MTA – Mobile Travel Agents (MTA) strives to make sure its clients feel looked after, they are passionate about travel and always approachable and ready when needed. But in the times when it’s not the client who needs the support, but the advisors themselves, MTA can be the shoulder the advisor needs to lean on.
No one knows this better than MTA Platinum member – Shayne Earley and her trusted colleague Jodie Simms, otherwise known as the dynamic duo.
The MTA Berry Dynamic Duo. (Supplied)
Shayne has an impressive and varied career in the travel industry, having worked across wholesale, hotels, airline reservations, and management roles, before ending up in retail travel in 2010. It was in working in an agency environment that Shayne really found her passion and was accepted into MTA in 2014 where she was able to put her extensive industry experience together and run her own mobile travel agency. In 2019, Shayne also had the opportunity to take over an existing agency and open the first MTA branded shop front agency in Berry, NSW.
Assisting Shayne in her MTA journey is Jodie Simms, who began her career at Jetset Training College before working in both wholesale and retail travel, then working part-time in retail travel before joining Shayne in her MTA business. Jodie is also known locally for her positive attitude and her determination to face challenging situations head on.
Three years ago Jodie’s father passed away from cancer, spurring her onto being part of the ‘Stars of Nowra’s Dancing With The Stars’, raising money for the NSW Cancer Council.
Jodie Simms at ‘Stars of Nowra’s Dancing With The Stars’, (Supplied)
Not long after Jodie signed up for the fundraiser, where she managed to raise over $57,000, her employer Shayne was diagnosed with cancer herself and is currently facing a nine-month treatment at one of the clinics that will directly benefit from Jodie’s fundraising.
Asked on the support from MTA in relation to personal stages in her life, Earley said, “MTA has always supported me from the minute I joined but just before COVID I took over a brick-and-mortar business of their forward sales as they were retiring and then COVID hit.”
Not only did MTA support her through the dark days of COVID, but when an even tougher battle reared its head, MTA was again there to help in any way they can.
“I was diagnosed with stage 4 Ovarian Cancer which was a massive shock and MTA has made the process of getting well again much easier by helping with my workload and taking the stress off me while I have days I need to recover. “
“To be able to still make a good income and keep my business going while going through cancer treatment is amazing.”
“With the great relationships we have with our supply partners we were able to raffle off a 5 night all-inclusive stay at Club Med thanks to the wonderful team at Club Med and this raised $16K of the $57K that was the total. Plus our MTA members donated to help us reach that amazing goal. It was a team effort for sure.”
“To be part of MTA is to be part of a family. Head office treats you like family and the other MTA members become friends. There is not a sense of competition between MTA members but a sense of family which makes working with them truly a great experience.”
“MTA supports the fact that this is your business and your life and work-life balance is supported by MTA by being flexible so you can run your business your way,” Simms, said.
“They also support me when I am on holiday and now that Shayne is ill they are helping me with the extra workload. They are so family-focused and very supportive both personally and with your business.”
Simms said the biggest lure to working with Shayne through MTA was, “flexibility to be able to work in travel around my other commitments, and the support MTA provide and also their great product offerings to enable me to individualise each client’s holiday.”
“Being both in store and mobile is a great combination as we can still see clients in their home or after hours or in the office,” Earley, said.
“It also gives us the flexibility to open and close when we want as most people know we are also mobile and make an appointment to see us. Having the store does make you a bigger part of the community as people pop in for a chat or a coffee, just to ask a few questions or to say hi and how great their last holiday was.”
MTA is the biggest mobile travel network in Australia with over 450 highly experienced travel advisors nationally who specialise in offering customised travel planning to thousands each year.
Agents who join MTA get big agency power and connections and maintain the ability to provide personalised service for their clients, as well as marketing support, training and back office support. MTA are also members of the by-invite only Virtuoso, the world’s largest luxury travel network.
First published: Travel Weekly