TIQUE Talks: The Business Podcast for Travel Advisors

Would you rather spend $35 a month on a CRM, or $3,000 on a FAM for the one Turkey lead you'll get in four years? If you flinched at the CRM number, we need to talk. In this Hot Take, Jennifer and Robin call out one of the travel industry's favorite delusions: advisors happily investing in FAMs but hesitating to invest in the systems, education, and expertise that grow their businesses. They share the biggest investments they've made (including a whopping $20,000 website and $10,000+ in AI education), why those purchases have paid for themselves many times over, and the simple question you should ask before spending another dollar on your business.

Ready to actually invest in your business instead of your carry-on? Don't miss the Travel Business Intensive, happening August 24-26! Three days, nine sessions, and practical strategies you can implement immediately to build a more profitable, efficient travel business. Learn more and grab your ticket here → RESERVE MY SPOT!

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Smeuse Studio - Strategic branding and website design for travel advisors
• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs

In this first episode of the Summer Boundaries Series, Jennifer and Robin explain why your inbox might be running your business instead of supporting it. They share strategies for setting office hours, creating autoresponders that improve the client experience, using email signatures to reinforce boundaries, and building forms and automations that eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth. They also discuss the mindset shift every business owner needs to make: being constantly available isn't the same as delivering exceptional service. When your communication systems create clarity, your clients feel more confident, your business becomes more scalable, and you finally have the space to work on your business instead of spending every day reacting to your inbox.

Today we will cover:

• (02:45) Why your inbox shouldn't be your task manager
• (09:15) What every travel advisor should include in an autoresponder
• (16:15) Using your email signature to reinforce boundaries and reduce liability
• (26:35) Simple automations that save time without sacrificing personalization
• (35:15) How proactive communication dramatically reduces incoming emails
• (42:50) Why CEOs prioritize deep work over constant inbox management

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• Scaling With Systems – Learn the systems Jennifer and Robin use to create boundaries, streamline operations, and scale a travel business without sacrificing client experience.
• How We Work & Investment Guide – Set clear expectations before discovery calls and help qualified leads understand your process before they book.
• What To Do When Guide – Give clients a single resource that explains what to do before, during, and while traveling to reduce unnecessary emails.
• Client Onboarding Guide – Create a seamless onboarding experience and answer common questions before they arise.
• Client Experience Templates – Ready-to-use email templates, forms, workflows, and client touchpoints designed to create a consistent, scalable client experience.

Don't miss the Travel Business Intensive, happening August 24-26. Learn more and grab your ticket here → RESERVE MY SPOT!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Don't miss the Travel Business Intensive, happening August 24-26. Learn more and grab your ticket here → RESERVE MY SPOT!

Think you're annoying your audience? You're giving yourself way too much credit. Most people aren't seeing your content in the first place. In this Hot Take, Jennifer and Robin explain why the fear of "posting too much" is costing travel advisors potential clients, why confidence converts, and why the businesses that win are the ones willing to show up long after everyone else gets uncomfortable. And don't stop when the episode ends - stick around for the blooper reel, where things go completely off the rails!

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs
• Smeuse Studio - Strategic branding and website design for travel advisors

New levels, new devils. The strategies that get you to $1 million in sales aren't necessarily the same ones that will get you to $3 million. Angie Licea of Global Travel Collection shares the mindset shifts, systems, and leadership habits she sees among top-performing advisors, along with advice for building a business that grows with you instead of consuming you. From delegation and team structure to defining your value and avoiding burnout, this episode is full of actionable takeaways for advisors who want to scale with intention.

About Angie Licea:

Angie is President of Global Travel Collection (GTC), a division of Internova Travel Group and a $2.3 billion travel agency representing more than 1,500 independent advisors. With over 36 years in the travel industry, Angie has held leadership roles at US Airways, American Express/Rosenbluth International, and Travel Leaders Group. Today, she is passionate about helping travel advisors grow thriving businesses while championing the value of personalized service and the human touch in travel.

instagram.com/globaltravelcollection

joinus.globaltravelcollection.com

Today we will cover:

• (01:30) Meet Angie Licea
• (03:10) Why the jump from $1M to $3M is different
• (09:00) Infrastructure, processes, and avoiding shiny objects
• (20:00) Work-life balance and avoiding burnout
• (29:20) What Highly Successful Advisors Do Differently
• (34:50) There is no wrong way to build your business
• (43:05) Diversifying without diluting your niche

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

How We Work & Investment Guide

Join the Niche Community

→ Grab Your Ticket to The Travel Business Intensive! Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

You can't build a business around a blurry goal! In this Hot Take, Jennifer and Robin explain why every successful travel advisor needs a long-term vision before setting goals. They share the mistakes they made early in business, unpack the difference between vision and goals, and discuss how your pricing, offers, team, and daily decisions should all support the business (and life) you ultimately want to build. If you're ready to stop making reactionary decisions and start growing your travel business with intention, don't miss Jennifer's closing session at the Travel Business Intensive (August 24-26), where she'll help you turn your vision into a practical plan for growth! → Grab Your Ticket - Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs
• Smeuse Studio - Strategic branding and website design for travel advisors

Building a successful travel business shouldn't come at the expense of your life. Mimi Lichtenstein, Founder of Truvay Travel, has created a thriving referral-only boutique advisory by putting her health, family, and priorities on the calendar before work ever begins. In this episode, she shares how intentional planning, time blocking, client boundaries, and smarter systems have helped her grow a profitable business without sacrificing the freedom that drew her to entrepreneurship in the first place. If you're ready to stop reacting to your calendar and start designing your business with intention, this episode is full of actionable ideas you can implement immediately!

