Globetrotters Podcast

Big Bear Lake ecotourism goes way beyond the snow, and it might change how you travel. With 7.5 million visits a year to a mountain town of 20,000, Visit Big Bear CEO Travis Scott (no, not that one) says his job has changed: “It’s not just demand generation anymore. It’s demand management.” Instead of lecturing visitors, Big Bear gives them easy ways to give back. Book a stay and part of it goes t...

Freediving and spearfishing have taken Gabriella Gerbasi around the world. From the Bahamas and Costa Rica to Greece and remote islands in Fiji, much of her travel revolves around the ocean. We talk about learning to freedive, swimming with sharks, planning trips around specific fish, and why she sees spearfishing as a sustainable way to source seafood. Gabriella also shares how catching her own f...

Creative travel is changing how people experience the world. Geetika Agrawal, founder of Vacation With An Artist (VAWA), has built a global network that lets travelers spend several days learning directly from master artists in their studios. The idea began with Geetika’s own travels, from spending summers learning traditional crafts in India to taking a year-long journey across 12 countries while...

Latin America has some of the world’s most incredible travel experiences—so why are so many travelers still hesitant to explore it? Kathleen Hall, co-founder of Explore the Americas and Dive the Americas, shares how moving to Costa Rica changed her life and ultimately shaped the kind of travel company she wanted to build. Picking up from Part 1 with her business partner Melanie Marsell, we talk ab...

Latin America accounts for just a fraction of global tourism—but Melanie Marsell believes travelers are overlooking one of the most diverse regions in the world. As the co-founder of Explore the Americas and Dive the Americas, Melanie has built her career around helping people experience the region differently. Born in Costa Rica and raised between Costa Rica and Florida, her journey took her from...

She couldn’t afford a passport, so she sold chocolates until she could. Now, Helo has traveled to 76+ countries—and somehow keeps finding herself in the middle of a good story. She plans obsessively, gets lost on purpose, talks to strangers, and actively chases the things that make her uncomfortable. This is about what happens when you stop waiting for life to get easier and start putting yourself...

The future of travel discovery belongs to creators, not search engines. Co-Founder: Lexi St. John shares how The Nod is helping creators, travelers, and hospitality brands build trust through authentic recommendations instead of traditional advertising. We explore the evolution of the creator economy, why tourism operators need to rethink discovery, and how trusted voices are shaping the future of...

If you've ever dreamed of saying, "I quit!" and booking a one-way ticket, this episode is for you. After experiencing corporate burnout and setting off on a solo trip through Southeast Asia, Gabi Nowak-Jelonek discovered that the hardest part of travel wasn't finding incredible destinations—it was finding people to share them with. That realization led her to create Females Flying Solo, a Facebook...

After more than 50 episodes on the Globetrotters Podcast, Chelsea joins Jon for one last conversation to reflect on friendship, community, personal growth, and the journey they've shared together. A heartfelt farewell—but not goodbye. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support .

Melissa Clover grew up surrounded by adventure, but after years of guiding travelers through Yellowstone and Grand Teton, she's learned that people rarely remember the miles ridden or the wildlife they spotted. They remember how they felt. In this episode, Melissa shares how a 70-year family outfitting legacy (Wilderness Trails Outfitters) has created a space where strangers become friends, solo t...

Liz Long didn’t set out to become a full-time traveler. After graduating college and starting a publishing career in Boston, she found herself burned out, anxious, and questioning the version of success she had been chasing. What started with pet sitting and budget travel eventually turned into a lifestyle built around freedom, wellness, meaningful relationships, and intentional living. Since then...

Amanda Black built the Solo Female Travel Network after a terrifying experience in Cancun where everything she owned was stolen, leaving her isolated without a trusted support system while traveling alone. What started as a small Facebook group for women to share advice, safety tips, and real-time support quickly evolved into a global community of more than 500,000 members built around trust, reli...

Owen Beiny is the founder of Points Partner and creator of the Fly Free Academy, helping thousands of people travel the world for little to no cost. A former CEO with 15 years of global travel experience, he combines strategic thinking with real-world tactics to maximize every mile, upgrade, and benefit. While his expertise spans all types of travel, Owen also shows—through his experience as a fat...

