'I've always planned family holidays to the minutest detail'

Andy Flynn is one of Travel Counsellors’ newest recruits after signing up with the homeworking outfit in March.

The northerner joins the travel industry following more than 30 years with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, with which he held various roles – including lead firefighter and station manager.

His final position was assistant district commander, which saw him manage several fire stations and lead on risk reduction in the Bradford area.

Despite his commitment to the service, Flynn knew it wasn’t a sustainable long-term option for him.

"I could have carried on with what I was doing, but the demands were quite tough,” he explains. “There were long hours at incidents and working days on call with little to no sleep."

Aged 54, he decided it was time to retire and pursue another passion of his – travel.

After taking his occupational pension, he embarked on a five-week-long tour of Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Middle East, visiting Dubai, Singapore, Thailand and Mauritius. This intense trip was the perfect segue into his next venture as a professional travel advisor – a career he’d long wanted to explore.

“Travel management is something I’ve always loved doing,” he says. “I’ve always planned family holidays down to the minutest detail. An ex-partner used to travel a lot for work, and I’d check up on the best itineraries for her to book. I’ve an absolute passion for travel and feel I can live every itinerary I curate for a client.”

'In both professions, you must be good under pressure'

Flynn looked into multiple travel franchises to join, but ultimately chose Travel Counsellors after hearing positive reviews of the company from years back.

“I first heard about Travel Counsellors in 2011 when a colleague of mine used one for a trip to New York for the World Police and Fire Games,” he continues. “About a dozen colleagues had a meeting with the TC and immediately thought I could do that. They have been in the back of my mind ever since.”

Flynn committed to Travel Counsellors after attending one of its Discovery Days, which are held regularly in Manchester and also virtually to introduce prospective candidates to the business. He says he was impressed by the support it provides its advisors. A year later, he was beginning his first day of induction.

Flynn has since completed a number of high-value bookings, including a recent multi-stop tour around Australia. Having visited the destination multiple times, he says he is “confident dealing with any enquiry” for down under.

This specialism also applies to the Far East, where he has travelled extensively throughout his life.

While his role as a travel advisor is undoubtedly different to being a firefighter, Flynn believes there are a number of parallels between the two careers. “In both professions, you must be good under pressure,” he says.

“In a firefighting role, you are saving a life or stopping a property burning down. In travel, you’re dealing with a massive chunk of someone’s money, which they may have saved up for years to go on their special trip.”

Flynn adds his priorities have shifted since joining Travel Counsellors and he’s now aiming to become one of its top-selling advisors. “When I first signed up, I was happy just to earn a little extra and enjoy the experience,” he says.

"But as I’ve gotten into it, my competitive nature is coming through – I really want to achieve Gold [status] in the next few years.”

'I actually did my school work experience at a travel agency!'

Lee Collier started his travel journey with Not Just Travel last year. Like Flynn, his first career means he brings a whole new perspective to the profession.

Collier, who is from Blandford in Dorset, has worked for South Western Ambulance Service for the past five years providing urgent patient care and supporting paramedics in emergency situations.

"The ambulance service was something I’d always had an interest in,” said Collier. “After leaving school, I worked as a lifeguard and in leisure centres, so I dealt with my fair share of accidents and people having medical episodes.”

However, he decided to pursue a new career in travel after being inspired by his overseas assignments as a freelance photographer.

“I’ve been lucky enough with my photography to have been able to visit parts of the world I probably wouldn’t have,” he said. “I also did my school work experience at a travel agency!”

He was already familiar with Not Just Travel having photographed several of their events – and having attended the same school as one of its co-founders, Steve Witt. “It was really a no-brainer to choose them,” he said.

'You need to be flexible and to think on your feet'

Since joining in February 2024, Collier has fully immersed himself into the role. Besides a number of training sessions, he also went on an eight-day fam trip to Mauritius with Not Just Travel and Beachcomber Tours.

“We stayed in their incredible hotels, and did training and workshops from some of the leading people within the travel industry,” he said.

“It was amazing to be able to witness first-hand how a brand like Beachcomber works, and to then be able to talk to my clients and tell them what each of the hotels is like. I’ve become obsessed with Mauritius."

Having fast fallen in love with the job, he is now looking to reduce his hours with the ambulance service so he can focus more on his clients.

“I’ve realised travel is the best industry in the world to work in – and Not Just Travel are amazing with the training and opportunities they offer their travel consultants.”

Like Flynn, Colliers believes his frontline experience has been hugely beneficial to his new job. “In both roles, you need to be able to be flexible and to think on your feet,” he said.

"It’s all customer service really, adapting to different clients or patients’ needs and wishes, and ultimately trying to find the best outcome possible.”

'I had a ready-made network of potential clients'

Like Collier, Wendy Dunford also joined Not Just Travel when she decided to leave the police force after more than two decades.

Dunford, who joined the homeworking firm in September 2024, spent 23 years with Dorset Police, starting out as a response officer in Boscombe. She progressed to a detective role in public protection, and later a detective sergeant post within safeguarding.

However, Dunford's life changed drastically when, at the age of 37, she suffered a spinal cord compression that severely restricted her mobility. "In less than four months, I had no feelings in my hands, had lost the use of my legs completely, and was in a wheelchair,” she reveals.

A scan revealed a disc was crushing her spinal cord, and Dunford was told by doctors she might never walk again. "In my head, I always thought I would make a full recovery,” she says. “But when it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, my mental health suffered greatly – I was very up and down."

After three months of intensive rehabilitation, Dunford returned to work on adjusted duty. Professionally, things were going well – she was even promoted during this phase. But physically, she was struggling.

"Some of the feeling in my hand hadn’t returned and, as symptoms continued in my right foot, I couldn’t go back into operational policing,” she explains. “I also had – and continue to have – constant pain in my hand to manage.”

'I've become very good at looking after myself'

Despite battling this pain on a daily basis, Dunford refused to let her condition hold her back. After taking medical retirement from the police force, she trained as a Not Just Travel consultant and channelled her passion for holidays into a whole new income stream.

“I was determined to make the best out of the situation and do something I love,” she says.

Dunford tapped into what she describes as a “ready-made network of potential clients” from the police force, helping many of her former colleagues to benefit from the blue light discounts some travel operators offer.

She has also introduced a special offer for emergency service workers and donates a percentage of her profits to the Curtis Palmer Program for retired police officers and staff, as well as The Fire Fighters Charity and The Ambulance Staff Charity.

Over the past 10 to 11 months, Dunford has booked everything from ski holidays to milestone birthday trips. She admits she is “astonished” by how transferable her skills have been, adding: “Moving from dealing with society’s worst people to selling travel has been surprisingly easy.”

Most importantly, Dunford has seen a huge improvement in her own wellbeing since joining Not Just Travel. “As a result of my physical and mental journey, I’ve become very good at looking after myself,” she says.

“I only do as much as my body allows and I simply love my job – helping others find their dream holiday. It means I’m also far more present as a wife and mum."