Become a Home Based Travel Agent

I woke up this morning, January 2^nd, 2012 ready to take on the New Year with a new attitude. My New Year’s resolution is to wake up not dreading the load of work I have ahead of me. Instead I am going to look at my to-do list in a new way. I am going to take it on as a challenge. I have discovered something about myself at my ripe old age. I really like being challenged and it motivates me to work with a purpose as long as I have a goal in my mind that is attainable.

I had this revelation last week when thinking about the New Year and all that it could have in store for me. Last year I challenged myself to run a half-marathon and on November 13^th I am proud to say I completed 13.1 miles running the Silver Strand Half-Marathon in Coronado, California. I know, it is not big deal for many who have fun multiple marathons in a year, but for this old gal, it was a biggie. I trained for months and it was often bittersweet. I had some foot and leg issues and at one point thought I was going to have to abort my half-marathon mission. A smarter person probably would have, but I decided mind over body and I overcame the pain and kept my challenge in mind. What I have realized though, is I need to have challenges and goals to keep me on track.

I know it sounds strange but I kind of just know what I want to do and do it. That is not to say that I do not succeed, but I do not typically set a goal. I just get to where I think I want to go. Well, this year will be different. I have decided to pick a challenge a day, a challenge a week and a challenge a month. My goal is going to be to meet those challenges be they big or small. Not all of my challenges will be work related since I think balance is so important. I will set exercise, diet and fun challenges as well.

So, starting today, I will push the “no way I am ever going to finish all of this work today” out of my mind and make my positive mental energy run through this day with a finish line in site. Bring it on…Happy New Year!

Joanie Ogg CTC MCC
Joanie Ogg Marketing Group
Editor

Joanie Ogg is a thirty-five year veteran of the travel industry and has been involved with the independent contractor evolution since 1988. She is the principal of Joanie Ogg Marketing Group, which specializes in consulting and speaking on the topic of Home-Based Travel. She also provides marketing and sales for wide variety of products under the umbrella HomeBasedTravelAgent.com.

A demonstrated industry leader, Joanie most recently served as the President of the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA) and TravelSellers. She and her husband Tom acquired NACTA in 1996 and sold it to The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) in 2000. Joanie’s tenure in the travel industry includes owning and operating one of the first successful host agency models. She has owned and operated several storefront travel agencies (both commercial and leisure), as well as a Hawaii wholesale tour company.

Her decades of success have garnered her numerous accolades over the years. Her accomplishments have been recognized by receipt of two Lifetime Achievement Awards from major trade groups, being named as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Travel” by Travel Agent magazine on several occasions, voted as “Travel Agent of the Year” by the readers of Travel Trade magazine, and has been recognized by many other industry organizations throughout her tenure in the industry. In 2008 Joanie Ogg was inducted into the CLIA Hall of Fame, an honor held by some of the most influential executives in the travel industry.

Joanie is a Master Cruise Counselor (MCC) and a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC). Joanie has co-authored two popular travel industry books for cruise specialists and home-based travel agents and has authored hundreds of travel trade articles. She has inspired tens of thousands of travel agents attending her presentations at trade events, cruise seminars, international trade gatherings and numerous local educational venues throughout the United States. With a time-honored background and forward-looking vision, she is often featured as a speaker at many of the travel industry’s major conferences and events. Joanie’s speaking talents are widely sought as a travel industry emcee by the most recognized travel organizations. She has emceed such events as Cruise-A-Thons, ASTA’s CruiseFest, The Trade Show, The Travel Institute Forum and all of NACTA’s National and International Conferences.


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