This week for the Friday 15, Steph co-hosts with Jenn Lee of Vacation Planners and TPI fame! This week we’ve got a bunch of great questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST, and you know it’s gonna be good. Join us! 

1. I understand this podcast typically focuses on questions from advisors, but as a global OTA, we’re working to completely revamp our program for travel advisors in the US this year. While we already have several advisors from different host agencies using our services, our goal is to establish preferred partnerships with these agencies.

I’ve been engaging with various host agencies to communicate the benefits of leveraging a world experience marketplace, but I’m not confident that I’m fully addressing what they truly value or need.

What are the key elements or messaging strategies you’d suggest to resonate with host agencies and demonstrate the unique value of a preferred partnership with us? —Angelo Z. (Get Your Guide)

2. Suggestions for a host agency with least amount of fees and great training program with marketing. –Shelly P.

3. Tell us about the move to have you take a dual role of president and CMO of dual brands. What does this mean for the companies and your advisors?  –Steph Lee!

RESOURCES:

➡️Travel Agent Chatter episode: Rocky Dimico, Flights and Fables

https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/rocky-dimico-flights-and-fables

➡️Tech Week! Registration is open for HAR*Wired! | Host Agency Reviews: https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/tech-week

➡️Webinar: Growing Pains Got You Down? Let's Figure Out What's Next for Your Travel Business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zstBlfxWabc

➡️All about preferred suppliers in the travel industry. (https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-preferred-supplier)

➡️Advice on how to find the best host agency. (https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/tips-on-how-to-find-the-best-travel-host-agency) 

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

This week for the Friday 15, Shayna and Steph are thrilled to join forces with the Arch Roamright team. They'll take on a slew of questions about travel insurance this Friday at 12 pm CST, so don't miss this one! 

• Sometimes clients say they’re already covered through their credit card. How do I explain the differences without sounding sales-y?
• I often get questions about ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage , when is it truly worth recommending, and how do I explain the limitations?
• Are there any new trends in travel insurance we should know about, things like adventure travel, cruises, or luxury trips. Where or how is coverage evolving? 

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ We have a great Travel Agent Chatter Podcast where Karen talks about how she sells Cancel for Any Reason and how to use it as a sales tool. I will like the podcast in the comments for you all - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/travel-agent-chatter-vol-5-karen-hurlbut-hurlbut-travel

➡️ Another way to find out more about HAR*Wired (Tech Week)- https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/tech-week

➡️ We have another Podcast, more longform called Travel Agent Chatter where we interview actual advisors and we often talk about travel insurance - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter

 ****** Transcript, Images + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol33 ******

What happens when you combine a Lord of the Rings obsession, a dragon-themed jeep, and a charismatic entrepreneur? You get Rocky Dimico, the owner of Flights and Fables - one of the most uniquely branded travel agencies we've ever featured! 

Rocky went full-time from day one after a life-changing trip to New Zealand sparked his "aha" moment. But this isn't just another niche story - it's a masterclass in building a brand that people can't ignore. We're talking dragon logos on Jeeps, black tents with gold dragons at vendor events complete with a travel advisor dressed as a wizard, and a business name that came from surveying his Dungeons & Dragons community.

You'll hear how Rocky's gone from zero to hero in just 20 months, selling 6 Lord of the Rings themed trips to New Zealand , expanding into anime/Japan travel, and booking his first groups. His vendor event strategy alone has generated multiple five-figure bookings from $35 investments.

But here's what makes this episode special: Rocky's approach to partnerships, networking, and community building that every entrepreneur can steal. From his Chamber of Commerce connections that led to 4 media articles, to his creative partnerships with map makers and IV therapy businesses, to finding a mentor advisor as his agency grew.

Whether you're looking for inspiration on niche development, want to see what fearless branding looks like, or need ideas for finding clients through in-person events, this episode will knock your socks off.

Plus, stick around to hear about Rocky's big dreams for brick-and-mortar fantasy travel shops in downtown areas across the country and how he successfully found a travel advisor mentor.

This week for the Friday 15, Shayna and Steph are thrilled to join forces with Dan Christian, fellow podcaster and host of the excellent Travel Trends podcast. They'll take on a slew of questions about tech and AI this Friday at 12 pm CST, so don't miss this one! 

• There are so many new travel tech tools out there, it can feel overwhelming to choose what’s actually worth investing in. How do you recommend an advisor figure out which tools will really help their business grow?
• One of my biggest headaches is dealing with last-minute changes, like when flights get cancelled or clients want to add something at the last minute. What are your top tips for staying organized and keeping clients in the loop without losing my sanity?
• I feel like my tech stack is all over the place, a CRM here, itinerary builder there, emails somewhere else. How important is it to have tools that integrate well with each other, and how do you know where to start?

