Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at travelweekly.com/podcasts.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:
Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.
Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.
Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, part 2: As a travel advisor, how do I break into the world of luxury travel sales?
Season 5
Monday, September 9, 2024 • Duration 38:04
Trade Secrets is on the road again, this time at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. In the second episode of a three-part series recorded on-site in Las Vegas, Megan Vatnsdal, owner of Onyx & Evergreen Travel and affiliate of Four Hundred, talks about how she’s spent the past few years building her luxury-focused agency. She and co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada cover everything from building a book of business, to getting in front of luxury clients, to using events to network.
Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, part 1: What are the latest trends in luxury travel? (Feat. David Kolner)
Season 5
Monday, August 26, 2024 • Duration 41:22
Trade Secrets is on the road again, this time at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. In the first episode of a three-part series recorded on site, Virtuoso executive vice president David Kolner shares updates on Virtuoso’s annual event, how advisors are selling so much right now, the different habits of each generation and what the term “luxury” means to him. Kolner also talks about Maui recovery and what travel advisors can do to help the island.
How should travel agents address travel advisories?
Season 5 · Episode 2
Monday, April 22, 2024 • Duration 34:45
When the State Department upgrades its travel advisory for a destination, or updates an advisory with new information, it can make clients a little jumpy. How should travel agents navigate the situation? Get the answer on this week’s episode of Trade Secrets, when co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada are joined by travel advisor Brittany Shuford of Darling Destinations in Birmingham, Ala.
Thanks to our friends at OutsideAgents.com for helping us solicit travel advisor questions this season.
Travel advisors, what’s your elevator pitch? (feat. Jackie Friedman)
Season 5 · Episode 1
Monday, April 8, 2024 • Duration 46:05
Welcome to season five of Trade Secrets. In this episode, hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Nexion Travel Group president Jackie Friedman on the show to talk about the value of travel advisors. They discuss the modern history of the profession and the evolution from “agent” to “advisor,” then answer listener questions about standing out from the crowd, how advisors can sell their own value and what makes a good elevator pitch.
Thanks to our friends at WorldVia for helping us solicit travel advisor questions this season.
Mic check, one, two: How do we create Trade Secrets?
Monday, March 25, 2024 • Duration 30:15
How is the Trade Secrets podcast made? Find out all the behind-the-scenes details in this special episode with co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada. From the show’s origin, to scripting, to editing and posting, take a peek behind the Trade Secrets curtain.
This is a special episode of Trade Secrets between seasons four and five. Season five will return in two weeks, on April 8.
Why can't we be friends? Forming productive travel advisor-supplier relationships (feat. Vicki Freed and Jamie Margolis)
Season 4 · Episode 20
Monday, March 11, 2024 • Duration 49:59
Welcome to the season four finale of Trade Secrets. This week, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, and Jamie Margolis, owner of the Dream Vacations franchise Moms at Sea, during the second installment of a two-part series with Freed (listen to part one here).
During the episode, Freed and Margolis talk about the importance of forming — and maintaining — a good agent-supplier relationship, the “unicorn” cabins onboard Royal Caribbean ships that offer more space for less money, the value proposition of cruising and more.
In two weeks, Trade Secrets will release a special episode about the making of the podcast. It will return for season five two weeks after that, on April 8.
From Travel Weekly, Agent Life: From Facebook group to franchisee: Moms at Sea’s fantastic voyage
Icon of the Seas: How big can a cruise ship get?
Season 4 · Episode 19
Monday, February 26, 2024 • Duration 42:08
Get ready for a cruise-filled episode of Trade Secrets. This week, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Royal Caribbean's Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, and Nick Weir, senior vice president of entertainment, onto the show. Hop aboard as we dive into everything from the brand-new Icon of the Seas — billed as the largest cruise ship at sea — to what it takes to entertain Royal’s millions of cruisers. This is the first of a two-part series featuring Freed; join us next time for a discussion on creating a strong advisor-supplier relationship.
Travel advisors, are you using the right tech stack?
Season 4 · Episode 18
Monday, February 12, 2024 • Duration 45:49
Travel advisors, are you stuck in the technological past? In this episode of Trade Secrets, Brian Shultz, chief information officer for Cruise Planners, joins hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada to talk about the latest in tech offerings for advisors, game-changing generative AI use cases and tools that can save you both time and money.
Decoding 2024: What trends will shape the travel advisor landscape?
Season 4 · Episode 17
Monday, January 29, 2024 • Duration 29:57
This week on Trade Secrets, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada gaze into their crystal balls to reveal what 2024 might hold for the travel agency community. They share what’s in and what’s out for this year, along with major trends that will shape the advisor landscape. They’ll even share some resolutions for themselves and for the podcast.
Here’s a preview of what’s in and what’s out, according to our hosts.
Emma’s “in for 2024” list:
Using a travel advisor!
High prices for both accommodations and airfare.
Europe: Italy, Greece and Portugal are all hot spots.
Group and event travel.
River cruising for younger generations.
Authentic, immersive experiences.
Emma’s “out for 2024” list:
Peak-season travel (book shoulder season!)
Last-minute trips (book early!)
Leaving sustainability out of the conversation.
Working to the point of burnout.
Being afraid of technology that can actually help business.
Jamie’s “in and out for 2024” list:
In: Being a traveler. Out: Being a tourist (credit to Signature Travel Network’s Ignacio Mazza)
In: 201 destinations. Out: 101 destinations (credit to Jetset World Travel affiliate Sarah Sullivan)
In: Slow travel. Out: The quick, cram-it-all-in trip
Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098
Encore: Top travel pros and their best advice for advisors
Monday, January 15, 2024 • Duration 37:37
Trade Secrets is on a break right now, but will be back starting Jan. 29 with brand-new episodes. In the meantime, we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes from season four. It’s also one of the most popular.
This episode was recorded at the ASTA Global Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 2, 2023. Co-hosts Jamie Biesiada and Emma Weissmann rounded up some of the industry’s finest to offer their best advice to travel advisors. They touch on everything from sustainability, to entering the luxury market, and beyond.
Travel advisor Lorryn Langton’s poem created with generative AI, made for a group headed to Puerto Vallarta and posted in their private Facebook page:
T'was the night before Mexico, in the Midwest so cold, the women were bustling, their spirits so bold. With tequila in mind and pools to explore, they readied themselves for adventures galore.
Sunshine awaited, a tropical delight, a respite from winter, a warm welcome sight. Catamaran sailings and whale spotting too, an escape from the cold, a dream coming true.
The bags were all packed, passports in hand, visions of palm trees and white sandy land. To Mexico they'd go, leaving winter behind, A getaway to unwind, a paradise they'd find.
Spa time awaited, relaxation in store, A pampering session, leaving stress at the door. In the warmth of the sun, with a breeze so divine, They'd sip on cocktails, letting worries decline.
So, on the eve of departure, excitement so high, the women embraced, beneath the moonlit sky. To Mexico they'd journey, from the cold they'd break free, a holiday adventure, just as it should be.
Need advice?
Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098
Discover shows related to Trade Secrets Podcast, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
