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MEET BARRETT

OUR 30,000th CERTIFIED GRADUATE

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FUN FACTS:

Education: 
  • Major, Tourism Management; Minor, Business Administration: University of South Carolina 
  • “Great mentors” in travel industry
 
Hobby: 
  • Her “other passion,” competitive equestrian horseback riding

 

Favorite Travel Experiences: 
  • An African Safari with 17 family members 
  • A Sep-Nov itinerary/spontaneous world adventure on her own, “living out of a suitcase, going everywhere the wind blew me,” learning a great deal about travel booking and destinations to “talk the talk AND walk the walk,” furthering her knowledge and confidence in serving clients.
Press Release
Barrett Phillips Digital Credential

Q&A:

How/when did you choose to go into travel?

I didn’t grow up thinking I wanted a travel career. Originally undecided on a major, an advisor suggested I take a closer look at tourism management after picking up on the passion I had around my awesome travel experiences with family. Still, while I didn’t originally intend to do this forever, I already can’t imagine a more rewarding career. 

 

When did you start your CTA, how long did it take to complete it, and how did you study?

I signed up in May with a goal of dedicating time to learning and studying on a regular basis. I wanted to finish as quickly as I confidently could, which ended up being late August. The format of the course is so useful, every module offers a deep dive and you can pick up where you left off and go back and review when necessary. At the end of the course, I had more than 80 pages of notes and I utilized the study tools too. While I now have my CTA, I love that I can always refer back to the course too.

 

What advice would you give someone considering a career in travel?

A few thoughts:

  • My start was humble with zero clients and zero industry knowledge. I started simply, booking hotel rooms for close friends and family and my business grew from there. 
  • I was told I may not make money my first couple of years and that was true, but now I’m reaping the financial rewards that go along with the personal rewards of a travel career.
  • My job is super attractive with flexibility and control, working when and with whom I want most of the time but still, there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes and a lot of effort when clients need me—sometimes at all hours of the day and night.
  • The most important thing is to be honest every day. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it. If you don’t know something, admit it. If you do that, you’ll be more credible. 
  • I take care of people the way I want to be taken care of and the rest just works out. 

 

What is your favorite part of the job?

I love that, in working with people, I’m learning about them but I’m also learning about the world, exploring the places they want to explore or might want to consider. For example, I only learned so much about Portugal, a Top 3 destination, because that’s where people were wanting to go and I had to figure out how to make it happen.