Episode Overview: In this episode, the Tern team dives into their final Flight Path of August 2025 with updates, reflections, and a preview of what’s ahead. CEO and Co-founder David Shull, Head of Product Molly Johnson, and returning guest Jade Pathe cover advisor success stories, lessons from recent bootcamps, and major product improvements. From new agency settings to a complete overhaul of payments and fresh insurance compliance features, this week’s discussion highlights how Tern is evolving to better support both individual advisors and large agencies. Plus, a sneak peek into what’s coming at the inaugural users conference and fall webinar.

Episode Topics:

(00:50) Advisor Wins and Community Impact

Molly shares heartfelt advisor stories that underscore Tern’s impact on businesses and why user feedback drives the team forward.

(04:30) Training Bootcamps and User Education

Jade recaps learnings from Karina’s successful bootcamps and previews upcoming training sessions at the users conference.

(09:42) Behind the Scenes of the Users Conference

David highlights the work going into Tern’s first-ever users conference, from keynote slides to the long-term 2030 vision.

(10:22) New Agency Settings for Large Teams

Molly details updates that help agency owners enforce best practices, streamline commission reconciliation, and simplify financial workflows.

(17:11) Overhauling Payments in Tern

Jade introduces a major redesign of how payments and authorizations work, giving advisors more flexibility, clearer tracking, and stronger compliance.

(29:49) Insurance Updates for Better Recordkeeping

Molly walks through new insurance compliance improvements, including automatic email records and logged opt-outs.

(34:45) Looking Ahead: Users Conference and Webinar

The team shares final prep for the users conference, the fall launch webinar, and what’s top of mind in the coming weeks.

Show Highlights:

• Heartfelt advisor stories that show Tern’s real business impact
• Bootcamp learnings that shape better training and education
• New agency settings that give owners stronger financial controls
• Payments overhaul with better tracking, flexibility, and compliance
• Insurance updates that create automatic opt-out records
• Behind-the-scenes prep for Tern’s first users conference and fall webinar

Episode Overview: In this episode, the Tern team dives into a busy week of updates across the platform. David Shull (CEO), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) cover major milestones including the long-awaited improvements to the text editor, the release of payment due dates in the calendar, and new polish in the mobile app. From energizing stories out of Travel Week to behind-the-scenes product decisions, it is a fast-paced look at how Tern is leveling up. Plus, the team teases what is coming at the upcoming Users Conference.

Episode Topics:

(00:59) Weekly Check-In Molly, Brad, and David share highlights from their week, from hiring and testing to bootcamps and Travel Week takeaways.

(07:27) What We Shipped This Week The team announces payment due dates are now live in the calendar, a top advisor request.

(14:40) New Text Editor Launch After months of testing, Tern’s new editor is fully rolled out across emails, automations, and templates, simplifying variables and formatting.

(21:40) Mobile App Update The latest version of the mobile app delivers a more polished experience for activities, documents, and client interactions.

(26:26) Quality of Life Improvements Ongoing updates make the web app more mobile friendly and introduce smarter color saving in the new editor.

(30:27) Looking Ahead The team previews next week’s work, including more mobile features, form response automation, and Users Conference prep.

Show Highlights: New calendar support for critical payment due dates Text editor overhaul simplifies variables and formatting across the platform Mobile app redesign delivers a polished, client-ready experience Quality of life updates improve mobile usability and color controls Exciting mystery features teased for the Users Conference

Episode Overview:

In this episode, the Tern team dives into another packed week of platform improvements, customer stories, and behind-the-scenes wins. David, Molly, and Brad share highlights from Virtuoso Travel Week, celebrate Bootcamp success, and unveil new product updates that make everyday workflows faster and smarter. From deep work on insurance and reporting to mobile-friendly design tweaks and sticky calendar filters, this week shows how Tern is leveling up for advisors everywhere.

Episode Topics:

(00:51) Insurance & Reporting Overhaul

Molly shares progress on improving the insurance module and advancing reporting tools with new filters, columns, and visualizations.

