Will | Family, Fitness, Finance

We're building a lifestyle business while transitioning out of our current careers and guiding 3 teens into adulthood. I share my thoughts on family, fitness, and personal finance, along with behind the scenes insights into owning a travel agency.

🚨 HELP NEEDED 🚨 If you have animation or art skills for video game design and want to get involved in an independent project, see below 👇

This right here ⬇️

What started as an assignment for one of my son's classes has evolved into the first game for his new studio. Follow along for a behind the scenes look into the video game development process. 👇👇👇

That was a crazy snow storm. We got 15 inches and lost power for 24 hours. Super heavy and wet snow that caused a ton of damage to trees. Broken branches and split trees all over our property. Basketball hoop pole that already had done rust damage broke in half.

What's the best part about owning a travel agency? That's easy, the travel perks! In November, we did a familiarization (FAM) trip with AmaWaterways. It was our first river cruise and definitely won't be our last. From the speedy boarding process, which took maybe 1 minute, to the exquisite Chef's Table dinner, everything was top notch. We especially loved • the choice of daily excursions included in the original price • food options that highlighted local favorites and delicacies • getting to know the other guests in an intimate river cruise setting We sailed the Danube River from Vilshofen, Germany 🇩🇪 to Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺 with stops/excursions in Austria 🇦🇹, Czech Republic 🇨🇿, and Slovakia 🇸🇰. Can't wait to try the other rivers in Europe (leaning towards one of the French wine regions next) along the Nile, Mekong, Magdalena, and Amazon. Have you ever been on a river cruise? If so, who'd you sail with and which river?

I feel like I need something to train for. Weather was nice yesterday so I ran for the first time in months. Knocked out a 5K at a comfortable pace. Maybe I'll sign up for a half marathon 🤔

We're building the foundation for our travel business while we're still bringing in steady income. It takes time to build a client base. Commissions are paid after travel happens, not when trips are booked. This means there's a delay between the work we're putting in now and any meaningful income. With steady paychecks flowing from our primary jobs, we can focus on learning and building relationships that'll pay off over time instead of transactional sales just to get paid now.

Wondering how much it costs to set up and run a travel agency franchise? Here's what it cost us: • Initial franchise fee: $5,850 (military discount, normally $10,500) • Initial 1-yr Errors & Omissions Insurance: $150 × 2 = $300 • Initial LLC registration: $160 • Initial state business license: $130.50 Total upfront cost = $6,440.50 Recurring annual business costs • State business license renewal: $225 • Monthly franchise service fee: $150 × 12 = $1,800 • Errors & Omissions Insurance: $150 × 2 = $300 Minimum recurring annual costs = $2,325 Additional costs • Marketing - can vary widely based on how you decide to run your business • Insurance - may be required based on location or if you plan to make presentations or set up tables at public events • Familiarization trips - discounted trips to gain firsthand experience with a supplier or destination Overall, a home-based travel agency franchise can have relatively low upfront and recurring costs. Beyond that, additional costs are up to your discretion.

My oldest turns 18 today. Can't believe I have an adult kid. It goes by fast.

So how long does it take to set up a travel agency franchise and start making money? Here's a timeline of how things went down for us: • Mid-April 2025: Went down the franchise rabbit hole • Early May: Attended initial informational webinar • Mid to late May: Multiple calls and emails with franchisor, discussions with several current franchisees, other due diligence • May 31, 2025: Signed franchise documents 😬 • June: Initial online franchise training • June through present: Travel supplier-specific trainings and webinars • June through early August: Form LLC, register business, set up bank account and business credit card, other admin tasks • July 2025: First travel presentation to a group of prospective clients • August 5, 2025: First sale as a travel advisor 🎉 • October 2025 (me - virtual) & December 2025 (@wealthylivingpt - in-person): More extensive franchise owner training • October 24, 2025: First commission payment received💲 • November 2025: First familiarization trip as travel advisors, a Danube River cruise with AmaWaterways (which was AMAZING, highly recommend!) • 2025 Recap: 16 reservations booked totaling $39,752.97 in sales and $4,070.50 in commissions (of which $471.79 received YTD) • January 28, 2026: Attended first in-person supplier learning event • January 2026: 7 reservations booked valued at $38,845.88! Average sale price $5,549.41. Future commissions $3,879.79. What a whirlwind! We're getting a lot more comfortable and confident now and have big plans for the rest of the year.

Travel sales Jun - Dec 2025: $39,753 Travel sales Jan 2026: $38,846 Starting to gain momentum 📈

Pretty much

Attended a Globus Family of Brands event with @WealthyLivingPT this evening. 🚌 Globus: expertly guided vacations to the world’s top destinations 🌎 Cosmos: incredible value tours with unforgettable experiences 🚢 Avalon Waterways: luxury river cruising with stunning views in panorama suites We heard firsthand from a Tour Director in Ireland/UK and an Avalon Cruise Director highlighting the beautiful rivers of France. GFOB offers 100s of itineraries around the world. We'll definitely be promoting their tours and look forward to experiencing one for ourselves soon!

So why'd we buy a travel agency franchise? Having spent our entire adult lives in the military, @WealthyLivingPT and I have had a ton of chances to travel across the US and abroad. In a 3-year span alone while living in the UK, we visited 27 countries. In total, we've been to 40+, most with our kids along for the ride. Now that our military careers are drawing to a close, why not put all that travel experience to good use? Oh, and let's be real, we wanted the travel discounts 🤪

💯 Throughout my career, I never felt like I was an expert on anything, but people could count on me. It's worked out pretty well.

9 months ago, I went down a rabbit hole. A month later, we bought a travel franchise. I'd always wanted to have our own business. Not sure where to start, I began looking at franchises. To narrow down the options, I focused on ones that were: • Low initial cost • Military friendly • Location independent • A complement to our desired lifestyle After looking at several higher cost options that were much more material and physical labor-intensive, I quickly homed in on the travel industry. It's been a wild journey so far. I'll be documenting our progress and what we've learned along the way.

Been a wild year. Wife got a short notice deployment tasking out of nowhere in March. Ran a marathon in April. Got a crazy idea to buy a travel agency franchise in May. And actually did it. Held down the fort while my wife was gone through the summer and fall. Oldest graduated high school, middle one started driving, youngest on a competitive cheer team. Wife got home in mid-Oct and we went on a European river cruise to celebrate. They say disappear for 6 months and reinvent yourself. Sometimes you disappear just to get by.

Truth