85 Percent: A Wanderful Podcast

On this episode of 85 Percent, we talk with Youmie Jean-Francois, founder and CEO of Flex-n-Fly, a travel wellness company bringing yoga, stretching, meditation, and relaxation classes into airports to help travelers (and the pilots, flight attendants, and TSA agents who work there) regulate their nervous systems. She is also a private pilot, author, and transformational speaker who has brought her work to brands like Airbnb, Spotify, and WeWork, and the founder of the Flex-n-Fly Foundation, a nonprofit. This year, she won the Wanderful Award at the Bessies, given for incredible work supporting women in travel.In this conversation, Youmie takes us through how she went from waitressing in New York City to launching Flex-n-Fly, how the idea was born in a Moroccan airport, how she pivoted through 2020 to keep her company alive, what it takes to raise investor money, and what keeps her going when the standard for being taken seriously keeps moving. She also shares the news that Flex-n-Fly's first airport lounges are coming to LaGuardia and Newark in March 2027.We talk about:The Morocco airport moment that sparked Flex-n-FlyLeaving her server job in 2018 and why building a business is like birthing somethingPivoting through the pandemic into the Flex-n-Fly bagsWhy she chose the most stressful part of travel: airportsWhat it takes to raise investor money, and why she keeps goingFaith, hunger, patience, and why she doesn't negotiate with doubtWhy her success is personal, and why she started the Flex-n-Fly FoundationHer advice for entrepreneurs: don't look at anyone as a heroConnect with Youmie / Flex-n-Fly Website: https://flexnfly.com (sign up for the email list to find out when they land at an airport near you) Flex-n-Fly Foundation: https://www.flexnflyfoundation.org Chapters 00:05 Intro: Beth introduces Youmie and Flex-n-Fly 01:06 Interview begins: Youmie's bio and the Wanderful Award 01:53 How Flex-n-Fly began 02:41 2018: leaving her server job to build the dream 03:48 Birthing a business takes discipline, patience, and grace 04:28 The wellness zone at WITS, the bags, and the retreat 05:43 "Life will give you an opportunity to pivot" 06:43 Pivoting through 2020 08:55 Why airports? The most stressful part of travel 10:05 Peace in the midst of chaos 10:54 The Morocco airport prayer room that sparked the idea 11:53 What airports do to our nervous systems 12:32 Launching at LaGuardia and Newark in March 2027 14:01 What raising investor money really takes 15:42 Where does the fire come from? 16:49 Faith, and refusing to negotiate with doubt 18:01 Hunger and why she hates lack 21:22 When the standard for success keeps moving 22:20 Why her success is personal, and the Flex-n-Fly Foundation 23:45 Advice for entrepreneurs in travel 24:19 "Don't look at me as a hero" 25:34 Ask yourself who you want to serve 26:09 Last notes: how to follow Flex-n-Fly 26:49 Outro 27:42 Up next: Dr. Sian Proctor

On this episode of 85 Percent, we meet Kai Lawson, founder of Black Girls Shoot Too (BGST), a creative community for Black women and women of color photographers in Los Angeles. A longtime Wanderful member and part of our LA hub, Kai won the Social Impact Award at the 2026 Bessies.Kai started BGST in March 2025 by posting a single photo walk on Eventbrite, just to see who would show up. About 40 women did. Since then it has grown into monthly photo walks and workshops, mentorship, two gallery exhibits (many of them the photographers' first), and a group photo tour to Panama in January 2027, all built in the off hours around her 24-year career with the County of Los Angeles.We talk about:Winning the Bessie, and the feeling that her grandmother Bessie was in the roomHow a dad with a camera turned into a lifelong obsession with photographyThe Eventbrite post that started it allWhy representation behind the camera matters as much as in front of it, from skin tones and lighting to who gets hired and paidThe photographer who said "I don't think I'm a photographer," until her framed print hung in an exhibitWhat fuels her, and what's next: a membership, a nonprofit, and a space of their ownConnect with Kai / Black Girls Shoot Too Website: https://www.wearebgst.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlsshoottoo/ BGST Panama Photo Tour (Jan 21-26, 2027): https://www.wearebgst.com/panama-group-trip Events: https://www.wearebgst.com/event-listChapters 00:05 Intro: Beth introduces Kai and the Social Impact Award 01:25 Interview begins 02:14 Winning the Bessie 02:32 The Bessie finalist dinner 03:29 Did she know she'd win? Her grandmother Bessie 04:12 Origin story: a dad with a camera 05:08 The Eventbrite post that started BGST 06:19 The first photo walk: 40 people, a market, and a drum circle 07:20 How BGST grew: monthly walks, workshops, a studio 08:00 The first gallery exhibit: "Now I'm a curator" 09:11 The numbers: Black women in photography 10:33 Who is pictured, and who is behind the camera 11:37 Skin tones, lighting, and fighting for space on the job 12:45 Getting women of color photographers hired and paid 15:05 What fuels her: a full-time job, no team, and a lot of love 15:45 The BGST Panama photo tour and international exhibit 17:48 What's next: membership, a nonprofit, a space of their own 18:37 What the travel industry could do for Black women photographers 18:57 Why community changes what women are willing to try 20:27 "I don't think I'm a photographer": the Getty moment 21:59 Why women hold themselves back 23:37 Creating the validation we wish we had 24:50 "It's inside of you" 25:32 Closing thoughts 25:59 Outro

