What does it actually look like to start a travel business from absolutely nothing? No systems, no experience, no existing client base, just a decision to build something real. Brittney Brown of Ameda Travel did exactly that when she enrolled in Careers on Vacation®, the travel advisor certification program offered through Wanderlust Campus. On her graduation day, she sat down with Ryan, Wanderlust Campus’s Learning and Development Manager, to talk about the journey. What she shared is honest, encouraging, and worth reading if you have ever wondered whether a travel advisor certification program is actually worth the investment.
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Starting From Scratch
Before enrolling in Careers on Vacation®, Brittney had no travel business. Not a business that needed fine-tuning or a side project she wanted to scale, nothing. She came in knowing she wanted to become a travel advisor but had no idea how to actually build the foundation that role requires.
What she found inside the program was exactly that: a structured path through the logistics, the tools, the systems, and the mindset shifts that go into building a real business. Learning the ins and outs of how to operate as a travel agent, from how to book to how to serve clients to how to structure everything behind the scenes, gave her a framework she simply would not have been able to piece together on her own.
By graduation day, Brittney had gone from having nothing in place to having a fully built foundation and a business ready to move forward. That happened in 12 weeks.
Building at Her Own Pace, And Why That Mattered
One of the things that makes Brittney’s story particularly meaningful is that she navigated this process while also managing real health challenges. Having experienced a stroke, she is intentional about how she spends her energy and what she takes on. Rather than rushing through the curriculum, she gave herself permission to move at a pace that worked for her life.
And the program supported that. Careers on Vacation® is structured around 12 active weeks, but students keep lifetime access to the curriculum after graduation. That means any new resources, updated modules, or added videos become available to graduates automatically; there is no expiration on the learning. For Brittney, who was enrolled during a period of significant curriculum updates, that meant she was getting fresh material in real time and will continue to have access to whatever gets added going forward.
There is something worth sitting with in how Brittney describes the experience: therapeutic. Being able to focus on something she genuinely enjoys, something that engages her brain in a positive way, made the work feel different. That kind of alignment, between what you are building and what actually lights you up, is part of what makes travel business ownership a genuinely sustainable path for the right person.
The Tools That Made a Difference
Wanderlust Campus includes a range of resources inside the platform with a partner portal, skills lab, goal tracking, and more. When asked about a standout tool, Brittney did not hesitate: the Booking Academy.
For anyone unfamiliar, the Booking Academy is a library of FAQ-style resource cards organized by travel category. Cruising, resort bookings, supplier specifics — each category is packed with cards that answer the foundational questions new advisors consistently run into. Many of those questions do not get answered in standard supplier trainings, so having a place to quickly search and find a clear, practical answer is genuinely valuable early on.
For someone building from zero, having that kind of reference library available from day one of their travel advisor certification journey removes a lot of the uncertainty that otherwise slows new advisors down. It is the difference between spending an hour searching for an answer and spending two minutes finding it.
The Coaching Component
Beyond the curriculum itself, one of the most consistent themes that comes up from Careers on Vacation® graduates is the impact of one-on-one coaching. Brittney worked with coach Cheryl throughout the program, and the way she talks about that relationship says a lot.
Cheryl is described as down-to-earth, direct, and genuinely supportive, someone who does not sugarcoat things but always delivered honesty alongside encouragement. Every conversation left Brittney with more confidence than she had going in. That combination of real talk and real support is hard to find, and it is clearly one of the things that makes this travel advisor certification experience different from simply watching videos or reading guides on your own.
All of the coaches at Wanderlust Campus have completed both the Careers on Vacation® program and the CEO-level program, and they run successful travel businesses themselves. They are not teaching theory. They know exactly what new advisors are navigating because they have navigated it themselves.
What Sets Careers on Vacation Apart?
When asked what she would want people considering the program to know, Brittney’s answer was clear: it is totally worth it, and the experience is priceless. The reason is straightforward, you are not going to learn what this program teaches you by trying to figure it out on your own. The internet has a lot of noise. Free Facebook groups have a lot of opinions. What is harder to find is a structured, proven path built specifically for travel advisors that takes you from zero to ready.
Part of what makes Wanderlust Campus stand out is exactly what Brittney pointed to in her reflection: it advocates for travel agents in a way that very few resources actually do. There are places to get supplier training. There are communities to join. But a comprehensive travel advisor certification program that teaches you not just how to book travel but how to run a business, that is a different thing entirely.
From Zero to Ready
On graduation day, Brittney went from having no business to having a real foundation, a business name, systems in place, the knowledge to move forward, and a support network she can lean on as she continues to grow. She is taking it at her own pace, managing her health thoughtfully, and building something that fits her life rather than overwhelming it.
That is what a travel advisor certification program built on solid fundamentals actually makes possible. Not overnight success, not a magic formula, but a real foundation that sets you up to grow at whatever pace works for you, and keeps supporting you long after graduation day.
Thinking About Starting Your Own Journey?
If Brittney’s story resonates with you, if you have been sitting on the idea of becoming a travel advisor but are not sure where to start or whether you can build something real, the first step is simply getting clarity on where you want to go. Wanderlust Campus offers a Goal Mapping Call to help you figure out whether Careers on Vacation® is the right fit and what your path forward could look like.
The foundation is there. You just have to decide to build it.
