Apply
Innovation has long been a core value at Brownell, and twenty years ago, we set out to fill a gap in the travel industry by launching a mentoring program, the first of its kind. The goal was, and still is, to help aspiring luxury travel advisors enter the industry with confidence. Since then, Brownell Startup has continued to evolve with collaborative sessions, partner trainings, educational resources, 1:1 coaching, and support from teams ranging from sales to marketing to help entrepreneurs build and scale sustainable travel businesses. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the program, we sat down with David Ourisman and Katherine Gould from our inaugural mentoring class to reflect on their time as Brownell advisors, the importance of support and mentorship in the industry, and how the legacy of Brownell Startup has remained.
One constant about the travel industry is that it’s always changing. Both Katherine and David credit their success as travel advisors — and their ability to adapt to industry shifts — to the internal support, professional development, and push for excellence they’ve received from Brownell.
Both Katherine and David will tell you that there’s no single template for building a career in luxury travel. However, they both agree that having support and an agency that pushes you towards excellence is needed.
Katherine puts it plainly: “When it comes to making decisions about how to run your business, listen to your gut. It’s easy to get caught up in how your peers are operating, like what systems they’re using. I did this early on and found myself spinning my wheels because I was overly focused on what others were doing and worrying I wasn’t keeping up. While there’s much to be learned from your peers — and there’s no better place than Brownell for a collaborative culture — it’s important to run your business in a way that works for you and plays to your strengths.”
David traces the same idea back to Class One itself: “The mentoring program wasn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The members of Class One were completely different. We each came to the program with different strengths and interests, and we each built very different businesses. The goal wasn’t to find the ‘right’ way to be a travel advisor; it was to discover the way that fits each of us.”
Twenty years later, that principle has remained.
Even if two businesses look vastly different, the core tenants are the same. For Katherine and David, the answer goes beyond logistics and professional development. It’s where success speaks for itself, and community support is unmatched.
“I’m not aware of any other program that comes close to offering what Brownell does — our advisors are significantly more successful than most other Virtuoso agencies from a revenue standpoint. There’s also a sense of community that’s unlike anywhere else. We collaborate, learn from one another, travel together, and solve problems as a group. I couldn’t have possibly grown my business to this point without the help and support of the other Brownell advisors.” -Katherine Gould
“One of Brownell’s greatest strengths is the willingness of experienced advisors to share what they’ve learned. Twenty years later, that’s still true. We genuinely want one another to succeed.” -David Ourisman
Different vantage points, same conclusion: in an industry with no shortage of successful host agencies, picking a program that fits on a personal level is just as vital as picking one logistically.
After twenty years of planning trips and growing two different businesses, Katherine and David’s advice for someone just starting out reflects the different paths they each took to get here.
The Brownell Startup Katherine and David joined in 2006 has grown in its rigor, education, and offerings over the years, yet its intentionality has remained the same. As the first of its kind, our mentoring pathway was revolutionary within the industry. We continually refined the program over the years with 30+ classes of advisors’ direct feedback, technological enhancements, and industry updates, which culminated in the evolution at the start of 2026 from Brownell Mentoring to Brownell Startup. Now, Brownell Startup consists of a nine-month pathway where participants work closely with Brownell’s team of industry experts and have access to a broader mix of video, web, and written resources built to meet the needs of the next generation of advisors. We asked Katherine and David what stands out the most after watching the program evolve over the course of 20 years.
“Brownell Startup has grown more structured and rigorous over the years compared to my time in the program. As part of the first mentoring class, we were the guinea pigs for what a mentoring program could be.” – David Ourisman
“Brownell is always looking around corners to see how they can best and better support their advisor community. The release of our new world-class intranet and the proactive approach we’re taking to get an early handle on AI are just two recent examples of a constantly evolving program.” -Katherine Gould
Though the pathway has changed, the knowledge and skills Katherine and David gained over the last twenty years hasn’t.
Twenty years ago, Katherine and David were two advisors stepping into something new. Since then, we’ve refined, reshaped, and ultimately revamped Brownell Startup while holding onto the same foundation that made it work from the start: providing a collaborative community, professional guidance, and holistic support to help entrepreneurs enter the luxury travel industry with confidence. That’s as true for Class One as it is for our advisors today. If you’re considering a career in luxury travel or know someone who is, we’d love to tell you more about Brownell Startup.