When Katie Larsen joined Fora in August 2023, she’d spent more than a decade as a pediatric infectious disease nurse in Chicago, later working in adolescent medicine and gender care. She had no industry contacts, no marketing background, and no client list to start from. Today, she operates Wanderlost Travel full-time.
Almost every new travel advisor wonders where their clients will come from. Here’s how Katie did it without running ads or building a big social following.
Images courtesy of Katie Larsen
Showing up in person, even when it means a flight
Katie built two habits that help her reach new clients: showing up in person—at hotel site inspections and in her own community—and listening closely enough to turn chance conversations into a booking.
She joined right before a round of Chicago site inspections—tours where advisors visit hotels in person to learn them well enough to recommend them. When the inspections moved to cities she didn’t live in, she made it work.
“I was that person who said, ‘I’m going to get on a plane and go from Chicago,’” she said. “How else am I going to see eight or 10 hotels, and a city that I don’t live in?"
That instinct to go where the relationships are built her product knowledge and her network at the same time. It also put her in front of Fora’s community early in her career. She still messages constantly with advisors she met on her first site-visit day, and when Fora launched Chapters, our in-person advisor networks, she was a natural choice to lead the inaugural Chicago Chapter.
Turning chance encounters into loyal clients
Showing up is just the first step for Katie. The fuel behind much of her growth is her close listening no matter what room she’s in, and a willingness to strike up conversations with strangers.
Last fall, on a trip to Woodstock, Vermont, Katie started talking to a woman sitting next to her at a bar. The chat turned to the woman’s husband, and the two couples ended up having dinner together. Katie listened, learned they loved river cruises and luxury hotels, and handed over her card. They’ve been her clients ever since.
She treats that kind of listening as the core of the job. “A great travel advisor really listens to what their client wants,” she said. “They put their opinions and feelings to the side, which sometimes I think can be a little difficult.” It’s the same skill that made her a good nurse. When she plans a trip, that shows up as immersive detail: cooking classes and off-the-beaten-path recommendations built around what the client told her they wanted.
A great travel advisor really listens to what their client wants. They put their opinions and feelings to the side.
Katie Larsen
joined August 2023How Fora made success possible
Katie reached Fora X using referrals and relationships, built on her ability to listen and show up. For anyone eyeing the leap without a travel background or a network to start from, know the skills that land your first clients are ones you probably already have.
Site inspections: Fora-organized hotel tours in Chicago, D.C., and London built her product knowledge and her network at the same time.
Fora Chapters: Community is a natural strength for Katie. Fora’s in-person advisor networks give her a way to build connections close to home; she leads the inaugural Chicago chapter.
Forum: “I think that’s the best thing about Fora. There’s so much support around all the time,” Katie said. Fora’s advisor community app helps her pull peer recommendations and travel guides for new destinations.
An always-on community: The advisor support that made her feel confident as a newcomer now helps her deliver for clients. “Everyone was so welcoming to me,” she said. “I want to be that person for others.”
