Masters in Travel

On this month’s special Master Hour episode of Masters in Travel, host Whitney Shindelar is joined by members of the community to dive deep into the world of hiring, training, and delegating in the travel industry. With valuable insights from industry professionals, they uncover the strategies and challenges faced by travel professionals in effectively nurturing and developing their employees. Fro...

On this episode of the Masters in Travel podcast, Rani Cheema shares her courageous journey of self-discovery and leaving a dream job to follow her desires. She emphasizes asking meaningful questions, trusting intuition, and making space for fulfilling opportunities. Rani's story highlights the power of connections and taking courageous steps in life and business.

On this month’s edition of the Master Hour, freelance writer and editor Karla Walsh discusses the advantages of working with media for travel advisors. She offers tips on finding the right media outlets, tailoring pitches to target specific audiences, and building relationships with journalists. Walsh shares her 15 years of experience in digital media, emphasizing the importance of identifying one...

On this episode of Masters in Travel, we delve into the world of social media and its impact on modern travel. Whitney, Meredith Donaldson, Jenna Swan, and Julie Patterson discuss the importance of Instagram as a platform for travel research, the challenges of maintaining a consistent social media presence, and the need for cross-referencing information found on social media with other sources. In...

This week is a special episode with Masters in Travel host, Whitney Shindelar, interviewed by Emma Weissman, host of the Humans of Travel podcast and managing editor of TravelAge West magazine. The Humans of Travel podcast features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives,...

On this episode of Masters in Travel we delve into the world of hotel obsession among travel advisors and explored the importance of hotel research in their workflow. With guests Kate Sullivan and Jaclyn D'Esposito sharing their unique perspectives and experiences, listeners learned about the different approaches to hotel research, building relationships with hoteliers, and evaluating hotels b...

On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, we are flipping the script. Our guest for this special episode is usually on the other side of the mic shining as the podcast host. Whitney Shindelar has been spending months dreaming about and developing The Hive. The Hive is an exciting new piece of technology for travel advisors. Join Brianna Glenn and Kate Sullivan as they interview Whitney and learn mo...

In this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Brianna Glenn, owner of Milk and Honey Travels, and Whitney Warne of Evoke EQ. Together they explore the power of self-reflection and emotional intelligence. Listen as they discuss how the Enneagram system can help you gain insight into yourself and others, build trust in relationships, and create a better understanding of your business. T...

wmnsWRK Tourism Accelerator is the tourism industry's first business accelerator for women and non-binary early stage entrepreneurs. While we're always looking for more support and resources for travel advisors entering the industry, wmnsWRK is specifically for those looking to start businesses in the supplier side of the industry. On this episode of Masters in Travel Whitney is joined by...

On this Month’s Master Hour edition of the Masters in Travel Podcast, travel advisors from different backgrounds come together to share their experiences and insights on improving business practices for travel advisors. From building personal connections with clients to setting firm boundaries, the group discusses a range of challenges and shares practical tips on increasing repeat and referral bu...

One of the biggest topics over the last few months in the Masters in Travel Community and Think Tank is hiring. When do we know we are ready to hire? How do we hire? Where do we find qualified candidates? There is so much to consider in the hiring process and the list goes on and on. On this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Kate Sullivan, Owner of Anthology Travel. Both Whitney a...

A few weeks ago, Kate Thomas and Whitney enjoyed a friendly dialogue over the time spent on beautifying supplier proposals and how important we feel this is for our businesses. While discussing this topic, we realized there's something more to this, which is likely what's causing the roadblock on anyone switching sides or switching teams on this topic. On today’s episode of Masters in Trav...

We’re almost at the end of quarter one and it’s time to dive back into goal setting. On today’s special Master Hour episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by members of the Masters in Travel Community and Think Tank to check in on everyone’s progress since January. Whether you feel like your progress is on track, or you feel behind, checking in on goals is so important to do.

For professional travel advisors, the technology that we use is vital for running our day-to-day businesses well. We often don't know what's going on behind the scenes of these technologies. How did this company, tool, or idea get started? How do they decide what features to build next? On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, we learn about Lucia, a freelancer marketplace for travel. Whit...

The question of whether or not to book flights for our clients is an ongoing conversation. There can be stress, anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty that most advisors don’t want to deal with, no matter what the extra commissions are. But is there a way to make it more efficient and less of a headache, while adding a high touch, customized service? On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney i...

On this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney and Kate Thomas of Travel Pro Theory put on their boxing gloves to debate a very divisive and hot topic. Should you be forwarding on proposals and itineraries directly from suppliers to clients? Following an Instagram post from  TPT, many advisors are talking about if this is a very good idea, or a very bad idea. Listen in as Whitney and Kate disc...

As a beginning travel advisor, there’s so many thoughts, worries, fears, and insecurities surrounding how to actually make money in your business. Though some advisors dive in headfirst with no doubts at all, some still wonder to themselves, is this really going to work? If you're listening today and you're currently in this position of worry and doubt, just know we see you and we're here to suppo...

With the new year, the topic on everyone’s mind are setting goals for the new year. On this month’s Master Hour edition of the Masters in Travel Podcast, Whitney challenges the community to take concrete steps in creating a plan and goals for 2023. Whether you live and die by goal setting, whether you love it or it stresses you out, creating goals for your business can help to keep you and your bu...

On this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Kate Thomas, owner of North and Leisure and Co-Founder of Travel Pro Theory, as she shares some insight and behind the scenes on her newest project. She’s been reaching out to fellow travel advisors and turning these ideas into an amazing resource for everyone to use. Together Whitney and Kate discuss the ins and outs of the digest, starti...

There are so many different ways that advisors can get started in this business. But it's always just a matter of time before a change needs to happen. Sometimes we wonder what our business could be if we shifted or if we pivoted a little bit. But how do we pivot and shift our business? On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Heather Olivarez from Hummingbird Global Getaways....

$1 million in sales is no small feat. No matter if you’ve been working in your business for 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years, this goal  is not something that can be achieved without hard work and dedication. But should we put so much importance and our own self value on a single metric? On this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by two incredible advisors to continue this discussion...

One of the most common metrics of success talked about in this industry is the goal for one advisor to generate 1 million dollars in sales. Everyone has different ideas of what it means to hit this goal, but no matter which way you think about this metric, it's no small feat. But should it be the milestone that we are all reaching for? And should it take on so much importance? On today’s episode o...

When we think of energy, we typically think of our body’s physical energy. But is that all that there is? On today’s special Master Hour episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Alex Nickl, founder of The Fuel Method. Alex shares some deep insight into the deeper layers of energy, and how to tap into the masculine and feminine energies within each of us.

Although we work with supplier partners every day to facilitate the incredible trips that we plan, we don't actually know a lot about the day-to-day of our supplier partners. What's happening behind the scenes at hotels around the world or in a DMC's office? And vice versa, do supplier partner have insight into travel advisors and what's going on in our day-to-day? On this episode of Masters in Tr...

There are many learning curves that travel advisors face throughout their journey. From starting your own business, managing, hiring, and eventually growing into a leadership role to guide the team you've built. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to navigate this journey on your own. On today’s episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney is joined by Julie Lanham, president of Vacations to Remember...