TIQUE Talks: The Business Podcast for Travel Advisors

If you feel like you’re drowning in hotel research, this is your sign to stop trying to do it all! In this extra spicy Hot Take, Robin and Jennifer explain why over-researching is holding advisors back and how leveraging DMCs and trusted partners leads to better client experiences, less risk, and more time to grow your business. Plus, what to do when a recommendation isn’t quite right and why those DMC fees are doing more for you than you think. It’s time to step out of the weeds, trust your network, and finally operate like a true curator, not an overworked researcher. Hit play now!

Have a topic you’d like discussed in a future Hot Take?

Join the Niche Community and submit your questions anytime through the form on the platform. → JOIN NICHE

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Feeling overwhelmed but not sure if you’re “ready” to hire help? Chelsea Benkner, founder of Outwork Collective, shares how her own struggle to find reliable, travel-specific support led her to build a VA firm designed specifically for advisors. Learn which tasks are worth outsourcing (think admin-heavy, non-revenue work like itineraries, CRMs, inbox management, and trip audits), what should stay on your plate, and how the right support can even help generate more revenue behind the scenes. Chelsey also talks about the systems you need in place before hiring, why most people get outsourcing wrong, and how to set your VA up for success from day one.

After the episode, come continue the conversation inside the Niche community where we share real advisor strategies, trainings, and support. → JOIN NICHE

About Chelsey Benkner:

Chelsey is the founder of Outwork Collective, a virtual assistant agency built specifically for the travel industry. As the owner of Ready Jet Go Travels, she saw firsthand that most “VA support” didn’t understand the realities of the travel industry. Outwork Collective was created to change that by training VAs in the systems, workflows, and risk management that travel businesses actually require. Her mission is simple: help travel advisors stop drowning in operations and start running stronger businesses.

outworkcollective.com

facebook.com/outworkco

instagram.com/outwork.collective

Today we will cover:

• (01:30) Why advisors need support
• (04:35) IC vs employee VAs: what you need to know
• (08:30) What you should never outsource in your business
• (19:15) Inbox management + communication audits
• (29:35) Project-based vs ongoing support
• (36:25) Biggest mistakes when hiring a VA

Recourses mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 195. Hot Take: Stop Looking For The Magic Unicorn Hire

Episode 196. Enhancing Itineraries With Custom Experiences with Rob Keen

Client Communication Templates

SOP Template & Checklist

Profitable Proposals Masterclass

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE for 20% off
• Flytographer - Earn commission on professional vacation photography
• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs

Robin and Jennifer challenge the idea that you need one-on-one coaching to grow your business. After investing in coaching themselves, they give their honest feedback on when it’s actually helpful and when it becomes a distraction. They explain why most advisors don’t have a knowledge problem, but a focus and execution problem, and how accountability, peer support, and existing resources can often deliver better results than high-ticket programs. If you’ve been considering coaching or feeling stuck in your business, this episode will help you refocus on what actually moves the needle!

Have a topic you’d like discussed in a future Hot Take?

Join the Niche Community and submit your questions anytime through the form on the platform. → JOIN NICHE

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Jennifer talks with Sarah Eppler, a Niche community member who used the Seven Figure Sales tools to rebuild her service suite around real profitability. After digging into the numbers and realizing her pricing didn’t reflect her actual time or overhead, Sarah reached out with questions, leading to a deeper look at how to make the math actually work. In this episode, they break down how to work backwards from your income goal, track your time, and price your services based on real labor, trip complexity, and client expectations. Sarah shares what surprised her most when mapping out her time, how she restructured and raised her trip design fees, and how that clarity completely changed her confidence in client conversations. You’ll also hear how to qualify clients upfront, reduce time drains like endless revisions and drawn-out timelines, and stop over-delivering in ways that hurt your bottom line.

