Travel With Meaning – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In Episode 119 of the Travel With Meaning podcast, we are thrilled to host Chef Lee Anne Wong, a culinary visionary known for her impactful journey from New York City's fine dining scene to the vibrant food culture of Maui. Chef Wong, a Top Chef alumna, shares her incredible story of moving to Hawaiʻi, opening Koko Head Cafe and eventually planting roots in Maui.

After the devastating 2023 wildfire that claimed her Lahaina restaurant, Chef Wong's resilience and dedication shone through as she tirelessly supported her community, cooking thousands of meals daily for displaced residents. She discusses her deep connection to Hawaiʻi, the importance of supporting local farmers, and her advocacy for mental health in the hospitality industry. Join us for an inspiring conversation with Chef Lee Anne Wong, where we explore her culinary adventures, community spirit, and the transformative power of food and travel.

Tune in to be reminded of the beauty of Maui, the strength of its community, and the unbreakable bond between the people, the places, and the culture.

The people and the spirit of Maui is strong – Maui is open and welcomes you back, now more than ever. Visit GoHawaii.com/Maui.

In this special episode of the Travel With Meaning podcast, host Mike Schibel brings you a unique blend of conversations with renowned chefs and a talented local musician from Maui. They highlight the depth of Maui’s culinary and cultural richness, reveal how Maui has impacted their lives, and share their stories of community resilience after the Lahaina wildfires.

Recorded at the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience, join us  as we chat with, Chef Maneet Chauhan, Chef Stephanie Izard, Chef Jonathan Pasion from Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, and Chef Ryan Schelling from Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, as well as  musician Ua Bradshaw from Maui.

This episode is a celebration of the island’s resilient community—a community that invites travelers to return to Maui, now more than ever. Tune in to be reminded of the beauty of Maui, the strength of its community, and the unbreakable bond between the people, the places, and the culture.

Tune in to this heartfelt episode and be reminded of the beauty of Maui, the strength of its community, and the unbreakable bond between the people, the places, and the culture.

The people and the spirit of Maui is strong – Maui is open and welcomes you back, now more than ever. Visit GoHawaii.com/Maui.

#TravelWithMeaning #TravelStories #MauiStrong #GoHawaii #VisitMaui 

 

Episode 108 of the Travel With Meaning podcast features a conversation with Bruce Wallin, a travel journalist who has experienced his share of meaningful adventures.

As editorial director for Robb Report for 15 years covering luxury travel to co-founding Trip magazine in the nineties, and today as the host of the award-winning #travelthatmatters podcast.

In our conversation, Bruce shares his thoughts on wellness travel, and what sparked his desire to enter travel publishing + journalism and his most meaningful adventure.

Bruce sums up what travel means to him simply as “fun” and we couldn’t agree more. 

Enjoy our conversation with  Bruce. 

#Travelwithmeaning #Travelstories #Travel

In 2013, Ruben Rojas traded in his suit for a paint brush and began transforming blank walls into unique, empowering messages that today are uplifting communities and challenging the public to create new dialogues. As an artist, muralist and activist, Ruben’s mission is to ignite creativity and inspire others to see the world through the lens of love.  

By using the urban landscape as his canvas, Ruben encourages communities to change for the better through optimism and collaboration. These once vacant walls are now vibrant reminders that inspire those who see them to dream big, feel beautiful, live in possibility, and to love. Ruben’s murals can be seen in cities across the country and around the world from Paris to New York and Florida to Mississippi. 

Ruben’s portfolio of work extends beyond murals. He is a TED speaker, helping spread the message of art creating impact, a product designer and also a corporate consultant.

Ruben works with companies to help businesses give back, enhance workspaces and raise awareness on important issues. Past campaigns include clients such as Toms, Reebok, American Express, & GT’s Kombucha. Ruben is also co-founder of Beautify Earth, a nonprofit dedicated to putting an end to blighted walls and fixtures all over the world by empowering artists, encouraging social responsibility, and instilling community pride.

Celebrity fitness model, Lauren Abraham, is a nationally recognized TV host & live event MC specializing in travel, health, fitness, red carpet events, and action sports. She has over 10 years of ongoing hosting experience with networks such as ESPN, FSN, NBC, and the like. As one of the most influential fitness personalities in the industry, she has been signed as the video creator and host for all Amway fitness video content for the next 5 years globally, as well being the leading spokesperson for MuscleTech, STRONG by Zumba. Recently voted into the top 10 physiques in the fitness industry, she graced page 45 of last year’s ESPN magazine, “The Body Issue.” Lauren is continuously published worldwide, and is seen monthly gracing the pages of fitness, sport, and fashion magazines. She has over 60 magazine publications worldwide.

