RACHEL JOHNSTON

I don't start with a brochure, I start with a conversation. What does your ideal trip actually feel like? Who's coming, what matters most to you, what would make it feel like your holiday rather than someone else's template? From there, I do what I've always done for my own family: dig into the details most people don't have time for, the right flight, the right dates, the right balance of adventure and downtime; so the trip fits your life, not the other way around. That's the difference between booking a holiday and having one planned around you.

What inspired you to be a travel consultant?

I became a travel consultant because I've always been the one doing the planning — comparing flights at midnight, working out how to make a trip feel special without blowing the budget, then doing it all over again for the next holiday. Over the years that's taken my family from Disneyland and Honolulu to Mexico, Italy, and Orlando, and somewhere along the way, friends started asking me to help plan their trips too. I realised I loved it — the research, the puzzle of it, and most of all seeing people head off on something they'll talk about for years. That's what Way Beyond Travel is built on: no hurdles, only horizons.