New recruit Sahra Vilayrack (left) and Merran Wiggins at the INNX Hub in Newcastle
It’s a big jump to work from home and be your own boss, when you’re used to the structure of going to an office each day. So the TravelManager’s model of using experienced PTMs to guide new ones is like being welcomed into a supportive family … with members who all just happen to live in different homes!
While new recruit Sahra Vilayrack (representative for Carrington in Newcastle) and established personal travel manager Merran Wiggins (representative for Warners Bay in Lake Macquarie) may have territories only fifteen kilometres apart, they say working together is much more productive than being competitors.
Wiggins found the experience of starting her own business daunting, and so decided to provide encouragement and mutual support for personal travel managers just starting out.
“Starting out on your own is often the biggest decision of your career. I jumped at the chance to mentor Sahra offering support, advice or simply just providing answers to questions about how things work. The smoother the start-up process, the quicker Sahra can build her own business.”
Executive general manager Michael Gazal said Wiggin’s proactive approach resonates with the TravelManagers ethos.
“We recognise each personal travel manager has wide-ranging strengths in different areas and actively encourage this type of peer community support both from a social and business point of view.”
TravelManagers’ community spirit was one of the motivators to join the company and Vilayrack has been thrilled with the level of support she has received from her fellow personal travel managers.
“After working part time for many years as a single mum in the travel industry, I knew I had to make a change if I wanted a better lifestyle and opportunities for myself and my children,” said Vilayrack.
“I thought initially it would be quite competitive with everyone in the area having their established clients and being wary of another personal travel manager. I have been invited to BNI meetings, we meet for coffee after our cluster meetings and I feel completely comfortable emailing any of my fellow colleagues if I need a hand. From day one I was made to feel like part of the TravelManagers family.”
Vilayrack said she and Wiggins enjoy the chance to network, support each other and work together to grow their individual businesses.
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