In this episode of Humans of Travel, Ken Shapiro, group vice president and editorial director for Northstar Travel Group (the parent company of TravelAge West), speaks with Stephanie Brooks, vice president of product and operations for the Globus family of brands. Brooks’ passion for travel stems from seeing the power of shared experiences and personal connections, and she shares her own journey from aspiring teacher to tourism executive, shaped by summers spent working at a remote fishing lodge...
Jun 30, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 26
Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff of the Humans of Travel, is currently running a 10-part mini-series on the 2025 TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which recognizes some of the most forward-thinking and impactful travel advisors in the U.S. Each year, the Trendsetter Awards recognize outstanding travel advisors across five unique categories: Best Targeted Marketing Idea Best Group Booking Effort Upward Bound: Rockstar Advisor Under 40 Saving the Day Best Use of Social Media Listeners will hear ...
Jun 23, 2025•8 min•Season 6Ep. 25
In Part 2 of our conversation with Matthew Upchurch, the chairman and CEO of Virtuoso discusses the transformative challenges that have shaped today’s travel advisor profession. Listeners will gain insight into how the industry navigated the rise of online travel agencies, the strategic decision behind Virtuoso’s rebranding and the far-reaching influence of mobile technology and social media. Upchurch also speaks about his mission to elevate the role of travel advisors, his evolving definition o...
Jun 16, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 24
As a second-generation travel industry leader, Matthew Upchurch — chairman and CEO of luxury travel network Virtuoso — offers a unique perspective on how the world of luxury travel has evolved over the past four decades. In this episode of Humans of Travel , the first of a two-part conversation, Upchurch shares personal stories from his upbringing, the pioneering legacy of his father and the surprising origins of Virtuoso. You'll hear how the concept of a travel advisor collective emerged out of...
Jun 09, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 23
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features Eli Wagner, founder of Wagner Bespoke Travel. Wagner entered the industry about three years ago, and she has seen tremendous growth since, being named Virtuoso's Rising Star last year and surpassing $1 million in sales . She's also in the process of opening up a physical office in Santa Monica, California. In this episode, Wagner details what led her to make the decision to open a physical space whe...
Jun 02, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 22
Paul Brady didn’t always want to be a journalist. But when he participated in a language-immersion program in Italy between high school and college, he fell in love with travel. Now, he’s the current news director and cruise expert for consumer publication Travel + Leisure. In this episode of Humans of Travel, we’ll hear about what it’s like to work for one of the most well-known U.S.-based travel magazines today — what makes a compelling story, what a typical day looks like and what it really m...
May 26, 2025•36 min•Season 6Ep. 21
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features Susie Flores of Countdown Travels, aka Cruisin' Susie ( @cruise_yes_please ). Flores began posting cruise videos to TikTok, and quickly gained traction on the social media platform. Now, she boasts nearly 100,000 followers (along with more than 8,000 on her Instagram) and runs her multimillion-dollar business largely through leads she gets through TikTok. In this episode, Flores talks about her over...
May 19, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 20
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features John Sutherland, senior director of community impact at Tourism Cares. Tourism Cares, a nonprofit organization within the travel industry, is dedicated to advancing positive social, environmental and economic impact to help the world's people and places thrive. The organization offers a professional membership for travel agents ($99 per year), along with free tools like the Meaningful Travel Map. Th...
May 12, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features Asia Lantz, owner of Travel With Asia . Lantz recently moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area and has an especially unique way of marketing her business. Rather than focusing on garnering leads online, she has built a network of clients within her new community by meeting them during her free time, whether it's in a workout class, by hosting trivia at a local brewery or through tasting wine. Listeners w...
May 05, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 18
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features Roman Chiporukha, the founder of SpaceVIP , a travel agency for space tourism. Chiporukha founded SpaceVIP after he sold a $50 million ticket for a passenger to fly onboard Axiom’s Ax-1 mission — the first all-private space mission to the International Space Station. Roman is an advocate for “universal space literacy” and making space exploration more accessible to the private sector. This episode i...
Apr 28, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 17
When Tom Marchant co-founded the tour operator Black Tomato with two friends, the term “experiential travel” wasn’t even part of the travel zeitgeist. Now, 20 years later, Marchant and the Black Tomato team remain committed to crafting bespoke, deeply personalized itineraries that feed their clients’ adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity. In this episode of Humans of Travel , Marchant shares what makes a Black Tomato trip so unique (including the origin story behind the company’s name), ho...
Apr 21, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Travel advisor Kristie Keller of Addicted to Adventures entered the travel industry two years ago. Then, a chance encounter with Amadeus River Cruises' Executive Vice President, Marcus Leskovar, at ASTA's River Cruise Expo soon propelled her to success; since that meeting, she's booked seven groups (with 40-50 people, each) and has skyrocketed to become the No. 1 seller in her host agency, OTN. On this episode, she explains...
Apr 14, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 15
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Michael Schottey, the vice president of membership, marketing and communications at the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is the co-host for a brand-new podcast, Travel You Can Trust, with colleague Alvin Adriano. Here, he talks about the ideation for the show, what listeners can expect and how to find new episodes. This episode is sponsored...
Apr 07, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Today on Humans in the Hot Seat, we are welcoming Katie Brown, a travel advisor with Travelmation. Katie is an award-winning travel advisor; she entered the industry in February, 2020, just prior to the pandemic. In the past five years, Katie has booked over $6 million in travel, has planned trips to over 20 countries and was named as one of TravelAg...