Kimberly Haley-Coleman, Founder and CEO of Globe Aware, breaks down one of the most important shifts in travel today: the move from passive tourism to purpose-driven service vacations. What began as a personal frustration with the lack of short-term, meaningful ways to engage abroad turned into a global organization connecting travelers with community-led projects across more than 25 countries. In...

Michael Mazzara, CEO of Rogue Expeditions, breaks down one of the most overlooked trends in travel: running tourism. What started as a personal challenge turned into a global opportunity—multi-day running experiences that combine movement, culture, and community across destinations like Japan, Slovenia, and the Dolomites. In this episode, we get into why traditional race travel often falls short,...

Solo group travel and community trips are reshaping how people explore the world. Mantas Zvinas, founder of Surf Yoga Beer, shares how a lifestyle built around surfing, fitness, beer, and connection evolved into a global travel company bringing active, like-minded people together. Since 2014, SYB has designed high-energy itineraries packed with epic moments, spontaneous adventures, and friendships...

What if you didn’t know where you were traveling until the day you left? Lillian Rafson, Founder and CEO of @packupgo_travel, shares how a random conversation in a hostel in Riga led her to move back to Pittsburgh and start a surprise travel company at 23. Turning a simple idea into a company that has sent more than 50,000 travelers to 300+ destinations across the U.S. takes more than good marketi...

Building a top-ranked Airbnb Experience takes more than aesthetics — it requires systems, hospitality, and trust at scale. Christy Hunter, Founder & Co-Owner of Photowalk Nashville and one of Airbnb’s top Experience hosts, shares how she turned photography into a multi-city travel business rooted in human connection. This conversation breaks down experience design, platform dependence, scaling...

BIPOC creatives are still underrepresented in the travel industry — Aspen Cierra shares how collectives like Black Women Photographers and the Black Travel Alliance unlocked grants, press trips, mentorship, and access that led to Iceland, Jordan, and beyond. From a Nikon-backed grant to tourism board work and creator press trips, her journey shows how representation, shared resources, and showing...

Pretty travel content doesn’t pay the bills — value does. Angie Thomas of The Honest Passport unpacks the realities of building a sustainable travel creator business, from navigating rates and early mistakes, to understanding when gifting no longer makes sense. Grounded in her European upbringing and corporate IT background, Angie breaks down what providing value actually means beyond aesthetics a...

Personalized European travel at scale requires more than technology — it demands expertise, trust, and intentional design. Bryan Lewis, founder and CEO of Tenon Tours, breaks down how he built an award-winning boutique travel company across 18 European destinations by balancing structure with flexibility and keeping the human touch at the center. From sourcing “farm-to-table” travel experiences an...

In this conversational, story-driven episode, global traveler and communication strategist Lauren Gibson shares the journey behind her 44-country passport — from studying in France and China as a teen to solo breakthroughs in Canada and navigating culture shock in North Africa. Each chapter pushed her toward greater independence, resilience, and self-understanding. Rather than tactics, we explore...

Andrew Herr, founder and CEO of FlyKitt, breaks down the science behind jet lag and how his system helps travelers feel dramatically better after flying. He’s worked with Navy SEALs, business executives, and pro athletes at Inter Miami. From explaining how cabin pressure and low oxygen trigger inflammation to why most travel hacks get circadian rhythm timing wrong, Andrew shows how FlyKitt helps o...

Few people have had a front-row seat to travel’s evolution like Dan Christian , former Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Digital Officer at The Travel Corporation, a billion-dollar global travel group . Now the host of The Travel Trends Podcast and founder of The Acceleration Team, Dan helps brands and travelers make sense of what’s next. From generative AI and hyper-personalized planning tools to...

Travel planning shouldn’t feel like solving a puzzle. Rome2Rio makes it effortless — showing every possible way to get from A to B across flights, trains, buses, ferries, and everything in between. CEO Wendy Olson Killion shares how the platform is blending technology, sustainability, and human connection to make complex journeys simple — and why smarter, slower, more connected travel is the next...