The Lounge by Travefy Podcast: What it takes to build the right team with Ali Raymer

I joined Stephanie Grice on The Lounge by Travefy to talk about what it actually looks like to go from solo advisor to agency owner.

How did I get my start in this industry?

I was a high school English teacher running our school's travel club, and my husband's aunt tapped me on the shoulder and told me I could sell travel to people with money instead of students with none. That side hustle became my full career.

How did I find my first team members?

Organically. My first hire was a former student who took over all my Disney leads. From there I brought on a former teaching colleague to become my ocean cruise expert (I get seasick, she loves it), another retired teacher who now owns all things Europe and food, and two former clients I gave the good, bad, and ugly over coffee before bringing them on.

Why did I finally leave to start my own agency?

It came down to a difference in vision. I'd grown into a leadership role I genuinely loved, mentoring and pouring into people, and I knew I needed to build something that reflected my own direction.

What tech stack holds my team together?

Google Workspace, with Gemini acting as our shared assistant. Every trip report and supplier report gets logged into our shared drive, so anyone on my team can ask Gemini a question and get an instant, accurate answer instead of pinging me.

What's my honest advice for a solo advisor thinking about building a team?

Do it. I was terrified to give away leads that weren't my strength, especially so soon after COVID. But once I did, I doubled my sales in a year by focusing only on what I'm actually passionate about.