That’s exactly what happened to Dawn Carney, 36, who spent the past couple of decades entrenched in the commercial world, with the last seven years working in a private equity firm in London.

As VP of an investment team, in charge of acquisitions, turnaround and exit strategies, Dawn’s job was stressful and downtime virtually non-existent. 

By the summer of 2023, when a particularly complicated and challenging project came to a close, the business mogul was utterly exhausted and booked a rare and much-needed break on a Virgin Voyages cruise to recuperate with her mum. 

Little did she know that this trip would be the catalyst that led her to ditch her old job and launch a whole new career doing something she loves. 

“It was probably the first time in ages I really switched off and took time to think about what I'm doing with my life,” says Dawn. 

“I met over 100 travel agents on that ship, all living their best lives and this really made me think about what I was doing with my own life and how much time I want to spend with my family, particularly my three-year-old grandson. My career just didn't allow me to do that.”

Dawn decided it was time for a change – a change that would give her a better work-life balance and one that would allow her to pursue her passion for travel. 

“The thing I'm most passionate about, after my family, is travel. So any downtime I would get, I would be on a flight, on a train or in the car and literally out of here to somewhere that I've never been to explore.” 

Dawn started exploring opportunities among a plethora of travel franchise companies across the UK, and as would be expected of someone with her proven business acumen, she did her due diligence.  

“I researched every travel franchise opportunity on the market.”

Dawn was impressed that The Travel Franchise ranks in the Top 10 franchise businesses in the UK, alongside the likes of McDonald’s and KFC, and ahead of Vodafone, and is the only travel franchise in the top 100. 

“I was impressed that The Travel Franchise is number 10 in the entire franchise league in the UK. I know something about franchising, so I know that it is quite a prestigious place to hold, up with the likes of McDonald's and Costa Coffee.”

Dawn left no stone unturned, contacting and comparing the various travel franchise options. 

“I had telephone calls and video sessions with different travel franchises in order to find out more and decide whether or not one of these companies would suit my own values and morals and vision that I had to build my business.”

After all this thorough research, Dawn plumped for The Travel Franchise, signing up to become a Not Just Travel consultant, completing the company’s 5-day virtual training and launching her business in late November 2023. 

“Training is intense and looks at the policies, procedures and the systems that the business uses. You've got to take a week out of your life to do it, however, I found it really informative.”

And Dawn is impressed that the support and training from The Travel Franchise and its customer-facing brand Not Just Travel’s doesn’t stop following training.

“That's just the start. I have a business mentor who's been in the industry all of her life, and although we have monthly calls set up quite formally, she's also always at the end of a WhatsApp or a phone call. In fact, on Saturday, we had a video call about something that she gave me some really good advice on. So that support is always there for you.”

By mid January she’d secured 12 holiday bookings with another seven on the boil.

Although she admits it can be hard work, it’s a far cry from the pressure she’s been used to. 

“It can be challenging at times, but if I’m honest, it doesn't feel like work to me. It's really enjoyable researching different countries and scoping together different trips for individuals or families in different countries. It's exciting.”

And while some of our franchisees join us to earn extra cash on the side, Dawn has much bigger plans for her agency. 

“I want to build a multi-million pound, successful and sustainable business that provides exceptional service just like I've seen others do within the network. It is achievable, although it takes time.”

But first she says she’s got some work to do.

“I aim to becoming a figure within my local community – someone that people respect and trust for providing a unique personal travel service. I want to build my network, both online and in person, so I've joined lots of networking groups, from Business Networking International (BNI) to local women's groups. And my social media is starting to gain some traction.”

Dawn is also tapping into the various educational opportunities made available to her, dvia the weekly webinars hosted by Not Just Travel and its key travel suppliers. 

She’s also signed up to become a member of the company’s Cruise Division, which was launched in September 2022 to help agents become experts in a niche area renowned for being among the most lucrative sectors of travel.

“I would like to become a cruise expert because it's something that I absolutely love and I’m really passionate about.” 

As a member, Dawn will be stepping on board one of the company’s Seminar at Sea training cruises. This sees agents learn the ropes while at sea. 

The company has unveiled two of these training trips planned for this year – one with Princess Cruises exploring the waters of Scandinavia, and the other gliding across the Med with Virgin Voyages. 

And these are just two of the many overseas training trips open to our consultants this year. 

Dawn is also all on the invite list to attend the company’s Millionaire’s Retreat to Fuerteventura in March. 

This training retreat is the inaugural overseas trip for new franchisees and is included for free when agents sign up for our most popular Elite franchise package. 

Unsurprisingly, this ambitious go-getter has got her eye on winning The Travel Franchise’s unique Money-Back Challenge. Meet the goal of securing a set amount of commission in the first 12 months and it refunds the initial £14,995 franchise fee! 

“I am really competitive. So of course I’m aiming to get my money back. I've seen other people do it, so if they can do it then why can't I?”

But for now, Dawn already feels like a winner. 

“The franchise has completely changed my life. I'm spending more time at home and, more importantly, more time with my family. Ultimately that was the goal.”

For more details visit TheTravelFranchise.com where you can watch videos on the opportunity or order a free magazine to be delivered to your door.