One of the biggest lessons experienced travel advisors learn isn’t how to sell more travel, it’s how to protect their time.

For Envoyage advisor Caitlin Lajeunesse of Vacations by Caitlin, that lesson came during one of the travel industry’s most challenging moments. “The shift for me occurred when the world shut down on March 12, 2020,” she says. “After that day, as flights were grounded and vacations I’d spent the previous year planning were cancelled, I realized something within my business model had to change.”

That pause gave her the opportunity to rethink her business around three key principles: establishing clear boundaries around her availability, charging professional service fees and focusing on a niche specializing in premium beach vacations. Those changes didn’t happen overnight, but they transformed the way she works.

Boundaries build better client relationships

One of the biggest misconceptions newer advisors often have is that clients expect immediate responses around the clock. In reality, experienced advisors say clear communication matters far more than constant availability.

“I have become very comfortable communicating my availability now,” says Lajeunesse. “Any new inquiries are directed to book a scheduled initial consultation with me. From there, the expected timeline to receive their proposal reflects how much time I need to properly create it.”

Whether a proposal takes one business day or several depends on the season, but clients understand the process because expectations are established from the beginning. “What I have learned is that clients do not expect instant when working with a professional advisor, and proper communication is always highly respected.”

For Katharine Lewis of The Travelista, protecting her time has always been about creating structure. After launching her home-based agency 12 years ago while raising young children, she quickly learned that clear boundaries and consistent routines were essential to building a sustainable business. “Keeping regular business hours is so helpful for your focus,” she says. “I kept them enforced through having it on my voicemail, auto-responder, email signature and always responding during those times.”

Lewis has also built systems to ensure inquiries are handled efficiently, including directing social media requests to email so conversations don’t get lost and using appointment-based consultations to create dedicated time to focus on client trips. The result isn’t simply better time management; it creates a more consistent and professional client experience.

Building a business around your strengths

Protecting your time also means recognizing when a booking isn’t the right fit. Rather than taking on every request, Lajeunesse has become comfortable referring clients to advisors whose expertise better matches their travel plans. “If someone is looking for Asia, a safari or complex airfare, this is not my area of expertise,” she explains. “I always want the client to be in the right hands.”

Instead of viewing those referrals as lost business, she sees them as one of the advantages of being part of a collaborative advisor network. “Luckily, we have a large network of incredible advisors, each with their own specialty within the Envoyage family. I am always happy to send a referral to the right advisor.”

That confidence is reinforced by having the right support behind the scenes. Lajeunesse says Envoyage’s operational support, from commission organization to supplier relationships helps remove administrative distractions so she can stay focused on her clients.

Lewis says the value extends beyond operational support. Access to the Envoyage community gives her a trusted sounding board for everything from supplier policy changes and fee structures to complex travel requests, while the support team is quick to help with any day-to-day challenges. She also relies on trusted colleagues and subcontractors during periods of high inquiry or when she needs to take time away from the business. “Having a team of sub-contractors and trusted colleagues helps me immensely in periods of high inquiry or when I need to take some much-needed time off or enjoy a FAM,” she says.

Making space for the right business

Perhaps the hardest lesson for newer advisors is learning that saying no can ultimately create more opportunities than saying yes. Lajeunesse encourages advisors not to let fear drive every business decision. “It may feel scary to say no to something that doesn’t feel right, but by building the confidence to say, ‘I’m not the right advisor for this booking,’ you’ll open up more opportunities for the bookings that do align with what you’re building.”

Lewis believes one of the biggest shifts advisors can make is moving away from a scarcity mindset. “Always trust your gut, your first impressions are correct 99% of the time,” she says. “Saying yes to everyone puts you as the agent last. Don’t work from a scarcity mindset, passing along a client to someone else makes room for you to spend valuable time on trips you really love to plan.”

Lajeunesse sums it up simply: “For every no, opens a new door for a yes.”

Protecting your time isn’t about working less, it’s about building a business with intention. As Lajeunesse and Lewis have discovered, that becomes easier when advisors have the freedom to specialize, the confidence to make decisions that support their business and a community they can rely on when they need support. With clear boundaries and a strong network behind them, advisors can spend less time reacting and more time doing what they do best: creating exceptional travel experiences for their clients.

Lead image caption: Caitlin Lajeunesse of Vacations by Caitlin (left) and Katharine Lewis of The Travelista (right)