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Some people grow up wanting to achieve the well-established ‘9-5’ job experience and find contentment while others grow up knowing quite early that the entrepreneurial life is their calling. Phylecia Leslie knew quite early what her goals were.

At 25 years of age, Leslie is an accountant by day and a travel agent in between with goals of pursuing her entrepreneurial desires on a full-time basis.

“Growing up, I always wanted to be my own boss. I never wanted to be working in the rat race of going to work for someone else at nine in the morning, working for eight hours and then leaving at five in the afternoon to go back and repeat that cycle the next day for years to come,” she said in an interview with Our Today.

“The entrepreneurship spirit started back in high school when I selected business subjects for my Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. I enjoyed doing courses like Principles of Business. That’s where the whole drive to work for myself came about,” she continued, adding that she always thought about the accounting side of business, helping clients with Jamaican tax filings and business registration. 

Leslie took a slightly different route and started her journey with entrepreneurship in 2020 where she tested the waters by assisting a number of people with their United States visa applications and renewals as well as Canadian visa applications. She did well to the point where her former clients referred others to her. Noting that her pursuits could bear fruit, she officially registered her business, Melissa Travel Service in February 2023.

“During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was home more often and consumed a lot of content on TikTok. Most of the content I watched was related to travel where people asked questions about travel agencies and that they wanted to be able to reach out to legitimate companies to help them with travel concerns. That’s where a light bulb moment and I had the idea to start my travel agency. With the knowledge that I had helped people with their visa applications, I already had a leg up and was ready for takeoff,” she said. 

Leslie explained that the name ‘Melissa Travel Service’ came about because she wanted something people would remember. “Melissa is my middle name and I wanted part of me to be within the business name. So, I tried the hashtag #MTS, liked it and decided to run with it for marketing and branding,” she shared. 

“I asked my sister to create a flyer for me and I posted it on TikTok. After that day, I received so many messages and clients. Some were even from other countries. I had to break it down and say, ‘I cannot manage such a wide demographic’. I ended up turning down people because I was not able to manage so many, especially those not based in Jamaica. People also started to reach out to me on Instagram. Additionally, previous clients referred me to their friends. Since then, I’ve been growing little by little and I’ve been seeing the progression,“ she explained. 

In addition to visa applications, Leslie offers the services of booking flight arrangements, as well as J1 and H2B tax filings for students who enroll in work and travel as well as non-students who travel for work for specific periods of time.

After I did my first application for the [work and travel] programme, that’s when I became knowledgeable of the process to do the visa applications. That’s also when I became familiar with the J1 and H2B tax filing for the US. So, that has been one of my guides in how I work with my clients. I’ve been through most of the services I offer, so I know what to look out for and what to do.

Phylecia Lesie, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Melissa Travel Service

She reveals that though she started out with an idea by testing the waters to help others with their visa applications, further inspiration came when she enrolled in a work and travel programme.

“After I did my first application for the programme, that’s when I became knowledgeable of the process to do the visa applications. That’s also when I became familiar with the J1 and H2B tax filing for the US. Following that initial experience, I completed more applications for the other times I went on the programme and I became more familiar with the system. So, that has been one of my guides in how I work with my clients. I’ve been through most of the services I offer, so I know what to look out for and what to do,” she explained.

Leslie also indicated that she has a mentor with over 30 years experience as a travel agent. “I can rely on them to assist me or provide guidance. I am forever grateful for my mentor,” she said adding that her experience paired with guidance from her mentor has given her the right tools to effectively serve her clients.

Challenges and a hopeful future

Since we live in a world where many people often get scammed, Leslie shared that a few people have questioned the legitimacy of her business.

“The fact that I have a full time job and I’m not always able to answer my phone for business calls or respond to messages as quickly as possible does not help. However, I am putting measures in place to open a physical office space in Kingston, hopefully within the next couple of months. I also hope to hire at least two persons to aid in the operations of the physical location,” she shared.

Leslie also explained that most of her clients are not as technologically savvy as they would like to be, so processing paperwork can sometimes be more tedious than expected. 

“Having a physical location can help with that issue. So, my clients who prefer to do their paperwork in person will be able to do that soon,” she said. 

Leslie said most of her clients have come through referrals of previous client work. Though she is happy that clients have been pleased to the point of spreading the word, she also wants to build the business’ Instagram account in order to gain a larger audience and potentially grow her client base.

She shared that currently, her clientele is comprised of university students, teachers, and police officers.

Connect with Melissa Travel Service on TikTok @mell_travelservice and Instagram @mell__travelservice or at [email protected].

See related stories at the links below:

Sandals launches new training for travel advisors

JTB rolls out Christmas giveaways for Canadian travel agents

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