For the year of 2014, Lauren was the face of 7-11 TV across the country, and she currently hosts two 30-minute fitness infomercial “The Rock Gym” airing in 23 different countries and Ab Crunch in all of South and Central America. Because of her extensive directing & hosting knowledge form years as a host, she has recently launched her own video production company, and is now Executive Producer/Director/ and partner in one of the largest fitness apps launching in 2015 out of Canada, called Fit Plan App.

Lauren is certified with the Yoga Alliance is a level 5 stand up paddle boarder, certified with the Academy of Surf Instructors. She continues to be a world-renowned professional athlete, both in her earlier years as a competitive snowboarder and now as a sponsored stand up paddle surfer. Lauren graced the pages of both SUP the Mag and Fitness Gurls Magazine’s summer swimsuit editions this past year and will do so again this year.

 Lauren launched her own performing arts company, “LAUREN ABRAHAM ENTERTAINMENT LIVE” in 2005, specializing in the cirque & dance arts and is currently launching her new swimwear and jewelry line, “THE LAUREN ABRAHAM COLLECTIONS.”  

As an expert specializing bikini body maintenance, anti-aging, yoga, and outdoor training, Lauren is launching her first book with her business partner, fitness photographer, Robert Reiff. “California Dream Body, The Ultimate Outdoor training guide by Lauren Abraham” Together they have created the highest level of visual inspiration and content, supplying her ever growing & loyal fan base an ongoing collection of useful knowledge.

Lauren also hosts her annual surf, sup, and yoga retreats in Playa Negra, Costa Rica called the “LAUREN ABRAHAM LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCE”

In her earlier years as a competitive snowboarder she injured herself critically and endured 10 major surgeries that confined her to a wheel chair for a 2-year period. Not allowing her chronic arthritis and lifelong ankle pain to slow her down, Lauren has overcome her life altering injuries through her dedication to health and keeping her mind, body, and spirit in top shape. She has also overcome a drug addiction during her earlier years,  and is a survivor of domestic violence.

Lauren is a co-founder of “THE SPIRITUALLY FIT: MAKING MOVEMENT MATTER” which teaches those new to recovery that creating a physical wellbeing, healthy habits, and spiritual connections to mother nature are key ingredients to a sustainable recovery. She has also spoken for the “Just Keep Living” foundation for the LA High Schools after school sports programs encouraging kids to apply themselves, live to their full potential and use sports over drugs for a good life and promising future.

Lauren is creator of “THE LOVE LIFE” program and hopes her membership site will be a one stop shop for women of all walks of life to find the answers and inspiration to turn their own dreams into their reality. 

With her undeniable love for life and endless drive, it is clear why Lauren Abraham is a leading star in social media hundreds of thousands of followers. She is a true influencer with a fast & significant growing fan base for lifestyle brands that support and believe in her as a leading spokesperson and athlete. Lauren is a natural born leader, inspiring people to reach their goals and dreams by living a life full of enthusiasm, joy, courage, and most of all… passion.

Ben Higgins is best known from season 20 of ABC’s hit series, “The Bachelor,” where he opened himself up to millions of viewers, giving them the chance to truly get to know him. The opportunity ultimately led to an enhanced platform that he now uses to share what he is most passionate about with others – his faith, his hope for humanity and his love of sports.

Born and raised in Winona Lake, IN, Ben currently resides in Denver, CO, where he moved after graduating from Indiana University in 2012. Since “The Bachelor,” Ben has been keeping up with a number of projects with the help of some of his closest friends.

Most recently, Ben co-founded Generous International, a for purpose company dedicated to contributing profits to social issues around the world, starting with a cup of coffee. With a vision to change the way society thinks of consumer products, all Generous merchandise is designed specifically to create and multiply good in the world. Whether creating jobs, feeding children or improving education, it begins with giving back in order to build a world that we all want to live in.

In 2017 Ben created a lifestyle blog, The Mahogany Workplace, where people are free to openly and honestly discuss all things life, love and everything in between. From style to travel to world views, Ben and his team of refreshing contributors cover it all, with the one common thread being complete transparency about how life can truly be – a series of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, triumph and pain. 

Ben stays connected with his loyal Bachelor following with his iHeartMedia podcast, “Almost Famous,” which he co-hosts with his friend and former Bachelor contestant, Ashley Iaconetti.  It’s the perfect destination for fans to get an inside perspective on the popular franchise as they break down the current Bachelor season in addition to discussing pop culture, offering relationship advice and allowing listeners to keep up with their personal lives.