(02:14) Customer Praise & Bootcamp Responsiveness

Brad recounts an advisor’s heartfelt feedback and how Bootcamp sessions are improving in real time thanks to Karina and Ben.

(07:46) Streamlined Form Responses

New updates make it easier to find and link form responses directly to contacts and trips without tedious workarounds.

(11:31) Editor Performance & Email Upgrade

Brad outlines fixes to speed up itineraries and previews the final rollout of the new editor for emails, making variables easier to use.

(17:24) Agency Control of Service Fees

Agencies can now disable direct service fee collection to match legal and business requirements.

(19:20) Mobile Usability Improvements

Ongoing design updates make Tern smoother to use on the go, with responsive layouts and cleaner navigation.

(22:35) Sticky Calendar Filters Calendar preferences now persist between sessions, with payment due date tracking coming soon.

(24:18) UI Refresh: Goodbye Dots

A small but impactful design change removes unnecessary status dots, making tables clearer to read.

Show Highlights: Customer feedback driving rapid Bootcamp improvements Forms linked directly to trips and contacts for easier reference Editor upgrades speeding up itineraries and simplifying email templates Agencies gaining control over service fee collection settings Mobile-friendly updates improving the advisor experience on the go Persistent calendar filters for faster day-to-day planning

Episode Overview: This week on Flight Path, the Tern team is buzzing. CEO and Co-Founder David Shull, Head of Product Molly Johnson, and returning Product Lead Jade Pathe are here with a jam-packed update on what’s new, what’s next, and what’s already making a difference for travel advisors.

From the energy of 1,000-person live Bootcamps to long-awaited Trip & Activity Editor upgrades, this episode is all about momentum. You’ll hear how in-person agency visits are inspiring better product design, why AI is changing the way we handle live training, and how fresh updates in mobile, calendaring, and forms are making everyday workflows smoother. Plus, get a first look at big improvements coming soon for payment tracking and supplier terms.

It’s a fast-moving, high-impact snapshot of how Tern is leveling up to help advisors spend less time clicking and more time creating unforgettable journeys.

Episode Topics:

(00:00) Welcome & Team Check-In David, Molly, and Jade kick things off with an update on Brad, a peek at what’s ahead, and the vibe check for the week.

(01:45) On-Sites & Back-Office Insights Molly shares fresh takeaways from whirlwind in-person agency visits and why face-to-face time fuels better product design.

(03:25) Bootcamp Launch & AI Support Jade recaps our first Bootcamp sessions, how AI is powering real-time question handling, and the rapid-fire improvements from attendee feedback.

(10:45) Trip & Activity Editor Goes Live Jade and Molly walk through beta feedback, the updates we’ve shipped, and what’s next for messaging templates.

(15:35) Calendaring Filters & Enhancements New filters, sticky views, and payment due dates are making it easier to focus on what matters most.

(19:14) Mobile App Revamp Molly gives the inside scoop on our fresh, more visual design, early bug fixes, and what’s next for polishing the activity view.

(22:05) Forms in Contacts Advisors can now see all form responses directly in a contact record  retroactively. Yes, even the old ones.

(23:55) Quality of Life Wins Smarter empty states, clearer room pricing, and small updates that add up to big workflow wins.

(26:23) Week Ahead Preview A look at what’s on deck: better payment tracking, improved supplier terms management, and expanded form response capabilities.

(29:03) Travel Week in Las Vegas David shares our plans for the biggest Travel Week presence we’ve ever had, complete with tech summit roundtables and back-to-back advisor meetings.

