Shayna and Steph team up with Jennifer Dugan from Dugan’s Travels to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out Dugan’s profile here: Dugan's Travels LLC | Host Agency Reviews . Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! I am a travel agent (since 2012) and own my own agency (since 2016). I am thinking of bringing on another agent and need to fully understand the differences and implications to both me as well as to the agent between me having this agent as an...
Jun 27, 2025•20 min•Season 2Ep. 214
Shayna and Steph team up with Lori Speers from Levarte Travel to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out Levarte’s profile here . Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! Currently, I’m working as a receptionist, after my first year, I was promoted to Jr. Agent. Unfortunately, due to some health issues my son is facing, my career progress has been put on hold, and it wasn’t my choice to step back. I’ve had to prioritize his well-being, but it’s difficult ...
Jun 20, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 213
Steph teams up with Eric & co. of Cruise Planners to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out CP's profile here . Here are the awesome questions they’ll tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST! If you plan a destination wedding just as a coordinator - client pays vendor directly - how can you protect yourself? —Lenora D. I attend market festivals as a vendor advertising my travel business between the spring and fall. This year, I have added some physical items to sell that are related to a ...
Jun 13, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 212
Steph and Shayna welcome Sheila Folk of Travel Industry Solutions to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out TIS’s profile here on our brand-new travel tech software profiles .Here are the juicy questions they’ll tackle this Friday, as always, at 12 pm CST! I absolutely love working with clients and planning trips, but when it comes to the backend of running my business—things like systems, organization, and workflows—I feel like I’m constantly playing catch-up. What kinds of processes...
Jun 06, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 211
Shayna Zand and Steph join forces with Vacation Planners and Travel Planners International to host this week's Friday 15 to celebrate the beginning of the long weekend in the USA. You can check out their HAR profile HERE ! Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here : https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! I am a huge fan of your podcasts and I look forward to listening to them each week. I have been in the industry for just over 2 years working part t...
May 30, 2025•21 min•Season 2Ep. 210
Shayna Zand and Steph join forces with Solstice Collective to host this week's Friday 15 to celebrate the beginning of the long weekend in the USA. You can check out their HAR profile HERE ! Also, we have a veritable barrage of questions this week, which you can read below, and then come and join us at 12 pm CST for the podcast. Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here : https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! I mostly get new clients from referrals....
May 23, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 209
Shayna Zand and Steph cohost with April Swales of Uniglobe Travel Center to host this week's Friday 15 to celebrate Travel Advisor Day/Month. You can check out their HAR profile HERE ! You can scope out our questions below, then come and join us at 12 pm CST for the podcast! Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here : https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! 1. I am thinking of getting into travel advising to share my love of animals. I have traveled t...
May 16, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 208
Shayna Zand and Steph join forces with Fora Travel to host this week's Friday 15 to celebrate the beginning of May. You can check out their HAR profile HERE! Also, we have a veritable barrage of questions this week, which you can read below, and then come and join us at 12 pm CST for the podcast. Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here :https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! 1. The name I wanted to move forward with is "Be Prepared Vacations." The ...
May 09, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 207
Steph Lee co-hosts with Stephanie Gagnon of Just Perfect Travel. Check out the questions below, and then come and join us Friday at 12 pm CST for the podcast! Please submit your questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here ! I am thinking about trying to become a travel advisor as a side hustle/potential career change. But, with the way the world is right now… Travel bands, tariffs, impending USA recession… I'm wondering what the outlook actually is for someone trying to start a new care...
May 02, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 206
Shayna Zand and Steph join forces with Cazavia Travel to host a special edition this week's Friday 15 to celebrate Earth Month. Cazavia’s host agency is Montecito Village Travel and you can check out their HAR profile HERE! Also, we have a veritable barrage of questions this week, which you can read below, and then come and join us 12 pm CST for the podcast. Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here ! How can travel advisors influence client decisions ...
Apr 25, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 205
Shayna Zand and Steph join forces with Lori Speers to host this week's Friday 15. Lori's host agency is Levarte Travel and you can check out their HAR profile HERE! our co-host! Also, we have a veritable barrage of questions this week, which you can read below, and then come and join us 12 pm CST for the podcast. Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here ! 1. Why is it so hard to narrow down a host on a general niche (like Mexico AIs)? 2. What's the de...
