Today we’d like to introduce you to Cyndi Williams.
Hi Cyndi , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been in the travel industry for more than 30 years, beginning my career in leisure travel and rising through leadership roles in operations, training, and organizational development. I’ve always been passionate about helping people grow, and over time I realized that the part of my work I loved most was supporting people through their growth journeys.
After many years in executive roles, I felt called to create something that combined my love for travel, entrepreneurship, and education. That led me to launch my own travel agency and, ultimately, to build Wanderlust Campus and Wanderlust Social, companies dedicated to elevating the travel industry through high-quality certification, business education, mentorship, and marketing.
What started as me coaching small classes over zoom has grown into one of America’s fastest-growing companies, earning multiple Magellan Awards, recognition as an Inc. 5000 business, and serving thousands of travel entrepreneurs around the world. Today, our signature certification programs and business training are widely regarded as the gold standard for travel advisors and agency owners throughout the industry.
But the real “why” behind everything we do is simple: helping people create portable, profitable, life-giving businesses in an industry they love. I’m incredibly proud of the team and partners who help bring that mission to life every day, and grateful for the opportunity to serve a community that continues to inspire me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and honestly, that’s a big part of why my work exists today.
When I started in the 90s, the industry looked completely different. Travel was dominated by corporate environments, brick-and-mortar agencies, and structured career paths. New agents had comprehensive training, mentors, on-the-job training, and a built-in support system.
Fast-forward to today, and the landscape has completely transformed. The modern travel advisor is often home-based, independent, and operating as a contractor; which is an exciting, flexible model, but one that came with significant growing pains. For years, there was very little standardization, minimal licensing requirements, and almost no consistent baseline for skills, education, or business management.
That shift created a perfect storm: incredibly passionate people entering the industry… but feeling lost, unprepared, and overwhelmed. Many were trying to build businesses without the foundational training that used to be standard in the corporate era.
Seeing those struggles up close; the exhaustion, the confusion, the trial-and-error, was a major turning point for me. It became clear the industry needed higher educational standards, real-world skills practice, and business systems designed specifically for this new home-based model. That gap is what ultimately drove me to build Wanderlust Campus and develop certifications that raise the bar for the entire profession.
So no, the road hasn’t always been smooth. But every challenge has fueled innovation and clarified our mission: to support, empower, and properly equip the next generation of travel entrepreneurs so they don’t have to navigate the industry the hard way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Wanderlust Campus and Wanderlust Social, we’re known for being the fun, cutting-edge, tech-savvy educators who are reshaping what training in the travel industry looks like.
In a space traditionally filled with outdated e-programs, lackluster slide decks, and sub-par “DIY your career” courses, we’ve built something entirely different; education that’s modern, immersive, community-driven, and actually gets results.
We specialize in high-level certification programs that blend real-world business systems with proven travel industry skills. Our focus is preparing home-based and independent advisors not just to sell travel, but to build profitable, sustainable businesses with confidence.
What sets us apart is our commitment to innovation and experience. We run the #1 YouTube channel in the world for travel professionals alongside our virtual campus, between the two we educate thousands with accessible, industry-leading content. And beyond digital education, we take advisors into the field through our Wander Beyond experiential retreats, training on location in places like Africa, Alaska, Disney, and even on cruise ships. These retreats combine learning, immersion, and community in a way no traditional program can match.
I’m incredibly proud that our programs have become widely recognized as the gold standard of certification for travel advisors and agency owners. But what means the most to me is watching our graduates transform gaining skills, confidence, and clarity, and building businesses that change their lives.
At the end of the day, we’re leading the way not because we follow industry trends, but because we invent them. We believe education should be fun. It should be meaningful. It should be modern. Most importantly it should create extraordinary results and that’s exactly what we do every single day.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is empowering people to build a career that gives them both freedom and fulfillment.
The travel industry is one of the few fields where you can create a business that aligns with your passions, your lifestyle, and your values. Helping someone step into a new career where they get to do what they love every single day, while also reclaiming their time and their freedom, is deeply meaningful to me.
Part of that comes from my own journey. My kids are in high school now, and when I look back, one of the things I’m most grateful for is that I didn’t miss a moment. Because I built my own home-based travel agency, I had the flexibility to be present for the things that truly mattered, the school events, the milestones, the everyday magic that disappears if you’re not there to witness it. We don’t get do-overs on those moments.
That’s why this work is so important to me. Every time we help a student grow a thriving travel business, one that gives them confidence, financial stability, and the ability to live life on their terms; I know their life will be richer, more connected, and more fulfilling. That ripples outward to their families, their communities, and the clients they serve.
To me, that’s the real magic of what we do. We’re not just teaching people how to sell travel. We’re helping them build lives they’re proud of; lives filled with purpose, joy, and freedom. There’s nothing more meaningful than that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.travelschool.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlustceo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderlustceo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndiscottwilliams/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wanderlustceo
- Other: https://www.wanderlust-ceo.com
Image Credits
Abby Grace Photography (all photos)
