Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeline Puckett.
Hi Madeline, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always loved traveling, but my passion really skyrocketed after joining the military. I travel a lot with my unit and it inspired me to begin traveling for leisure versus for work. As someone who is on a tight budget, traveling for cheap was a necessity. Friends and family members began asking for help planning their trips and for general travel advice. Initially, I was planning trips as a hobby but realized that I could provide better quality services as a Certified Travel Agent. With the onset of the pandemic, not many people were traveling in 2020 and I saw an opportunity to elevate my skills as a travel professional. So, I enrolled in the Certified Travel Associate (CTA) program with The Travel Institute. With extensive research, I found Travel Quest Network and partnered with them as my host agency. In May 2020, I opened my own travel agency named HÖL (pronounced whole) with the tagline “Spread Your Wings.” The idea was to hopefully encourage people to get out and see all the things this world has to offer! I managed all aspects of the business as well as generating travel quotes on my own for the first two years. I never expected such success and in January of 2022, I was able to bring on my first sub-agent followed by my second sub-agent in March 2022. HÖL is 100% woman-owned and operated. All of our agents (myself included) are also Air Force veterans. Having that connection and being able to reach other military families is so special to us. At the beginning of the year, we set a goal for the agency to reach $100,000 in sales for 2022. As of June 2022, we’ve already far surpassed that! This agency went from being a hobby of mine to a fully functional and thriving business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggle I faced early in this journey was the COVID-19 pandemic. It halted the entire travel industry for a LONG time and travel agents are still feeling the effects of that. The travel industry in itself is very complex and navigating the even more complex restrictions that came with the pandemic made it even more difficult. As a new agent, I was dealing with learning two industries simultaneously. There was the travel industry and then the business industry. I had never owned a business before and knew nothing about how to manage the accounts, what marketing strategies to use, or even how to file my taxes! I’m still figuring out a lot of things, but thankfully it’s gotten easier.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about HÖL?
Our agency specializes in custom curated travel quotes tailored to a client’s exact needs and desires. Nothing we do is ever wash, rinse, and repeat! All of our agents focus on a few destinations or categories to ensure that all of our clients get the absolute best. Some of those specialties include:
– Disney World/Disneyland
– Universal Studios (Orlando and Hollywood)
– All-Inclusive vacations
– Weekend getaways
– Cruising
– International vacations
– Family travel
What makes us different from other agencies is that selling travel isn’t about making profits for us. All of our agents are here because they truly love what they do! So, clients can rest assured that they get 110% of our effort every single time. Our services are completely free and we can be as involved (or uninvolved) as the client would like us to be. This is about making sure everyone has the opportunity to make their travel dreams a reality!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Orlando has so much to offer. I think that is its best quality. It has something for everyone! Doesn’t matter if you’re looking for first-class culinary experiences, to play a round of golf, or see Mickey Mouse himself, you can do all of that!
The worst part is the traffic! Because it truly has something for everyone, the crowds can get pretty outrageous. With over 60 million visitors a year, it gets very congested, very quickly.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.holtravels.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinghol/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livinghol
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@holtravels
