"I’d hit my limit, there was nowhere else to go, I simply couldn’t sell any more than I was already," she told TTG. "I looked at where I would be in 10 years and saw that I would be selling the same amount of cruise to the same people."

So despite her sales skills being celebrated by a raft of awards, including Cruise Agent of the Year at the TTG Travel Awards in 2018, Outram – driven by her "ambition to succeed" – left Bolsover to help other agents reach similar cruise-selling heights. 

"I am so career-driven that I’m always looking for my next challenge," she continued. "I’m extremely ambitious and constantly developing new skills and ways to grow."

As a result, she joined Not Just Travel as a cruise business development manager in September 2022 and after spending a few months in the new position, decided to return to her roots by acquiring a franchise with the homeworking firm to work as a part-time agent.

"When I left Bolsover, selling was done for me, I was finished," she explained. "I said goodbye to my clients, but by the end of October I realised I had an opportunity here to pick up doing what I do best."

Outram pondered the idea and decided to return to her sales roots in a bid to "lead by example", emulating other NJT agents by working as a homeworker in addition to a full-time job.

And the decision paid dividends. In under a year she has sold more than £1 million worth of cruise holidays with her part-time agency, and her advice for other aspirational cruise sellers is simple: "be passionate about what you’re selling – I fell in love with the industry."

"Make sure you know what you’re talking about and match the right customer with the right product and they will have the best time and then rebook with you repeatedly.”

Leading by example

So far in her new role as cruise business development manager, Outram has overseen the doubling of NJT’s cruise sales.

"We were a somewhat unknown entity in the cruise sphere, and now our name is flying around Carnival House. It’s very encouraging to see," she said.

Steve Witt, co-founder of Not Just Travel, told TTG he and fellow co-founder Paul Harrison recognised Outram’s entrepreneurial talent and knew what she could bring to the business. 

“We offered her the role because of her experience, talent and hunger,” Witt added. “What she has since gone on to achieve alongside her full-time role with us is quite simply incredible.”

Recently, Outram’s daughter Chloe joined her homeworking business in her spare time and took her first-ever booking while Gemma was away on NJT’s Seminar at Sea in June on Virgin Voyage’s Valiant Lady. 

Looking to the future, Outram hopes to build even closer relationships with the trade and further develop NJT’s Cruise Mastery programme. 

"I’m always looking to build my business and further my career," she explained. "I want promotions, but very quickly I want to be the one promoting others. I don’t accept ‘no’ and believe anything will happen.”