After a career in advertising for almost a decade as a buyer for national campaigns, Brittney Magner took some time to raise her daughters. When it was time to re-enter the workforce, she came back with a hunger to explore something new.
“Knowing I’ve always had a passion for travel, Kendra Thornton encouraged me to speak with her parents, Larry and Kay Berke, the founders of Royal Travel and Tours, as they were eager to open up a luxury office on [Chicago’s] North Shore,” Magner tells Luxury Travel Advisor.
Four years later, Magner pulls in more than $1.1 million a year in sales for the agency, which makes roughly $6 million in annual revenue. “I sell all sorts of travel, from unmanaged corporate to weddings, couples and groups, but my niche is family travel,” says Magner, who credits her clients for helping her to grow her business by recommending her services.
“The best type of business is through referrals and that’s how I’ve grown my business. No booking is too small because, at the end of the day, making sure my clients are perfectly taken care of will help my business flourish,” she says.
Magner says her ability to stay current with the hottest luxury travel trends has also influenced her success. And she gives credit to Royal Travel for doing the same.
“I love that it’s a smaller agency that has been around for so many years and that we are awarded by our suppliers for all of our hard work,” she says. “Royal Travel has received all of its accolades due to the quality of people that are included in this agency. Also, now that Kendra Thornton has bought the agency from her parents, she has been incredible with updating the agency to be more current with the luxury brand.”
So what makes Magner a trendsetter?
“I go over and beyond for my clients,” says Magner. “I will see through a booking, no difference whether it’s a one-night getaway or a two-week vacation. All details are seen through perfectly. Whether it’s ordering a humidifier for a room, decorating a room for a birthday, getting my clients into a restaurant that is saying they are booked, but most importantly, putting myself in their shoes. I won’t book anything that isn’t exactly what I would do for my own family.”
Along those lines, plans are to increase travel with her family so she can know firsthand what to recommend to others. “This is the best way to advise my clients on their decisions on destinations, as well as tours, dining and spas,” she says.
Her last trip was to the Four Seasons resorts in Lanai and Oahu. “It was an amazing experience to travel with other incredible agents to these gorgeous properties,” says Magner. “Lanai was where I honeymooned before it was a Four Seasons, so it was wonderful to go back and see the amazing changes that Four Seasons did in renovating the beautiful lush property. It was also an honor to be part of the opening of Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. The Four Seasons service is always the best and this new property is great for families! There’s also so much to do to enjoy and experience with the Hawaiian culture.”