TIQUE Talks: The Business Podcast for Travel Advisors

→ 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.

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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

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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

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

AI seems to bring out strong opinions. Some people think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Others act like using ChatGPT is the first step toward the robot apocalypse. In this Hot Take, Robin and Jennifer tackle the question many travel advisors are asking: Should you be avoiding AI? They share how their own perspective has changed and the simple ways they're using AI in their business; from meeting recaps and task management to tax questions and time blocking. They also discuss the three biggest pain points travel advisors face and how AI can help solve them without sacrificing personalization. This isn't about replacing humans. It's about removing the drag in your business so you can show up as the best version of yourself for your clients, your team, and your family.

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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

Heather Keller of Perfect Landing Travel returns to the show to share how she's leveraging AI to eliminate repetitive tasks and create more space for the work that drives growth. From client communications and workflow management to restaurant research and trip planning support, Heather has built a suite of custom GPTs that function as an extension of her team; bringing greater consistency, efficiency, and scalability to her business without sacrificing personalization.

Want to see Heather's GPTs in action? Join us inside the Niche Community on July 2 for a live demonstration where Heather will walk through the custom GPTs she uses to streamline operations, support her team, and deliver a more consistent client experience! Then, continue the conversation at Tique’s Travel Business Intensive, August 24-26!

About Heather Keller:

Heather is the founder of Perfect Landing Travel and a respected luxury travel advisor with more than a decade of industry experience. A consistent top producer with Departure Lounge since 2020, she has been recognized as a Travel + Leisure Rising Star and has helped lead her team to multiple industry nominations. Known for her psychology-informed approach to travel planning, Heather specializes in understanding what clients truly want from their travels—not just where they want to go, but how they want to feel. By combining deep client insight with innovative tools like AI, she creates highly personalized, high-touch travel experiences that feel effortless, thoughtful, and uniquely tailored to each traveler.

perfectlandingtravel.com

instagram.com/perfectlandingtravel

Today we will cover:

• (03:00) ChatGPT vs. custom GPTs
• (06:45) How Heather created GPTs for repeatable tasks and workflows
• (14:55) Using AI for client communications
• (20:55) Heather's favorite note-taking tools; Granola and Plaud
• (26:05) Auditing, tweaking, and refining outputs over time
• (28:10) How examples, standards, and boundaries improve output

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Join the Waitlist for The Travel Business Intensive by TIQUE!

If you're selling everything, you're known for nothing. In this Hot Take, Robin and Jennifer make the case for niching down; why it leads to better clients, stronger supplier relationships, and real pricing power. They bust the "but I'll miss bookings" myth, share examples of experts crushing it in ultra-specific lanes, and give you three questions to help you pick your own. Hit play now!

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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

Katie Ferrari, Regional VP of Global Sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, breaks down how preferred partnerships work behind the scenes and why they’re about far more than just extra perks. You’ll learn how programs like Hyatt Privé help advisors create more personalized client experiences, strengthen direct hotel relationships, and advocate for travelers more effectively from booking to check-out. Katie also explains when it makes sense to book through a preferred partner versus a wholesaler or DMC, how loyalty programs and advisor benefits work, and why the best advisors know how to use relationships, not just rates, to elevate a trip.

About Katie Ferrari:

Katie Ferrari is the Regional Vice President of Global Sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where she leads sales teams across the Americas and oversees key relationships within Hyatt’s luxury, lifestyle, and leisure segments. A passionate hospitality leader, she is dedicated to building meaningful connections, mentoring others, and advancing colleague resource groups across the organization. Before joining Hyatt’s global sales team, Katie held leadership roles at Park Hyatt Washington and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two daughters, and a rotating crew of foster kittens, and enjoys tennis, live entertainment, and travel.

linkedin.com/in/katieferrari

Learn more about Hyatt's Travel Professional Loyalty program and advisor benefits here: hyatt.com/events/en-US/groups/travel-professional-loyalty

Need help connecting your IATA number to your World of Hyatt account? Watch Hyatt's quick setup tutorial: World-of-Hyatt-Advisor-Planner-Profile-Setup-60s-1080p-EN.mp4

Today we will cover:

• (03:00) What a preferred partnership means
• (08:40) Hyatt Privé vs. consortia bookings: what’s the difference?
• (10:15) How advisors market preferred partnerships to clients
• (19:30) Advisor loyalty perks, qualifying tier nights, and client points
• (27:30) Who advisors should contact at hotels and why relationships matter
• (32:00) The future of advisor relationships

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Join the Waitlist for The Travel Business Intensive by TIQUE!

Robin and Jennifer kindly drag the idea that sales has to feel pushy, awkward, or manipulative. Instead of convincing clients to book, they explain how great sales calls are really about building trust, uncovering the client’s real problem, and creating genuine connection. From avoiding “word-vomit” discovery calls to using intentional questions, tailored messaging, and even silence strategically, they share how advisors can approach sales with more confidence, authenticity, and ease. Plus, they preview their August 24–26 Travel Business Intensive featuring Marsha-Ann Donaldson on selling with authority and authenticity.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Seven Figure Sales

Episode 152. The Legalities Of Selling With AI with Paige Griffith

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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

Jessica Marks, strategic advisor and host of the Millions Were Made podcast, joins this episode to talk about auditing your business, uncovering hidden profit opportunities, and stepping fully into a CEO role without burning yourself out in the process. From operational inefficiencies and messy client journeys to underperforming websites, broken sales processes, and the mindset shifts required to scale, this conversation dives deep into the systems that separate overwhelmed founders from sustainable, profitable businesses. Jessica shares how she built multiple companies while working roughly 20 hours a week, why “being needed” is not the goal, and how founders can leverage automation, AI, delegation, and strategic infrastructure to reclaim both their time and profitability. Whether you’re a solopreneur feeling maxed out or a growing agency owner trying to scale sustainably, this episode will give you insight into building a business that supports your life instead of consuming it.

About Jessica Marx:

Jessica Marx is a globally recognized business strategist and the Founder of Tailored Premier, a global advisory firm helping entrepreneurs build scalable, high-performing, and sustainable businesses. A five-time Forbes Business Advisor and named a Top Female Advisor by Yahoo! Finance, she is known for translating complex business strategy into clear, actionable growth plans. With nearly two decades of executive leadership experience, Jessica has operated at the highest levels of multi-billion-dollar organizations, overseeing more than $150 million in annual budgets and leading teams of over 500 sales professionals. She has worked closely with executive leadership, CEOs, and boards to shape company-wide strategy and drive long-term growth. Today, she partners with entrepreneurs to simplify operations, scale strategically, and build businesses designed for both profitability and freedom.

tailoredpremier.com

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Episode 83: Attracting Ideal Clients & Fostering Relationships Built On Trust with Heather Keller

Episode 31: Leveraging Debt to Fuel Business Growth with Fractional CFO, Shay Bacani (Millions Were Made podcast)

Today we will cover:

• (01:45) Jessica’s corporate background, IVF journey, and launching her business with twins
• (05:00) The biggest mistake founders make when hiring help
• (13:25) Building SOPs and systems that multiply your capabilities
• (17:10) How branding, marketing, sales, and systems impact profitability
• (19:15) The domino effect of marketing, sales, and client conversion
• (28:10) How to audit your entire client journey step-by-step
• (33:55) What it realistically looks like to step into a CEO role

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