Lee and Louise’s inspiring journey with The Travel Franchise

Introducing a husband-and-wife team who have made the transition from HR and IT to million-pound travel success

From IT systems and HR spreadsheets to free trips to the Galapagos and luxury cruises – Lee and Louise Trowbridge’s story is proof that you don’t need a travel background to build a million-pound business.

In just eight years, this husband-and-wife team have transformed their lives with The Travel Franchise, turning their passion for holidays into a booming enterprise generating over £1 million in commission and £2 million in sales in 2025 alone.

A leap from corporate life

“I just hated getting up to go sit at a desk for eight or nine hours, then driving home and doing the same thing again,” recalls Louise, who used to work in HR.

Craving flexibility and fulfilment, she began exploring self-employed opportunities that offered financial potential and personal freedom.

After researching several options – including animal care franchises – a serendipitous meeting on their honeymoon in Jamaica changed everything. When rain forced them into a beach bar, they struck up a conversation with David Walker, one of The Travel Franchise’s most successful consultants.

“He said he was a home-based travel agent, and the rest is history,” Louise explains. “Six weeks later, I did my training to become one!”

Amazed she could start a travel business without prior experience in the industry, Louise completed her five-day training with The Travel Franchise and was soon booking holidays from home. Lee joined a year later, leaving his IT role to help grow their budding enterprise.

Overseas mentorship retreats

While there are many opportunities for ongoing training – weekly webinars from suppliers – the turning point for their business came from one of two overseas training retreats included in the company’s most popular Elite package.

Louise says that these were worth the franchise fee alone. As soon as they returned from The Millionaires Retreat in Mallorca, hosted by co-founders Paul Harrison and Steve Witt, the business skyrocketed.

“It was a real penny-drop moment,” says Louise. “By the end of the week, I’d got several bookings and the confidence to really take things seriously.”

Later, the couple joined the Elite Experience, another overseas training event in a luxury location (in 2025, Japan and Mauritius), which is designed to help franchisees refine and scale their businesses.

“Our biggest ever booking was for £85,000 – and it came from Facebook while we were on holiday in the Maldives!”

“The Millionaires Retreat helped us get sales and customers; the Elite Experience helped us improve margins and stability with smart tweaks.”

Since that breakthrough, Lee and Louise’s business has flourished. They’ve made nearly 2,000 bookings, reached £2 million in holiday sales in 2025 (with months still to go), and hit the incredible milestone of £1 million in total commission.

They’ve even opened a retail travel space in their hometown – a move that’s driven steady growth. “We get a lot of foot traffic and a good percentage of bookings from people walking past,” Louise explains. “Many locals still prefer that personal, face-to-face touch.”

Their savvy use of social media has also paid off. “Our biggest ever booking was for £85,000 – and it came from Facebook while we were on holiday in the Maldives!” laughs Louise.

Teamwork, support and success

As business partners and life partners, Lee and Louise have found the perfect rhythm. “Lee handles social media, and I focus on sales and bookings,” says Louise.

Their “team meetings” often happen on dog walks, and they’ve enjoyed incredible travel perks – from Louise’s fam trip to the Galápagos Islands this year to Lee’s spot on The Travel Franchise’s first-ever river cruise in France with Riviera.

They credit much of their success to the company’s ongoing mentorship and community.

“We have weekly calls with our business development manager and have had one-to-one sessions with Paul and Steve,” says Louise. “The support is phenomenal.”

The couple also praise The Travel Franchise’s investment in technology. “The new T-Profile quoting tool has been fantastic,” Louise says. “It lets us send beautiful, branded quotes and track when customers view them. And Vision, our CRM system, gives us insights that keep us motivated to improve.”

Looking ahead

With a growing team and a thriving retail hub, Lee and Louise are now planning for the next stage of growth. “We’d love to expand, maybe open more premises, and build the infrastructure that allows us to step back a little,” Louise says.

Their journey from HR and IT professionals to million-pound travel entrepreneurs is a shining example of what’s possible with passion, hard work, and the right support.

“We work for ourselves, travel the world, and have met amazing people we now call friends for life,” says Louise. “The Travel Franchise will do whatever they can to help you grow. They’re on an incredible journey – and we’re proud to be part of it.”