A New Podcast for Travel Entrepreneurs – Episode 01

If you’re one of the many travel entrepreneurs who’s ever wondered why there aren’t more resources focused on the actual business side of running a travel agency, you’re not alone, and *surprise* you’re exactly who I created the Strategic Travel Entrepreneur Podcast for 🙂

But I won’t focus on the booking trips side of travel, per se.

This show is about building a real, sustainable travel business from marketing, operations,mindset shifts, the legal stuff nobody wants to talk about, and the CEO thinking that most of us in this industry were never taught.

I started in the travel industry back in 2010, and it took me eight years (yipes!) to finally understand what being a travel business owner actually required.

This podcast is everything I wish I’d had back then.

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What Most Travel Industry Resources Get Wrong for Travel Entrepreneurs

There’s no shortage of supplier training and destination education in our world. FAM trips, BDM webinars, product knowledge updates…the industry does a solid job of making sure we know what to sell.

But what about how to run the business that sells it?

For years I kept asking that question and coming up empty.

The resources just weren’t there.

And that gap was a huge frustration for me, because knowing AmaWaterways‘ newest ship specs doesn’t help you write a marketing email, build a referral system, or figure out your E&O insurance situation.

That’s the problem the Strategic Travel Entrepreneur Podcast is designed to solve.

Every episode is focused on the entrepreneurial side of running a travel business… the stuff that turns you from just a travel advisor into a bonafide travel business owner.

Listen to the episode on YouTube

The Difference Between a Travel Advisor and a Travel Entrepreneur 

Being a travel advisor and a travel entrepreneur are not the same thing.

I want to be really direct about what sets a business owner apart.

A travel advisor is focused on clients and trips, which is very important work on its own.

But a travel entrepreneur is doing all of that plus running a business.

That means:

• Marketing consistently, not just when bookings are slow
• Managing the tech, legal, and liability pieces
• Reviewing your numbers and making strategic decisions from them
• Thinking about growth, capacity, and sustainability
• Hiring support when you need it instead of drowning in tasks

The skills that make someone great at planning a cruise retreat are not automatically the same skills that make someone great at building a profitable agency.

The entrepreneurial layer really takes intention, grit, and experimentation to develop.

For me, that shift happened in 2018 at Travel Entrepreneurship Week.

That event no longer exists, but I’ll always be grateful it did.

Eight years into running my business and the lightbulb finally went on..woot!

Nobody in the travel industry had ever talked to me about email marketing and social media with that kind of depth.

Nobody had said that you need to tend to your business like a breathing entity, or that what got your business started won’t keep it growing.

It was the most tactical business education I’d ever received, and it changed me.

I grew.

I got more committed than ever to making my business actually work.

Looking back, I was basically expecting clients to just find me without doing any of the work to be found.

Naive?

You betcha, lol! 

The NAWBO Event That Changed How I Thought About Networking

By the end of 2019, I knew I needed to keep doing things differently.

Email marketing and social media weren’t working the way I’d hoped despite my consistency, and I had come to realize that showing up in person was one of the most concrete changes I could make.

There’s that famous Maya Angelou quote about changing what you’re doing if what you’re doing isn’t working.

That was my mindset walking into a local NAWBO event in early 2020, where Mary Cravets was speaking.

I was nervous.

Very nervous.

But I pulled myself out of my comfort zone, walked into the building, found a seat, made some small talk, and waited for Mary’s session to start.

She was talking about lead generation and funnel strategies, and I was completely hooked.

Another lightbulb moment.

I would’ve kept going to events like that, except shortly after, the country shut down.

But because I’d gotten onto Mary’s email list, I kept learning from her virtually.

Her networking opportunities connected me with other business owners, and that’s where I realized networking didn’t have to feel gross or transactional.

In the right circles, it’s actually incredibly supportive.

I got to practice describing what I did, refine my message, and build genuine relationships I still have today.

Why I Bring in Voices from Outside the Travel Industry

One of the things that makes this podcast different is that not every guest is a travel industry insider.

Fresh perspectives are SO needed in this industry.

What’s working in e-commerce, service businesses, personal branding, or operations often translates directly into what we need as travel entrepreneurs.

When I started seeking out experts beyond our industry bubble, I found ideas I never would’ve stumbled across inside it.

My very first episode was about networking, something that terrified me for most of my career.

That topic required someone who understood the human side of building relationships, and it just so happened that she also runs an incredible networking group.

I’ve also made a conscious commitment to diversity in the voices I bring on.

The events I produce and the guests I invite reflect a real mix of backgrounds in culture, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and ability.

Perspectives we might not initially relate to are often the ones that shift our thinking the most.

The Unfortunate “Side Hustle” Mindset in Travel

When people say they’re running their travel agency as a side hustle, it usually comes from one of two places..fear or non-seriousness.

And I say that with mostly zero judgment, because I lived it 🙂

I started my agency because I desperately wanted to be a full-time business owner, but I had a full-time job that paid the bills. 

I’m not knocking anyone for doing that, but being on the other side of that, the safety net can also serve as the crutch.

Playing it safe kept me stale and stalling.

If I’d truly understood what it meant to own a business, and had the confidence to commit to making it work no matter what, I would’ve gotten to success a lot sooner.

The same is true for a lot of travel agency owners.

Whether it’s a spouse’s income, a pension, or a second job, there’s something there that lowers the stakes just enough that the urgency to succeed isn’t quite strong enough.

And this is exactly why so many people stay stuck.

Travel business ownership also comes with real legal and liability exposure that deserves to be taken seriously.

Those “free trips” someone may have dangled in front of you?

Lies.

This business is not for the faint of heart, and I’d rather tell you that upfront than let you find out six months in.

Part of why I started this podcast was to help show you a path forward.

One where it doesn’t always have to feel confusing or overwhelming.

What You Can Expect Every Week

Episodes drop on Fridays and cover topics connected to the five core pillars of running a travel business:

• Essentials: legal, insurance, financials
• Operations: tech, processes, support systems
• Marketing: visibility, messaging, strategy
• Sales: asking for the sale, services, supplier relationships
• Growth: scaling, niching down, taking the next step

Some episodes are solo, where I share what I’m seeing, learning, or teaching.

Others bring in guest experts who can speak to a topic better than I can.

And I’m very selective with who I bring on the podcast to speak.

Over time you’ll notice a shift toward more solo episodes as I’ve grown into my voice as a business mentor and marketing strategist over the years.

Who This Podcast Is For

The Strategic Travel Entrepreneur Podcast is built for travel advisors and agency owners, but it can also benefit travel coaches, tour operators, and really anyone in the travel and tourism space who is trying to build something sustainable.

If you’re new and figuring out the foundations, there’s something here for you.

If you’ve been around for years but haven’t fully stepped into your role as a business owner, or if you’re still operating more like an employee of your own agency than the CEO of it, there’s definitely something here for you, too.

This is the show I needed in 2010.

It’s also the show I needed in 2018.

And it’s honestly the show I still need now, because entrepreneurship really is a work in progress.

Start with an episode that speaks to whatever you feel most stuck in right now.

Whether that’s marketing, operations, mindset, or just figuring out where you fit as an entrepreneur in this industry, there’s an episode for you.

And if there’s a topic you want covered or an expert you think I should bring on, reach out.

I love collaborating with other business owners and leaders who can provide great value to this community.

Resources Mentioned

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