I have almost 30 years of experience in the travel industry, most of that time as a travel advisor. I decided to become an Independent Contractor 3 years ago and I stayed with my brick-and-mortar agency because I was happy there. Until I wasn’t. When management changed the IC contract I thought I would see what other host agencies had to offer.

Being a Virtuoso member for 9 years I knew that Brownell had an outstanding reputation among supplier-partners and advisors. But I did my due diligence and vetted a half-dozen other host agencies before making the decision. It was evident that Brownell was the best choice for me and I was thrilled when they accepted me.

My experience with Brownell has been phenomenal—from the interviewing process, to the onboarding, to the continual support that I receive on a daily basis. When I joined Brownell I traveled to the HQ in Birmingham for 2 days of training where I met several department heads. They could not have been more helpful or gracious. Every single person that I met ended the conversation with “if you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.” The owner of the company, Troy Haas, requested a Zoom call with me within a week of my start date so we could get to know one another. What a wonderful leader!

Brownell has the best combination of a competitive commission structure AND lots of support. The Air Desk is awesome; the CRM/invoicing platform is new and modern (TripSuite), and if I need help with something (say, booking a hotel or train tickets or putting together a quote or itinerary) the Sales Department can take that off my plate for a small fee which is totally worth it. Brownell also has an Insurance Desk that can provide quotes for advisors.

Brownell uses the Slack platform to keep all the advisors engaged; I can throw out a question regarding any aspect of travel and advisors will weigh-in with their experience and advice. The collaborative culture is amazing!

Brownell’s website is awesome, highlighting all the accolades they’ve received over the years. I had my website (a microsite tied in with Brownell’s website) set up soon after I joined the company. I’ve only been with Brownell for 3 months and I already received a $20,000 European river cruise booking (from a general inquiry to Brownell; I sell a lot of cruises) and a $20,000 Hawaii trip from my microsite. As the oldest travel agency in the country, Brownell gets lots of leads which are passed along to the advisors.

Brownell has a flat management structure which was important to me. I’ve met many of the amazing staff of 40 who are in place to fully support advisors’ efforts and business. Brownell’s core values (passion, integrity, graciousness, innovation, excellence, and curiosity) align with mine and they definitely “walk the walk.” Moving to Brownell is the best business decision I ever made. It’s my happy place!

When I was searching for a host agency, a friend introduced me to Brownell. Their Mentoring Program was truly a game-changer for me. As someone new to the industry, Brownell’s training gave me the resources, skills, confidence, and foundation I needed to successfully launch my travel business.

The support Brownell offers is second to none. They provide support across every area, including marketing, sales, air, insurance, and more through dedicated teams and resources. For new advisors, the partnerships Brownell has built over the years are invaluable in helping create meaningful experiences for clients.

Most of all, I love the people. Whenever I’ve run into a challenge, the Brownell team has been ready to step in and help. The community of advisors is equally generous, always willing to share tips, best practices, and hard-earned wisdom. I am extremely grateful for Brownell and can’t imagine starting my travel business anywhere else!

Joining the Catalyst Program with Brownell Travel has completely transformed my business. By the halfway point of the program, I had already surpassed my annual sales from the previous year—something I never imagined possible so quickly. The mentorship and guidance I received helped me streamline my operations, focus on what truly matters, and build my confidence as a luxury travel advisor.

What makes Brownell truly special is their incredible support system. Whether it’s the Partner Relations team, the Air and Insurance Desks, or the Hosting and Marketing teams, there’s always someone ready to help. Their resources have made it so much easier for me to focus on delivering exceptional service to my clients. And thanks to Brownell’s strong industry relationships, I’ve experienced firsthand how quickly partners respond with respect and care.

I’m so grateful to be part of the Brownell family—the Catalyst Program has been a game-changer, and I’m excited to keep growing and creating incredible experiences for my clients.

I can't say enough wonderful things about my experience with Brownell. Their mentor program is phenomenal --- provides you with real time training so you can literally hit the ground running while launching your travel business. The hosting support is fantastic and the leadership team genuinely cares about the success of their advisors. The continuous professional development opportunities are endless, and partner relationships are so valuable. I'm extremely grateful to have landed with Brownell. Many days I feel like I have to pinch myself as I can't believe I'm so lucky for this to be my career.

