Eventually, a point arrives when a travel consultant affiliated with an agency contemplates the prospect of venturing out independently. Establishing one’s own travel enterprise comes with significant advantages, such as increased commissions and enhanced freedom, yet it can also be quite intimidating.
For Sue Ball, the toughest challenge in making that transition was coming to a definitive decision.
“The primary hurdle I encountered when launching my business was myself,” Ball shared with Travel Market Report. “Having spent a considerable portion of my career as an employee within travel agencies, deciding to branch out on my own proved to be the most challenging aspect.”
A dedicated travel consultant since childhood, Ball studied air ticketing in the 1990s, began her career as a call center representative, and more recently worked as a salesperson and manager at a storefront agency in Grand Rapids, MI, before founding Sphera Travel in 2020. Here’s how her path led her to become her own boss and her future aspirations for the business.
Building Her Skills Early
Ball’s passion for travel ignited when she relocated from her hometown in Michigan to New York to work as a nanny after high school because “I encountered au pairs from various countries, and for the first time, I was introduced to diverse cultures, viewpoints, and lifestyles.”
Having previously only traveled to Michigan’s upper peninsula as a child, “it broadened my understanding of how vast and intriguing the world truly is, and I felt a calling to help others experience that as well,” she stated.
This inspired Ball to return to Michigan, enrolling in a travel training institution in 1991, where she undertook a six-month course focusing on airport codes and airline ticketing, in an era when everything was manually documented. She earned a certification that she humorously remarked “probably doesn’t hold much significance now” – nonetheless, her deeper grasp of air sales than many of her peers provides her with a competitive advantage.
“Nowadays, it appears almost anyone can become a travel agent, so I doubt it carries much weight,” she remarked, “but it benefits me every day. I apply what I learned regularly.”
Thanks to the travel school’s job placement initiative, she secured a position at a call center, where she quickly rose to the role of manager. Although it was “somewhat chaotic, seeing 100 calls waiting on the board,” the work she performed assisting agents with their air bookings was “amazing,” she noted.
After the company shut down in 2001, she took a hiatus from the travel field to work at a local church and raise her small children. However, the allure of the travel industry drew her back in 2014, when she and her husband, Andy Ball, became empty nesters.
She then began her career at a brick-and-mortar agency in Grand Rapids, MI, where she served as a salaried employee in both advisory and managerial roles.
“Our office was located on a busy street corner in Grand Rapids, and we handled everything from a $700-per-person cruise to a $50,000 journey,” she explained. “I noticed that my attention was scattered across various tasks.”
Taking the Leap into Independence
Sue realized she was eager to establish her own business, but it required the Covid-19 pandemic for her and Andy to formally launch Sphera Travel – with Sue in the role of luxury travel designer and Andy as the client experience expert.
The intention was to create tailored luxury itineraries for empty nesters like themselves, along with retirees and families. Beyond providing Sue with the freedom to arrange the types of journeys she genuinely enjoys organizing, it also boosted her earnings – she retains 100% of the commission versus a portion as an employee – and allowed for greater travel flexibility.
“In hindsight, I recognize I could have embarked on this path much earlier, but that journey equipped me with the confidence and clarity needed to establish the business I have today,” Sue reflected.
Finding host agencies, identifying a dependable customer relationship manager (CRM), and constructing the website for Sphera Travel posed the greatest challenges during the initial stages. Sue kept in touch with many former clients, who transitioned with her for their travel needs.
While the lull in travel during the pandemic provided Sue and Andy the opportunity to develop the foundation of the business, the “revenge travel” trend propelled it into a period of substantial growth.
“We’ve been thriving ever since,” Sue mentioned. “I’m earning more than I did at the brick and mortar agency. I’m also traveling considerably more myself, which my clients appreciate. Once the world reopened, midway through ’22, things have been exceptional.”
Continuing to Expand the Business
In 2025, Sphera Travel’s sales saw a slight decline – but only because Sue had traveled extensively throughout the year, leaving her with less time to create itineraries. During that time, she embarked on her own adventures to Switzerland and Antarctica, destinations she hopes to recommend to clients in the future.
Now, after nearly six years of nurturing Sphera Travel, Sue finds herself booking varied types of trips once more and desires to refocus her efforts. To achieve this, she intends to recruit sub-agents this year – a truly full circle experience for her.
“It’s beneficial for new consultants to begin in that fashion and gain experience through those smaller trips,” Sue explained. “I’m not exclusively seeking individuals who are travel trained. I believe we tend to develop poor habits, and it would be advantageous to find well-traveled individuals with a good network and strong technology skills.”
The ambition is that bringing in more agents to handle less intricate travel will free up Sue’s time to focus on the significant milestone luxury trips she revels in planning. For instance, she recently arranged a couple’s honeymoon based on the same itinerary she experienced in Switzerland.
Sue aims to maintain her service to all travelers desiring a vacation, regardless of the destination or budget. By the spring of this year, she and Andy expect to unveil a fully functional website for their newly recruited sub-agents.
Ultimately, the name “Sphera” is inspired by the couple’s surname, Ball, symbolizing their dedication to family and fostering connections through travel. When asked about the most rewarding aspect of her business, Sue stated, “the people.”
“It’s about meeting new faces frequently, learning about their travel aspirations, and then turning those dreams into reality,” she expressed. “It’s incredible to assist people in exploring the world.”
Fonte: Travel Market Report
