Eight years ago, Lee and Louise would never have believed they’d be celebrating earning £1 million in commission from their own travel business in 2025.
But that’s exactly what this determined husband-and-wife team have achieved, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
Back then, life looked very different. Louise was working in HR, while Lee worked in IT. Louise recalls:
“I just hated getting up to go sit at a desk for eight or nine hours, then driving home and doing the same thing again.”
Craving flexibility, freedom and fulfilment, she began researching self-employed opportunities that would allow her to be her own boss, work from home and still earn a good salary.
“I looked at travel and animal-related franchises,” she says. “I even considered pet services, but quickly realised the financial potential wasn’t the same.”
Then, on their honeymoon in Jamaica, fate stepped in. As rain began to fall, the couple ducked into a beach bar and met David Walker, one of The Travel Franchise’s most successful consultants.
“He said he was a home-based travel agent. Six weeks later, I did my training to become one!”
Like many franchisees, Louise was amazed she could start a travel business with no prior experience. But after just five days of training, she was ready to go, and Lee soon followed, leaving his IT job to join her one year later.
The turning point
The first year was far from easy.
“It’s not a case of setting up a Facebook page and waiting for the phone to ring,” Louise admits. “You have to get out there and talk to people, and I wasn’t comfortable with that at first.”
Then after 11 months the couple attended the company’s Millionaires Retreat in Mallorca, a complimentary mentorship trip hosted by co-founders Paul Harrison and Steve Witt.
That week changed everything.
“It was a real penny-drop moment. I’d been scared of picking up the phone, but by the end of the week I’d got three or four bookings. It gave us the confidence to take things seriously.”
The couple later attended the Elite Experience, the second overseas mentorship retreat included in the Elite franchise package.
“The Millionaires Retreat helped us get sales and customers; the Elite Experience helped refine what we were doing with small, smart tweaks that improved our margins and business stability.”
Building a thriving business
Since that turning point, the Trowbridges’ travel business has gone from strength to strength.
They’ve now made nearly 2,000 bookings, hit £2 million in holiday sales in 2025 with two months still to go, and recently passed the incredible milestone of £1 million in total commission since starting out.
They’ve opened a retail travel space in their hometown, a move that’s been key to their continued growth.
“We get a lot of foot traffic and a good percentage of bookings from people just walking past the door,” explains Louise. “Many locals prefer that face-to-face connection.”
Their savvy use of social media has paid off too.
“Our biggest ever booking was for £85,000, and that came from Facebook while we were on holiday in the Maldives!” laughs Louise. “It was surreal – we were about to earn thousands in commission while sitting on a beach.”
Teamwork, support and lifestyle
Working together as a husband-and-wife team has its perks.
“Lee handles social media, and I focus on sales and bookings,” says Louise. “We’re both competitive, but in a good way. If Lee makes a booking, I want to make one too!”
Their “team meetings” often take place during dog walks, and they’ve enjoyed some unforgettable trips.
This year, while Louise was in the Galápagos Islands on a fam trip with David Walker, Lee was on the company’s first ever river cruise in France with Riviera with a group of other top performing agents.
They credit much of their success to the ongoing support and sense of community.
“We have weekly calls with our Business Development Manager and have had one-to-one sessions with Paul and Steve. You always feel supported. The founders are hands-on and the whole community feels like a family.”
They are also impressed with recent investment by the company in technology.
“The new T-Profile quoting tool has been fantastic,” says Louise. “It lets us send beautiful, branded quotes and even track how often customers view them. And Vision, our CRM, gives us insights that really motivate us to keep improving.”
Looking ahead
Now with a growing team and a busy retail space, Lee and Louise are looking to the future with big ambitions.
“We want to build a bigger team, maybe open more premises, and eventually create the infrastructure that allows us to step back a little,” says Louise.
Their journey from corporate careers to million-pound travel entrepreneurs is a shining example of what’s possible.
“We work for ourselves, travel the world, and have met amazing people we now call friends for life,” says Louise. “The company will do whatever they can to help you grow. They’re on an incredible journey, and we’re proud to be part of it.”