In 2018 Ben partnered with nationally recognized chef Daniel Asher and the team at Culinary Creative Group to open his first restaurant venture Ash ‘Kara in Denver, Co. Ash ‘Kara is a globally inspired restaurant with influences from Israel, the Middle East, and Mesopotamia. Ash ‘Kara which is Hebrew street slang for “totally!” or “right on!” explores the continuous evolution of Israeli cuisine with ingredients and flavors from across Europe and North Africa including Yemen, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey and Spain into a menu of shareable items from Ash ‘Kara’s wood-fired oven.

Of all Ben’s ventures, his longest-running connection has been with Humanity and Hope United, where he holds a seat on the board. Established by one of his best friends and Mahogany Workplace contributor, Riley Fuller, Humanity & Hope United is a non-profit organization working to assist underserved villages in remote parts of Honduras. They partner with the people of each community to achieve sustainable change, focusing on the needs of individuals rather than a single issue or approach.

This is a solo cast episode where Founder of Travel With Meaning, Mike Schibel shares about his yearly family summer reunion at their cabin in Northern Minnesota. Mike gets real and personal with his experience and why this year’s trip was so different than any other before. We’ll also hear some of Mike’s thoughts and wisdom around making choices while being on the open road and the mindset of a traveler. As Season One of the TWM Podcast comes to a close Mike reflects back and reveals about the road ahead for Season Two with a new partner creating inspiration for future episodes. All this and so much more on this episode of the Travel With Meaning Podcast.

 

Jesse Billauer (born February 24, 1979) is a well-known surfer from Pacific Palisades, California.

Billauer suffered an accident at the age of 17 on March 25, 1996, hitting his head on a shallow sandbar after being knocked off his surfboard by a wave. The force broke his neck, severing his spinal cord at the C6 level and instantly rendered him a quadriplegic.

Billauer was told by doctors that he would never surf again. However, Billauer eventually did return to surfing, adapting his surfing technique and equipment to the situation of his current condition. He has become a role model guide to many other surfers, both professional and amateur, on how to live life to the fullest, despite a life-changing injury. Through these efforts, Jesse has gained sponsorships from companies including Hurley, Channel Islands Surfboards (who developed a "Jesse Billauer" model), LoFric, Wavejet and Shoe City.

After graduating from Malibu High School, Billauer eventually enrolled at San Diego State University, with an emphasis in Communications. He graduated in 2002. He is also a motivational speaker, and is Executive Director of the non profit foundation he founded, "Life Rolls On." Through this foundation, Jesse is taking a leading role in awareness and activism for spinal cord injury related quality of life programs.

The 2003 Docs-Film Step Into Liquid featured his story and his friendship with Rob Machado Billauer was also featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, While You Were Out, E! True American Story and more. In 2004 he won the 10News (San Diego) Leadership Award for his commitment to Life Rolls On Foundation. His life story is featured in the book Bouncing Forward: Transforming Bad Breaks into Breakthroughs.

In 2005 Billauer became the first quadriplegic surfer to surf the dangerous waves of Cloudbreakin Fiji. He now surfs utilizing a power-assisted surfboard created by Wavejet.

The inaugural "Jesse's Story on Tour" speaking tour began in April 2006. This Tour has traversed the country and Jesse has delivered his message of Overcoming Adversity to over 100,000 people.

In December 2006 Billauer broke his femur while surfing large waves on the North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). This injury led to the development of improved equipment for disabled surfers. He has recovered and is back in the water surfing again.

In September 2013 he took over as Executive Director and CEO of Life Rolls On Foundation.

On December 6, 2013 Billauer became engaged to his longtime girlfriend Samanta Pearson and on October 26, 2014 he married her at the historical Adamson House in Malibu. They Live in Los Angeles with two beautiful twin boys.

