A community built for women’s success

AT TRAVEL Counsellors, women are not expected to build businesses alone. They lead with the freedom of independence backed by technology, mentoring, marketing support and a community that wants them to succeed It’s a community where women lead not only through individual success but through the way they support, inspire and empower one another. Freedom For Charmaine Higgins, a Travel Counsellor since 2007 and the very first of South Africa’s Travel Counsellors, leadership has been built on trust, relationships and consistency. After joining Travel Counsellors in its early days in South Africa, Higgins found the freedom to run her business on her own terms, backed by the support of a trusted franchise partner. Within months, she was named South Africa’s Top Travel Counsellor, a title she retained for six consecutive years. Yet, for Higgins, her greatest achievement is the loyalty of clients who have stayed with her for more than 18 years. Innovation Melissa Ridley, a TC since 2020, represents a new kind of leadership: innovation with heart. As an enthusiastic early adopter of AI, Ridley has embraced technology as a way to enhance, not replace, the personal relationships at the centre of every Travel Counsellor’s business. She uses AI to personalise client communications, streamline marketing, create complex itineraries and work more efficiently. This gives her more time to focus on her clients. By openly sharing her experience and encouraging fellow Travel Counsellors to explore AI with confidence, Ridley is helping others discover how technology can strengthen their businesses and improve the customer experience. Mentoring For Karin Livingstone, leadership is about lifting others. As a mentor, she believes one of the greatest strengths of the Travel Counsellors community is that no one has to succeed alone. Having experienced the uncertainty of asking for help when she first started in 2017, Livingstone now enjoys helping fellow Travel Counsellors build confidence, make informed decisions and grow their businesses. Her approach is not simply to provide answers, but to guide others through challenges so they can develop confidence to navigate future situations themselves. Support team “Behind these business owners is a dedicated support team equally