Travel Business Lounge | For Travel and Tour Entrepreneurs

Today we discuss the best ways to retain and reward your tour guides long term. We cover the key to hiring the right people, how to reward those people, and the most effective strategy for retaining tour guides in the long run. 

Today's guest is coming with a wealth of knowledge and experience all the way from Australia. We are joined by Steph Myers, who is a travel agent, business owner, course creator, and the host of the popular podcast Unplug in Paradise. It’s a great podcast, that's focused on teaching travel agents how to niche down, step out of their comfort zone and really show up as their true, authentic selves online. And I can't think of a better person than Steph to help guide travel agents on how to do just that.

Steph has an incredible journey, which she shares on this episode. We talk about how she got her start over 10 years ago, working in various agencies, then becoming an agency owner herself, and eventually deciding to turn her focus more towards teaching other aspiring travel agents how to succeed in the industry. And she does that with her course and also through her podcast.

This is a great episode to listen to if you've ever struggled with self-doubt or imposter syndrome, or just some of the challenges that come with being a solopreneur and having to stay self-motivated and focused. Steph is super relatable, down-to-earth, and completely transparent in some of the challenges she's faced in her business and how she's overcome them.

Steph also reveals what she's learned over the years now that she's had the experience of being both a travel agent and someone who teaches travel agents and speaks to other agents on her podcast and just in the industry. She's got a lot of interesting perspectives to bring to the table, so enjoy this episode!

Find the show notes and resources mentioned in the episode here.

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In this episode, we are talking all about travel blogging and content creation in 2022. I am joined by Kirsten Maxwell, who is the brilliant mind behind Kids Are A Trip and Multigenerational Vacations, two fantastic websites that help families travel better.

Kirsten first started Kids Are A Trip back in 2014 and after years of growing this really successful blog, she decided in 2020 that she is going to take on a new project and niche even further down, specifically to multi-generational vacations.

Kirsten brings a really unique perspective specifically on blogging because she can talk us through how she got started in 2014 and what worked for her then, what she's learned in that journey, and what she's focusing on. But also what it's like starting a travel blog today because obviously, a lot has changed in the world of blogging.

I absolutely loved interviewing Kirsten because she was really an open book, super down to earth had really great practical advice. One thing she said, and that we've really focused on throughout the episode because it's something that I haven't really touched on in previous interviews, are conferences. Kirsten tells us how attending these has been a great way to grow and monetize her business. It's really interesting to hear about the impact that these conferences have had on her business, and also some of the learnings and takeaways she's had after attending.

I know there are a lot of people out there who have a lot of knowledge to share and are interested in starting a travel blog, but may be a bit concerned about whether they've already missed that window of opportunity. Every year you read these articles, or you hear these stories of people talking about how it's harder today than ever before to make it in travel blogging, how the landscape has just completely changed. But every single year we have these new travel bloggers rising to the top and having a lot of success. And it was definitely fascinating, to speak to Kirsten and hear about her experience of starting a new website in 2020.

Though there are definitely challenges and she's still growing that business, I do think it's just proof, once again, that it is absolutely still possible to start a successful travel blog. You just have to approach it with a lot of strategy and intention. And luckily, because we're 15 years down the line from when travel blogging first became a thing, there's so much knowledge and so many resources out there. In a way, it's a lot easier to get ahead because you're not having to scrape around to find information or just learn through trial and error on your own. The information is out there and as Kirsten shares today, you can learn a lot in these conferences and they're definitely worth attending.

So I really hope you enjoy this episode, it’s such a good one!

Find the show notes and resources mentioned in the episode here.

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Today I'm joined by Alexandra Kenin, who is the founder of Urban Hiker San Francisco. Her business model is super interesting because though we've had quite a few tour companies on the show now, their approach has been very different.

Even though Alex does offer her tours directly to consumers, a big focus of our conversation today was all about the B2B market and how she's grown her business through networking. And before you write this episode off because you think networking is a dirty word, I really want you to wait and hear it from Alex's perspective.

Her approach is all about forming relationships with other businesses. She does this as someone who loves meeting new people and loves establishing new friendships. When you think of it in those terms, networking can be anything but a dirty word.

Alex shares her story of how she's grown Urban Hiker San Francisco, largely through working with corporate groups. She shares how she's partnered with match.com to offer dating hikes where ten to twenty single people show up and get to go on a group hike and maybe meet the love of their life. She's also partnered with several local DMCs, or destination management companies, that specialize in organizing trips for large corporate groups. This has been a huge component of her business and it's fascinating to hear how making connections with these DMCs has enabled her to grow her client base. She even offers her tours on Zola, which is the wedding website and guests to a wedding can buy her tours on a registry for their loved ones.

Alex’s approach is just so different from so many other more traditional tour companies. There is nothing wrong with the traditional way, but it's nice to hear about alternate routes that people could take to grow their businesses. As it shows, there's really no one right way to go about it. Alex is full of ideas, she’s got such an entrepreneurial mind and fantastic energy. I'm really excited for you to hear her story.

Find the show notes and resources mentioned in the episode here.

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Jen Ruiz is a phenomenal travel blogger, travel influencer, content creator, and overall business genius.

In this episode, she shares the story of how she decided to take 12 trips in 12 months in the lead up to her 30th birthday and how that decision completely transformed her life and opened up a career in travel blogging, with her now having a lot of success on TikTok.

Jen is such an inspirational person, she has such a positive take and approach to life and to business. She is a dreamer, like so many of us are in the travel industry, but she's also incredibly strategic and practical in her approach to growing her business.

