Stop Bootstrapping Everything. It’s Slowing You Down.

There’s a pattern I see all the time in this industry.
It starts with a dream, a laptop, and a determination to build a travel business from scratch. And hey, I get it. There’s no barrier to entry, and you can bootstrap most of it if you’re willing to Google your way through the early days.

But here’s the problem. That route is the long, hard way.
It’s the reason so many advisors give up.
It’s why others stay stuck in “hobby mode” for years, never really making the leap to a profitable business.

The truth? Doing everything yourself is expensive.
It costs time, it costs energy, and it keeps you from growing.

Why This Happens (and Why It’s So Common)

Most of us start with the belief that we have to spend as little as possible in the beginning. We hold onto the mindset of “when I make more, then I’ll invest.”

But that’s backwards.

I hear it all the time:
“I have to wait until I make money before I spend money.”
“I’ll invest in that tool or service later… when I’m more established.”

Except what if that tool or service is the thing that gets you to the next level?

Newer advisors are starting to catch on to this. I’ve noticed a trend: more and more are willing to spend money upfront to skip ahead.  I wish I had done that sooner.

My Own Turning Point

For years, I operated under the mindset of “I could do that myself.”  Classic Gen X.
Sure, it would take more time, but I figured it was worth it to save the money.

But time is money.
And I was spending mine doing things I wasn’t great at, which meant they took longer and produced mediocre results. I know a little about a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean I should be doing them all.

When I finally hired a VA for just two hours a week and invested in TravelJoy (for about a dollar a day), my volume increased exponentially. It wasn’t just about saving time. It gave me the capacity to focus on the things that actually grow a business, like nurturing clients, closing sales, and delivering an exceptional experience.

Real Results

One of my TravelJoy setup clients told me she grew her sales from $800,000 to $1.8 million in a year. She directly credited the setup work we did together as a major factor.

That’s not magic. That’s leverage.
She made the decision to invest in systems and support so she could get out of the weeds and into her zone of genius.

The Big Shift

The bottom line is this:
You don’t need to do it all yourself. In fact, you shouldn’t.

The moment you start outsourcing tasks that aren’t in your zone of genius, you unlock time and mental energy to focus on what brings in revenue. That’s how you avoid burnout. That’s how you build a business that’s both profitable and enjoyable.

Ask yourself:

• What’s something you’re doing right now that someone else could do better and faster?

• What are you putting off because it feels too overwhelming to learn or execute solo?

• What would be possible if you invested in support instead of trying to muscle through on your own?

Investing in the right help is not a luxury.
It’s the strategy.