After the episode, come continue the conversation inside the Niche community where we share real advisor strategies, trainings, and support. → JOIN NICHE

About Sarah Eppler:

Sarah is the founder of Sarah Eppler Travel, a luxury travel agency specializing in exclusive, meticulously planned experiences for busy professionals and their families. Before launching her business, she spent over 20 years as a marketing leader with various professional services and media companies, building revenue-generating marketing functions that aligned go-to-market strategies with how people actually buy. She brings that same commercial rigor to conversations about the foundational work that drives a profitable service business — knowing your audience, nailing your positioning, and building a pricing strategy rooted in real numbers.

sarahepplertravel.com

instagram.com/sarahepplertravel

Today we will cover:

• (02:45) Sarah’s career pivot from B2B marketing to travel advisor
• (05:30) Why doing the math matters; new packages and pricing
• (12:40) Client reactions to charging fees
• (16:00) Should you put your pricing on your website?
• (22:40) Time tracking reality check; mapping your buyer’s journey
• (30:10) Nice-to-haves vs. must-haves in your process
• (35:10) What Sarah would do differently

Recourses mentioned in this Episode:

Seven Figure Sales

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

• Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE for 20% off
• Flytographer - Earn commission on professional vacation photography
• Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs

Thinking about switching host agencies or going independent? In this Hot Take, Robin and Jennifer break down the difference between travel advisor responsibilities and host agency responsibilities, and why changing hosts just because another offers different perks isn’t always the answer. They talk through what hosts actually provide behind the scenes, what advisors should be building on their own, and the questions to ask before deciding if independence is the right next step.

Have a topic you’d like discussed in a future Hot Take?

Join the Niche Community and submit your questions anytime through the form on the platform. → JOIN NICHE

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Episode 79. Host Agency Culture: Finding The Perfect Fit For Your Travel Business with Stephanie Lee

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Luxury travel advisor Gia Lee started her business with no clients, no track record, and no industry experience. One year later, she scaled to over $2M in sales. In this episode, Gia shares what happened when she decided to stop dabbling and truly go all in. From investing in branding before she had a single client to hiring help earlier than most advisors would, she walks through the decisions that helped her build momentum fast. Gia also opens up about the less glamorous side of rapid growth: the late nights, the sacrifices, and the mindset shift required to bet on yourself when no one else has proof yet. It’s an honest look at what it really takes to start from scratch and build something that works.

After the episode, come continue the conversation inside the Niche community where we share real advisor strategies, trainings, and support. → JOIN NICHE

About Gia Lee:

Gia was born in South Korea, raised in the Philippines, and has lived everywhere from Salamanca, Spain to London, UK and Madison, Wisconsin. Today, she calls the Chicago suburbs home, where she balances life as a wife and mother to three wonderfully busy girls. With a truly global upbringing, she brings an international perspective to everything she does. Her background has kept her closely connected to emerging trends in fashion, food, design, and most importantly, travel. As the Founder of The Booking Club, an affiliate of Embark Beyond, she blends cultural fluency with elevated travel expertise to curate meaningful, design-forward experiences for her clients around the world.

thebookingclubtravel.com

instagram.com/thebookingclub

Today we will cover:

1. (02:30) Meet Gia: from food business to luxury fashion styling
2. (05:40) Going all in as a travel advisor
3. (10:45) The tools she used to start her business
4. (15:40) Standing out with social proof
5. (21:00) DIY branding and building a luxury aesthetic
6. (27:00) Creating meaningful client surprises and memorable moments
7. (32:00) The real sacrifices behind rapid business growth

Recourses mentioned in this Episode:

Free Workshop: Defining Your Non-Negotiable Boundaries

Client Communication Templates

Episode 191. Hot Take: You Need A CRM

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

1. Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE for 20% off
2. Travel Collection - Connect and learn more about TC’s DMCs

Apartments and Airbnbs might seem like a great option for clients traveling with groups, but they can quickly become an advisor’s biggest headache. In this Hot Take, Jennifer and Robin share real stories of what can go wrong when advisors don’t control the accommodations, including last-minute cancellations, fake listings, and even a situation that cost Jennifer $5,000 to fix. You’ll learn why privately owned rentals often create more risk than reward, how misaligned expectations can derail a trip, and what advisors should do when clients insist on booking their own accommodations.

Have a topic you’d like discussed in a future Hot Take?

