Carly Taylor-Davis, who joined Seaside Travel in January last year, had wanted to travel and see the world since she was a teenager. But becoming a mother at 17 changed things.

"I always wanted to go travelling," she told TTG. "That was my dream. I wanted to go and see different parts of the world. But then I had my eldest Mia and that, obviously, couldn't happen."

Instead, Carly joined the prison service at 18 where she would spend more than 20 years building a career while raising Mia and her other daughter Fern.

Carly Taylor-Davis

"The priority was building a stable life for my daughters," she said. "So, I started at the bottom at the prison and worked my way up. It wasn't until both my daughters were all grown up that I felt I could take the risk and leave – I owed it to myself to pursue my dream."

After leaving the prison service, Carly came across an ad on Facebook for a job at Seaside Travel, the agency her daughter Mia had joined just a year earlier. "I'm a great believer in things happening for a reason," she said. "I knew that job was meant for me."

She applied immediately and got the job. Carly had been completely honest during her interview, including about why she had left a 20-year career and her long-held ambition to work in travel.

The woman who interviewed her, Rebecca Rutter, is now her manager, and Carly said she was told afterwards that it was her "openness and personality" that had stood out.

'I feel confident and totally myself now'

More than a year into the role, Carly said she feels she can finally be herself. "When people come in the shop, they see the true me," she said. "I feel confident and totally myself, which was something that didn't happen naturally at the prison."

Despite having been in the industry for only just over a year, she is already seeing evidence that customers are responding to that approach, with a spike in referrals and repeat clients. 

That success has already earned Carly recognition as a finalist for New Retail Agent of the Year at The Travel Industry Awards, with her manager Rebecca nominating her for the award.

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"I was blown away when I heard Rebecca had put me forward," Carly said. "And then to get shortlisted? I get emotional just thinking about it."

Carly's new career has also given her the opportunity to share her passion for travel with her eldest daughter, Mia, who works at the brand's Lanchester shop. The pair have had several chances to work alongside one other while covering shifts.

"That makes me so happy, working with my daughter and also my best friend," Carly said. "It means a lot to me that I can share these experiences with her."

Carly Taylor-Davis

Carly's also gaid the confidence to start travelling alone – something she had dreamed of doing as a teenager but had previously been too anxious to attempt. "I'm 44 now, and I can finally do the things that I've always wanted to do," said Carly. "This is my time now."

Her first solo trip was to Majorca, although it took "a lot of work" to get her on the plane. Having spent more than 20 years holidaying with her family, Carly said she struggled with the idea of going away alone.

"I looked at holidays packages all the time, but I was too anxious to pull the trigger and book, ironically," Carly explained. "The fear of the unknown kept holding me back."

Eventually, and with her manager's encouragement, she decided to take the plunge. "My first solo holiday was a massive achievement for me – I absolutely loved it," she said. "It was probably the best thing I've ever done."

Carly Taylor-Davis

Since then, she has continued travelling solo, including weekends away and spa breaks, and has used her own experience to encourage customers who are nervous about doing the same. "I've had about five or six customers now who come to me and booked solo trips, and they've absolutely loved it," she said.

Her own travels have also helped her build up a bank of first-hand experience to draw on when she is selling. She has completed educational trips with Ambassador Cruise Line and Fred Olsen, as well as a Florida educational with Attraction World.

"When I was in Florida, I just thought, 'You know what? I’ve finally done something for me'," she said. "It was a really powerful moment as my first long-haul solo trip. That Fred Olsen trip was also a big moment for me – now, I've probably got the biggest booking network in our company for that line."

'I became an adult very young – but I regret nothing'

That sense of finally putting herself first has been particularly poignant after spending so much of her adult life focused on her daughters.

"I became an adult very young," she said. "When I look back through my life, I realise I've pushed everything aside to be the best mum I can. I've never taken the time to stop and think about what I want."

Now, at 44, Carly has reached the point where she can continue building a career she loves while enjoying the experiences she once put aside. And she tells TTG she has no regrets.

"I love being a mum, and I'm proud of everything I've achieved in the past 20 years," said Carly. "But I'm even prouder that I took that risk. It's totally changed my life."