Twenty-nine agencies recognized as SmartFlyer Rising Star 2023 of which twelve participated in its mentorship program, SmartFlyer TakeOff.
NEW YORK, NY (February 15, 2024) – Each year, SmartFlyer proudly celebrates its exemplary new-to-industry agencies through its esteemed recognition program, SmartFlyer Rising Star. In 2023, a record twenty-nine affiliate companies achieved SmartFlyer Rising Star recognition, in addition to twenty-four advisors completing SmartFlyer TakeOff an incubator program powered by its experienced advisors.
SmartFlyer Rising Star launched in 2018 to celebrate its new-to-the-industry advisors whose first three years of booking travel are marked by landmark success. The minimum sales to be recognized as a SmartFlyer Rising Star is $500k in actualized revenue. SmartFlyer Rising Star 2023 encompasses advisors who created between $3.3M and $500k within their first three years, with the vast majority far surpassing the $500k threshold to be recognized as SmartFlyer Rising Star.
SmartFlyer Rising Star 2023
- Molly Fuller, M. Fuller Luxe Travel, Atlanta, Georgia
- Ashley Judge, KAX Lifestyle, Manhattan Beach, California
- Emily Martins, EmilyK Travel, Washington D.C.
- Sarah Lopez, SmartFlyer, Newport Beach, California
- Liz Foster, SmartFlyer, Nashville, Tennessee*
- Sarah Thomas, Vaquera Travel, Austin, Texas
- Kristina Watkins, KW Lux Travel, Marin County, California*
- Tori Medlin, The World Tor, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Sariah Gutierrez, Rhone and Thames Travel Co., Santa Barbara, California**
- Heidi Burke, Heidi Burke Travel, New York, New York
- Marissa Grad, travelhappier, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Kristina Briglio, Black Book by Kristina, London, England
- Kelly Berlin, SmartFlyer, Ridgefield, Connecticut
- Brinker Wolf, SmartFlyer, Austin, Texas*
- Angie Smith, SmartFlyer, Atlanta, Georgia
- Sheri Parker, SmartFlyer, Short Hills, New Jersey**
- Wilson Schubert, SmartFlyer, Atlanta, Georgia*
- Tahva Wylie, MAPPS Travel, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
- Patricia Halpern, SmartFlyer, Chicago, Illinois
- Lindsay Feinberg, SmartFlyer, New York, New York*
- Julie Kaplan, SmartFlyer, Houston, Texas
- Kaitlan Whitteberry, WHIT Travel Co., Santa Barbara, CA
- Chelsea Gavin, Chartered Territory, Los Angeles, California
- Sarah Yarmuth, SmartFlyer, Louisville, Kentucky*
- Meg Smith, Meg Smith Travel, Tulsa, Oklahoma**
- Shari Erasmus, SmartFlyer, Scotch Plains, New Jersey**
- Mary Wiswall, Ardor Travel Co, Laguna Niguel**
- Kate Mitrevski, Escape Stylist, Sydney, Australia
*denotes TakeOff 2022 and Rising Star
**denotes TakeOff 2023 and Rising Star
SmartFlyer TakeOff was introduced in 2022 as an incubator program for new-to-industry agents, welcoming seven advisors to SmartFlyer in its inaugural year. Each February, a fresh cohort of TakeOff agents is welcomed into the SmartFlyer community through an intensive two-week Smartie School orientation, followed by monthly meetings between Mentors and Associates. TakeOff is powered by established SmartFlyer advisors — its Mentors — who dedicate their time to be thoughtfully paired with vetted new-to-industry agents, otherwise known as Associates, cultivating purposeful relationships across the SmartFlyer community.
In 2023, twenty-four affiliate agencies completed SmartFlyer TakeOff 2023 with an industry-leading average production of $645k created business per advisor. This not only tripled the number of advisors who completed the program from the previous year, but on average, each created well over double the new business required to complete the program, with several creating over 1M in revenue their first year.
SmartFlyer Takeoff 2023
- Sheri Parker, SmartFlyer, Short Hills, New Jersey
- Sariah Gutierrez, Rhone and Thames Travel Co., Santa Barbara, California
- Meg Smith, Meg Smith Travel, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Shari Erasmus, SmartFlyer, Scotch Plains, New Jersey
- Courtenay Wallach, SmartFlyer, Bethesda, Maryland
- Shara Illiano, Travelissima, New York, New York
- Barri Reisch, Just Pack Your Bags Travel, Boca Raton, Florida
- Mary Wiswall, Ardor Travel Co, Laguna Niguel, California
- Amy Powless, SmartFlyer, Darien, Connecticut
- Vanessa Clark, SmartFlyer, Menlo Park, California
- Shannon Blair, SmartFlyer, Park City, Utah
- Haley Covel, Haley Covel Luxury Travel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Elana Satisky, SmartFlyer, Atlanta, Georgia
- Lauren Reckling, LUXLER Travel, SmartFlyer, Houston, Texas
- Bridget Borman, The Leisureist Travel, Palm Beach, Florida
- Irene Panopoulos, SmartFlyer, Manhasset, New York
- Kristine Hilbert, SmartFlyer, Telluride, Colorado
- Fiona Bradley, SmartFlyer, New Jersey
- Megan O’Farrell, SmartFlyer, Austin, Texas
- Amberlyn Abbott, SmartFlyer, Orlando, Florida
- Cassidy Rowley, SmartFlyer, Palm Beach, Florida
- Jen Giles, SmartFlyer, Chicago, Illinois
- Denise Zimmerman, SmartFlyer, Boca Raton, Florida
- Chesney Schmidt, SmartFlyer, Seattle, Washington
The TakeOff 2024 program is underway, however, if you are interested in joining TakeOff 2025, please express your interest here. The application period will remain open until October 1, 2024.
ABOUT SMARTFLYER
Since 1990, SmartFlyer has helped its clients see the world differently. As a full-service luxury travel agency built for curious travelers, SmartFlyer travel advisors specialize in creating exceptional experiences around the world through curated recommendations and continuous boots-on-the-ground research activated by decades of trusted relationships.
