Trade Secrets Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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.

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways.

Further resources

Megan Vatnsdal on Instagram, Facebook and the web

Mentioned in this episode:

• Four Hundred
• BNI (Business Network International)
• From Travel Weekly, evidence of normalization in travel this year
• Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, part 1

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

This episode is sponsored by Allianz Partners. 

Further resources

Virtuoso’s website

David Kolner on LinkedIn and Instagram

UBS’s Global Wealth Report 2024

From TravelAge West:

• Five things we learned at Virtuoso Travel Week 2024

From Travel Weekly:

• Travel is flourishing, and Virtuoso says it’s at the top of the heap
• High prices are giving luxury travelers pause, but they’re paying
• Going back to Maui

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. 

This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International. 

Further resources

Find Brittany Shuford on Instagram and Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

• The State Department’s travel site, Travel.State.Gov
• The State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
• Emma’s Humans of Travel podcast
• Travel attorney Mark Pestronk’s free resources, including disclaimer and release forms
• A travel agent guide to selling high-risk travel

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. 

This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International.

Further resources

Nexion Travel Group on the web

Reach out to Jackie Friedman via email

Mentioned in this episode:

• Erica Carr’s bookitbox Travel
• Christine Potthoff’s travel beCAUSE
• Courtnie Nichols’ client gifting strategy

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International. 

Further resources

Email Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada

Follow us on Instagram

• Travel Weekly
• TravelAge West
• Emma Weissmann
• Jamie Biesiada

Mentioned in this episode:

• Slate’s Dear Prudence
• “Tiny Beautiful Things,” by Cheryl Strayed
• Auphonic
• Omny Studio
• PodBean

Some previous episodes we mention:

• When is it time to leave your host agency and join a consortium?
• Top travel pros and their best advice for advisors
• On the ground in Maui: Should travel agents send clients to the island right now?
• Icon of the Seas: How big can a cruise ship get?
• Why can’t we be friends? Forming productive travel advisor-supplier relationships
• How do I use generative AI to improve my travel agency’s workflow?
• Travel advisors, are you using the right tech stack?

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International. 

Further resources

Contact Vicki Freed by email or her personal cell phone, 305-458-0463

Find Jamie Margolis and Moms at Sea online, on Facebook and on Instagram

The last Trade Secrets episode, also featuring Vicki Freed

From Travel Weekly, Agent Life: From Facebook group to franchisee: Moms at Sea’s fantastic voyage 

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Taylor Swift cruise: From TravelAge West, Who is Marvelous Mouse Travels, and why is it hosting a Taylor Swift-themed cruise? 
• Sign up for Vicki’s Tips online 
• On Millie Schwartz, from Travel Weekly: At 90, Schwartz still drawn to selling travel 
• An example of Carnival’s Fun Ship cruise commercials from the 1980s

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises. 

Further resources

Contact Vicki Freed by email or her personal cell phone, 305-458-0463

Follow Nick Weir on X (formerly Twitter)

Royal’s trade marketing hub (also home to the link to register for Vicki’s Coffee Talk)

Vicki Freed on Humans of Travel: Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed on breaking into the cruise industry _ and meeting the boss who helped shape her

Icon of the Seas coverage

• Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas takes thrills to the max
• Royal Caribbean sets a new cruise benchmark with Icon of the Seas

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. 

This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises. 

Further resources and related reading:

Meet Cruise Planners’ Brian Shultz 

Cruise Planners’ website and franchise site

Trade Secrets episode on generative AI: How do I use generative AI to improve my travel agency’s workflow?

From TravelAge West:

• WTTC report: Artificial intelligence has the potential to ‘revolutionize’ travel and tourism
• How travel advisors can get ahead using artificial intelligence

From Travel Weekly:

• Travel takes on generative AI
• At Ensemble event, confronting the emergence of AI in travel

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

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
• In: On-time flights. Out: Flight disruptions (fingers crossed)
• Out: Economy class. In: Business and first (this is an aspirational joke for Jamie, who almost always flies economy)

Further resources:

Trade Secrets episode on burnout, balance and more

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Further resources:

The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2024 

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.