Is there a certain part of the world that tugs at your heart strings? If you want to learn more about developing a travel planning niche, this is the episode for you! Brianna chats with Lori Gold, the travel savant behind Mexperts, who has built an impressive career curating personalized trips in the Mexican Caribbean AND as an expert advisor with resources to share. Lori shares her evolution from a generalist travel agent to a specialized advisor, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and how her love for the Mexican Caribbean fueled her niche expertise. From this discussion, you'll gain insights on the importance of passion in your work, the possibility of becoming an expert that can support other advisors, and how your career can take unexpected turns.

In this episode of Masters in Travel, Whitney dives into the art of marketing with the experienced Kaytee Fisher, founder of Moxie & Fourth, and guru about all things email marketing for travel advisors. They dissect the strategic layers of marketing: the importance of understanding your target audience, the value of consistency, and tools and tricks for upping engagement. Plus, Kaytee shares her insights on the balance between using various marketing platforms and concentrating on a few that yield the highest ROI. Whether you are just starting as a new advisor and need the basics, or are a seasoned advisor who needs some marketing fine-tuning, this episode has insights for you!

In this insightful episode, Brianna and special guest Kate Sullivan peel back the curtain on the concept of self-fam trips in the travel advisory world. From their personal experiences to the nuances of independent hotel site inspections and strategic relationship building, they offer a deep dive into the professional benefits and challenges of self-organizing familiarization trips. Plus, they discuss the intricacies of planning, executing, and capitalizing on these experiences to enhance their service offerings and bolster their expertise in the luxury travel market.

Looking to improve your marketing? In this episode, Whitney is joined by Madeline Steuber of Steuber Travel Group. Madeline shares about her successful marketing efforts in driving business to specific destinations and strategies for identifying client segments and tailoring her marketing strategy to each segment's needs. They also chat about the importance of authenticity, addressing pain points, and building trust with clients. Plus, learn about the value of repetition and the impact it has on profitability.

Steph Lee, founder of Host Agency Reviews, joins Whitney on the Masters in Travel Podcast this week to discuss the annual travel advisor surveys and reports. These annual reports provide valuable data like the average earnings of travel advisors, the percentage of advisors charging fees, the length of time advisors have been in the industry, and more. For example, 2023 data shows that the average annual income of a hosted travel advisor is $47,000, while the average annual income of an independent advisor is $68,000. Check out this episode for more insights that any travel advisor will gain from!

Happy New Year! In this episode of the Masters in Travel podcast, Whitney and Brianna discuss their end-of-year reflections and goals for the upcoming year. Get tips on the importance of journaling and reflecting on client feedback, plus hear their experiences with time-consuming tasks and the need to delegate or eliminate them. Lastly, they talk about the significance of setting goals and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress. Start your new year off strong with this informative episode!

Join Whitney and special guest Whitney Warren for this week's episode as they delve into the intricacies of self-sabotage and the fascinating landscape of intrinsic motivation within business leadership. They talk about how certain Enneagram personality types can lead to entrepreneurs inadvertently hindering their own success. Plus, they offer unique insights into the world of business ownership, discussing the balancing act of power, control, and personal growth, all while understanding the different motivational drives that fuel us.

Joining Brianna on the podcast this week is Haleigh Scott, owner of Next Exit Travels. Both Brianna and Haleigh have been in the travel industry for many years, and in this episode, they discuss how to create a business that fits your lifestyle and achieve a good work-life balance. Haleigh shares her journey of starting her own travel business and how building strong relationships with her clients helped her streamline her processes, set healthy boundaries, and learn how to balance her professional and personal time.

Travel advisors use technology every day in their work! In our Behind the Technology episodes, we introduce you to tech tools that can help you in business. David Shulll, co-founder and CEO of Tern Travel, joins Whitney to share how Tern Travel is working to create a tool that enables travel advisors to manage their businesses more efficiently. The best part? He asked advisors what they need out of a CRM and planning tool! That's why he and his team have built a comprehensive platform that integrates various tools and workflows into one system.

Are you using Linkedin for your travel business? In this episode of the Masters in Travel Podcast, guest Jenn Lee joins Whitney to discuss the untapped potential of LinkedIn for travel advisors. It's known as a social media and professional development marketing platform, but what other uses can Linkedin provide? We explore how LinkedIn can be used to build a personal brand, connect with potential clients and collaborators, and curate a unique content library. How can you use LinkedIn to attract the right audience and achieve specific business goals? Find out, plus more, in a conversation that will be useful for travel advisors in any level of business.