Travel Professional Academy is the result of the combined efforts of great travel suppliers, travel media, host agencies and travel educators. Each aspect of our training has been designed to provide travel students with the skills they need to not only service clients, but to develop professional relationships.
The principals behind Travel Professional Academy have decades of experience in the travel industry as travel agents, agency owners, travel writers, travel media and as travel educators.
Anita Pagliasso
Co-Founder, Instructor, Coach
President, Ticket to Travel
Anita Pagliasso is the President and founder of the host agency, Ticket to Travel. Anita is also the Travel Agent Forum Conference Director. In addition, she currently serves as the President of PATH (Professional Association of Travel Hosts).
Anita’s passion has always been in all aspects of educating travel agents, especially in the areas of marketing. You will find all of her material relevant since it comes from her own personal journey of building a one-person home-based business to a thriving enterprise. She provides inspiration, encouragement, motivation and, most of all, shows how to keep the fun alive while selling travel.
Anita is the author of “How I Made a Small Fortune as a Home-Based Travel Agent”. Her newest book is entitled “From Home-Based to POWERHOUSE! – Marketing Strategies to take your Travel Passion to Profit” and she produced the popular CD – “Anita’s Tool Box for Home-Based Agents”. Anita is an instructor in The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program.
Anita has produced numerous seminars based on the content of her publications and also makes regular presentations to various colleges and travel education forums, as well as at most major travel industry conferences. Anita has been a featured guest on the “Home-Base Travel Agent Radio Show”. Ms. Pagliasso produced the “30 Second Marketing Course” for Princess Cruise Line’s One Source Academy and was a keynote speaker for Celebrity Cruise Line’s “Keys to Success Series”.
Anita has been a monthly columnist for over 11 years for many travel periodicals, including Travel Research Online. She has also had numerous articles written about her success in publications such as; Income Opportunities Magazine, Travel Weekly, Travel Agent, Travel Age West, San Jose Mercury News, Saturday Evening Post and the New York Times.
Richard Earls
Co-Founder, Instructor, Coach
Richard Earls has spent the last 27 years in the travel industry as an agency owner, a technologist, a publisher and a writer. A serial entrepreneur, Richard has sold two of his start-up companies prior to his current projects, Travel Research Online, Travelhoppers and Voyager Websites.
Richard believes a new breed of travel agent is ready to emerge from the masses. The days of the casual travel agent are gone and only those who take the art and science of marketing and sales to heart will truly be in demand and succeed.
Richard believes a new breed of travel agent is ready to emerge from the masses. The days of the casual travel agent are gone and only those who take the art and science of marketing and sales to heart will truly be in demand and succeed.
The publishing credits to Richard’s resume are many, including Weissmann Travel Reports, STAR Service, Intelliguide, BTP24, Voyager Travel Guides and Travel Research Online. Articles about Richard have appeared in USA Today, Money Magazine, and Newsweek as well as numerous travel trade publications. His travel articles appear in both consumer and trade publications alike. Richard is also the author of the book Up and Running – Marketing Your Services as a Travel Consultant produced specifically for Travel Professional Academy.
Richard is a frequent speaker at industry events and a contributor to other industry publications. He is an instructor in The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program. He has authored travel agent certification programs for several tourism authorities, tour operators and cruise lines.
Richard graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in Religion and English and from Washington and Lee University with a Juris Doctorate.
MaryLyn Klein
Coach
As Vice President of Agent Development & Recruitment for host agency Ticket to Travel, MaryLyn Klein has been responsible for developing personalized programs for each of the agency’s travel professionals. She uniquely combines her passion for travel, first-hand knowledge of working as a home-based agent since 2003, and a deep desire to help other agents realize their goals. She brings with her an extensive training background as a Human Resource Consultant for a large investment and insurance company, and 10 years as a coach and leader for an International Weight & Health management company.
To assure that each individual agent has the best path for success, brand new or experienced, MaryLyn provides each agent with a one-on-one instruction approach to educating and mentoring. She strongly believes in the importance of instilling a high level of professionalism in her training. In order for agents to be successful, they need to see themselves as much more than the typical stereotype of a “travel agent”. This is a career path that entails multiple layers of education and training. Our agents tell us that they love her compassion, patience, commitment, knowledge and her availability to give guidance at a moment’s notice.
MaryLyn is instrumental in creating the Ticket2Success Series and Ticket2Starting Modules. She also coordinates Workshops, Conference Gatherings, Advisory Team Meetings, FAM trips, and she represents and speaks on behalf of Ticket To Travel at various major travel industry events.
Mike Marchev
Coach, Instructor, Advisory Board
Prior to entering the travel industry, Mike Marchev sold electronic components for a large New Jersey based manufacturing organization leading to international sales experience. Before heading down the entrepreneurial path on his own, Mike worked for the highly respected Maritz Company, a successful motivation and communications company headquartered in St. Louis. He earned his Masters Degree in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University after graduating from the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. in History.
The author of the popular sales book Become The Exception and founder of the “More-On” Business Development Series, Mike continues to share his provocative insights with online Ezines, blogs and industry business magazines. With over three decades of selling experience, teaching, speaking, and more importantly, real-life, in-the-trenches business experience, Mike’s view is radically different. He believes that sales involves a personal connection and has nothing to do with flamboyance or a gift-for-gab. Sales is a daily activity and is everyone’s responsibility. It comes down to how we conduct ourselves and how we position ourselves as expert problem solvers.
Mike is sometimes referred to as a “Thought Stimulator” for his ability to introduce new ideas and is recognized for his practical, street-savvy delivery. His fusion of real-life stories and his conversational presentation style connect with his audience on an intimate, intense and individual level. His clients include: AmaWaterways, Vacation.com, Travel Leaders, Travel Savers, Carlson Wagonlit, Uniglobe, Travel Research Online, MAST, National Business Travel Association, Meeting Planners International, ASTA, HERTZ, AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, Sysco Foods, Wells Fargo Bank, Toyota, Pitney Bowes, Merck, Nextel, Los Alamos National Labs, The Washington Post and American Express to name a few.
From university teaching experience to international sales management; from entrepreneurship to professional speaker, Mike has developed the skill to connect with audiences on all levels in ways that induce a real and genuine behavior change. As the president and founder of HeadFirstSales Mike spends the majority of his working hours sharing proven sales methods to proactive entrepreneurs. The travel and hospitality industry has been his primary focus for the past thirty years.
Valerie Gossett
Leisure, Luxury & Romance Specialist
Valerie Gossett has over 14 years of experience in the travel industry and over 25 years of experience as a Corporate Sales Trainer/Sales Manager within the staffing industry. Valerie is a frequent speaker and moderator at many conferences in the travel industry. She is a mentor to new and experienced travel agents and has a passion for helping agents achieve success within the industry.
Valerie is the President and Founder of Premier Resources Travel which has three divisions; Leisure, Luxury and Romance travel. She has numerous agents located throughout the United States with specialties in Cruises, Vacation Packages, Europe, Honeymoons and Destination Weddings. Valerie is also serving as the Southeast Regional Director for CCRA which is an international travel organization committed to the education and success of travel agents.
Our first class of travel agent students!