls during dinner. It’s been a blur. But the midyear mark is a golden opportunity to step back, breathe, and make sure the rest of your year serves you—not just your inbox.

This isn’t about a massive overhaul. It’s about small, strategic shifts that bring more clarity, profitability, and joy to your work.

Here’s your guide to a meaningful midyear reset.

1. Revisit Your Goals—And Adjust Them Based on Reality

Remember those goals you scribbled in a notebook (or told yourself mentally in the shower) back in January? Time to dust them off. Maybe you set revenue targets, planned to finally niche down, or promised yourself you’d get serious about marketing or time boundaries.

Now’s the moment to check in—and not just with numbers, but with how you feel in your business.

Ask yourself:

• Are those goals still relevant? If not, why? (Has your life changed? Did the market shift? Did your focus evolve?)
• Where have I made quiet progress without even realizing it? Don’t forget to celebrate the small wins—like finally charging fees, landing a dream client, or getting consistent on social.
• What got in the way? Was it lack of time, support, systems, motivation? No shame—just insight.

Now take what you've learned and adjust your goals based on reality, not fantasy. Give yourself permission to scale back, swap out, or stretch your goals if it better serves where you’re headed.

💡 Pro tip: Set one “stretch” goal (like raising your average booking value) and one “support” goal (like finally automating lead intake). That combo keeps you growing without spiraling into overwhelm.

2. Give Your Back Office Some TLC

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel—but if your systems are a patchwork of sticky notes, old email templates, and half-working workflows, it’s probably costing you more time (and sanity) than you realize.

Midyear is the perfect time to pause and ask:

Is the back end of my business supporting me—or slowing me down?

Start small. Pick one or two of these areas and tidy them up:

✅ Refresh outdated client intake forms and contracts.

Have your services or policies changed since the start of the year? If so, make sure your documents reflect that—especially cancellation policies, planning fees, and preferred communication channels.

✅ Review your CRM setup.

Are you collecting the info you actually use? Are you tagging leads in a way that helps you track or follow up later? If your CRM feels clunky, this might be a good time to explore a better fit or clean out old data.

✅ Update your canned emails.

Audit your go-to messages—like your welcome sequence, referral request, post-booking thank-you, or travel insurance pitch. If they feel outdated, robotic, or too long, give them a refresh.

✅ Set up one new automation.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple automatic reply for new inquiries or a scheduled “welcome home” email post-trip can go a long way in making you look polished and thoughtful (without lifting a finger every time).

💡 Pro tip: Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning up your systems? Don’t try to fix it all at once. Just focus on reducing friction in one part of your process—something you dread dealing with each week.

Need help streamlining your systems or just a refresher on back-office options? Read this next.

3. Audit Your Client Roster—With Your Gut

Let’s be real: not every client relationship is a dream. Some are energizing. Others are… well, the reason your eye twitches when your phone buzzes.

Take 15 minutes to pull up your current and upcoming bookings. Scroll through your inbox, your calendar, your CRM—whatever you use. Then ask yourself:

• Who do I genuinely look forward to working with?
• Who brings unnecessary stress, unrealistic expectations, or negative energy?
• Are the majority of my clients aligned with my niche or zone of genius?
• Is my client load sustainable—or am I constantly teetering on burnout?

This isn’t about judgment. It’s about alignment.

If your roster doesn’t reflect the business you want to build, it’s time to start shifting—one boundary, one inquiry, one decision at a time.

Here’s how you can start:

✅ Say no (gracefully) to non-ideal clients.

You don’t have to say yes to everyone. If a lead doesn’t match your specialty or energy, refer them to a trusted peer, or use a pre-qualifying form that gently filters them out.

✅ Revisit your website, social media, and profiles.

Does your messaging clearly state who you serve and how you work? If not, it’s time for a tune-up. Strong positioning attracts the right people—and gently repels the wrong ones.

✅ Create (or revisit) a “red flag” list.

This can be private, of course—but document the traits, behaviors, or questions that usually signal a problematic client. Knowing your dealbreakers ahead of time makes boundary-setting easier in the moment.

✅ Be more selective about the inquiries you accept.

You don’t need to justify every “no.” Sometimes, “I’m not the best fit for this trip” is the kindest thing you can say—to both of you.

💡 Pro tip: Think about your last 5 favorite clients. What do they have in common? Use that insight to guide your marketing, content, and referral requests moving forward.

4. Get Real About Your Financial Picture

Whether you're a spreadsheet nerd or a QuickBooks avoider who just wants the numbers to magically work out, midyear is a smart time to pause and take a financial pulse.

This doesn’t have to be a full-blown budget overhaul. Just start with these three big questions:

• What’s your total revenue year-to-date?

Look at gross commissions, service fees, consultation charges, affiliate income—everything that’s come in.

• How much have you actually kept after expenses?

This is the number that really matters. Look at tech subscriptions, host fees, marketing costs, professional development, and that new laptop you swore you needed. What's your actual take-home?

• Are you charging fees—and are they enough to reflect your time, value, and expertise?

If you’re not charging fees, it’s worth revisiting that strategy. If you are charging fees, are they working for you—or are you chronically overdelivering and undercharging?

From there, ask:

• Are there low-value bookings or time-suck tasks I need to cut back on?
• Are there types of trips (or types of clients) that are more profitable—and more enjoyable?
• Do I need to raise my rates, restructure packages, or offer tiered services?

💡 Pro tip: If you’re still chasing every type of booking just to hit revenue goals, consider this: not all sales are created equal. A $7,000 FIT with a high-maintenance client and a $25,000 river cruise booked with a seasoned couple you adore might both bring in commission—but only one keeps you sane.

