Masters in Travel

Whitney Shindelar and Brianna Glenn discuss the importance of collaboration and having a community of like-minded individuals in the Masters in Travel community and Think Tank. They mention the rebranding of the podcast and website, as well as the introduction of new segments like Shop Talk and the Advisor Accelerator. They emphasize the value of peer-to-peer conversations and the opportunity to learn from others in similar stages of business. They also highlight the new approach of having more nuanced and relevant discussions based on specific topics. The calls and discussions will be recorded for easy access to resources. Overall, they are excited about the growth and improvement in the community and the valuable resources they can provide to travel advisors.

What is AI's role in the travel advising industry, and what are today's travelers actually looking for? Oh, and how can travel agency owners truly elevate themselves and the industry to a level of respect and professionalism that matches those of other industries? In this episode, Jenn Lee joins Whitney to dive into these BIG questions! They talk about how AI is revolutionizing marketing, client communication, content creation, and more...and how it can help you, not hurt you. Plus, they explore what clients are actually hoping for when they book with a travel advisor and how you can elevate your business as a legimitate service provider.

It's a topic many travel business owners can't get off their minds – hiring. This week, Grace Van Hollebeke of Lucia joins Whitney to talk about how to find the right fit for your team, delegate, train, and continue to fit employees and ICs into the right parts of your workflows. So whether you have hired and looking to improve your team workflows, or are thinking about finding help, this episode gives actionable insights to guide any travel business owner.

On this week's episode of Shop Talk, we are covering a variety of topics – quiet months in business, handling difficult conversations with supplier partners, and communicating to skeptical clients about our planning fees. Plus, Whitney fills us in on her journey of embracing a business rebrand and trying to attract new clients. And Brianna's plans for her team FAM to Peru is that does or travel inspiration that reminds us why we are in this industry to begin with.

This week on the podcast, we're covering a favorite topic at Masters in Travel – mentorship! Mentor and mentee Margaret Haas and Brittany Pigorini join Brianna to talk about their experiences on both sides of the mentorship relationship. But if you think that mentorship is just one travel advisor teling another how to build a business, think again. Margaret and Brittany shed light on the intricacies of a mentorship that helps a newer travel advisor build a business vs. copy one. Tune in to hear more about each of these advisors' personal journeys to career success and how walking alongside a colleague made all the difference.