Home is where the heart is, and for Debbie Taylor, it is the center of her world. Since October 2017, Debbie Taylor of Denver, Colo. has been leading a double agent lifestyle – as a real estate agent and travel agent. Not only does she sell dream homes, but she sells dream vacations from the comfort of her own home. Learn about how she has followed her dream and juggles having two careers.
- When did you become a Realtor? I became a Realtor in 1997 and went full-time in 2001. I was pregnant with my daughter and got laid off from my 16-year career in the technology sector and decided to change professions. It turned out to be a great backup plan and enabled me to raise my daughter with a flexible schedule while still replacing my income.
- Why did you decide to run both businesses? I was introduced to the home-based travel agency franchise model by an individual who attended a Chamber leads group that I oversaw. The model intrigued me as it was very similar to how I work as a realtor; I started doing my due diligence and researching the industry in 2017. I liked the company Dream Vacations, product, and model and decided to purchase a franchise.
Travel and real estate have both been passions of mine throughout my life and I saw the synergies between the two. I like assisting people with their lifestyle decisions. Housing and travel are very important decisions for a client. I believe in backup careers in life and that people should never get in a position where they can’t support themselves. I survived the recession as a full-time realtor by investing, buying at auction and flipping properties. When so many left the industry, I reinvented my business model. As Brian Buffini (a renowned Real Estate Coach) says: “Your skills pay the bills!” and this has resonated true for my careers throughout my life. Once you are trained correctly in sales you can sell anything by following the same methodology, only the message and product are different.
As of now, I am starting part-time like I did in real estate originally and I would like to build a small team to market travel products. I am also using my franchise as a long-term retirement strategy for when I start slowing down in my real estate business.
- How do you juggle both businesses? I am an agenda and time-blocking salesperson. I schedule time on my weekly calendar to work in the travel industry, attending seminars and training. I also manage my real estate business marketing weekly.
- Advice to others who want to have two careers? Balance is the key. Live by your calendar and agenda, and stick to it. Always remember that building a business takes time and is a marathon, not a sprint, it takes consistency to build a long-term profitable business. Family, health, and travel are all very important and it is critical that you make time for these as well or you will be out of balance.
The best part of being a travel agent? I love learning about the world we live in and all of the fabulous places out there to visit, explore, learn the culture and meet the people. Sharing this knowledge with potential clients and assisting them with their travel is truly my passion. I believe that every person should take vacations often and I live by that in my own life.