About Mimi Lichtenstein:

Mimi didn't set out to become a luxury travel advisor. She set out to live a really good life - and somewhere along the way, helping others do the same became her work. After a year-long family sabbatical in Spain, she founded Truvay Travel, a referral-only boutique advisory based in Hanover, NH - and has been recognized as a Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist for four consecutive years. Her approach is built on real connection, intentional contrast - street food and Michelin stars, refugios and five-star lodges - and a life designed the same way: health, family, and play first. Work built around them.

truvaytravel.com

linkedin.com/in/mimi-lichtenstein

instagram.com/truvaytravel

Today we will cover:

• (02:30) Mimi's journey to becoming a travel advisor
• (05:10) Why scheduling your priorities first leads to greater productivity
• (09:00) Time-blocking and weekly planning strategies
• (14:00) How to reduce decision fatigue and avoid burnout
• (19:55) The importance of setting boundaries with clients
• (34:45) Why saying "no" can help you build a more profitable business

→ Grab Your Ticket to The Travel Business Intensive! Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

→ Grab Your Ticket to The Travel Business Intensive! Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

Robin and Jennifer are exposing the most expensive marketing mistake of all, the one that never shows up on a credit card statement: doing it all yourself until you burn out. From wasted ad spend to vanity metrics that feel good but pay nothing, they share how shifting from random promotion to a strategic marketing engine transformed their business. Tune in as they discuss measuring ROI, finding the right audience, outsourcing wisely, and why chasing virality is basically the marketing equivalent of running really fast in the wrong direction.

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs
• Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE at checkout

Not every client needs a $2,000-a-night hotel to feel like they're traveling in luxury. Natalie Payne, VP of Sales at Calliope Collective, joins this episode to discuss how travel advisors can create elevated client experiences by blending bucket-list hotels with high-value properties that deliver exceptional service and a true sense of place. Drawing on more than 25 years in the independent hotel world, Natalie shares how to identify a client's "passion points," decide where the budget matters most, and build itineraries that feel luxurious without unnecessary excess. You'll hear examples from Italy and Ireland, strategies for sequencing hotel stays, ideas for destination alternatives, and practical ways to use supplier relationships and rep firms as an extension of your team. Whether you're planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip or helping clients maximize their budget, this episode will help you deliver more value without sacrificing the wow factor!

About Natalie Payne:

Natalie is a seasoned sales leader and strategic partnerships expert with a background in luxury hospitality and service-based businesses. As Vice President of Sales at The Calliope Collective, she focuses on driving revenue growth and building high-value client relationships. With over 16 years at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Natalie brings deep expertise in luxury client experience, sales strategy, and partnership development. Her approach is relationship-driven, combining strong execution with a focus on sustainable, long-term growth.

thecalliopecollective.com

Today we will cover:

• (04:30) Defining a splurge stay versus a value stay
• (08:35) Balancing bucket-list hotels with budget priorities
• (14:05) Does the order of hotel stays matter?
• (21:00) Planning around passions instead of destinations
• (26:20) How to build relationships with rep firms and suppliers

→ Grab Your Ticket to The Travel Business Intensive! Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

→ Grab Your Ticket to The Travel Business Intensive! Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

You asked for SOP templates. You downloaded the SOP templates. You have not touched the SOP templates. Sound familiar? In this Hot Take, Jennifer and Robin are here to give you the loving kick in the pants you need, because your business cannot scale, hire, or sell if every process lives inside your head. You’ll learn how to use AI and a dictation tool to crank out three SOPs in a 30-minute gap between meetings, why you should document before you automate, and how to keep your SOPs current without a total overhaul every year. Bottom line: your client experience, your financial health, and your ability to grow all depend on having documented processes. The good news? It has never been easier to build them!

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

ClickUp Business Hub Template

Join the Niche Community

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs
• Flytographer - Earn commission on professional vacation photography
• Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE at checkout

Growing your business shouldn't require working around the clock. Catherine Denham, founder of Catherine Denham Travel and an affiliate of Brownell Travel, shares how intentional systems, strategic hiring, and a commitment to exceptional service helped her transform a one-woman operation into a thriving, relationship-driven agency on track to surpass $5 million in sales. Catherine opens up about the lessons she learned from booking everything, undercharging, and trying to do it all herself. She also shares how personality profiles have shaped her hiring decisions and how the right processes have allowed her team to scale without sacrificing the personalized experience their clients value most.

About Catherine Denham:

Travel has shaped Catherine's life since childhood, when annual family adventures—across the country and around the world—inspired her curiosity and molded the way she sees the world. That early sense of wonder eventually led her into hospitality, where she began her career at Sea Island Resorts more than 20 years ago. Her passion for service has only deepened since. Today, as the founder of Catherine Denham Travel, she blends lifelong experience, industry expertise, and global relationships to craft seamless, one-of-a-kind journeys. From indulgent weekend escapes to intricate multi-country adventures, Catherine thrives on uncovering each client’s dreams and translating them into immersive itineraries enriched by insider access and thoughtful detail.

cdenhamtravel.com

instagram.com/catherine.denham.travel

Today we will cover:

• (01:40) Catherine’s path to travel
• (04:45) Why booking everything and not charging fees slowed her growth
• (14:50) Hiring, team roles and workflow
• (22:30) How monday.com, Dubsado, and Zoom support the team
• (28:05) Using AI Without Losing Personalization
• (34:25) How the Birkman method helped build the right team
• (41:15) Catherine's long-term vision and the path toward $5 million in sales
• (46:00) Small details that create big referrals

→ Grab Your Ticket to The Travel Business Intensive! Early bird pricing of $295 available through July 14!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