Show Highlights:

• Live Bootcamps helping advisors get hands-on with Tern, supported by AI-powered question handling

• Trip & Activity Editor launch with smoother formatting and mobile-ready design

• New Calendaring Filters that clear the clutter and keep you focused

• Mobile App redesign for a more visual, traveler-friendly experience

• Forms in Contacts for instant, retroactive access to client responses

• Sneak peek at credit card authorization and payment tracking upgrades
  

Keywords: Tern, Flight Path podcast, travel advisor technology, CRM for travel agents, itinerary builder, automation templates, AI product tools, travel bootcamp, trip editor, travel CRM, travel industry software, mobile app for travel advisors, travel agency tools, commission reconciliation, calendar filters, credit card authorization travel, back-office tools for travel, travel advisor training, travel tech updates

Episode Overview: This week on Flight Path, David (CEO), Molly (Head of Product), and Brad (Head of Design) take us behind the scenes of some of Tern’s most exciting recent releases. From a powerful new calendar view and an overhauled traveler form flow to a sleek, redesigned mobile app, this episode is packed with updates that make life easier for advisors and experiences smoother for clients. Plus, the team reflects on how AI is reshaping how Tern builds and ships faster than ever.

Episode Topics: (00:00) Welcome & Week in Review The team kicks off August reflecting on a wild week of launches, bootcamp buzz, and calendar hype. Over 1,700 users have registered for Tern's Summer Bootcamp.

(05:22) New Calendar View (Beta) Molly demos the brand-new calendar feature, a highly requested upgrade that gives advisors an at-a-glance view of upcoming trips, tasks, birthdays, passport expirations, and more. Bonus: new filters let users hide quoting trips or birthdays to stay focused.

(09:30) AI-Powered Product Development Brad and David explain how AI helped fast-track the calendar project from idea to prototype, flipping the traditional product process and unlocking faster iterations.

(16:37) Smarter Contact Forms for Groups & Families Brad walks through a reimagined contact form flow. Advisors can now require emails only for primary travelers and still collect and update complete information for everyone in the group, even those without emails.

(23:51) A Juicy New Mobile App Experience Molly reveals a near-complete mobile redesign: beautiful photo-rich layouts, easier access to documents, auto-scroll to current day, and intuitive navigation. The new design reflects advisor branding and is built for clarity and polish.

(31:36) Quality of Life Improvements Folders now support automation templates (with itinerary templates and workflows coming soon). Performance improvements for shared trips make navigation faster for agency owners with large teams.

(34:00) What’s Coming Next

• Live form responses where you actually need them (e.g., contacts and trips)

• Full rollout of the rich text trip editor

• Enhanced color picker for styling

• Simplified credit card authorization flowMore polish for activity views in the mobile appTern team prepping for Virtuoso Travel Week and the upcoming user conference
  

Show Highlights:

• Calendar view is here, finally, with filters, clean UI, and live updates

• Mobile app gets a total redesign to elevate the client experienceForms now handle group travel like a dream, no extra work required

• AI-driven development accelerates delivery without compromising qualityFolder support for automations and faster shared trip performanceBootcamp registration passes 1,700 advisors (and counting!)
  

Episode Overview:

In this episode, the Tern team dives into a jam-packed week of product improvements, AI-fueled innovation, and a major new training initiative. David (CEO), Molly (Head of Product), and Brad (Head of Design) reflect on everything from smarter contact forms and a polished new mobile app preview to inclusive updates and surprisingly satisfying tag clean-up features. Plus, they tease what’s coming next, including a much-requested overhaul of payment schedules and new visibility for form responses right where you need them.

Episode Topics:

(00:54) A Tease of the New Mobile App

Molly previews improvements to Tern’s traveler-facing mobile app, featuring a more polished, photo-rich itinerary design for a smoother client experience.

(01:49) Deep Dive Into Merchant Agencies

Brad shares learnings from recent interviews with merchant-based agencies and how those insights are helping shape new Tern features.

(03:51) What a Board Meeting Looks Like at Tern

David gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Tern’s board pushes the team toward building the best platform in the travel industry without dictating direction.

(06:08) AI-Powered Efficiency in Action

The team discusses how AI is accelerating product design, engineering, and planning like a surprise sleeper-hit feature for tag editing that came together in record time.

(07:52) Summer Bootcamp Is Live

Karina and Ben have kicked off an 8-session live training series for new and seasoned users. The response has been overwhelming and it’s just the beginning.