And if you’re feeling brave, set a financial intention for the second half of the year. It can be simple:

• “I want to hit $10k/month in commission.”
• “I want 50% of bookings to include a planning fee.”
• “I want to raise my consultation fee by $50 and test client response.”

Whatever your number or goal, make it visible—and revisit it often. You can’t steer your business if you don’t know where the financial dashboard is.

👉 Need inspo? Check out this article if you're curious about charging fees for some strategies and scripts that won’t make you sweat. And if you just want to take a look at some financial benchmarks from other advisors with your experience level, HAR’s Travel Advisor Income Reports are packed with data, and we issue a new report every fall. Remember, it’s not about comparison—it’s about context.

5. Reconnect with Your Marketing (Without Burning Out)

You don’t have to be on all the platforms. You don’t need a perfect Instagram grid or a 12-email funnel. But if your last social post was from Valentine’s Day and your email list hasn’t heard from you since… let’s dust things off.

Marketing doesn’t have to mean loud, constant promotion. At its best, it’s just clear communication: reminding people who you are, what you do, and how you can help.

Start small with one of these low-effort, high-impact steps:

✅ Batch a few quick social posts.

You don’t need to write essays. Share:

• A recent win (“Just helped a multigen family of 10 pull off a dream Italy trip—on points!”)
• A travel trend you’re seeing (“2025 Europe demand is already heating up—book early!”)
• A client review (even if it's from a thank-you email or text)

✅ Send a “midyear check-in” email.

This doesn’t have to be fancy. Try something like:

“Hi [Name], just popping into your inbox to share a quick travel trend I’m seeing—and a reminder that now’s a great time to start planning fall and winter travel.”

Add a helpful tip, a personal touch, and a call-to-action.

✅ Reintroduce yourself on social.

People forget (or never knew) what you book. Post a short “this is who I am and who I serve” message. Include:

• What kinds of trips you specialize in
• How clients typically work with you
• Your contact link or lead form

✅ Clarify your call-to-action.

At the end of every post, email, or conversation, let people know what to do next.

Should they fill out your inquiry form? Book a consultation? Share your name with a friend? Make it obvious.

✅ Repurpose, don’t reinvent.

Turn one email into three posts. Turn a client FAQ into a blog. Screenshot a text from a happy client and post it with context. Your content can (and should) do double duty.

💡 Pro tip: Not sure what to say or where to start? Pick one platform you enjoy and show up consistently once a week. That’s it. Your people will start paying attention again—and so will referrals.

Bonus... We've got some tools and resources to add some fresh inspiration to your marketing.

6. Reclaim Your Calendar (and Your Sanity)

Have you taken time off this year? And no, I don’t mean that one trip where you answered emails poolside while pretending to unplug. I mean real, intentional time to rest, reset, or catch up behind the scenes.

Here’s the truth: you are the engine that keeps your business running. If you burn out, everything else follows. Your calendar should reflect that you're the most important asset in your business.

Start by asking:

• When is your next scheduled time off? (If you have to think too hard, that’s your answer.)
• What parts of your week feel most chaotic or energy-draining?
• What tasks are you doing in real-time that could be batched, delegated, or moved?

Then, start making space—literally and figuratively.

✅ Block non-negotiable time off.

It could be a long weekend, a full-on unplugged vacation, or even one Friday per month you keep to yourself. Put it in your calendar and treat it like a VIP client booking. Because it is.

✅ Create “CEO time.”

Many advisors find magic in setting aside one day a week—or even just a few hours—to work on their business, not in it. Use this time for financial reviews, marketing catch-up, professional development, or just quiet focus.

✅ Implement simple boundaries.

Consider:

• “No-call” Fridays or morning time blocks reserved for deep work
• Client hours that match your peak productivity (and protect your family time)
• An autoresponder that sets expectations for response time or availability

✅ Use tech to protect your time.

Scheduling tools like Calendly or Acuity can help you automate availability and prevent accidental overbooking. CRMs can simplify task tracking and follow-ups, so you’re not constantly reacting.

💡 Pro tip: Not sure where your time is going? Track your work hours for a week (no judgment!) and look for patterns. What can be trimmed, automated, or handed off?

7. Anchor Yourself in Your Purpose

It’s easy to get lost in the logistics: hold times with suppliers, chasing down final payments, client requests at midnight. This business can feel like a whirlwind of details. But underneath it all, your work is incredibly human.

You’re not just booking trips.

You’re helping a couple celebrate 30 years of marriage with a dream safari.

You’re giving a burned-out teacher her first vacation in a decade.

You’re turning a family reunion into a lifetime memory.

That matters. You matter.

Midyear is a perfect time to reconnect with why you got into this work in the first place—and why you’ve stayed.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the most meaningful trip I booked this year—and why did it stick with me?
• What kind of work do I want more of? (Longer lead times, higher budgets, deeper client trust?)
• What kind of work do I want less of? (Last-minute inquiries, low-margin bookings, high-drama travelers?)

When you get clear on your “why,” it becomes so much easier to:

• Refine your niche and messaging
• Say no to the wrong fit
• Spot the right partnerships and referral sources
• Create marketing that feels authentic instead of salesy

💡 Pro tip: Keep a “feel good file”—a digital folder or physical notebook with client thank-you notes, photos, or stories that remind you why you do this. Flip through it whenever imposter syndrome creeps in or burnout starts knocking.

One Last Thing...

This reset isn’t a to-do list to make you feel behind. It’s an invitation.

To pause. To adjust. To get back in alignment with the travel business you set out to build.

You’re doing a hard thing—building something meaningful in a fast-moving, often messy industry. That deserves a moment of reflection, and a round of applause.

You’ve got this—and we’ve got your back.