Navy Veteran and 2012 Operation Vetrepreneur winner Isaac Ingram has been enjoying his retirement as a travel franchise owner.
Name: Isaac Ingram
Year Joined Franchise: 2012
Years in Military: 29
Branch of Military: U.S. Navy Submarine Service
Rank: E-9 Master Chief
What do you like best about owning a Dream Vacations travel agency franchise? The support, friendship with other agents, the opportunity to help first time travelers and enjoying my retirement with personal travel.
Advice for somebody purchasing a franchise: Have a plan and work it! Don’t expect your website to be your only source of business.
What is the best part about the support you get from Dream Vacations? Support Services has the greatest people on the team who are truly working for our benefit. The marketing team is always creating new programs and are open to ideas. Our website is constantly being updated to complement our business plan. Tech support is always there to help and the IT team is constantly exploring better systems for us. Regional Trainings are great for quick updates and provide opportunities to interact with other agents in your area and brainstorm local problem-solving techniques, while National Conference is great for engaging with agents from all over the country and interacting with the Headquarters team and suppliers.
How do your military skills translate into franchise ownership? I was a Navy recruiter at one time and later became the Command Master Chief (CMC) of a recruiting district. As a recruiter I learned a lot about selling and following up. As the CMC I became aware of marketing and the big picture of having a plan and working your plan.
What’s Your Dream Vacation: I recently completed my Dream Vacation to the Holy Land, so my next Dream Vacation is a River Cruise from Amsterdam.
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