(08:14) “No Dead Ends” and Empty States Improvements

Molly explains how new “empty state” screens across Tern guide users with clear, intuitive first actions like quickly generating an invoice or connecting an inbox.

(12:29) Smarter Forms for Groups & Families

Brad and Molly walk through new logic that reduces the need for duplicate emails when filling forms for group travelers. Relationships are inferred to prevent clutter.

(14:56) Inclusive Gender Options in Forms

Advisors can now collect gender in forms including non-binary and other options.

(16:40) Trip & Activity Editor (Beta Update)

The new rich text editor is in beta and working well. Advisors will see a full rollout next week, bringing smoother formatting, bullet points, and styling tools.

(19:27) Editable Tags: A Surprise Fan Favorite

Advisors can now view, rename, and delete tags directly in settings, a feature fast-tracked with AI assistance and unexpectedly loved by the community.

(22:52) Copyable Confirmation Numbers on Payouts

Advisors can now click to copy confirmation numbers in payout statements. A small touch, but a huge time-saver.

(23:26) Automation Template Folders Are Here

Tidy up your backend: folders now support automation templates. Itinerary and workflow folders are next in line.

(25:47) Mobile Web UI Improvements Begin

Tern is starting to optimize advisor workflows on iPads and phones. First update: the left nav now hides while editing activities to save precious screen space.

(27:12) Work Begins on Smarter Payment Schedules

A full overhaul of how Tern handles payment plans is underway. Expect better flexibility, clearer logic, and less manual editing when plans change mid-trip.

(29:48) Coming Soon: Form Responses Where You Need Them

Starting with contacts (and soon trips), advisors will see form submissions directly where they work. No more hunting in the library, just instant context.

Show Highlights:

Real-time advisor feedback turned into better onboarding UX

Inclusive updates that better serve diverse travelers

Behind-the-scenes look at how AI is shaping product development

A brand-new education initiative that’s already making waves

A sneak peek at foundational upgrades to payment and form systems

In this episode, David, Molly, and Brad reflect on a packed week at Tern. From in-person team bonding to product rollouts and user empathy exercises, they share what’s new, what’s coming, and how it all ladders up to building the best possible platform for modern travel advisors.

• (00:49) New Hire Offsite Recap

  • Tern’s remote team came together in Plymouth, MI for a new hire orientation focused on building connection, culture, and context. The highlight? A hands-on storytelling activity where teammates pieced together Tern’s origin story through photos and milestones. It sparked emotion, reflection, and a shared appreciation for how far the company has come.

• (08:30) Advisor Simulation

  • To help team members build empathy for the advisor experience, Tern ran a live simulation where employees role-played travelers, advisors, and suppliers. Each group planned a custom trip to Italy under real-world pressures like unclear preferences, last-minute changes, and tight deadlines. For engineers and designers, it was a powerful way to understand the complexity advisors manage every day.

• (14:27) Mobile App Upgrades

  • Tern’s traveler-facing mobile app just got a major usability update. Trips are now clearly split into “Upcoming” and “Past” tabs, helping travelers easily find relevant information. Visual design improvements also polish the overall look and feel. Advisors are encouraged to prompt their clients to update their app for the best experience — especially as Tern rolls out its new content editor.

• (17:19) Agency Tools in Beta

  • A new feature allows agencies to require specific fields — like confirmation numbers or supplier names — before a booking can be marked as complete. This helps improve reconciliation and reporting accuracy. The feature is currently in beta with one agency, and the team is gathering feedback to refine the experience before a broader rollout.

• (24:09) Improved Onboarding for New Users

  • New advisors now land in a clean, guided interface when they join Tern. Instead of being dropped into a pre-filled demo trip, they’re offered clear paths to add a trip, log a booking, or start a credit card authorization. These small changes make the platform more approachable — and even longtime users are loving the improved flow.

