Masters in Travel

Mindset is a topic that we hear about in our personal lives and in our professional lives. It is a topic that lingers behind all decisions that we make, especially as an entrepreneur. If we asked ten people, or ten advisors, what mindset means to them we would get 10 different answers. On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Lina Sutton and Danielle Gaerte. Three travel advis...

In this solo episode, Brianna closes the loop on her recent AmaWaterways Soulful Experience sailing through Portugal’s Douro River and reflects on what the trip taught her as both a traveler and a travel advisor. After previously sharing how to turn fam trips and personal travel into a marketing engine, she now pulls back the curtain on what actually worked, what surprised her, and how the experie...

You may be interested in being a travel advisor, but are you also interested in being an entrepreneur? Sometimes running a travel advisor business requires much more than just planning travel. You may have to ask yourself if you’d rather join a team to help with the workload, or go solo to control more of your business. On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Korrine Johnson...

In this episode of Masters in Travel, Brianna sits down with Olivia Tambosso, a luxury travel advisor whose career began on the inside of one of the world’s most respected luxury hotel brands: Aman. After years in guest-facing operational roles in Morocco, Thailand, and Japan, Olivia brings a rare perspective to the travel advisor side of the industry. Together, Brianna and Olivia explore what tru...

In this solo episode, Brianna walks travel advisors through the exact mindset shift and planning process that turns a trip from a one-time experience into a long-term marketing asset. As she prepares for seven weeks in Europe, including a Portugal river cruise with AmaWaterways, she shares how she thinks through audience, intention, content capture, and post-trip visibility before she ever boards...

In this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Kate for a thoughtful and practical conversation about the wide spectrum of spa, wellness, and sport-focused travel. Together, they unpack why the simple question “Does the hotel have a spa?” often falls short, especially when clients have very specific expectations around relaxation, treatments, facilities, programming, or transformation....

Family-friendly hotels are often misunderstood, with many properties claiming the label without truly designing for how families actually travel. In this episode, Travel Advisor Lee Friedman of Mango Tree Travel shares firsthand insight into what makes a hotel genuinely work for families. The conversation dives into real-world considerations like room configurations, kids club quality, dining flex...

In this solo episode, Brianna reflects on what she would do differently if she were starting her travel business from scratch in 2026. With 10 years of experience behind her, she breaks down the foundational decisions that matter most, from choosing the right host agency to getting honest about your network, picking a niche early, investing in the travel business, and building systems before they...

There is a skill inside great trip design that nobody talks about enough, and it has nothing to do with knowing the best hotels or having the right supplier relationships. It is judgment. And judgment is hard to teach when it has always lived in your gut. In this solo episode, Brianna shares the frameworks she has spent years developing to articulate what once felt purely instinctive. She walks th...

If you’ve ever stared at a blank caption, rewritten it three times, and still didn’t hit post, this episode is for you. Brianna sits down with social media strategist and former travel advisor Kyla Daisy to unpack what’s really behind the hesitation so many travel advisors feel when it comes to showing up online. Together, they explore how overthinking, comparison, and the pressure to be perfect a...

If you’ve been booking trips, staying busy, and still questioning whether your travel business is truly sustainable, this conversation is for you. Brianna sits down with Courtnie Nichols to unpack the major shifts happening in the travel advisor space and why the traditional business model is no longer enough. From AI-driven content saturation to unpredictable commissions, Courtnie challenges advi...

What actually happens at a hotel before your client even walks through the door? In this episode, Brianna sits down with Alexandra Hepworth, founder of Layah and a travel advisor with nearly two decades of experience across global luxury hospitality, for a rare behind-the-scenes look at how hotels really operate. Alexandra pulls back the curtain on how upgrade decisions are actually made, why labe...

If you’ve ever come home from a trip with thousands of photos and no plan for what to do with them, this episode is for you. Whitney sits down with email marketing expert and travel advisor Kaytee Fisher to unpack one of the most common struggles in a travel business: unused content. Together, they explore why so much valuable content goes to waste and how to turn past trips into long-term marketi...

In this month's Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney get candid about what Q1 2026 really looked like. Brianna shares her concerns about a slowdown in inquiries since mid-February, while Whitney reflects on a busier but more reactive quarter with shorter booking windows. Together they talk through what travel advisors can and can't control, how global uncertainty is affecting client behavior, and the si...

In this solo episode, Brianna walks through exactly how she uses AI inside her travel business, from the first client inquiry all the way through final itinerary delivery. Rather than focusing on tools or theory, she breaks down the real, behind-the-scenes workflows that help her move faster, think more clearly, and execute at a higher level. She shares how AI supports consult prep, shapes her Nor...

In this episode, Whitney sits down with email marketing strategist Kaytee Fisher to unpack what it actually takes to shift your travel business toward the trips you want to book more of. From increasing safari inquiries to pivoting into new destinations or trip types, this conversation breaks down the gap between intention and execution. Kaytee shares why consistent marketing matters even when you...

What if the fastest way to grow your travel business isn’t social media or referrals, but showing up in your local community? In this episode, Whitney sits down with Kathryn Morga, founder of Adventure Smarter, to talk about how networking became the driving force behind her rapidly growing book of business. After relocating to Nashville with two young kids and a full-time job, Kathryn rebuilt her...

In this month's Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney get real about navigating a chaotic start to the year while balancing the mental load of running a travel business. From wave season overwhelm to learning when to walk away from inquiries that don't fit, they explore what it means to lead with honesty in client conversations. Whitney shares her journey toward being more transparent about prici...

What if leading a retreat didn't mean doing it all yourself? In this episode, Whitney sits down with Karen Hattaway, founder of Life Beyond the Room, a DMC based in Italy, to explore how travel advisors can create signature retreats and small group trips without the overwhelm. Karen breaks down the difference between a retreat and a small group trip, why slower-paced, single-destination experi...

What if the reason you feel stuck isn't because you're not working hard enough, but because you're too busy executing to decide what actually matters? In this solo episode, Brianna unpacks why so many travel advisors find themselves in a cycle of nonstop busyness that somehow still feels stagnant. She breaks down five specific ways advisors get stuck: building for everyone instead of s...

What if the key to growing your travel business isn't about doing more, but about getting clearer on what you're actually saying? In this Ask Us Anything episode, Whitney and Brianna respond to a listener who's ready to pivot away from high-volume, promotion-driven marketing toward a quieter, more strategic approach. They tackle five questions: how to market without urgency or deals, w...

In this month's Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney get real about navigating a chaotic start to the year while balancing the mental load of running a travel business. From January wave season overwhelm to learning when to walk away from inquiries that don't fit, they explore what it means to lead with honesty in client conversations. Whitney shares her journey toward being more transparent abo...

What if selling more travel still isn’t translating into the paycheck you actually want? In this episode, Brianna challenges travel advisors to stop chasing revenue for the sake of it and start designing profit on purpose. She breaks down the five numbers that matter most in your travel business and explains why owners pay should always come before top line goals. Through simple math and relatable...

What if staying with a host agency as an experienced travel advisor isn’t about settling, but about scaling smarter? In this episode, Whitney is joined by Margaret Haas Wolf of Brownell to explore what true mutual investment can look like between a host agency and an established travel business. They discuss why support should evolve as advisors grow, not disappear, and how strategic partnership c...

In this month’s Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney kick off the new year by getting real about inbox overwhelm, coming back from time off, and what it actually feels like to start fresh after the holidays. They explore the idea of using “fun” as a decision making filter in your travel business, from which inquiries you say yes to, to how you define success day to day. Whitney shares how reframing nich...