Brownell

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".

I started with Brownell 5 years ago through the Mentoring Program and honestly has been the best career move I have ever made! I had only done corporate travel before starting at Brownell, and the team provided such amazing excellent support and resources to really jump-start my business. I came from an HR background - so I can truly say the training I received was thoughtful, thorough and first-class. Beyond the success of the Brownell travel advisors, one of the things that really attracted me to Brownell was the strong mission and values of the company that is a part of everything we do. The values are not just something written on paper but really integrated into the business and all decision-making. I feel like I am surrounded by the best of the best in the travel industry, and whenever I have any questions I have a dedicated expert team to help. Having a million-dollar travel business within 5 years was beyond my wildest expectations - and I know I could not have done it without the extraordinary support of the Brownell family. Thank you!!

Before joining Brownell, I was in the travel industry but in the niche sphere of the safari world. I was looking to expand and grow as a travel industry professional and decided to start my own company with the help of Brownell Travel. Brownell offers a one of a kind, year long mentor program. The mentor program covers absolutely everything a travel advisor needs to know to launch their business as a strong, successful business from the start. Once you finish the mentor program, you still receive an incredible amount of support from the Brownell team. Brownell offers unparalleled partnerships, marketing services, business reviews, administrative and sales support and more. I am so grateful for the tight knit community of extremely knowledgeable, gracious and supportive Brownell employees and travel advisors. I can't imagine launching and maintaining my business without Brownell.

I just had my 5 years anniversary with Brownell Travel. Before that, I was with a tour operator for 9 years and another agency for 1 year. I worked with so many travel agencies during my tour operator years and can unequivocally say Brownell stands out way above the rest. Brownell was very clear from the beginning in explaining how they work. With so many changes constantly happening in our business, this was critical for me. Brownell offers incredible support for day to day needs through the Hosting Team. They also off a full service Air Desk, Insurance Desk and Marketing Department. We have a network App where all Independent Contractors within Brownell share advice, updates and support for one another. My colleagues are always gracious and with our exclusive Brownell Educational trips, I love to travel with my colleagues, who are also friends. Brownell has tremendous respect in the travel industry which allows us to serve our clients better. I'm lucky to be a part of this wonderful team.

Brownell is the place to be if you want an incredible support team, excellent industry connections and surrounded by high level advisors who are well respected in the industry. I have really loved my time at Brownell and my business is thriving because Brownell supports me so I have time to go and sell travel!

When I decided to retire from an executive role corporate America and pursue a 2nd career in luxury travel, I spent a lot of time researching my options as I wanted to go with the best! As part of my research process, I utilized Host Agency Reviews. HAR was a great resource and I evaluated every host agency listed on HAR that met my requirements of belonging to the Virtuoso consortium and that accepted beginner IC advisors. I soon narrowed the list down to four potential host agencies, with Brownell being at the very top.

I heard that Brownell was the Ivy League of host agencies, and I found out it’s true! Their mentoring program is very thoughtfully designed to provide new advisors with a robust and logical curriculum to go from a travel newbie to expert advisor within their first year. And Brownell’s support and IC focused resources are industry leading. Their Air Desk and Insurance Desk are topnotch and I’m happy to outsource these more complex travel components to the experts (which makes me look even better in the eyes of my clients). Their Hosting Support and Sales Support teams are a godsend when I need assistance and want to outsource hotel research, Axus itinerary creation or even the monotonous data entry requirements of CB+. And I can’t say enough about their Marketing team. From the monthly programs of white label newsletters and social media content to the broad list of custom marketing materials they can create for me, my marketing program is leaps and bounds better thanks to their assistance.

The size of the host agency I was choosing was also very important. Going with a large company that had 1,400 advisors was not an option – I did not want to be just a number. A much smaller agency with around 15 – 20 was not a good fit for me either. The sweet spot was to go with a company that hosted between 100 – 200 advisors which is exactly what Brownell’s host community has. My first opportunity to meet a good portion of the Brownell community in-person was Virtuoso Week 2022 and I instantaneously bonded with my new travel family members. I am blessed to be part of this community and amazed at the amount of time Brownell ICs devote to helping their community members with all sorts of travel questions. This network of experienced advisors supporting each other with their collective knowledgebase is a key reason Brownell advisors are so successful.

I am only 6 months into launching my new travel business and halfway through my mentoring year, but I am already building a strong list of clients and book of business. Brownell is continuing to support me through this growth to ensure both my current and future success, and I know I couldn’t have made a better choice for my host agency.

I could not imagine working with another host agency. I started my business and my year of mentoring with Brownell in early March 2020 before the world shut down and could have never known what would lie ahead for the industry. 2020 was a tough year for everyone, but Brownell remained vigilantly committed to its mentees and its hosting community, adapting and evolving with the ever-changing landscape while keeping its advisors top of mind. Brownell quickly became my virtual travel family.

Coming from a completely different background (accounting), the Brownell's mentee program was exactly what I needed - training, support, encouragement and a mentee family (during a tough 2020). Not only have the appointed mentors have fine-tuned this program to set its mentees up for success, but the rest of the Brownell community also provides an incredible support system during that first year and thereafter.

With Brownell, I always feel supported and encouraged by a leadership team who truly cares about its advisors. I highly recommend Brownell as a host agency for anyone looking to start a career in travel or change host agencies .