• (28:22) What’s Next: The New Editor

  • The long-awaited new rich text editor is rolling out for trips and activities. It enables cleaner formatting, improved styling, and better compatibility across web and mobile. To ensure a smooth transition, the team conducted a detailed side-by-side QA comparing old vs. new formatting. Travelers on outdated app versions may not see formatting correctly, so advisors should encourage updates.

• (32:20) Contact Form Improvements

  • Tern is refining how contact forms work when travelers don’t include email addresses for every person in their party. These updates will reduce the creation of duplicate contacts and make it easier to collect and update traveler details — especially for group and family bookings.

• (20:17 & 35:10) Admin-Level Supplier Templates

  • Tern is researching how to let agency owners define default terms, cancellation policies, and payment details at the supplier level. This feature would save advisors time and reduce errors, especially for large teams. The team is currently collecting feedback to shape what this capability might look like.

• (23:25) Quick Wins & Quality of Life Updates

  • A highly requested update now lets advisors mark payments as “paid” directly from the authorizations table — no need to click in and scroll. It’s a small change, but one that eliminates extra clicks and keeps workflows fast and efficient.

In this episode of the Flight Path Podcast, Tern CEO David Shull is joined by Molly Johnson (Head of Product) and Brad Turner (Head of Design) for a transparent and action-packed recap of the week in product. They cover a recent email bug incident, the long-awaited launch of multi-contact forms, a wave of text editor rollouts, and mobile app upgrades that are making things smoother for travelers. The team also shares what’s coming next, from relationship tracking in forms to their first-ever in-person onboarding.

Key Topics:
(00:00) Intro and Welcome:

• A quick overview of this week’s episode and what’s ahead

(00:47) Week in Review:

• Brad visits a host agency in person and reflects on the in-office travel advisor experience
• Molly shares an emotional conversation with a nonprofit using Tern to help families with serious illnesses
• David checks in from GTM North America and reflects on the intensity of advisor conferences

(05:57) Transparency Around an Email Bug:

• Molly explains a bug that caused duplicate birthday emails and how a quick fix led to wider impact
• The team walks through how incidents are handled at Tern, including retrospectives, communication upgrades, and prevention planning
• Why support is the best place to report urgent bugs, and how the team is evolving its response workflows

(13:40) New Feature: Multi-Contact Forms:

• Molly and Brad detail the launch of multi-contact form elements, allowing lead travelers to submit info for multiple people in one go
• Considerations for field logic, page layout, and when not to use the new section
• How this ties into trip request forms and the broader forms product roadmap

(19:21) Text Editor Rollout Expands:

• Brad shares where the new editor is now live: terms and conditions, forms, tasks, and supplier records
• Molly previews what’s next, including mobile support, itinerary compatibility, and eventually messaging

(22:48) Mobile App Improvements:

• Black buttons, cleaner trip views, and a more branded experience for travelers
• Upcoming navigation enhancements will separate current from past trips
• Visual polish and “juicy” UI updates to make the app feel more cohesive and professional

(25:27) Quality of Life Fixes:

• Confirmation number alerts when marking bookings as booked
• Fix to insurance quote form where dates previously had to be entered twice

(27:21) Team Update: In-Person Onboarding & Travel Simulation:

• Tern’s first new hire orientation is happening next week in Michigan
• The team will run a full simulation where staff play the roles of advisor, supplier, and client to better understand user workflows

(30:04) Looking Ahead:

• Brad previews improvements to how contact relationships will be tracked from form submissions
• Molly shares why this helps reduce duplicate records and improve integrations
• More empty state design work is underway to make Tern easier for first-time users

Flight Path is your weekly window into product updates, company culture, and the future of travel advisor tech. Subscribe wherever you listen to stay up to speed with the team behind Tern.

Happy 4th of July from the Flight Path crew! In this week's episode, David (Tern’s CEO), Molly (Head of Product), and Brad (Head of Design) are celebrating summer—and the avalanche of new features, updates, and future plans at Tern.