“I’m a US based travel expert and spend my time teaching people how to travel well, smart and often. I’m passionate about good travel and helping people save time & money. I often say that travel is my Ph.D in life because it has taught me so much about myself, other people and the world. In turn, travel is good for the world. I believe that travel has never been easier and that everyone can achieve their travel dreams. Happy Travels!” - Angel Castellanos   His AngelstravelLounge.com website and all Travel Ambassador social media are like cool travel lounges that bring you expert travel advice on how to travel better, smarter, longer and cheaper. Traveling internationally 12-15 weeks each year, Angel draws on his experiences to teach “Smart Travel” and equip travelers with skills to make their trips easier and more enjoyable and less stressful. His love of travel has driven him to give hundreds of motivational and inspiration travel talks throughout the country that are filled with actionable practical travel tips. Angel is a multi-media travel personality that has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, NY Times Travel Show, Fox News, CBS, ABC, Frommer’s Radio, Univision, USA Today, Travel & Adventure Show.   Angel is a lifelong traveler. His first international trip was at an early age with his parents on a journey that lasted 3 months through the American Southwest, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Moved by his passion for art, music, history and architecture, Angel studied abroad in Europe in college. He has returned to Europe every year since. He has also visited South America, Africa and spent nine weeks traveling throughout Japan and South East Asia. His favorite journeys include traveling from Beijing to London overland via the Trans-Siberian, a horse trek in Mongolia, a Camel trek through the Sahara desert and sailing down the Nile River in Egypt. He is a consummate “light” packer, enjoys making new friends on the road and remains focused on achieving his travel dreams.   As a Brand Ambassador Angel has enjoyed working with such top brands as Eagle Creek, ExOfficio, Delsey Luggage, Brics, Allianz Travel Insurance and various hotel chains around the world. Angel is a proud brand Ambassador for Kind Traveler (the first socially conscious hotel booking site).

Richard Bangs is co-founder and Chief Adventure Officer of  http://www.Steller.co

 

Richard Bangs has been a pioneer in travel, digital media, e-commerce, and other frontiers.

 

In the early 90s Richard produced the first internet travel site http://www.mtsobek.com, the first travel CD ROM (The Adventure Disc), and the first virtual expeditions http://www.terra-quest.com.

 

He was founder and editor-in-chief of Mungo Park, a pioneering Microsoft travel publishing effort. He also founded www.terra-quest.com. He was part of the founding executive team of Expedia.com (www.expedia.com), and served as its Editor-at-Large. He was creator and publisher of Expedia Travels Magazine (published in partnership with Ziff-Davis), and executive producer of Expedia Radio, and founder and executive director of Expedia Cafes. He also served as president of Outward Bound; Founded Well-Traveled.com for Slate, and was founding editor and executive producer of Great Escapes, another Microsoft Travel initiative (www.greatescapes.msnbc.com). He also ran and founded First and Best for MSN, and founded Sobek Expeditions, which in the early 1990s merged with Mountain Travel to become Mountain Travel Sobek (www.mtsobek.com).

 

Richard Bangs has oft been called the father of modern adventure travel, and the pioneer in travel that makes a difference, travel with a purpose. He has spent 30 years as an explorer and communicator, and along the way led first descents of 35 rivers around the globe, including the Yangtze in China and the Zambezi in Southern Africa.

He recently co-directed the IMAX Film, Mystery of the Nile, and co-authored the Putnam book of the same name. His recent book, The Lost River: A Memoir of Life, Death and the Transformation of Wild Water, won the National Outdoor Book Award in the literature category, and the Lowell Thomas Award for best book.

 

Richard has published more than 1000 magazine articles, 19 books, produced a score

of documentaries and several CD-ROMs; and has lectured at the

Smithsonian, the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club and many other notable venues. He writes a semi-regular feature with the NYTimes. Richard served as executive producer of Richard Bangs Adventures on Yahoo.

 

He executive produced and hosted the Emmy-winning PBS series, Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose (www.adventureswithpurpose.tv), and his companion book, Adventures with Purpose, won the 2007 best book award from NATJA. His latest books are Quest for the Sublime (2008), and Quest for the Kashah (2009).

 

Richard won the Mark Dubois lifetime achievement conservation award in 2007.

 

Richard won the CINE Golden Eagle Award in 2008 for the special, Quest for Kaitiakitanga, and six Tele Awards for Quest for the Nile, Quest for the Sublime, and Quest for the Kasbah. Quest for Kaitiakitanga was nominated for an Environmental Media Award (“The Green Oscars”) for best documentary, and won the annual Platinum Award from HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International). Richard’s film Quest for the Viking Spirit won the 2009 Gold Lowell Thomas award for best documentary; and the same award for 2010 for the India show. Also, the series won two Emmys in 2010 in the History/Culture categories.

 

In 2011 Richard won the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award for Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon—2011; the 2011 CINE Golden Eagle Award for Greece: Quest for the Gods; and two Telly Awards for Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon.

 

Richard’s show Quest for Harmony won the Gold in the Destination Marketing Category of the 2012 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, as well as two Bronze Telly Awards, and the 2012 Lowell Thomas Award. His special, Richard Bangs’s South America: Quest for Wonder, won two Telly Awards for 2013; and the Cine Golden Eagle for 2013.

 

Richard Bangs’ Quests for PBS

 

 

He is co-founder of www.steller.co, now the world’s largest travel storytelling platform and app.

 

www.richardbangs.com

www.adventureswithpurpose.tv

www.mtsobek.com

www.whitenilemedia.net