Join the Niche Community and submit your questions anytime through the form on the platform. → https://www.tiquehq.com/niche/?utm_source=Tique_Talks&utm_medium=Show_notes&utm_campaign=Ep201&utm_content=Niche

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Many business owners still think SEO is about keywords and blog posts. But AI has completely changed how people search. Today’s search results aren’t just links. They’re summaries generated by tools like Google AI, ChatGPT, and other platforms that pull information from across the internet. Which means if your business isn’t showing up in those sources, potential clients may never find you. In this episode, Lauren Kutschke of Salted Pages explains how search is evolving and what travel advisors need to know to stay visible online. Learn how AI is changing search behavior, why website traffic may actually decrease but lead quality can increase, and the simple SEO strategies that can help advisors get discovered by the right clients!

Want to go deeper on this topic? Join Lauren on April 9th inside the Niche community! Hands-On SEO: How To Research And Apply Keywords And Optimize Your Website → JOIN NICHE

About Lauren Kutschke:

Lauren is an SEO copywriter and web designer who makes waves for salt-of-the-earth brands from Alaska to the Amalfi Coast. She provides 100% human-written content and tasteful designs to ensure memorable websites that rank online and book the right clients. She has over a decade of experience and a roster of 500+ brands. Away from the keyboard, she enjoys walking her dog, dining alfresco at vegetarian restaurants and traveling — ideally in a sailboat, but usually via airplane.

saltedpages.com

instagram.com/saltedpages

Grab the AI Search Checklist

Today we will cover:

1. (02:45) Meet Lauren Kutschke of Salted Pages
2. (05:00) Why good copy matters more than ever in an AI world
3. (09:20) SEO basics crash course
4. (16:35) How website copy is evolving for modern search
5. (23:40) Why transparency and authorship matter for AI search
6. (28:15) Where advisors should focus their SEO efforts first
7. (32:30) Blog dates and evergreen URLs; SEO myths
8. (39:40) SEO vs social media for lead generation

Recourses mentioned in this Episode:

Free Workshop: Defining Your Non-Negotiable Boundaries

ClickUp Business Hub Template

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

1. Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE for 20% off

Moving fast in business can cost you. In this Hot Take, Jennifer shares two expensive mistakes from her early travel advisor days and the systems she built to prevent them from happening again. From auditing itineraries to working with the right suppliers and getting client sign off, this episode is a reminder that slowing down is often what protects your profit, reputation, and sanity.

After the episode, come continue the conversation inside the Niche community where we share real advisor strategies, trainings, and support. → https://www.tiquehq.com/niche/?utm_source=Tique_Talks&utm_medium=Show_notes&utm_campaign=Ep199&utm_content=Niche

Get the Client Communication Templates → https://www.tiquehq.com/client-experience-templates

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Thinking about launching a group trip? Before you pick a destination and start marketing it, listen to this! Megan Grant Pederson of Cherish Tours shares exactly what it takes to create, price, sell, and host profitable small group travel. From contract negotiations and attrition clauses to margin strategy, launch timelines, early bird pricing, and the real costs most advisors overlook, this episode is your crash course in doing group travel the right way. If you’ve ever thought, “I plan trips all the time. How hard could group travel be?” this episode will give you the clarity (and caution) you need before you dive in!

After the episode, come continue the conversation inside the Niche community where we share real advisor strategies, trainings, and support. → https://www.tiquehq.com/niche/?utm_source=Tique_Talks&utm_medium=Show_notes&utm_campaign=Ep198&utm_content=Niche

About Megan Grant Pederson:

Megan is the Founder & Chief Memory Creator of Cherish Tours, a women-centered travel company she has built and operated since 2021. With a background in conference planning and a passport full of 45+ countries (including 10+ solo trips), she believes deeply that travel has the power to make a difference in our world and directly support the economic empowerment of women. Megan brings hands-on expertise in sustainable tourism, women-owned global businesses, and creating meaningful small-group journeys that inspire confidence, connection, and transformation.

Interest Form: gocherishtours.activehosted.com/f/25

gocherishtours.com

instagram.com/gocherishtours

Today we will cover:

1. (05:30) Known groups vs. resell models
2. (10:20) Pricing strategy: margin, attrition & paying yourself
3. (15:05) Why most group trips fail
4. (25:25) DIY itineraries vs. DMCs
5. (35:00) How to launch a trip
6. (38:40) Touchpoints before departure
7. (45:15) Collecting feedback before departure
8. (48:30) Advisor partnerships and FAMs

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Thanks to Our Tique Talks Sponsors:

Cozy Earth - Use code COZYTIQUE for 20% off