Apr 18, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 204
Our Managing Director Shayna Zand takes the helm this week at the Friday 15, with Connie Miller of Montecito Village Travel as our co-host! Check out Montecito's profile here and the questions below that Shayna and Conni will tackle this Friday at 12 pm CST. Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here : https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 1. Do you really need an Identification number to be seen as a travel agency.. or can I essentially just book some...
Apr 11, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 203
Steph and Shayna co-host the Friday 15 with Stephanie Pickles of PTN! Scope out PTN's profile here and the questions below that Stephanie, Stephanie and Shayna will cover this Friday at 12 pm CST. Don't forget that you can submit questions and sign up for reminders for the F15 here ! 1. Where do I find a list of all the host agencies in Japan (like HAR for US and CA). I want to start a branch operation in Japan. I want the consortium in Japan. What are the accreditation in Japan? -Joseph W. 2. I...
Apr 04, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 202
Steph and Shayna welcome Sheila Folk of Travel Industry Solutions to cohost the Friday 15 this week! You can check out TIS’s profile here on our brand-new travel tech software profiles .Here are the juicy questions they’ll tackle this Friday, as always, at 12 pm CST! 1. Hi Stephanie and Team! Thanks for all you do! I am hitting a wall trying to figure out how to bill for group FIT trips. To have each person in the group pay individually for each hotel reservation and activity would cause many fo...
Mar 28, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 201
View the video, transcript, and show notes at: https://har.news/vol32 Today's guest made the leap from tech project management to travel advising in 2023 while living abroad in Switzerland. Within just two years, she's grown her agency, Your Travel Story, to nearly 6 times the sales from Year 1. What makes Grace Camoglu’s journey particularly fascinating is how she balances being an FIT travel advisor with living in Switzerland, raising two young children (ages 8 and 11), and primarily serving N...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In episode 200, Steph and Shayna co-host and Global Travel Collection is out sponsor. We’ve got three substantial questions to dig into this week, so study up & let’s go! 1. I'm just in the beginning of becoming a travel agent and really appreciate all the information I have been able to get from Host Agency Reviews. Thank you so much! My question is related to my potential agency name. I have looked up the possible name on NameCheap and it was not listed but when I look on Facebook there is...
Mar 21, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 200
In episode 199, Steph and Shayna co-host with Jennifer Dugan of Dugan’s Travels! Here’s the questions they’ll tackle this week. Please join us! 1. What is your favorite place to travel with children under 5? ---Staci W. 2. Hi guys, my question is about organizing and processes. Working independently it's difficult to see how other people organize not only their workflow but how they store their information to recall it. From as simple as an A-Z address book to put formats or special codes for su...
Mar 14, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 199
In episode 198, Steph Lee co-hosts with a longtime friend of the Friday 15, April Swales of Uniglobe Travel Center. They’ve got two especially in-depth questions, so have a look and tune in Friday 12 pm CST! 1. Do you have a good system for organizing all your travel BD contacts and promotional material of properties? I get overwhelmed with paper and business cards and even online and notes I still cannot seem to get a system in place for everything I receive. --- Sara R. 2. I am an IC with abou...
Mar 07, 2025•30 min•Season 2Ep. 198
In episode 197, Steph Lee hosts and Andavo Travel is our sponsor. (Thanks, Andavo!) Here's a taste of the questions she'll cover! 1. At what point should you LLC (so as to protect your assets), even if your income is not large yet? — Anonymous 2. How does a newbie travel advisor become a sub-agent? And where can a newbie find a mentor? —Diana B. 3. I always worry about being considered the Merchant of Record on flights and being on the hook for any refunds that are due the client while waiting o...
Feb 28, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 197
In episode 196, our very own Mary Stein co-hosts with the one and only Jenn Lee of Vacation Planners! Here’s the questions they’ll tackle this week! 1. Do you have a good system for organizing all your travel BD contacts and promotional material of properties? I get overwhelmed with paper and business cards and even online and notes I still cannot seem to get a system in place for everything I receive. - Sara 2. I am an IC with about 2 years in the business. I'm considering going out on my own b...
Feb 21, 2025•20 min•Season 2Ep. 196
In episode 195, we have a HAR Team special with Shayna Zand and Rita Perez! Here are the questions they’ll cover in this week’s episode! At what point should you LLC (so as to protect your assets), even if your income is not large yet? How do you deal with failure? I feel lost on which course to take. There seems to be the ASTA roadmap, This Accelerator course, and then the TRIPKIT course, which all seem to have rave reviews. But what's the difference? RESOURCES: ➡️ Travel Agency Business Struct...
