Specializing Isn’t a Trap. It’s a Shortcut.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever worried that narrowing your niche might narrow your income.
What if I told you it actually does the opposite?

Trying to convince travel advisors that generalist life isn’t the dream is… well, like trying to tell a teenager that no one cares about high school drama after graduation. I get the resistance.  I was you. I said yes to everything for years. Fourteen, to be exact. And while it looked like I was thriving, behind the scenes, I was chasing chaos in heels.

I don’t want that for you. So let’s talk about why specializing is not a trap. It’s your escape plan.

Most advisors start out taking whatever comes their way, because when the bills are due and the inbox is quiet, you take the honeymoon, the Disney trip, the “I want to backpack Asia but also stay at luxury resorts” request.

Totally normal.
But totally unsustainable.

Eventually, you realize that saying yes to everything means making real progress on nothing.
Here’s what specializing actually does:

• Saves time (no more reinventing the wheel with every trip)

• Builds trust faster (clients love a confident expert)

• Boosts referrals (you become the go-to)

And the real win? You get to find “your people.” The clients who vibe with your style and make your job a joy.

Here’s the playbook:

• Say: “This is what I do.” Loudly. Repeatedly. Proudly.

• Put it everywhere - your social bios, your email signature, your awkward cousin’s wedding toast.

• Start saying no to what doesn’t fit. Because every yes is a no to something else. And your time is not unlimited.

Mini Story Time:
Every generalist I know is frazzled. They wear busy-ness like a badge of honor, but they’re up at 3 a.m. rechecking flight times and wondering if they remembered to book the transfers.
Meanwhile, I sleep like a baby.
Why? Because I sell cruises.
Cruises are predictable. Scalable. Simple to sell. I know my lane. And that lane’s got an ocean view.

Why Cruises Make a Brilliant Specialty

Let’s break this down:

• Low-effort bookings, high return
  The cruise line builds the vacation.  You just match the client to the right fit. You are not stitching together a 27-leg itinerary in four time zones. You’re the matchmaker, not the magician.

• Built-in repeat clients
  Cruisers love to cruise. Like, love it.
  And the more they cruise, the less hand-holding they need. It’s a dream.
  Bonus: They start dreaming up their next one on the current one. Talk about a cycle you want to be part of.

• Passive income & group potential
  That onboard rebooking? Commission.
  One happy client often turns into a group of 10 next time. That’s the kind of math I like.

• Easy segmentation = easy sales
  There are only four family-focused lines, a couple adults-only, and some nice, cushy middle-ground options. You don’t need to memorize 92 different tour operators. You need to know who loves waterslides and who wants a wine-paired tasting menu. That’s it.

Standing Out = Big Money

If you’re gonna do it, do it well.

• Be the cruise matchmaker: line, ship, itinerary, stateroom

• Charge a fee to design the full experience (think: pre/post cruise, excursions, the little magic moments)

• Deliver a killer client experience, every time
  

Hot Tip:
Personalization doesn’t have to be manual.
Set up workflows. Use templated emails. Let AI help you make the pre-trip guide feel like it was handcrafted with love, when actually, it was mostly copy/paste and a sprinkle of tech.

Let’s Talk Real Numbers

Let’s do some math (ew).
A (conservative) average cruise price these days is about $2,000 per person. That’s $640 commission per cabin at 16%. (Shoutout to my host for those top-tier commission rates.)

Book 1 cruise a week? That’s $32K/year.
Book 3/week? You’re flirting with six figures.

And that’s just on the commission, before you factor in service fees for custom cruise planning. Add those in, and you’re looking at a pretty healthy income that doesn’t require you to work 24/7 or lose your mind over a lost rail ticket in Milan.

Final Thoughts: This Is the Way

Here’s your truth bomb:
The fastest way to burnout is being a jack-of-all-trades.
The fastest way to scale? OWN. YOUR. LANE.

If that lane is cruises? It’s basically an express lane - no tolls, smooth sailing, champagne welcome.
If it’s something else? Great. Just own it.

Specializing is how you build a joyful, sustainable business that gives you more ease, more income, and more impact.

So go ahead. Pick your lane.
And don’t look back.