We often hear that when one door closes, another one opens. The truth is, sometimes we don’t even notice those other doors until we’re forced to look around at other options.

Emily Kladivo of Emily’s Travel in Hibbing, Minnesota was working in a bridal shop in 2011 when she sustained a serious back injury. For six months, she tried every possible treatment and ended up exhausting their financial resources looking for a solution.

Unable to go back to work, she started planning a few winter getaways and weekend trips for friends. She had been interested in travel from an early age, when she and her sister would watch Samantha Brown and imagine their yogurt parfaits were fancy desserts like the TV star often enjoyed on her travels.

“Friends had always said that I should be a travel agent, because I loved planning even small weekends to the Twin Cities,” Emily says. “I love planning and helping others.”

She and her husband, Adam, also worked with a travel agent to plan their honeymoon in 2010, and were less than impressed. She says that made her want to give people a very memorable experience.

She started Emily’s Travel at the end of 2012 and now says she had no idea how much it would change her life.

Emily with our Delta Vacations BDM Lucretia at Delta Vacations University this year.

Fortunately, her business took off quickly. She had to learn on the fly, which was difficult, but Emily fully embraced her new career. By the beginning of 2014, she reached KHM Travel Group’s Pinnacle Elite level.

Her first trip with KHM Travel Group was on our 2016 Crystal Conference and Awards cruise to accept her Crystal Award for top selling agent with Delta Vacations.

She’s been able to grow her business so quickly by making customer service her number one priority. Some days, she says she works from 7 AM until 10 PM from her couch.

“This isn’t a 9 to 5 job, and I take care of my clients no matter what time it is,” she adds.

She gets to see the rewards of her dedication everyday, when clients come to her looking for an all-inclusive getaway, destination wedding, or honeymoon. She also loves selling Hawaii and Italy.

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the reasons for the trips that people are taking,” Emily adds. “So many of my clients have made a large impact on my life. I remind myself everyday how blessed I am and that despite my major injury, things could be worse.”

Looking back, she now believes that not being able to go back to work was a blessing in disguise, because it allowed her to find her dream job.

Rocking the KHM blue shirts with her sub-agent Ashley and sub-agent (& husband) Adam at Delta Vacations University.

Emily’s advice to new or struggling agents is simple: Don’t give up. If you are as passionate about your business as she is, your hard work will pay off!

Thank you to Emily for sharing her inspiring story with the rest of the KHM Travel family, and congratulations on your success!

Start your home-based travel agency with KHM Travel Group, and you’ll have access to all the resources you need to reach your business goals — including the expertise of experienced agents like Emily!

Fill out the form on the right or call 1-888-611-1220 to receive our free information packet with everything you need to know about becoming a travel agent with KHM Travel.