And for those curious about where Tern is headed long-term? You’ll hear the team unpack what’s next—from deeper payments infrastructure to potential supplier integrations that could unlock massive advisor efficiencies.

00:00 — Holiday vibes + intros
00:52 — Brad’s week: payments, tacos, and Jack joins Tern
02:50 — Molly’s week: mobile web, form responses, reporting
04:45 — David’s reflections on team growth and Q3 planning
05:25 — The folder frenzy: why advisors are loving this feature
07:10 — Editor rollout preview: what’s changing and how to prep
13:00 — “Trash” feature: recovering deleted trips (and bad jokes)
16:00 — Trip tips: unpublishing, archiving, and custom views
18:59 — New quality-of-life updates (tasks, taxes, accessibility, etc.)
23:38 — What’s coming in Q3: features, reporting, mobile, more
28:59 — Payments and trip funds: how we’re laying the groundwork
35:30 — Supplier integration ideas: eliminating invisible work
37:50 — What’s next week look like + team’s 4th of July plans

Whether you’re working poolside, road-tripping with clients on your mind, or just catching up after the holiday—this episode will keep you in the loop on all things Tern.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment with your favorite metaphor (or your best folder setup). See you next week on Flight Path!

In this final June episode of Flight Path, the Tern team (David, Molly, and Brad) dive into a transformative week at Tern HQ—and it’s a big one. From team expansion to user conference planning, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes updates and future-facing product features.

00:00 – Welcome & Week in Review

• David, Molly, and Brad reflect on a week filled with new hires and big ambitions.

• How Tern is building new cross-functional capabilities (AI efficiency, education, and training).

  
  

03:45 – Growing the Team & Expanding Vision

• How team additions like Gal and Karina are shaping Tern’s strategy for scale.

• Canadian expansion and TICO compliance updates after a trip to Toronto.

  
  

05:54 – The User Conference Deep Dive

• Why Tern’s first-ever user conference (on a cruise!) is shaping up to be unlike anything else in the industry.

• How advisors will co-build features live with engineers (yes, in real-time).

• From business workshops to hands-on tooling sessions, Tern wants attendees to leave with actual progress.

  
  

10:14 – Unlocking Group Growth

• Tern will spotlight advisors like Walter who scaled from $300k → $4M in group sales.

• Pairing real business strategy with tool walk-throughs, including AI, automations, and landing page design.

  
  

12:26 – Conference Signup Info

• Interested in joining? Head to tern.travel and click "Conference" in the top nav.

• Or email David directly at [email protected] for more info.

  
  

13:16 – Product Updates: Folders, Groups & Click-Saving

• Folders for email templates are here (350 created in 2 days!).

• Form and task template folders launching next.

• Sub-trip status updates are now editable in-line from the overview screen.

• Cleaner pricing displays now eliminate confusion when client selections are incomplete.

  
  

15:45 – New Group Exports + Real-Time Wins

• Export traveler lists with sub-trip mapping—critical for supplier manifests and wedding groups.

• This update landed during a conference demo, solving two live advisor pain points.

  
  

20:54 – Editor Update (Yes, Finally!)

• The long-awaited block editor replacement is nearly done.

• End of July = no more block editor for activities.

• Email editor improvements will follow soon after.

  
  

23:40 – Agency Commission Tools

• Total payout summaries are now available—no more manual math.

• Loved by agency owners and advisors alike.

  
  

24:59 – Mobile App Glow-Up Coming

• A new series of Traveler app improvements kicks off next week.

• Expect crisper design, better doc access, easier navigation between past/upcoming trips, and more.

• Advisor mobile web experience is next in line for polish.

  
  

29:02 – Forms Reimagined

• Contact forms will soon support collecting details for multiple travelers at once.

• Less repetition. Better UX. Major time-saver—especially for families and group bookings.

  
  

30:59 – What’s Next?

• With a doubling of R&D and a maturing team, Tern is entering a new phase of parallel progress.

• User conference, mobile upgrades, and deeper partnerships are just the beginning of what’s coming in H2.