Kate Steer

Kate is an Autism and ADHD Family Coach who has found a natural way to bring her existing work into travel. Through Nurtured Travel, she specialises in helping neurodivergent families plan holidays around their child’s individual needs.

Her mentor, Jo Carter, nominated Kate after watching her throw herself into her first bookings, meticulously planning trips for families who were nervous about travelling and going above and beyond to look after them.

What made you decide to join ATT?

Travel has been a huge part of my life since childhood. I grew up in Hong Kong and spent my early years exploring Asia, Australia and much of the world.

But the real driver was that this felt like a natural extension of the work I was already doing. Because I am raising a neurodivergent child myself, I know first-hand what the challenges are and that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to finding the right holiday.

What has helped you get off to such a strong start?

Honestly, the support around me. My mentor, Jo Carter, has been an absolute superstar, holding my hand through my first bookings, cheering me on and being there every time I hit something new or tricky to navigate.

It’s also helped that, from my coaching and lived experience, I already knew where holidays were going wrong for neurodivergent families. Leaning into that niche means I attract the families I’m best placed to support.

What has surprised you most since joining?

The nicest part has been the confirmation of just how ready families are for this.

It was really special receiving messages from my first family abroad, telling me their son was coping brilliantly, everything had been so smooth, the hotel was perfect and he was living his best life on holiday.

That is exactly why I do this.

Sarah Webb

Sarah is one of ATT’s consistently brilliant bookers, regularly popping up in the team chat with another holiday she’s secured, all while fitting her travel business around family life and, currently, a newborn!

This month, she particularly stood out for the way she looked after a client whose trip was disrupted by the wildfires in France, stepping in to rearrange their holiday and help get their plans back on track.

What inspired you to become an Independent Travel Advisor?

I’ve always loved travel, but holidays started to look a bit different once we had a baby and toddler to think about!

We love a holiday, a new place and a good hotel, but as our needs changed, so did my research. A friend then suggested I turn it into something more, showed me the ropes and I couldn’t be more grateful!

What’s been the biggest reason for your success so far?

A natural interest and passion! I genuinely love looking into destinations and hotels and figuring out the best possible experience for whoever I’m working with.

I also love building up my own black book of places and being inspired by other people’s travel plans for future clients, or myself!

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about becoming a travel advisor?

Do it! Learn on the go and know that you have an amazing team around you to ask questions, and they will genuinely go out of their way to help.

The flexibility of it is second to none and the benefits are brilliant!

Lily

Lily has made quite the entrance into the world of travel, with an incredible £28,704 first booking!

Currently on maternity leave and fitting her new travel business around looking after her two little ones, Lily was given the opportunity to plan a luxury Mallorca escape for a family member. After days of research and a carefully created proposal, she secured a 10-night stay at Castell Son Claret.

Tell us about this incredible first booking.

The client is a family member who does a lot of luxury travel. I mentioned I was going to start doing this and luckily he was happy for me to have a go at finding him a luxury hotel for a last-minute trip.

It was for a mother and son who don’t get to see each other very often, so they really value luxury escapes where they can relax, unwind and enjoy some quality time together, while still having their own privacy.

How did you go about finding the right hotel?

I spent a lot of time researching the best hotels for the brief and narrowed it down to four options that I genuinely thought the client would love.

I then put together a digital proposal that looked and felt like something you’d expect from a luxury travel agency. There were definitely moments where I wondered whether all the effort would pay off, but I’m so glad I invested the time because I really think the presentation made a difference.

What advice would you give other advisors who’d love to book more holidays like this?

If you know someone who enjoys luxury travel but hasn’t booked through you before, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask if they have any upcoming trips you could help with.

If you don’t ask, the answer is almost always no!