Feb 14, 2025•21 min•Season 2Ep. 195
In episode 194, Steph cohosts again with Lori Speers of Levarte Travel! Here are the questions they’ll cover! 1. How do I deal with a client who is searching while I am researching and I feel like I am in a race to find the best deal or price? —Pamela C. 2. Hey Guys! I'm wondering, What are some ideas for "Thank You" gifts for my clients that are traveling to All Inclusives? I feel like it's easy to do gifts on cruises, I'm just not quite sure what to do for my land vacations. Any ideas? —Cindy ...
Feb 07, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 194
In episode 192, Steph cohosts again with Jennifer Dugan of Dugan’s Travels! Here are the questions they’ll cover! 1. Hi I’m a new independent travel advisor just getting ramped up and which CRM is recommended for CC payments- I would like my clients to pay directly using a CC or debit card. -Kevin Jordan 2. How in the world can we go through 30 hosts in detail with questions to finally decide 1 to sign on? I have already contacted an attorney to form the LLC before sign up with the host. -Anon...
Jan 24, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 192
In episode 191, Steph cohosts with Dave Meihoefer of TPI and they’ve got a ton of questions to cover, so make sure and ready up on ‘em in advance! Have a gander: 1. Hi Steph! I thought I had a rare name, but your podcast is making me feel like just another Stephanie! :). SO many Stephanies!!! We should start a club! I have gone through the Accelerator Course, just going back and starting the business end of things - after 2 1/2 months of name searching, I feel like I can finally fill in the blan...
Jan 17, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 191
In episode 190, Steph Lee and Sheila Folk of Travel Industry Solutions go deep this week with questions on suppliers and seller of travel rules! Here are the questions in their entirely: 1. I have signed up with _____ as my host agent. Being very new to travel of this form, I feel I am learning a lot of the marketing. I know it is important but I’m not learning the program for the booking part and am getting frustrated. I must be missing something. Ok sorry for the rant. The question is: is it t...
Jan 10, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 190
In episode 189, Steph Lee and April Swales of Uniglobe Travel chat on our first barrage of 2025 questions from all you lovely people! Here's a taste, make sure and tune in on Friday! 1. I plan to continue working at my current job and want to start my travel agency in the new year. Do you have tips on how to juggle two jobs and make sure I get back to my clients quickly when I have another day job? I don’t want to lose any future clients but can’t afford to not work. —Katee R. 2. Our family of 3...
Jan 03, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 189
In episode 188, Steph Lee and Jennifer Dugan of Dugan’s Travels cover some great questions this week, including how long it takes to get started as an advisor and how OTAs affect travel advisor business. Here are the queries in detail: 1. Hi, I have been listening to the Friday 15s this month, thank you for all the information. What's the typical timeline from starting as a new advisor to becoming profitable? —Anonymous 2. I’m exploring a career as a travel advisor and am seriously thinking abou...
Dec 27, 2024•23 min•Season 2Ep. 188
In episode 187, Steph Lee and Jennifer Dugan of Dugan’s Travels discuss a variety of topics this week, including E&O Insurance and when it’s a good idea to get your own IATA number! Here are the questions in all their glory: 1. I would like to hear the Pros and Cons and the best strategy on choosing a supplier for E&O insurance. –Diane D. 2. Hello! I came across a blog and wanted to reach out as I am becoming more and more confused as I search. I am a 1099 contractor under a company with...
Dec 20, 2024•31 min•Season 2Ep. 187
In episode 186 Steph cohosts with Kendra Tainsh of Travel Edge. Here are the questions these expert ladies will cover for you all! 1. I have been away from the corporate travel industry for over 20+ years and I would like to revisit being a corporate travel advisor. I used Sabre when I was an agent and I've been seeing so many jobs I could possibly qualify for but you need at least 2 years of corporate travel experience domestic and international. I would like to know the best Sabre course/refre...
Dec 13, 2024•23 min•Season 2Ep. 186
Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol31 Special thanks to today’s sponsor: KHM Travel Group Today's guests prove that sometimes the best partnerships start at home. Lauren Pronger launched Well Inspired Travels in 2011, inspired by witnessing travel's transformative power when her father used it to complement his cancer treatment. When her husband Chris, NHL Hall of Famer and Triple Gold Cup winner, joined the business in 2018, they discovered they were more powerful together. What makes...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 31
