I studied accountancy at Glasgow University then did a masters in IT. My first contract was Y2K testing for an energy supplier. After realising IT was not for me, I returned to my hometown Ayr to work for my father, Willie Stewart, at Stewart Travel as a stopgap doing admin. After a few months, I gave selling a go. My first booking was a Royal Caribbean cruise. I was delighted; there was no turning back. Travel has been in my blood since I was a baby. My father sold Stewart Travel in 2012 and my role changed – there was more potential to work for myself as a homeworker.

It grew from clients who knew me, Holidaysplease leads and recommendations. People began to refer me, and my reputation grew.

Things really clicked when I met an associate who’d spoken at a Holidaysplease conference and we worked on a business development strategy, increasing my visibility and focusing on my branding.

I promoted myself in online groups and contacted organisations that had a good synergy. Becoming more proactive and going outside my comfort zone boosted business and my personal growth.

After the intensity of getting people home and with so much uncertainty, I decided to do something productive.

I worked with Minty Highway, a business development consultancy, to create a bespoke website focused on personal content and connecting with clients. A group of five of us worked this way. Supporting each other through dark times while creating something special was positive and inspiring. My hard work provided a great platform to hit the ground running after Covid.

Investing in my own content and personal style is key.

I have a great relationship with clients and keeping them engaged is invaluable. I still work with Minty Highway to maintain a style that reflects me and my service. This helps clients to refer me, and new people to find me.

I keep my website fresh, my social posting is purposeful and my quarterly newsletter generates good engagement. I produce my own marketing materials, while blogs written by me and my clients are helpful when selling – they’re authentic and people feel that.

It’s great to provide clients with a tangible memory to inspire others, and my blogs showcase my experiences and increase interest. I’m based in Edinburgh but clients are from across the country. I have some from the south via the Holidaysplease pool and several are Edinburgh and Ayrshire-based. People are still travelling and adjusting to higher costs – their holidays are important to them but I feel the cost of living will catch up with us all at some point. People are a bit more adventurous, with multicentres and destinations such as Japan, South America and Costa Rica.

I’ve been lucky to have visited lots of places, so I like to go to somewhere I’ve never been before. My trip to Japan last year was incredible and I’m trying to do more short breaks – I capture them all on my blog. I prefer fam trips about culture and experiences as well as the hotels. If someone is going to invest in me and I invest the time to visit, it’s important to do the best I can, to produce results and provide value.

Q. What are your future plans?
I’ll continue to be proactive and grow, always looking for where I can enhance relationships with clients and suppliers. I have lots of ideas, including more client events and building my visibility locally. The TC platform enables me to join specific teams to increase opportunities in new areas. I say: “Have the courage to try new things, always learn and be consistent with what you do.” I never thought I’d have the courage to publish photos of myself and make videos, but I learnt that clients like to see and hear me. They respect my knowledge and experience, and it helps them make decisions – I guess I’m an influencer in my own wee way.