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-agency-software

➡️ Another way to find out mor about Tech Week (new fun name being announced next week)- https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/tech-week

➡️ Register for AI Summit - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-conferences-events/2025/travel-trends-ai-summit-2025 (this includes a discount code for HAR at the bottom)

➡️ We have another Podcast, more longform called Travel Agent Chatter where we interview actual advisors and we often talk about tech stacks they use - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter

Shayna and Steph team up with Stephanie Gries from Travefy to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out Travefy’s profile here: Travefy | Host Agency Reviews. Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! 

• There are so many new travel tech tools out there, it can feel overwhelming to choose what’s actually worth investing in. How do you recommend an advisor figure out which tools will really help their business grow?
• One of my biggest headaches is dealing with last-minute changes, like when flights get cancelled or clients want to add something at the last minute. What are your top tips for staying organized and keeping clients in the loop without losing my sanity?
• I feel like my tech stack is all over the place, a CRM here, itinerary builder there, emails somewhere else. How important is it to have tools that integrate well with each other, and how do you know where to start?

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ Another way to find out more, is we do have our Travel Tech Week, like Host Week, but focused on Tech coming up in October. We haven’t officially launched it, but everyone listening, feel free to register - it’s completely free and fully digital, so you can listen anywhere you happen to be. To learn more, take a look here - https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/tech-week

➡️ We also have a comparison chart in our blog around Travel Itinerary Buildershttps://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/best-travel-itinerary-builders so you can easily see the differences

➡️ Take a look at the Travel Agency Software available in our directory page - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-agency-software

Shayna and Steph team up with Jenn Lee from Vacation Planners to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out Vacation Planners profile here: Vacation Planners | Host Agency Reviews. Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! 

• I'm stuck on making a decision. I've only had two clients in the last year (my friends). They are FITs, its honestly been a pain to deal with. I do have a supplier helping me with this, but it's still been rough. I know I've only had 2 clients because I haven't advertised. It really seems social media is the way we need to market, and the idea of doing videos and reels of myself makes me nauseous. Plus, any training on marketing. Along with training in general for things so so time consuming. There's no time. I work a full time job already, so it all seems overwhelming and impossible. Should I just bag this whole thing of working for myself, and work for a supplier if I can?
• Can you talk about the practice of DMCs presenting quotes in gross vs net commission, and is it preferred or acceptable to request one over the other? 
• I am an experienced agent (going on 6 years) but looking to switch hosts (participated in Host Week and have been researching since). I recently met and have been speaking with a travel company franchisee about joining them as an associate with 90/10 commission split (which is much more than my split now) and approximately $40/month fee. However, my hang up is I would have to operate under their brand and after royalties and the franchisee taking their 10% it appears that I would actually end up with approximately 73%. They do have amazing tech, training, and support. Trying to figure out if that is worth it or a host agency that isn't a franchise. I'm having analysis paralysis with all the info available and want to make a good choice! Help! 

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ Take HAR’s advisor survey – get a free 80+ page report! https://hostagencyreviews.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=zl%2BdXUs6zdkECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D

➡️ We have an article about Travel Agent Social Media - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-social-media

➡️ Training & Education - why it’s important and worth the short term pain of your time - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-training-travel-agent-education

➡️ What is a DMC - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-dmc-destination-management-company

➡️ Franchise or Host - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-franchise-or-host-agency

Shayna and Steph team up with Jennifer Dugan from Dugan’s Travels to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out Dugan’s profile here: Dugan's Travels LLC | Host Agency Reviews. Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! 

• I am a travel agent (since 2012) and own my own agency (since 2016). I am thinking of bringing on another agent and need to fully understand the differences and implications to both me as well as to the agent between me having this agent as an (a) employee, (b) and independent contractor, or (c) me being a host agency and them being a host agent. 
• I attend market festivals as a vendor advertising my travel business between the spring and fall. This year, I have added some physical items to sell that are related to a few countries that I advertise. Because these are physical products and not travel, can I still sell them under my business name at these fairs? My host agency allows me to charge service fees, so I thought it would be ok to do this. Thanks!
• What is defined as a FAM? Would I be able to describe it as a business trip on my tax filing? Do I have to have any official reports, etc.?

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ Take HAR’s advisor survey – get a free 80+ page report! https://hostagencyreviews.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=zl%2BdXUs6zdkECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D

➡️ What is a sub agent - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-sub-agent

➡️ Learn more about what FAM trips are -https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-fam-trip

➡️ https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/dugans-travels

➡️ https://joindugans.com/ 

Shayna and Steph team up with Lori Speers from Levarte Travel to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out Levarte’s profile here. Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! 

