Member Profile – Kerry Bailey, Tourvest

What is the name of your business and what is your role? Tourvest Travel Services. New Business Development Executive – sourcing new business across 3 corporate travel brands.
Describe your business in two sentences. What if I can do it in one long sentence 🙂 We are an innovative, technology driven, business travel management company that offers a unique, world class, in-house online travel management tool which manages travel bookings, company travel policy compliance, workflow approval and back office – which is sold to Corporate & Public Sector businesses
How long have you been in business? The business has been running since the 90s. I have been here for almost 4 years though 🙂
How did you get into this business? I have worked in the travel industry for more than a decade so it was a natural progression and a goal to work for such a large, esteemed organization.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it? My biggest challenge is that my role is 100% new business and implementation of new clients – which means I am constantly hunting, setting up clients, training and moving onto the next –  so need to maintain high energy levels. I enjoy the challenge though – it keeps things interesting 🙂
What single trait/skill could you not have succeeded without? Confidence. It’s almost like a human instinct – if you don’t have it, people can sniff it out in you – only the fittest will survive. When you believe in yourself and what you do (and what you sell) people will believe in it and you too! People buy from people they know, like and trust. If you don’t like and trust yourself why should someone else? For me confidence was something I had to learn (as it doesn’t always come naturally) – fake it till you make it!
What is the best business advice you’ve received? Well – not directly to me, but I find Steve Jobs so inspirational. It’s a bit of a long one, but quote this stands out for me “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.  Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is TRULY important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Your secret to business success is? Keeping positive (or trying to). Always striving for and having a goal to be better (within myself and my career)
What is your business goal for 2015? I have already achieved so many of the goals for this year – I am truly blessed.  But our new financial year has just started, so that first goal is making target again!
Tell us one thing that not many people know about you? For many years (probably 17 – 20 years old) I had a peroxided sometimes mohawk like / porcupine spikey hair style, and lots of piercings and a spike piercing in the chin! Haha – no regrets – we live we learn 🙂