Headquarter Happenings: From Mentoring to Sales Support, Brownell Charts a New Course for Advisors

Brownell, a leading player in luxury travel, hosted its 19th Brownell Academy in Chicago last week. The annual gathering brings together members, partners, and the Brownell team to celebrate personal and group achievements over the past year.

The event, which will now permanently shift to a biennial schedule and alternate with smaller meetings at Brownell’s Alabama headquarters, marked another year of growth for Brownell, which calls itself the oldest travel agency in America with a history dating back to Walter A. Brownell taking the first 10 guests on an archeological tour of Switzerland in 1887.

While members speaking to TMR said their luxury sales are changing, Brownell executives said that the industry is healthy, and luxury travel, and luxury travel sellers, continue to sail forward on high demand.

Brownell President David Harris, who joined the agency two and a half years ago, said the travel industry is entering an especially exciting phase—driven by emerging technology and the next generation of travelers.

“It’s a super interesting time. Everyone’s trying to figure out, what does good look like right now? It’s incredibly encouraging to see so many new entrants into the travel technology space. There’s a very strong future here—otherwise these folks wouldn’t be investing in this industry.”

According to Harris, if you’re not investigating what technology can do for you, you’re going to get left behind. The focus for Brownell is to build solutions that enhance how advisors work and what they offer to their clients. That includes its new 24/7 Air Desk (more on that later), and other programs that provide support around the problem areas advisors have to wade through. 

That includes not wanting to deal with the logistics of hiring employees and managing payroll. Instead, Brownell offers fractional support that lets them grow their businesses without the upfront overhead.

“At some point, it may make sense for them to hire someone—but we make sure they don’t have to do that before they’re ready. That kind of support, coupled with strategic use of technology, makes advisors feel invested in and empowered.”

Mentoring and Catalyst

Brownell places a strong emphasis on professional growth through structured programs like Brownell Mentoring and Brownell Catalyst. The Mentoring program is designed for new-to-industry advisors, while Catalyst supports experienced advisors who are new to Brownell.

Mentoring is a year-long, application-based program for those entering the industry from another career, providing a structured path for learning how to become a successful entrepreneur and run a travel business effectively.

Launched in 2007, it was one of the first industry programs built around mentorship and starts with a week at Brownell’s Birmingham headquarters for a systems intro on who Brownell is, including both staff and culture. The rest of the year is partner trainings, topic trainings, monthly calls with Brownell executives, regular check-ins about issues new members might be having, and strategic sessions to get past those issues and get started on the business.

Brownell is only offering Mentoring once a year with a small class of, at the most, six members. Chairman and CEO Troy Haas said that even as other agencies launch mentoring programs, “ours is probably the most intensive.”

Catalyst is a six-month program for those who have a history selling travel, somewhere between two to five years, but now want to take it to a higher level at Brownell. It’s designed to meet them where they are and jumpstart their business from there. As opposed to small group, it’s a one-on-one program.

“We’re not learning about what a DMC is. It’s more a conversation about getting the business up and running, how to get better clients, how to get new clients, and then how to start charging planning fees,” Stacy Tedesco, the owner of Open Door Travel in Bernardsville, New Jersey, told TMR.

Advisors speaking to TMR said that both Mentoring and Catalyst were the reasons they considered, and then landed at, Brownell. The Brownell team pointed to both those programs as a reason for their success—the sales per advisor are higher than any other agency in the Virtuoso network.

“Almost all of our advisors find success immediately, and if they don’t, they typically do within the first two years,” Margaret Haas said.

“The vast majority of people break even the first year and then usually you reduce the cost the following year and you typically double the income, so the upward trajectory is meaningful and not so steep that you are blowing your skin back.”

Turning High-Caliber Professionals into Travel Advisors

Brownell’s approach to building membership goes beyond simply attracting skilled professionals—it’s also about building a membership that is able to leverage their networks.

The agency refers to these networks as “spheres of influence,” and demonstrating a strong professional network is a required part of the Brownell application process. Through Mentoring, Catalyst, and additional resources like the Air Desk and Insurance Desk, Brownell provides the tools to train professionals in running a successful travel business.

With these networks in place, new members, typically starting with the mentorship program, can quickly gain traction. Most advisors become profitable within two years, with many reaching that milestone even sooner.

“We are not looking for a personality type or background, we are looking for people who are part of a community. Do you have 75-plus people who travel the way you want to build your business around? That’s what we’re looking for,” Austin Leatherbury, the director of partner opportunities with Brownell, said.

“We have lawyers, accountants, people from all different backgrounds. They all find success. We feel sure that we can teach them sales, as long as they have the networks that trust them,” she added.

Air, Insurance and Sales Desks

With an influx of new-to-industry advisors, Brownell has built a platform designed to remove pain points—taking on tasks that might otherwise prevent a new agency owner or independent contractor from becoming profitable quickly. That platform includes three distinct departments—what Brownell refers to as “desks”—focused on air, insurance and sales.

The Air Desk officially launched in 2016 and expanded to 24/7 coverage in February through a partnership with Casto Travel. That partnership now includes a dedicated eight-person team, based in the Philippines, working exclusively for Brownell advisors.

The Insurance Desk was added in recent years with the hire of Catherine Franklin, a licensed insurance agent who helps advisors navigate the ins and outs of travel insurance.

“She offers some real comfort in an area that advisors can sometimes feel unsure about,” Andrea Thames, vice president of hosting operations, told TMR. “Our advisors run their own businesses, and insurance can be tricky—especially with the kind of complex trips we plan. Catherine creates a totally neutral space for clients to have those conversations.”

The Sales Desk was also introduced during COVID-19, when Brownell shifted from an internal leisure sales organization to a full hosting agency.

“Right now, advisors can come to us and ask our sales desk to put together hotel quotes, cruise quotes—even help build profiles in TripSuite,” Thames said. “Some of it is client-facing; they’ll talk to clients if needed and help build the final itinerary. They can really do everything from start to finish.”

She added, “We’re moving toward more of a true supportive travel coordinator model. The advisor does the discovery call, then hands it off to a sales desk team member, who bills the advisor hourly. What we’re seeing now is a greater need for real travel coordinator support—and that’s exactly what the Sales Desk offers.”