The Myth of the Solo Travel Advisor: Why Doing It All Yourself Is Slowing You Down

I used to believe I had to do everything myself.

Maybe you’ve felt that way too. That somehow, by handling all the bookings, managing the tech, responding to every client message, staying up late tweaking social posts and never asking for help, you were being a "real" business owner. Like proving you could wear all the hats meant you were doing it right.

If that’s where you are today, I get it.

But here’s what I’ve learned after working with hundreds of travel advisors and building my own business around assistants, systems and real structure:

Doing it all is not the flex you think it is.

In fact, it’s probably the reason you feel stuck.

Why We Cling to the ‘Solo Hero’ Story

The story sounds nice. You’re scrappy. You’re self-made. You’re the advisor who can figure anything out. You’ve probably told yourself things like:

• “It’s just faster if I do it.”
• “I don’t have time to train someone.”
• “I can’t afford help yet.”

But those are just stories. They are common, yes, but also costly. Because every time you tell yourself it’s easier to do it all, what you’re really doing is putting a lid on how big your business can grow.

At some point, your business needs more than hustle. It needs help.

The Real Cost of Doing It Alone

Let’s be real. You didn’t start this business to spend your days in your inbox or trying to remember if you confirmed the excursions for the Johnsons' trip next month.

And yet, that’s exactly what happens when you’re trying to hold everything together on your own. You become the bottleneck. Everything flows through you. Which means nothing moves unless you’re moving.

This slows down your client experience. It delays your marketing. It creates a constant state of pressure, where you can’t really step away, even for a weekend. And if you do, you’re checking your phone every ten minutes, convinced something will go wrong without you.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. I see it all the time. Smart, capable, high-achieving advisors clinging to control because they’ve been taught that doing it all is what success looks like.

It’s not.

What Success Actually Looks Like

Success is being able to log off for a real vacation and trust your business won’t fall apart.

Success is sending a quick Slack message to your assistant and knowing things will get done without chasing them down.

Success is having space in your week to work on the business, not just inside of it.

That doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing less, better.

And yes, that means hiring help.

Let’s Talk About Control (Because This One’s Personal)

Letting go is hard. I know that. I’ve had to learn it myself. There’s a reason one of my most honest pieces of advice is to stop being a control freak. I say it with love because I’ve been there.

But when you hold onto everything, you’re not protecting your business. You’re limiting it.

Control feels safe, but it also keeps you small. Delegation feels risky, but it’s where growth lives.

You don’t have to let go of everything all at once. Start small. One task. One outcome. One win. Then stack the momentum.

That’s how trust is built. That’s how you start to see what’s possible.

You’re Not Just Hiring a Pair of Hands

The right assistant is not just someone who checks boxes and follows scripts. They become a strategic extension of your business.

They learn your clients. They get familiar with your preferences. They start to anticipate needs before you even ask.

That’s what happens when you treat hiring as a growth move instead of a last resort.

But you can’t get there unless you’re willing to begin.

Delegation Isn’t About Perfection. It’s About Progress.

Here’s something I tell my clients all the time: Stop aiming for perfect. Start aiming for progress.

Will someone else do a task exactly the way you do? Probably not. But could they do it well? Could they even do it better with a fresh set of eyes?

Yes.

But you won’t know until you give them the chance. Delegation is a skill, just like sales or marketing. It gets easier the more you do it. And just like any other business skill, the ROI is massive.

The more you delegate, the more time you gain. The more time you gain, the more freedom you feel. That’s how you shift from operator to owner.

You Weren’t Meant To Do It All

Here’s the most important truth of all: You’re not supposed to do it all.

You are supposed to lead. You are supposed to cast vision. You are supposed to show up fully for the work that only you can do.

Your clients don’t need you answering every single email or troubleshooting tech issues. They need you focused, present and clear-headed enough to guide them to the right trip or event experience.

That happens when you have a support system in place. That happens when you trust your business to run without you micromanaging every detail.

It’s not easy. But it is worth it.

So, What’s Actually Holding You Back?

If you’re nodding along but haven’t taken action yet, ask yourself: What’s really stopping me?

• Is it fear that someone won’t do it “right”?
• Is it guilt for investing in support when you could “just do it yourself”?
• Is it worry that your clients won’t like working with someone who isn’t you?

Whatever the story is, I promise it’s not as real as it feels. And you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

You can start small. You can start messy. But you do need to start.

Here’s Your Next Step

If you’ve made it this far, you probably know you’re doing too much. You don’t need a dramatic overhaul. You need a first step.

Make a list of everything you do in a week. Highlight three things you hate doing or know you shouldn't be touching anymore. Start there.

That’s your beginning.

Let go of the myth. You don’t need to be the solo advisor who does it all. You need to be the empowered CEO who builds a business that works — not just one that works you.

Your clients deserve the best version of you. So do you.