TIQUE Talks: The Business Podcast for Travel Advisors

If your calendar is already filling up for next year, when are you going to step back and look at the business you’re building? In this week’s Hot Take, Jennifer and Robin make the case for blocking time now to review your numbers, reset your capacity, and re-fill your cup. They share how to pause discovery calls without leaving inquiries unanswered, and how to tell clients what to expect before you’re out of office.Block the time you need on your calendar now, then tell your current clients and future leads when you’ll be available! Want more conversations and resources like this? Join the Niche community! Learn More and Pick Your Membership Tier → NICHE COMMUNITYFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:Smeuse Studio - Strategic branding and website design for travel advisorsTravel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCsWhen Mer Bleue started growing, founder Dianna Hetzel thought she had everything under control. However, the client inquiries multiplied, her workdays stretched to 15 hours, and costly mistakes began affecting the experience she had built her business around. Dianna joins this episode to talk about the changes that helped her get her time back. She shares how she decided which parts of the business needed her attention, why her first hire was a bigger step than she had planned, and how giving team members ownership of outcomes made delegation work. If your inbox runs your day and you keep telling yourself you can take on just one more trip, this conversation will help you see where support could make a difference!About Dianna Hetzel:Dianna founded Mer Bleue, a luxury travel design studio, with no client list, industry contacts, or sales background. Drawing on 15 years in education and a love of connecting with people, she grew it into a small team creating highly personalized trips. Client relationships remain her favorite part of the job—though finding the perfect hotel comes close.merbleuetravel.cominstagram.com/merbleuetravelToday we will cover:(04:00) The warning signs that growth is stretching you too thin(11:00) How Dianna chose her first hire(17:30) Delegating outcomes instead of individual tasks(24:30) Keeping the client relationship while handing off the details(35:00) Planning time for work that moves the business forwardResources Mention In This Episode:Buy Back Your Time by Dan MartellThe ClickUp Business HubNICHE is Tique’s membership community for travel advisors who want support refining their business, strengthening their positioning, and learning alongside other advisors who are serious about growth. Dianna is a member himself, and many of the strategies discussed in this episode are the kinds of conversations happening inside the community. Learn More and Pick Your Membership Tier → NICHE COMMUNITYFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Big sales numbers might earn you an industry award, but they don’t necessarily mean your business is healthy. Robin and Jennifer share the four financial metrics every travel advisor should track to understand what’s profitable, what’s sustainable, and where the real opportunities are hiding.Curious what your numbers are actually telling you? Join Robin and Jennifer for the November 5th training inside the Niche community, where they’ll help you analyze your financial metrics and make smarter decisions for 2027! Learn More and Pick Your Membership Tier → NICHE COMMUNITYFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:Smeuse Studio - Strategic branding and website design for travel advisorsTravel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCsIf Instagram has you wondering whether travel advising requires a side hustle as an influencer, Jace Tarbell has another strategy. Jace shares how he uses LinkedIn to build genuine relationships, attract higher-value clients, and generate business without relying on perfectly curated travel content. From optimizing your profile to thoughtfully engaging with potential clients, this episode proves you don’t need to go viral. You just need to show up where the right people are already doing business.About Jace Tarbell:Jace Tarbell grew up in California’s agriculture and livestock industry before moving to Missouri in 2020. After building a successful graphic design and marketing business, he entered the travel industry in late 2024 and sold $750,000 during his first full year. After changing host agencies, he founded Somewhere Travel Co. and began expanding beyond his existing network through strategic partnerships and LinkedIn.Today, more than a third of Jace’s cold leads come from LinkedIn, with those leads booking trips worth 126% more on average than leads from other sources. In two years, he has sold more than $1.5 million in travel, and over half of his business comes from repeat clients and referrals.thesomewheretravel.com@travelwithtarbell@thesomewheretravelcoToday we will cover:(04:00) Why LinkedIn works for attracting busy, high-performing professionals(12:00) Positioning your profile to immediately communicate who you serve(22:00) Creating authentic content without becoming a travel influencer(28:20) Using comments, connections, and DMs to build relationships strategically(32:00) How LinkedIn elevated Jace’s client quality, trip value, and close rateNICHE is Tique’s membership community for travel advisors who want support refining their business, strengthening their positioning, and learning alongside other advisors who are serious about growth. Jace is a member himself, and many of the strategies discussed in this episode are the kinds of conversations happening inside the community. Learn More and Pick Your Membership Tier → NICHE COMMUNITYFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

AI is supposed to save you time, but first, it might send you spiraling down a very productive-looking rabbit hole. Jennifer and Robin discuss why AI feels so overwhelming, what travel advisors should really be using it for, and why automating the human side of travel planning is the wrong place to start. The goal isn’t to master everything or build an app by tomorrow. It’s to give AI one job, train it well, and make your business a little easier to operate.Ready to stop experimenting with random prompts and start using AI for practical tasks inside your travel business? Join the Niche community for step-by-step trainings on client experience, intake workflows, SOPs, finances, and more! Learn More and Pick Your Membership Tier → NICHE COMMUNITYIf you’re ready for a deeper dive into AI, check out Callan Faulkner’s 12-week course → AUTOMATE TO ACCELERATEFOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