About Us

Meet Joanne

 

Joanne has been fascinated by Europe for as long as she can remember.

 

As a child, she devoured books set in England, loved afternoon tea long before it was trendy, and drove her family crazy by insisting on speaking in a British accent.

 

That fascination eventually turned into formal study, earning degrees in both History and Religious Studies with a focus on European history.

 

It also turned into a life centered around travel.

 

Joanne has lived in both Italy and Germany and now spends several months each year traveling throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

 

During the year she lived in Germany, visa restrictions meant she could only spend half her time in the Schengen Area. Instead of seeing that as a limitation, she spent much of the remaining time exploring the United Kingdom (thanks Brexit!), diving deep into its regions, history, and culture.

 

That experience shaped the way she travels today.

 

Rather than rushing from place to place, Joanne prefers to spend extended periods exploring destinations in depth, understanding what makes each region unique and experiencing them firsthand before recommending them to clients or fellow advisors.

 

She founded Girasole Travel in 2018 and later launched the British Isles Travel Expert community after realizing how difficult it was for advisors to find detailed, experience-based destination education.

 

Meet Christine

 

Christine's career began in corporate banking, where she spent more than a decade helping teams and businesses navigate complex challenges.

 

Her work took her from international payments and operations to leadership roles in Germany, where she served as Europe Chief Administrative Officer before later becoming Chief of Staff to the CEO.

 

Throughout her career, one theme remained constant:

 

She loved helping people learn.

 

Whether training employees, simplifying complex processes, or helping teams figure out how to move forward, Christine developed a reputation for making difficult things feel manageable.

 

Eventually, she decided to bring those skills into the travel industry.

 

Today, she combines her strategic background with a passion for helping advisors create businesses that align with their goals, values, and vision for the future.

 

What We Believe

 

We believe destination expertise matters.

 

We believe firsthand experience matters.

 

We believe marketing should feel intentional, not overwhelming.

 

We believe you don't have to follow every trend to build a successful business.

 

And we believe travel advisors deserve communities where thoughtful, experience-based advice is valued and shared generously.

 

That's why we've built destination memberships, study tours, marketing programs, and communities designed to help advisors grow with confidence.

 

Not by copying everyone else.

 

By becoming more fully themselves.

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Our Communities

 

What began as a small Facebook group dedicated to meaningful British Isles advice has grown into thriving communities of travel advisors who value curiosity, expertise, and generosity.

 

Today, our communities include:

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• Nearly 2,000 advisors in our British Isles group

• More than 700 advisors in our Mainland Europe group

• More than 900 advisors in our marketing community

 

Together, they're places where advisors ask thoughtful questions, share firsthand experiences, and help one another grow.

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And we're just getting started.

 

Build the Business You Want

 

Whether your goal is to become the go-to expert for a destination, attract more of your ideal clients, or create a business that gives you the freedom to travel more yourself, we're here to help.

 

We'll share what we've learned, provide the resources and support you need, and encourage you every step of the way.

 

Because the most successful travel businesses aren't built by following someone else's blueprint.

 

They're built intentionally, around the destinations you love and the life you want to create.