Meet Ashley: At 28, She’s Building a Lifelong Career
by Cheryl RosenAshley Les grew up in a family that loved to travel, so it’s not surprising that she caught the travel bug early in life – so much so that she decided to become a travel agent herself.
Now, at 28, Les has two years’ experience under her belt, working for the same firm where her parents booked the family’s travels. Choosing to become a travel consultant was the “best decision I ever made,” she told Travel Market Report.
How did you come to be a travel agent?
Ashley Les: For the longest time I was a Liberty Travel customer. I traveled all my life. My parents wanted to see the world. We didn’t spend money on fancy cars or on our house; instead we traveled. We went to Grand Cayman 13 times.
My best memories are around vacations. Those trips were super-important to me. My house is full of travel memorabilia.
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How did you get started in the business?
Les: My dream my whole life was to get into travel. When I was ready to get started I looked at different agencies and I spoke to the consultant my parents used. I liked the fact that Liberty Travel does its own training, but really I came here because I had such great experiences with them.
I drove from Indiana to Chicago for my interview, and they offered me a position in Philadelphia. I interviewed on a Friday; the next weekend I took all my money out of the bank and drove from Indiana to Philadelphia. That was two years ago.
Eventually I transferred to New York. My boyfriend, who also works for the company, was there, and I wanted to live in New York, so when the opportunity came up to be team leader in our new flagship store, it was too good to pass up. I moved to New York in July.
How did you get your training?
Les: The company trained me on Sabre, FlightExpress and Calypso. We have a buddy system, too, where someone sits with every novice all day.
For ongoing training I love to go to vendor events. I once went to a breakfast, a lunch, and a dinner on a single day – and it was my day off! You can never go to every hotel or every destination, but you can learn about them and meet the reps and get to know them personally – then, if you need someone, you can call them.
I’m also obsessed with the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die. I came upon it six or seven years ago, and it has really influenced me a lot. I use a highlighter to mark everywhere I go.
Do you like the job? What’s the most exciting thing that has happened to you?
Les: Becoming a travel consultant was definitely the best decision I ever made. I make dreams come true every day. It’s my biggest passion. I’m Italian, and when I talk to a customer my hands start waving, I get so excited!
The most exciting thing for me personally was when I won [Liberty Travel’s] Top Novice award. My first day in training I told myself I was going to win that. You get to go to the awards ceremony in Singapore, and I had the best time.
How do you see your career unfolding?
Les: I’m 28 years old. When I first started, I dreamed of one day opening my own agency. But now I can’t see myself leaving [Liberty Travel]. I’m in the Future Business Leaders training program.
Consultants here make $35,000 plus commission and leaders make $45,000 plus commission. Essentially, you can make as much as you want. It is like being in your own business, without worrying about back-end support as far as marketing and insurance and IT systems.
Have you made any sales that are especially memorable?
Les: You never forget your first sale! It was a woman whose husband had always dreamed of going to Punta Cana. She gave him a trip to the Majestic Elegance as a gift. She’s one of my favorite customers.
I also remember a Web lead I got once. She had always dreamed of going to China. She wanted to go to Hong Kong for seven nights but she only had $4,000 to spend. I found her a tour through Pacific Delight that went all over the country for 10 days for $1,999. Plus it ended up that no one else signed up for the trip so she had a private tour.
