Above : Haynes connects with business partners in San Francisco ; left : Haynes reflects on her blessings in Nicaragua .
HAYNES ’ ADVICE FOR NEW ADVISORS
1 . Your journey is your own . It can be easy to look at what others are doing and compare yourself . Focus on your own journey and on being your best self and everything will happen as it ’ s supposed to .
2 . Making connections can be as important as traditional training . Don ’ t forget to connect ( in your own way ) everywhere you go . The connections you make will be invaluable to you and your business .
3 . Celebrate every accomplishment , big and small and memorialize each one . attaining important industry knowledge and building connections .
“ I am also a firm believer that connections are priceless ,” Haynes said . “ Traveling gives me the opportunity to personally connect with my peers , brand leaders , frontline personnel and community gems . This , in turn , helps me to provide my clients with stellar customer service that will exceed their expectations .”
As for what she sells most , Haynes focuses on luxury Caribbean vacations but also has her eye on becoming an expert in expedition cruising . According to Haynes , there is value in having a specialization , but it ’ s also important to keep an eye on market demands and be willing to adjust your business as needed .
Over the past few years , Haynes also added the titles of expert contributor and travel journalist to her roster . One of her goals is to continue working as a journalist , as she finds it helps her grow as a travel advisor . “ I ’ d love to also do more video journalism work and podcasts ,” Haynes said . “ Additionally , I want to continue inspiring the masses after my award tenure by doing more speaking engagements .”
Haynes explained that her award is much bigger than herself . “ Being named Travel Advisor of the Year has been inspiring to so many people , especially those from diverse backgrounds ,” she said . “ It reminds us all to dream big , work hard and be resilient ! I am so grateful that this award has given me the opportunity to be visible in a manner that I can further educate and inspire not only travel advisors , but other industry professionals and travelers as well .”
SPRING 2024 / THE COMPASS / 25