Masters in Travel

Welcome to 2025! We're doing something a little different by bringing you a solo episode featuring Brianna Glenn that explores "CEO-worthy goals" for travel advisors. We all make some sort of goals in our travel businesses, but are your goals "regular" goals or CEO-worthy one? AND, are they SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)? Get actionable tips and personal insight...

That's a wrap to 2024! In this special Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney reflect on 2024 and look ahead at what the next year holds for their travel businesses, from ROI metrics to track with marketing to utilizing Google profile reviews for local business. Tune in to hear their strategies for adjusting target client demographics and fine-tuning business strategies from branding approach, marketing c...

Travel industry expert Lisa Fletcher has watched the industry evolve since the '80's when she first got into the business, and while it has evolved, her passion has remained the same: using email newsletters to connect with clients. Lisa shares her journey of writing "The Effortless Newsletter," offering practical tips on creating engaging content that fosters client relationships and highlights t...

Joining Brianna on the podcast again is Cynthia, the brand strategist who gave Masters in Travel our new look! Together, these two branding gurus delve into the essentials of effective strategies to truly connect with clients. Gain clarity on how to practically implement a marketing plan...and how that differs from develop a marketing strategy. Plus, Cynthia offers actionable advice on identifying...

What really goes on behind the scenes of a travel business? Find out in Shop Talk! This week we spill the tea on past and upcoming FAM trips and the art of balancing family, personal, and professional travel commitments. Get Whitney's tips on taking personal time while traveling with children & hear how many books Brianna read on her last FAM! Plus, we talk about using AI tools for content cre...

A travel industry favorite, Kaytee Fisher of Moxie and Forth, joins Whitney to share her marketing insights, having worked with many travel advisors to help move the marketing needle. In this convo, hear her take on why personalized experiences are valued over cost-saving measures, the significance of niching down, and how consistent, authentic content can build deep connections and trust with con...

In this milestone episode (200 episodes later...wow!), Brianna chats with Valerie Merut, founder of social media marketing agency Cerita, to explore the vital role of storytelling in social media for travel businesses. Valerie shares her expert insights on building relationships and trust over time through authentic, personal content that truly invites your clients into a story. Learn about strate...

Remember when AI wasn't a part of our daily lives? How quicklly things can change, but that doesn't have to be a scary thing! Join Whitney as she chats with Emily Kessler, the communications specialist at Gifted Travel Network, about the transformative potential of AI tools for travel businesses. Learn from the expert about how AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Toby AI can streamline tasks...

We're getting closer to the end of the year, which means that even though inquires are slower right now, travel advisors are preparing to ramp up in 2025. In this episode, Whitney and Brianna share about their current journeys to reach more clients in 2025, brainstorming various marketing strategies like targeting certain destinations through content and utilizing quizes on websites to engage visi...

Let's talk about FAMs! Brianna is joined by her agency team, Kelsey and Ellen, to debrief their recent self-FAM trip to Peru. Gain some colorful insights into this experience, plus the team shares why self-FAMs are key to a travel advisor's success. Plus, hear how the experience helped benefit their team personally and professionally, and the special moments that help them grow stronger as a compa...

What questions are travel advisors asking their clients to build loyalty and plan unforgettable travel experiences? Back by popular demand, Sandy Saburn of Gifted Travel Network shares her insights about the questions she hears all too often...and the questions too few advisors are asking. Insights from this conversation will help any advisor improve their communication with clients and set up the...

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 c...

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...

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 t...

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 intri...

"If you aren't working hard, you're hardly working." Heard this before? On today's episode, Brianna is joined by Marcie Muensterman, a seasoned travel advisor, to talk about why this old adage doesn't have to be true for travel advisors. Hear about how Marcie shifted from a hustle-driven career to a balanced, profitable business model. She shares her strategic insights on...

Join us to hear a special airing of a special event hosted by The Hive, featuring a conversation about the intricacies of curating personalized cruise itineraries for clients. Cruise experts Carol and Korrine walked us through various strategies to up-level your cruise planning. They share about knowing client psychographics, leveraging various tools for efficient search and organization, how to e...

We're back with another episode of Shop Talk, the conversations where we don't hold anything back and share transparently what is going on right now in our travel businesses. Whitney shares about her ambitious goal to double her business in the next two years and the uncertainties she is facing right now. And Brianna updates us on her ongoing website refresh and reflects on her successful...

Building a book of business from scratch, regardless of how you do it, is a big feat. Most commonly, travel advisors start off by diving into their personal network to find their first clients. On this episode, Kim and Haleigh share their unique stories of networking as a launching pad in building their travel businesses. Learn about the journey from accepting any business to setting boundaries, h...

When a new inquiry comes in, how do you approach it? In today's episode, Jeremy Sulek of Jetset World Travel shares his less conventional approach to handling every inquiry and effectively booking clients. If you cautiously vet potential clients when inquiries come in, expecting them to prove that they are worth your time and energy, Jeremy will challenge your mindset. Learn how to maintain a...

We're all in this industry for the travel, but achieving financial freedom is an (attainable) goal that many travel advisors have! Join Brianna as she chats with Stephanie Cannon, a licensed CPA and small business accountant who specializes in helping travel advisors achieve higher profits without needing a finance or accounting degree. Dive into financial planning, expense management, profita...

How can you utilize the world's most powerful search engine to spread word about your business and attract ideal clients? Join us for this informative conversation with Lee Friedman and Denise Kubica, who both share their unconventional strategies for building their travel businesses by leveraging Google reviews, blogging, and SEO. Tune in for fresh ideas from these seasoned advisors!

Personalization is the key to success when it comes to your client experience. So, how do you curate a personalized selection of hotels to share with your clients when planning a new trip? Tune in to learn from three top travel advisors (Whitney Shindelar, Julia Matheson and Kate Sullivan), all self-proclaimed hotel lovers, on how they select hotels to include in proposals and how they present the...

Peel back the curtain on a Master Hour member call inside the Advisor Accelerator! Join us as Victoria of BrandWell Designs leads us in a session about  brand differentiation  and how to leverage your brand to  stand out in a saturated market . Victoria and her team have designed more than a thousand brands and websites over the last several years, so you'll definitely want to tune in to learn...

And we're back with Part 2 of how to create content while traveling! By popular request, we invite back Kate Sullivan and Julie Patterson for this practical discussion that any travel advisor will find useful. We delve deep into marketing strategies, ROI measurements, the importance of authenticity, and balancing content creation with being present in the moment. From pre-trip planning to post...