Some agents ease their way into travel. Jodie Douse arrived with a plan, a background in wealth management, and a very clear idea of the kind of agent she wanted to be.
Jodie joined JLT in October 2025 during maternity leave. In less than six months, she had crossed £100,000 in bookings. Here is her story.
Travel Niche and Style
Jodie runs No Payne Travel from London and specialises in luxury, bespoke travel. She builds itineraries from scratch rather than defaulting to pre-packaged supplier options, tailoring every trip around what her clients actually want.
Her background working with high net worth clients in wealth management shaped the standard she holds herself to in travel. The attention to detail, the level of service, the understanding of what premium really means — she carried all of it across when she made the move.
“I want to provide more bespoke itineraries rather than rely on what suppliers have put together,” Jodie explains. “My background means I know what that level of service looks like, and that’s what my clients get.”
Her dream destination? Australia. She would love to go back and properly explore it — and knowing Jodie, her clients will likely be booking it before she does.
The JLT Journey So Far
Jodie had always wanted to become a travel agent. Maternity leave gave her the time to invest in proper training and build something of her own. She joined JLT in October 2025 and has not looked back.
In under six months, she hit £100,000 in bookings.
One highlight stands out. An Instagram follower booked a £17,000 Galápagos holiday within a week of following her. That same client has since referred her daughter, with two more trips already lined up. That kind of repeat and referral business does not come from luck. It comes from the experience an agent creates from the very first conversation.
Her next goal is to keep growing, deepen her luxury positioning, and build a client base that returns and refers. From where she is standing right now, that looks very achievable.
The Booking That Stuck
Jodie’s most memorable booking involved Japan. The client loved the destination but said the budget did not work. Rather than move on, Jodie asked one question: what would work?
The supplier came back with a revised proposal. The client booked.
“Lesson learnt,” she says. “Never be afraid to ask the client what they actually want.”
It is a small moment with a big takeaway. Asking the right question at the right time saved the booking. It is the kind of instinct that comes from listening closely rather than presenting at people.
Words of Wisdom
For anyone sitting on the fence about making the move into travel, Jodie’s advice is direct.
“Take a risk. Assign six months to see if you can make it work, and I think you’ll be surprised by the results.”
From someone who started during maternity leave and crossed £100K in her first six months, those words land differently.
And her favourite tip for clients? Pack your packing cubes. She is very firm on this one.
Jodie, what you have built in such a short time is something to be proud of. The whole JLT community is cheering you on, and we cannot wait to see what comes next!
