Candi Wagler

I think having a lot of support has really helped me a lot through my headquarters and other franchise owners. I have one lady that is another franchise owner, and she's amazing. The other night, I was really struggling, and she got on a Zoom call with me at 8:30 at night. My husband is also very supportive. He was the one that actually pushed me to buying a franchise, because like I said, we were just in the franchise business when we sold our businesses almost 2 years ago. He was like, have you really looked into a franchise instead of just being with a host agency? So he is very supportive of me, and he pushes me, and I have quite a few friends that really push me as well. I think my friends and family and other franchise owners, they're all very supportive of everybody. They don't care if you live in the same town. Everybody works well with each other and helps each other. So I think those are the three things - my husband, my family, and other franchise owners that have been helping me be very successful. They just tell me, you can do it, you got this, just push it out there. And being persistent. I have to throw that in there, being persistent with people, really pushing it.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. I was very nervous about buying my own franchise and working from home. I'm just a little bit of an introvert, and I would rather sit and chat on the phone, do a Zoom call, text message, or email. I'm still that uncomfortable person of being in front of people and actually doing public speaking. Now, you put me in front of a bunch of grade school kids, 4 through 8, and I can talk up a storm, but you put me in front of a group of adults and I'm actually a little bit on the very nervous side. I typically always fall back on that advice, because I have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. And if I'm in an uncomfortable situation, I need to change my mindset and get comfortable, because I have to do that. I have to learn to speak. I would like to be able, at some point in time, to say, hey, everybody, we're gonna meet at this Mexican restaurant, we're gonna have chips, salsa, and margaritas, and we're gonna talk about travel. I'm not in that boat yet, but I would love to be able to be in that boat, that I have that confidence to be able to do that and I'm comfortable doing that. So that is my new goal, my next goal.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to actively collaborate with and support other local travel advisors. Share your knowledge and insights freely, stay persistent in the face of challenges, and embrace opportunities that push you beyond your comfort zone, as these experiences are often the most rewarding for growth and success.

The biggest challenges in my field right now include safety concerns impacting certain destinations, particularly some ports in Mexico, cruise lines skipping scheduled ports, the spread of misinformation—including AI-generated content—competition from online booking platforms, and the ever-changing social media algorithms that affect outreach and engagement.

At the same time, there are significant opportunities: access to exclusive supplier and franchise perks such as special promotions and onboard credits, CLIA bonus commissions, the seasonal rise in travel demand, and the unique value that travel advisors provide through personalized customer service and expertly curated trips.

The values that are most important to me in both my work and personal life center around community, collaboration, and supporting small businesses. I deeply value creating stress-free, extraordinary travel experiences for my clients, just as I cherish quality time with family and friends. I frequently travel to Chicago to visit our oldest son and our youngest grandson, and we enjoy camping, exploring local farmers markets, and spending time with our dog, who is almost 10.

Alongside family life, we are launching our own spice company, which allows us to combine our love of travel and community by selling our products at local pop-up markets and small cities, like the Lake of the Ozarks area. Balancing meaningful work, family adventures, and supporting small businesses reflects the core values I strive to uphold every day.