• Currently, I’m working as a receptionist, after my first year, I was promoted to Jr. Agent. Unfortunately, due to some health issues my son is facing, my career progress has been put on hold, and it wasn’t my choice to step back. I’ve had to prioritize his well-being, but it’s difficult not to be able to pursue my dream of becoming a travel advisor. Has anyone else faced something similar? How did you continue to move forward when life threw you a curveball like this? I’d really appreciate any advice or guidance on how to keep pursuing my goals despite these challenges.
• I know some host agencies pay out to their agents weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. I'm curious to know the industry standard for how soon after receipt of commission from the supplier would a host agency pay the independent agent.
• What I'm still not clear on are things like this: how do I present options and prices to a client, and give them time to make a decision?  Am I supposed to reserve all of the options first to guarantee the price, and then cancel the discarded options afterward? Or do you just present it and hope the prices don't change in the meantime?  Are there other good places to find tips or suggestions for effective booking practices?

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ Register for Lori’s Learn Love Levarte session: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QNDg5oG4STK7gz9mMvxjQA#/registration

➡️ We have an article on what to do and how to ensure your host is paying out your commission:  https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/host-agency-not-paying-commissions

➡️ Take HAR’s advisor survey – get a free 80+ page report! https://hostagencyreviews.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=zl%2BdXUs6zdkECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D

➡️ HAR’s 7 Day Setup Accelerator course on how to start your travel agency! https://hostagencyreviews.com/7-day-setup-accelerator

➡️ Levarte’s profile and website: https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/levarte-travel + https://levartetravel.com/

Steph teams up with Eric & co. of Cruise Planners to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out CP's profile here. Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! 

• If you plan a destination wedding just as a coordinator - client pays vendor directly - how can you protect yourself? —Lenora D.
• I attend market festivals as a vendor advertising my travel business between the spring and fall. This year, I have added some physical items to sell that are related to a few countries that I advertise. Because these are physical products and not travel, can I still sell them under my business name at these fairs? My host agency allows me to charge service fees, so I thought it would be ok to do this. Thanks! —Marc C.
• I am an experienced agent (going on 6 years) but looking to switch hosts (participated in Host Week and have been researching since). I recently met and have been speaking with a travel company franchisee about joining them as an associate with 90/10 commission split (which is much more than my split now) and approximately $40/month fee. However, my hang up is I would have to operate under their brand (when I've done the HAR 7-day Accelerator course and researched and picked the name I want to operate under and domain is available) and after royalties and the franchisee taking their 10% it appears that I would actually end up with approximately 73%. They do have amazing tech, training, and support. Trying to figure out if that is worth it or a host agency that isn't a franchise. I'm having analysis paralysis with all the info available and want to make a good choice! Help! —Layne B.

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️ Your Midyear Gut Check (No Judgment, Just Real Talk) - Jenn Myers! 

➡️ Take HAR’s advisor survey – get a free 80+ page report! 

➡️ Watch Host Week — join us for free, the last week in January every year! https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/host-week

➡️ Travel Agency Franchise or Host Agency? A breakdown. (https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-franchise-or-host-agency)

➡️ HAR’s 7 Day Setup Accelerator course on how to start your travel agency! https://hostagencyreviews.com/7-day-setup-accelerator

➡️ Travel market research report with data on travel advisor commission splits 

Steph and Shayna welcome Sheila Folk of Travel Industry Solutions to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out TIS’s profile here on our brand-new travel tech software profiles.Here are the juicy questions they’ll tackle this Friday, as always, at 12 pm CST! 

• I absolutely love working with clients and planning trips, but when it comes to the backend of running my business—things like systems, organization, and workflows—I feel like I’m constantly playing catch-up. What kinds of processes or tools should I be thinking about to stay on top of things and actually free up some time?
• As I’ve grown my business, I keep hearing that I should be using templates or contracts to protect myself, but I’m not sure where to even start. Are there certain legal or operational documents that every advisor should have in place no matter what stage they’re at?
• With so many scams and fraud risks out there—especially things like fake client inquiries or payment fraud—what are some red flags I should be watching out for? And what steps can I take to protect myself and my business?

RESOURCES:

➡️Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering! https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 

➡️Take a look at the Travel Agency Software profiles - you can sort them by technology types depending on which processes you’re looking to streamline

➡️We also have an article that you can go to for a list of trave lawyers and some templates from them as well - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-lawyers

➡️We also have an article on Travel Waivers that highlights ‘considerations with t&c’s, waivers and disclaimers to protect your agency, different types of waivers and the list goes on - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-waivers-protect-your-travel-agency#sts=Working%20with%20a%20Travel%20Attorney%20to%20Customize%20Terms%20and%20Conditions,%20Waivers%20and%20Disclaimers%20for%20Your%20Agency

➡️Steph’s wonderful sister wrote a beautiful article on Fraud prevention resources, we have also embedded our credit card fraud webinar directly into the article - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/fraud-prevention-resources-travel-agents