Demi-Jade McGee announced her return on social media at 5pm on Saturday (26 September). Around an hour later, she was contacted by a dad-of-three who used to work with her.

After initially suggesting a hotel in Paphos that "ticked all the boxes", McGee switch-sold her customer to the Aquasis Deluxe Resort & Spa in Bodrum. He confirmed the £8,000 booking at 8pm that same day.

"It was a nice booking to get me started," she said. "I had only been online for an hour. I announced I was coming back at 5pm; he messaged me at 6.01pm and had booked by 8pm."

McGee, who was named High Street Agent of the Year at the 2019 TTG Travel Awards, has since made another booking, this time for Cyprus, which she hopes to expand because the customer is flying over for a wedding and has said he will tell other guests about McGee's business.

TTG

Initially, McGee will combine selling holidays for Cumbria Travel with her role as a Systems Manager for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, which is based at Sellafield in West Cumbria.

The mum-of-two believes she has found the right work-life balance, even though she starts her days at 7am and sometimes finishes as late as 10pm. Each day, she will go to the gym for an hour after finishing her other job at 3pm before checking her travel enquiries at around 4pm.

"When you find something you're passionate about, you're essentially doing a hobby," she said. "I just want to share happiness with someone and also explore the world myself. It's all about finding that work-life balance."

Cumbria Travel Directors Leanne Miller and Tricia Rickerby approached McGee about returning around a month ago. However, McGee had kept in touch with agents Katie Murray and Chloe Stewardson throughout, booking 13 of her own holidays with Stewardson after leaving her retail role on 1 January 2021.

Around a year ago, McGee started posted on Cumbria Travel's TikTok account, which led to a conversation with Miller and Rickerby about returning in her new commission-based role.

She told TTG she would have started the day after Cumbria Travel made their offer, but she had already booked a holiday to Walt Disney World Resort with her family.

'My hours kept getting reduced'

McGee left Cumbria Travel after the agency was forced to reduce her hours to "two or three days" a week during the pandemic.

With her husband unable to access government support for his security business, McGee felt she had no option but to walk away from the job she loved to earn more money.

"Cumbria Travel did keep me on for as long as possible," she said. "My hours started getting reduced, which put a strain on us, but I would never have left if it was not for my hours being cut."

Even though McGee left the sector, she still found herself advising people about where they should book their next holiday. "People have been in touch asking me about X, Y and Z. I've even sent them ideas for quotes before telling them to go and book with Chloe."

My best friends in travel

Murray and Stewardson and the wider Cumbria Travel team are not McGee's only friends in travel. One of her best friends is arrangeMY escape Deputy Manager Ryan Sowney, whom she reveals has messaged her every day since she restarted her travel career on Saturday.

Asked if she would consider returning to the shop floor at Cumbria Travel, McGee said: "I don't think I would go back. I like the idea of being freelance. I like meeting customers out and about for a coffee as I can be their personal travel agent."

She has, though, asked Cumbria Travel if her home-based role can be reviewed every six months to make sure everyone is happy.

McGee said she will be booking every destination and cruise line, but is a "Disney nut". "Everyone who knows me knows I'm Disney mad," she said, adding: "The knowledge that I give customers is second to none."