In February 2014, Jessica Ortiz began her journey as a travel agent with KHM Travel Group. By November of last year, her agency, Coconut Tree Travel, had reached $100,000 in total traveled revenue.

Her success secured her a spot in our Pinnacle Elite Agent program. It also earned her KHM Travel’s Rookie Agent of the Year Award, which was presented to Jessica at the 2015 Crystal Awards Dinner during our FAM trip in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“I barely knew what it meant!” says Jessica.

She may be new to the industry, but she had already developed the skills she’d need to be successful at her full-time job as a nurse recruiter. Being able to build a brand, earn the trust of her clients, and understand their needs were all familiar concepts to her.

When it came time to decide on a host agency, Jessica and her husband Corey did extensive research before choosing KHM Travel.

“Our decision to commit to KHM Travel Group was simple really, we loved the reviews, background, trainings and immediate positive feedback,” Jessica says.

Once she enrolled, she committed herself to learning as much about the travel business as possible. She studied training materials, attended webinars and
followed along with conversations on our agents-only Facebook page.

At first, she grew her business through referrals. Eventually, she started to utilize her business’s Facebook page to invite friends, share trip photos and offer special last-minute deals. She saw her client base increase very quickly.

Jessica’s most memorable vacation, her destination wedding in Cancun, was one of the trips that inspired her to become a travel agent. As a family and romance travel specialist, she relishes every opportunity to make her clients’ vacation dreams a reality.

While her competitive nature has helped fuel her agency’s growth, she knows that exceeding her clients’ expectations is key.

“I’m not commission driven, I’m client driven,” says Jessica. “Happy clients will make your business and the commission will follow.”

New agents might feel overwhelmed, says Jessica — but don’t worry, that’s completely normal. Her advice is to ask questions, utilize the various training tools provided by KHM Travel and reach out to fellow agents through the agents-only Facebook group.

It certainly worked for Jessica, our 2014 Rookie Agent of the Year. Congratulations on an outstanding first year with KHM Travel Group!

You could be our next Rookie of the Year! If you are interested in starting your own fun, rewarding career as an independent travel agent, fill out the form on the right or call 1-888-611-1220.