Strategic Travel Entrepreneur: Business Tips for Travel Agents/Advisors, Travel Agency Owners, and Travel Business Owners

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! *WARNING*  This is a very lengthy episode :)  I recommend that you listen a few times, so as not to overwhelm yourself.  Listen once, just to gather all the information.  Reflect. Listen twice, to take notes on the things that you need the MOST at this time and stage in your travel business.   YOU WILL NOT NEED ALL THESE TOOLS.  And you may not need some of the...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Prep for Wave Week is complete!  What a chockful week of incredible education to help you move the needle further in your travel business!  In this week's podcast episode, I wanted to share some key takeaways that I saw as the host of the event, that can help translate to success for your travel business.  Enjoy! ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more epis...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Prep for Wave Week has begun!  At the initial release of this episode, we are now halfway through, and it's not too late to register.  Listen in on some of the takeaways that have come about from the first 4 sessions: Avoiding Burnout, Contracts and Agreements, Determining your Goals, and Trade Associations. ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episodes!...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Richard Fain recently announced that Royal Caribbean is now receiving more bookings directly than through the travel advisor channel.  Listen in on my thoughts on why I think that could be so, and what you can be doing to change that.  Enjoy! ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episodes! Register for Prep for Wave Week: https://ritaventures.thrivecart.com/pr...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Did you know that even before traveling with you, your clients go on a journey. The steps of this journey include: Attract, Engage, Nurture, Invite, and Delight, and I'm going over a little bit of each in this episode, how they relate to your business, and how Prep for Wave Week will assist this journey.  Enjoy! ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episo...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! The title is pretty self-explanatory, but learn more on what Wave Week is and why you should be preparing for it.  Also, I give a full run-down of how my free event, Prep for Wave Week, is going to work.  Make sure to register at the link below! ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episodes! Register for Prep for Wave Week: https://ritaventures.thrivecart.com...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! I'd like to offer a different take on why you should be charging fees, by looking differently on what supplier commission really is.  Thanks to the wonderful Dave Natale, I have finally started sticking to a fee structure that feels great to me, and I discuss that in this episode as well (with the hopes that I'll have Dave on soon to discuss how he ca...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Amy Graves, of AMG Innovative Consulting on all things SEO and Analytics.   Listen in on our conversation on what SEO is, how it affects your business, and how you can utilize analytics to make little tweaks on your website to improve its performance.   Enjoy! Register for Amy's Masterclasses: https://www.amginno...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Kristi Mitchell (again!), who owns Kristi Mitchell Consulting.   Listen in on our conversation on creating the strategy behind your social media posts,  how to stay consistent in your plan, and why social media is very often a mad science experiment  Enjoy! Register for Kristi's Webinar Series: https://www.kristi...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! It's Hispanic Heritage Month!  Giving you some quick tips on how you can celebrate and honor the heritage in your travel business this month. ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episodes! Enroll in the W.E.T. Workshop: https://ritaventures.thrivecart.com/wet-workshop/ Say HI on Social: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/takethehelmvbs Instagram: http://w...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Increasing my visibility has been a big focus these past few years, so I can have more eyeballs on my business and knowing exactly what I do and who I serve.  Learn about the strategies I have incorporated to increased my network, stay consistent, and get on other people's audiences! ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episodes! Enroll in the W.E.T. Wor...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! It's not because you've been in business for 10 years, it's not because you have a certificate, it's not because you can help them. Those can be helpful, but what your clients really want to know is, what's in it for them.  So how are you conveying that in your branding and marketing.  I see too much "get marketing" and not en...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Evie Burke, who is the founder and productivity strategist at One Insight Closer.   Listen in on our conversation on how to break down the steps in all the "projects" we manage, how to prioritize in your business, and the more effective to-do lists.  Enjoy! Stay connected with Evie: www. OneInsightCloser.com...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Jeri Ann Cook , owner and managing partner of Sunstone Bookkeeping, LLC.  Listen in on our conversation on why accounting is more than just income and expenses, the bare minimum tracking you should be doing, and when you should be hiring on an accountant to help keep track of it all.  Enjoy! Stay connected with Jeri A...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Andrea De La Cruz, my brand photographer.  Listen in on our conversation on why you NEED to have a branding photoshoot, what you can do to prep for a good shoot, and what the process looks like working with a brand photographer.  Enjoy! Stay connected with Andrea: https://www.instagram.com/andreadelacruzphotography/ h...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Courtnie Nichols, fellow travel advisor and founder of Compass Collective.  Listen in on our conversation about how you can increase inclusivity in your travel business, the small changes you can make to move the needle, and the many ways people can experience adversity in their travel experience.  Enjoy! Stay connect...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Stephanie Cannon, fellow travel advisor and former Corporate Financial Analyst, amongst other titles.  Listen in on our conversation about why you should know your business numbers, what numbers you should be paying attention to, bank accounts that are helpful, and so so much more.  Enjoy! Stay connected with Stephani...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Do you have a great network of both personal and professional contacts that help to spread the word of your business?  Referral partners are like mini business ambassadors and boy have they greatly helped me this past year.  In this episode I go over why I wanted to do something different in my business (networking), how I have built my relationships, and some...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! One of the ways I'm working to stick to my boundaries is by creating a model calendar.  I've been really liking my recent flow with my model calendar as it helps me balance between those heads up and heads down stages we work with on a daily as travel entrepreneurs.  Listen in on how my current model calendar looks, as well as different tweaks I have...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! I don't know about you, but I have been struggling with boundaries since I dove in deep into both of my businesses.  Listen in on some of the mindset shifts I've had to make, as well as how I revamped my schedule to make it work for me.  My hope is that you come away with some ideas on how to create boundaries in your own business, to keep shaping thi...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! I'm back!  Thank you so much for your grace these past few weeks.  In this episode of the podcast, I gush over many of the details encompassed in my travel business rebrand.  I discuss working with a brand strategist and why I selected her, the team of other brilliant minds who have helped me, and the pre-work I did to really make sure I get this rebrand r...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Hello Entrepreneurs--The Strategic Travel Entrepreneur will be going on a short break, as I help with a family emergency.  Tentative come back date is June 30, 2021, so until then, please head over to my Facebook or Instagram accounts for updated content.   Thanks for understanding, Rita https://www.facebook.com/takethehelmvbs https://www.instagram.com/taketheh...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Beth Dean-Pope, my Sales Director with Hurtigruten South Region.  Listen in on our conversation about how you can fully utilize your BDM's for travel business success, how often you should be communicating with your preferred contacts, and get some really juicy insight on how Beth has made some of her advisors lo...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! Join me in my first solo episode as I go over some content basics, why it is so important to have updated content, and the different types of content you can incorporate in your travel business! ⚓⚓Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more episodes! Say HI on Social: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/takethehelmvbs Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/takethehelmvbs S...

Send Rita a text with your thoughts! In this episode of the podcast, I interview Nicolette Reynolds, a longtime friend and small business marketing strategist.  Listen in on our conversation on the different direct mail campaigns you can create, why this tool is so great for client engagement, and how to utilize Mailbox Power for your travel business. Stay connected with Nicolette: withgratitudema...