Jen shares loads of really practical tips and strategies in this conversation. I particularly enjoyed our deep dive into TikTok strategies for travel brands. TikTok is such an important platform nowadays because it’s where people are seeing the best return on time investment and overall effort right now.

It's been great to chat with Jen about how she's grown on TikTok, the types of posts that she's creating, and some of the challenges of the platform like dealing with haters. TikTok is pretty notorious for being a bit of an uglier platform when it comes to nasty comments, but Jen's take on how best to handle and treat those kinds of comments is just really fascinating and inspiring.

I hope you all enjoy this episode, and that you can take away some really practical tips to help grow your own travel business.

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In today's episode, we talk all about harnessing technology to help grow your travel business. Torunn from Up Norway is the founder of this incredible travel curation brand that is focused on sustainable luxury. They put together tailor-made luxury journeys within Norway, Torunn’s home country, for guests from around the world.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to speak with Torunn and hear about her passion for sustainability and her commitment to working with sustainable suppliers and creating partnerships that benefit both parties involved. She's so down to earth, so transparent in her approach, and also such an innovator in this industry.

What I found really fascinating in this conversation was Torunn’s use of technology to streamline her processes, but also to get to know her customers and figure out what exactly they're looking for, even if they don't know. I think a lot of times business owners approach the technology side of their business as a bit of a pain point or as an additional thing that needs to be dealt with. Finding the right booking system or the right software is a bit of an afterthought at times, but for Torunn, it's integral to the success of her business.

This conversation has really changed my perception of the role of technology within a travel brand. I hope this episode will equally inspire you to re-examine your use of technology within your own business.

Find the show notes and resources mentioned in the episode here.

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Today we're talking all about branding and how to brand yourself in the luxury travel market online. I am joined by the fantastic Kristin Richards, who is the owner of Girlboss Designer, a wonderful design agency that specializes in doing web design and branding work for travel businesses specifically.

As some of you may know, I started my own design business for female entrepreneurs in the tourism industry in 2020 when I was furloughed from my day job in the travel industry. I was really excited to chat with Kristin because she is a seasoned veteran when it comes to branding and design. In this episode, she’s got some great tips on how to set yourself up for success online.

One of the most desirable niches within the travel industry is the luxury travel market, for a variety of reasons. But it's not an easy niche to get into, and one of the keys to succeeding in the luxury travel market is branding yourself well. In this episode, we're focused on very practical approaches you can take to improving your website, your content, and your social media presence. So, there's a lot that we cover in this episode, and I really hope you enjoy it.

Find the show notes and resources mentioned in the episode here.

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In today's episode, I am joined by Marissa Daniels of Spread Your Wings Travel Agency. Marissa started her business in 2019 as a side hustle, which it remains today. Marissa manages to balance a very intense 9-5 alongside a growing travel agency, which has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to a particular marketing strategy that she's using on Instagram.

The amazing thing is that Marissa started her business in 2019, and still managed to experience explosive growth regardless of the pandemic. I think Marissa’s Instagram strategy that has gotten her this success is absolutely brilliant and I’m so excited for her to talk us through how and why she’s decided to take this approach, and what her results have been.

We also talk about the importance of sticking to your niche and staying in your lane. Marissa is a big believer in knowing your audience and delivering trips or services that cater specifically to your ideal customer. And of course, as a woman who's got a full-time job and is doing this as a side hustle, we do talk quite a bit about how she even manages that. What does her day look like, and how does she maximize her productivity?

If you are a travel agent or a travel planner, you absolutely need to listen to this episode. It is so good, and Marissa is completely right when she says Instagram marketing isn’t really being done this way. So, kudos to Marissa for taking charge, being fearless and growing her travel agency this quickly.

Today’s guest is Rachel Hill of Rachel Travels. She’s a travel influencer, teacher, author, marketing guru, and just an all-around entrepreneurial force. I was so excited when she agreed to come on the podcast because she was just one of those people whose names kept popping up.

Rachel is a wealth of knowledge. She’s been an influencer for a long time, but in recent years she has shifted a little bit to teaching others how to be influencers and harness digital marketing to grow their travel brands.

This episode is definitely for you if you are an influencer, or want to become one, but you're worried you’ve left it too late. Rachel says it’s not too late, and we dive deep into what it means to be an influencer in 2022. Rachel is a pitching mastermind when it comes to approaching brands and you don't need a million followers on Instagram to benefit from what she’s talking about, she makes that very clear. We talk a lot about what it means to be a micro-influencer, or even a nano-influencer, and the power of smaller influencers.

The thing I love most about this episode is that Rachel lays out a roadmap for approaching brands, for partnerships, for sponsorships, and just pitching in general. She describes in plain terms the steps you need to take to be successful in today's market. Our conversation was so inspiring, I loved it and I really hope you do as well.

 There are so many different ways that you can make money while working in travel or tourism. We've heard a lot of different stories of people who are travel planners, women who run their own tour businesses, and we've even heard from a woman who is a travel coach.

Today we're going to hear from a woman who has also paved her own path. She is making money by selling road trip guides to places all over the world. Claire Robinson founded her business Zigzag Road Trips a few years ago. And what started as a side hustle has now evolved into a full time job. She publishes these road trips in multiple languages, French, German, and English and she covers destinations as diverse as Oman, Scotland, Slovenia, New Zealand, Iceland, and more. However, perhaps most impressive is the fact that she has built this buisiness without the use of social media. Claire is very upfront from the get-go that she does not like Instagram and so she doesn't even have an Instagram account instead. She's used other strategies like SEO and content marketing to really build a strong following of clients who continue to return to her to buy these road trip guides. She goes into a lot of detail on how she's grown her business to what it is today, the various ways and what she makes money with her business.