Mar 31, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Most readers of TravelAge West will recognize Mindy Poder's name from the top of the magazine’s masthead. As Editor-in-Chief, Poder oversees everything that happens at the brand, from managing content strategy and editorial mission to working with writers and editors, improving audience engagement and considering the ethical implications of AI use. In the latest episode of Humans of Travel, Poder discusses her 14+ years at the publication, dispels some myths about being a travel journalist and s...
Mar 24, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Note to listeners: Humans of Travel is on hiatus for the winter, with new, full-length episodes resuming Spring 2025. This is a bonus Humans in the Hot Seat Episode. Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Angela Hughes, CEO of Trips & Ships Luxury Travel and developer of Luxury Travel University , penned an open letter to the travel industry (below) about what it really takes to get s...
Mar 17, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Greg Mortimer, the founder of cruise line Aurora Expeditions, is a pioneer in the adventure and exploration space — he’s traveled to many of the world's most remote and untouched regions, and has led more than 80 expeditions to Antarctica. In 1984, Mortimer made history by being part of ...
Mar 10, 2025•35 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Veranda Adkins, co-founder of the Association of Black Travel Professionals (ABTP) is passionate about making the travel industry more inclusive. In addition to helping run ABTP, Adkins is also a travel advisor with Travel Legacy, and prides herself in coaching entrepreneurs and being an...
Mar 03, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Jason Leppert , Cruise Editor for TravelAge West , has a long history onboard cruise ships. From embarking on Crystal Cruises’ inaugural voyage in 1990 to completing his 204th voyage just a few weeks ago, Leppert has spent more time onboard ships — and at sea — than most people do in the...
Feb 24, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Note to listeners: Humans of Travel is on hiatus for the winter, with new, full-length episodes resuming Spring 2025. In this episode of Humans of Travel — sponsored by Riverside Luxury Cruises — Ken Shapiro, vice president and editorial director, sits down with Jen Halboth, CEO of Riverside Luxury Cruises, for an honest conversation about her career journey and the evolving world of river cruising. With her signature energy and passion, Halboth reflects on her dynamic transition from profession...
Feb 17, 2025•36 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Note to listeners: Humans of Travel is on hiatus for the winter, with new, full-length episodes resuming Spring 2025. This is a bonus Humans in the Hot Seat Episode, recorded at SmartFlyer's CORE conference in Lake Louise, Alberta , last month. This episode is released in conjunction with a Trade Secrets episode on email marketing, with SmartFlyer's Kayla Douglas. Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, ...
Feb 10, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Alle Pierce is an Emmy award-winning host, travel influencer, river cruise ship Godmother and founder of Gals Abroad Getaways , a travel company that designs group trips for like-minded women. Before diving into the travel industry, Pierce built a successful career in broadcast journalis...
Feb 03, 2025•48 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And this week, we are releasing a new sponsored episode featuring our partners at Collette. In this sponsored episode of Humans of Travel, host Ken Shapiro, Vice President and Editorial Director of TravelAge West, TravelPulse and TravelPulse Canada, interviews Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, CEO of tour operator Collette . Leibl-Cote, who is only the fourth CEO and firs...
Jan 27, 2025•38 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Danny Genung, the owner of Harr Travel, is a former middle school teacher-turned legacy travel advisor and a YouTube influencer in the cruise and resort space operating under the @HarrTravel channel. In addition to selling anywhere from 70-100 cruises per month, Genung is perhaps best kn...
Jan 20, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Most members of the travel industry community know Samantha Brown as the host of PBS’ Samantha Brown's Places to Love, a long-running television show that allows viewers to tune in as Brown jets all over the world, showcasing some of the planet’s most fascinating destinations, communitie...
Jan 20, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Note to listeners: We're currently on hiatus until Spring 2025, but we're replaying some of our favorite episodes each week until we return. And you're listening to one of those "encore" presentations right now. Three years ago, Henley Vazquez created Fora Travel, a host agency that caters to a select group of new travel agents: part-timers, side-hustlers or even those who are just looking to dip their toes into a career in travel, but don’t know where to start. As a travel advisor herself — and...
Jan 06, 2025•41 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the travel advisors named in the "5 Future Leaders to Watch List," the cover story within the October 2024 issue of TravelAge West . All of these travel advisors, attendees of Future Leaders in Travel, were chosen to appear in the cover story to acknowledge their work and their potential to be game-chang...
Dec 23, 2024•9 min•Season 5Ep. 52
John Diorio has spent his entire career in travel, from the tour operator and wholesale space to Hotels.com and, most recently, Virgin Voyages . Despite this, Diorio – now the vice president of North American sales for the cruise line — said his relationship with travel didn’t start until he enrolled in travel school at age 19; prior to that, his jaunts consisted of yearly family vacations from his hometown in New York to the Jersey Shore. But after his very first flight (to Dayton, Ohio, in his...
Dec 16, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 51
Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the travel advisors named in the "5 Future Leaders to Watch List," the cover story within the October 2024 issue of TravelAge West . All of these travel advisors, attendees of Future Leaders in Travel, were chosen to appear in the cover story to acknowledge their work and their potential to be game-chang...
Dec 09, 2024•17 min•Season 5Ep. 50
In 1994, before the home-based travel advisor was a popular career choice in the travel industry, Michelle Fee co-founded Cruise Planners, a franchise travel agency model for home-based professionals, that would grow to become a staple in the industry. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Fee will reflect on what it was like during Cruise Planners’ early days — when the first cohort of advisors comprised only five people — to its present state of supporting and training hundreds of travel adviso...
Dec 02, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 49
