Travel Advisor Success Story: Lori Speers, Levarté Travel

Lori Speers. (Source: Lori Speers)

Success Stories focus on veteran travel advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Lori Speers, CTC, owner and CEO ofLevarté Travel.

How did you get your start as a travel advisor?

My career began at a travel school in Florida, followed by a stint at Disney World. I then transitioned to Orlando Travel, where I sold tickets to the travel school students. The thrill of creating fantastic client adventures led me to leisure travel sales, a role I cherished. My journey continued in Dallas, where I continued to sell leisure travel for many years.

For about 10 years, I dedicated myself to the industry, transitioning from leisure travel to the corporate side, booking business travelers. This shift brought new challenges, but my commitment to booking people’s dream trips remained unwavering. So, I returned to leisure travel and entered the luxury market, working for a Virtuoso agency in Dallas, where my dedication to the industry grew alongside my travel expertise.

I also established several long-lasting relationships in the industry, which still benefit my host agency, Levarté Travel, and all of our members. Relationships in the travel business are the backbone of our success. I continued to advance in the industry, moving into managing and training other agents who shared my love and passion for travel. It was my first taste of what I do now at Levarté Travel: helping travel advisors grow a travel business.

Before I knew it, I was running a host agency for another company. I was in the host agency arena for 18 years and was president of a large host agency from 2005-2020. In 2020, I opened Levarté Travel. Today, we have more than 500 advisors.

How did you build your business over the years?

From the inception of Levarté Travel, I was determined to innovate and do things differently. For instance, we established a one-stop shop, our LevartéHUB, for advisors to manage their daily business.

In addition to providing a one-stop hub for our advisor members, we also focus on training. We have at least one live training session each week. Our live training is a great way for our members to network with suppliers and other members and have real conversations about their businesses.

As mentioned, relationships are a huge part of success in the travel industry and that is why, I sit on several boards, including Hyatt Inclusive Collection, ASTA IC Advisory Board, CLIA Star Board and TRAVEL ALLIES. I encourage our members to do the same, especially by getting involved with their local ASTA chapters. We are also a Premier member of CLIA, Premium ASTA member and an Elite member of Travelsavers and Affluent Travelers Collection.

What characteristics make you successful?

Strong communication skills, extensive destination knowledge, problem-solving abilities, attention to detail and a customer-service orientated attitude.

What have been your greatest challenges?

9/11 and the COVID pandemic! Both forever changed the industry, but they also created resilience in most travel companies. The world ground to a halt with both and created new regulations and processes for both travelers and advisors. Most agencies and travel companies survived, adapted and pivoted in adversity. The COVID pandemic has elevated training from suppliers to the industry, which is fantastic.

Since I opened Levarté Travel, my biggest challenge has been staying current on the cutting edge of technology, training and support while ensuring the company always brings the best to our advisors. 

What have your greatest accomplishments been?

My biggest accomplishment has been opening my own business, Levarté Travel. I’m doing something I absolutely love. Every day, I wake up knowing I’m making a difference in someone else’s life in a positive way. I get more happiness watching our advisors grow their businesses and succeed than I ever have in my accomplishments.

What tips can you provide advisors new to the industry?

If you are new to our industry, take your time to learn about it. It can be overwhelming, and you need the right partner or support group to guide you through it step by step. Experienced advisors must keep up with their continued education, from certifications to the latest and greatest from suppliers. That means product training, traveling for first-hand knowledge and marketing training.

Tell everyone you know that you are a travel advisor. Most advisors start with friends and family as their customers – so tell everyone you know you can book their next vacation. As part of owning your travel business, you must market yourself and continually know your value. Ensure you are getting top commission for all your booked trips, which is why belonging to a host agency for support, training and commission is vital.

Travel is the best industry ever! You will have bad days, but many more good ones. You will create unforgettable experiences and excellent relationships, but it will take work. So, give yourself time to grow your business. It is not a sprint but a marathon that can give you and your family financial freedom and so much flexibility. After all, you can work from anywhere!

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