There are many reasons I am grateful to be partnered with Brownell. It's repeatedly evident to me how highly regarded Brownell is with our partners across the globe. The strength of these relationships allows me to access incredible resources through our partners for my clients. My mentoring year with Brownell was so incredibly impressive. Methodical, intentional, thorough; I cannot imagine being able to start my business and succeed to the level I did in my first year, without the powerhouse that is Brownell behind me.
Our community of advisors are incredibly collaborative. Our Slack channel is full of valuable information and all of us are quick to jump in and offer advice, suggestions, or guidance on whatever an advisor needs.

I feel so fortunate to be part of the Brownell community! After nearly 15 years in PR and Marketing, including a focus on travel and leisure, I joined Brownell through mentorship from a Brownell advisor who graciously welcomed me. Through her guidance and the incredible support of the Brownell community, from our Partner Relations, Insurance Desk, and Air Desk teams to the Hosting, Accounting and IT support teams, community of ICs and staff, and leadership team, my business quickly grew. I'm so thankful to be affiliated with an agency that is committed to a set of core values to which I also remain committed.

I truly feel the power of Brownell and the strong relationships that have been cultivated by other Brownell advisors, the leadership team and the Partners Team when I reach out to partners with whom I do not have an existing relationship. These partners respond with such immediacy and with such respect for me, my clients and our team. Our mission at Catherine Denham Travel is, is the words of Will Guidara, to deliver "unreasonable hospitality" in our quest to craft exceptional travel experiences for our clients. The tools to which we have access, married with the relationships cultivated by the Brownell community, help us succeed in this mission day in and day out!

In 2015 I applied for the mentoring program with Brownell because I wanted to get into luxury travel but had no idea how to start. I chose Brownell because of its core values (Passion, Integrity, Graciousness, Excellence, Innovation, and Curiosity) which aligned with how I try to live every day. I also knew they were very respected in the industry, so that's what I wanted to be a part of. It's been the best experience and exceeded my expectations and gave me the skills to sell over $1.5M each year.

I am over-the-moon about my choice to move to Brownell Travel! I have been in the industry over four years and my book of business was growing each year. However, I wanted to “take the reins” and control the growth intentionally. I knew that would mean a change in my host agency.

Brownell has always stood out to me as a leader in the industry, not just because of their impressive numbers, but also due to their reputation of graciousness. From the moment I reached out to them until I completed my personalized one-on-one training, I was blown away by their professionalism, hospitality and assistance. The amount of resources they offer along with a common thread of motivation and support encourages me to be the very best I can be, both professionally and personally.

I am truly humbled and honored to be a part of the Brownell Community. I would encourage anyone that is hard-working and passionate about travel to consider researching this agency to see if they are the perfect fit for their business.

Brownell's marketing support for their ICs is outstanding. One of the many options they offer as part of their product suite is social media customization and deployment across all channels. This particular service was a godsend for me when I was underwater throughout 2021 and 2022 and didn’t have the time or desire to dedicate to this aspect of my marketing plan. This service was worth every penny. It allowed me to focus on keeping my clients happy, my service levels at a high standard, and my social media strategy consistent and on point. It was cost-effective and reliable. No wasted time searching UpWork and Fiverr for the "right" contractor. I've now built my business to the point of being able to hire staff to handle social media tasks, but we still rely on their editorial calendar for ideas and inspiration. Could not have kept this up without them!

My story with Brownell is not traditional as I did not participate in the mentoring program. Instead, I spent ten years as a travel coordinator (assistant) for a top producing Brownell IC and with the support of my IC, had the gradual intention of becoming an IC myself. This goal became a reality in 2021 post pandemic. With guidance and support from my IC "boss" and from the Brownell Hosting team, I was able to transition from a support role to an IC role with my own business. Brownell welcomed me and my skillset and provided all of the resources and know-how to successfully create my business and hit the ground running selling travel. I cannot say enough about the level of comfort I had launching a business with this kind, caring and well-respected host agency! Key factors for remaining with Brownell were the overwhelming sense of community among advisors, excellent support from the Brownell accounting and hosting teams and intense pride of being associated with such a well-respected host agency. Icing on the cake is the Brownell air desk, insurance desk and task support available to all IC's on an as needed basis. With only a few months left into my second year as an IC, I can honestly say Brownell is a wonderful place to call "home".