Exposure Leads to Expansion: Eileen Ivette on Slow Content, Afro-Latinidad, and Why Data Keeps Failing Black TravelersThis season has been all about our 2026 Bessie Award winners, and this episode features our Trailblazer Award recipient, Eileen Ivette — the Afro-Colombian journalist and creator behind Black Latin History, a video series that uplifts Afro-Latino stories and confronts anti-Black erasure across Latin America and the Caribbean.Eileen started posting Black Latin History content in October 2022, with zero followers and a pitch she couldn't sell inside the newsroom where she worked — her bosses told her the stories about anti-Blackness in Latin America made her "too close to the story" to be objective. Within a month of launching on her own, one video about how Afro-Colombian women used braids as escape maps during the colonial period hit 4 million views and got reposted by Viola Davis. Three years later, she's built an entire ecosystem — video, articles, mentorship for other creators, and group trips to places like Medellín — out of a story she once had to fight to tell.We talk about her "speed versus substance" talk at WITS this year, and why she believes quality content builds trust in a way virality alone never can. We get into her own layered identity as an Afro-Latina raised in Houston, constantly having her Latinidad questioned, and the anti-Blackness she's encountered from within the Latino community itself. And we dig into what the travel industry keeps getting wrong: the tourism boards leaving money on the table by ignoring Afro-tourism, the historical census erasure that's left the industry working off bad data, and why she had to publicly beg the internet just to find an Afro-Peruvian tour operator in Lima. It's a conversation about identity, patience, and what it actually looks like to build something real instead of chasing a trend.Connect with Eileen Ivette / Black Latin History:Website: eileenivette.comInstagram: @eileen_ivetteLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eileen-ivette

The Business of Being Seen: Danny Guerrero on Allyship, Data, and What Travel Keeps Getting WrongThis season has been all about our 2026 Bessie Award winners, and this episode is a special one: our very first Allyship Award recipient, Danny Guerrero.Danny is the founder and CEO of The Culturist Group, a multicultural and inclusive marketing agency working with brands like Brand USA and Visit California. Before starting his own company, he spent five years as VP of Strategy at MMGY Global, one of the biggest names in travel marketing, and over 20 years in the industry overall.We talk about how Danny's whole career led to this point — from drafting an "elaborate long email" to MMGY leadership in 2018 (before George Floyd, before BLM, before the industry reckoning of 2020) arguing that travel marketing was ignoring underrepresented audiences, to eventually finding his voice on a national stage with MMGY's Global Black Traveler Study. We get into the "pat on the head" feeling of being dismissed for years, the financial risk of leaving a stable role to start his own agency as a first-generation kid who put himself through school, and what The Culturist Group actually does — research, strategy, storytelling, and now MOSAEX, their new media platform for reaching "growth audiences" with precision.We also don't shy away from the moment we're in: DEI budgets are being slashed, the word itself has become politically radioactive, and yet Danny argues the economic case for representation has never been stronger. We talk about the regulatory tension that makes multicultural media targeting so hard, why he believes this shift "is not going away" no matter what it's called, and what it will actually take for the travel industry to stop reacting to crisis after crisis and start building toward the future he wants to see — one where communities feel safe, seen, and genuinely invested in their own tourism economies.Relevant links:The Culturist Group: culturistgroup.comMOSAEX: culturistgroup.com/mosaexDanny's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dannyguerrerombaMartinique Lewis / Black Travel Alliance (mentioned in-episode): blacktravelalliance.comABOUT THE 85 PERCENT PODCAST85% of travel decisions are made by women, yet women's voices and leadership are still underrepresented across the industry. Hosted by Wanderful founder Beth Santos, this show features candid conversations with the women shaping the future of travel, spotlighting the Bessie Award winners pushing the industry forward.ABOUT THE HOSTBeth Santos is founder and CEO of Wanderful and author of Wander Woman. She's been named a changemaker by Business Insider and an inspiring person to follow by Condé Nast Traveller, and is godmother to the Azamara Onward cruise ship, a cafe owner, and a mom of three.Website: 85percentpodcast.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/santosbethInstagram: @maximumbeth

Only 10% of safari companies worldwide are led by women — and just 15% are Black-owned. Sisters Amanda and Asnath Kessy are rewriting that story.In this episode, Beth sits down with the co-founders of Still Waters Safaris, a woman-owned, family-led luxury safari company in Arusha, Tanzania, and winners of Travel Startup of the Year at the 2026 Bessie Awards. They share the story of growing up watching their father run tours in a male-dominated industry, the leap of faith it took for Amanda to leave a banking career to build Still Waters from just two clients, and the pushback — and unwavering family support — that shaped them along the way.They dig into what makes their tours different, why investing in women transforms local economies, and what it will take to get more women into the safari industry. It's a conversation about family, resilience, and the belief that "the sun is big enough to shine on everybody."RELEVANT LINKSStill Waters SafarisWebsite: stillwaterssafaris.co.tzInstagram: @stillwatersafarisFacebook: facebook.com/stillwaterssafarisLinkedIn: Still Waters SafarisIf you were moved by what you heard in this week's episode of "85 Percent," I invite you to leave an honest review of how this episode impacted you. Also, share this podcast with your travel buddy!ABOUT THE 85 PERCENT PODCAST85% of travel decisions are made by women, yet women's voices and leadership are still underrepresented across the industry. Hosted by Wanderful founder Beth Santos, this show features candid conversations with the women shaping the future of travel, spotlighting the Bessie Award winners pushing the industry forward.ABOUT THE HOSTBeth Santos is founder and CEO of Wanderful and author of Wander Woman. She's been named a changemaker by Business Insider and an inspiring person to follow by Condé Nast Traveller, and is godmother to the Azamara Onward cruise ship, a cafe owner, and a mom of three.Website: 85percentpodcast.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/santosbethInstagram: @maximumbethABOUT WANDERFULWanderful is a global community for women who travel, connecting members through meetups, an online community, and events like WITS and the Bessie Awards. Website: https://sheswanderful.com