For homeworker Heather Love, the headline figures are hard to ignore. She has landed more than £1 million in annual sales in each of her first three years in business, including exceeding £1.5 million in year two. And she is aiming even higher this year.

After recording around £500,000 in sales since late January, Your Co-op Personal Travel Agent Love is tracking towards a remarkable £2 million – but the secret behind her success is not what you'd expect. "It sounds cheesy, but I do see having ADHD as my superpower," she tells TTG.

Diagnosed at 13, Love has shaped her business around her natural "intensity", which enjoys fast-paced working, constant client interaction and long periods of uninterrupted focus. "Sometimes, I don’t know how I manage to get everything done in a day, but my ADHD is definitely part of it," she explains.

(Credit: Heather Love)

Love’s route into travel was unconventional; she started out as a Butlin's Redcoat before moving into overseas entertainment, including a stint performing in an ABBA tribute act. Retail travel followed – seven years at the Co-op and a further seven at Virgin Holidays, where she rose to the role of assistant manager in one of the brand’s busiest stores.

"I thrived in a really high-energy environment," she says. "There was always something going on, which I loved."

Since launching her business in December 2022, Love has maintained a volume of work and level of output mirroring life on a busy shop floor. But the transition to homeworking was not straightforward. 

"It was quite lonely at the start," she admits. "You go from a team of 14 to working on your own – that takes some getting used to."

'I can sit there for hours without moving'

Love is typically at her desk by 6.30am and uses the first few hours for what she calls her "creative" work –sourcing deals, planning content and engaging with social media. "I know I’m better in the morning," she says. "That’s when my brain is most alert, so I have to manage my time properly."

The rest of the day is spent handling enquiries and closing bookings, often working through to early evening. Exercise plays a major role in managing her ADHD. "If I don’t go to the gym every day, my head doesn’t work," she says. "I've found moving my body is a good way of using up any excess energy."

For Love, the ability to "hyperfocus" – a common trait associated with ADHD – is a commercial advantage. "If I’m interested in something, I can genuinely sit there for hours without moving," she says. "It's only when my watch tells me to move that I remember to move; I have to set alarms to avoid overwork."

Social media 'so important' to homeworking success

A significant proportion of Love’s business is generated through social media, built from scratch over the past three years. She posts up to 10 deals a day across Facebook and Instagram, alongside destination content and short-form video. Her TikTok account, launched in mid-March, has already reached close to 4,000 followers.

Performance varies by platform, with Facebook delivering the strongest conversion and TikTok recently producing its first booking, which came from a video promoting Ikos Resorts. "I do get a lot of new clients through social media," she explains. "When you work from home, you don’t have a shop window, so social media is so important."

One simple trick to boost conversions in shorter time

Where Love differs from many high-volume agents is in how she handles enquiries, another technique she attributes to her diagnosis. Every new client is encouraged to join a call – typically lasting 20 to 30 minutes – where she runs through a detailed set of questions designed to narrow down options quickly.

"I'm a big talker, and I ask them everything," she says. "What they categorically don’t want, how long a transfer they’ll tolerate, whether they need separate spaces, whether they need slides or a pool, things like that."

The approach, which reduces time wasted on unsuitable quotes, is also more likely to result in conversions. "Most of the time, they’ll book one of the options I sent initially without me having to go back again," she says. "That's the benefit of a really thorough questionnaire."

(Credit: Heather Love)

It also reinforces the relationship. "People buy from people," she adds. "You're not just a face behind a screen and you've taken the time to get to know them."

As the business has grown, so has her proportion of repeat and referral clients. Love estimates word-of-mouth now accounts for 30-40% of her bookings. "That's always nice," she says. "It means people trust you enough to send you to their friends."

ADHD has 'helped shape the business'

Love is open about the challenges that come with ADHD, particularly during client conversations. "I do get over excited sometimes, so I risk butting in or speaking over my clients," she says. "I don't want to come across as rude, so I usually do flag that I have ADHD before a call."

However, these minor struggles are outweighed by her achievements. "My ADHD has helped shape the business and how successful it's been," she continues, adding it has taught her being "personable" is her secondary superpower.

"My main advice to other agents is to be friendly, outgoing and never take your customers for granted," she adds. "Always offer the best service that you can within your means, and go that extra mile for your customer."

Looking ahead, Love's major goal is to continue strengthening her social media following, with further expansion a distinct possibility. "I became a limited business last year, and it does risk getting a bit too much for me – I would really love to create a team and grow even more!"

• Find out more about Your Co-op Personal Travel Agent in the TTG Homeworking Hub, packed with advice for existing and would-be homeworkers, and a Matchmaker tool to help you find the right homeworking company for you.

Inspired by Heather's incredible story? Tell us YOUR superpower that's driving your work to new heights in the comments below.