The Hivemind Podcast

Whitney Shindelar
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Hivemind Podcast brings together the collective wisdom of travel advisors, supplier partners, and destination experts to make you feel more confident, prepared, and connected. Each episode delivers practical insights you can put to work right away — from understanding which hotels best fit which clients, to breaking down the nuances of a destination, to sharing pro tips that help you save time and streamline your business inside The Hive platform. Think of it as your shortcut to the knowledge that builds trust with clients and helps your business grow. Learn more at thehive.travel/podcast

  1. 39 The Essentials: Maui, Hawaii

    5d ago

    39 The Essentials: Maui, Hawaii

    Maui is the island every client seems to want and one of the hardest for travel advisors to advise on with confidence without having visited. Erica and Jordan Fromholz, co-founders of The Hawaii Vacation Guide, spent years living in both Oahu and Lahaina and bring ground-level intel that research alone rarely surfaces. They cover the three Cs framework (clouds, crowds, and costs) for timing client trips, lay out the specific tours to book for Molokini Crater and the Road to Hana, and explain what separates Kaanapali from Wailea in terms travel advisors can actually use. The episode closes with how their newsletter, YouTube channel, and island itinerary guides can work directly into an advisor's Maui toolkit.

    54 min
  2. 38 The Essentials: Lecce, Salento, Matera & Bari, Italy (Part 2)

    Jun 25

    38 The Essentials: Lecce, Salento, Matera & Bari, Italy (Part 2)

    Lecce, Salento, Matera, and Bari represent the less-traveled side of Puglia, and for travel advisors, they hold some of the region's most compelling itinerary-building material. From the baroque hilltop streets of Lecce and the wild coastal towns of Salento, to the UNESCO cave city of Matera and the newly internationally connected hub of Bari, this part of the region rewards clients who want to go deeper. Elisa De Pascalis, Sales Manager at Southern Visions, a destination management company specializing in southern Italy, returns for Part 2 of an in-depth Puglia conversation. She shares how to position each area to clients, what factors shape the decision to stay overnight versus visit as a day trip, where logistical details like airports and ferries open up creative multi-destination itineraries, and what hidden gems across the region most advisors haven't yet heard of. Travel advisors will come away with a stronger sense of how to structure a longer Puglia itinerary, how to guide client conversations around mobility, heat, and pacing, and how to make a compelling case for clients to slow down and stay longer.

    46 min
  3. 37 The Essentials: Itria Valley & Puglia Seaside, Italy (Part 1)

    Jun 18

    37 The Essentials: Itria Valley & Puglia Seaside, Italy (Part 1)

    The Itria Valley and the seaside towns of Puglia offer Travel Advisors one of southern Italy's most textured and least-understood destination stories, where centuries-old masserias, trulli architecture, clifftop coastal towns, and a growing luxury property scene come together in a region that rewards more context than most clients arrive with. Elisa De Pascalis, Sales Manager at Southern Visions, a DMC rooted in southern Italy with deep expertise across Puglia, grew up in Lecce, returned to the region in 2017, and has spent years designing itineraries for Travel Advisors. She walks through how clients can get there, how to approach the inland versus coastal accommodation decision, what seasons serve which travel styles, and what experiences make Puglia genuinely hard to forget. She also shares how Southern Visions' dedicated biking division and vintage Fiat 500 touring program give Travel Advisors experiential angles most competitors cannot offer. Travel Advisors will come away with sharper language for positioning Puglia, practical tools for managing accommodation and logistics expectations, and stronger itinerary thinking for clients who are ready to discover southern Italy beyond the familiar. Part two drops next week and covers Lecce, Salento, Matera, and Bari.

    46 min
  4. 36 The Essentials: Western Sicily & Agrigento, Italy

    Jun 11

    36 The Essentials: Western Sicily & Agrigento, Italy

    Western Sicily and the Agrigento area offer travel advisors a more layered and less traveled way to position Sicily for clients who want something beyond the island's well-known eastern circuit. The Trapani area's salt ponds, Arab-influenced towns, medieval hilltop villages, and coastal archaeological sites pair naturally with Agrigento's slower tempo, deep Greek heritage, and access to genuine rural experiences that are difficult to replicate elsewhere on the island. Dario Piparo, co-founder of Essence of Sicily, a boutique destination management company based in Agrigento, brings eight generations of roots on the island and a deeply personal understanding of its western and southern regions to the conversation. He walks through what makes Western Sicily distinct from the rest of the island, how to frame it for first-time versus returning visitors, how to structure itineraries that span both the Trapani area and Agrigento, what the growing hospitality landscape looks like and how to set client expectations accordingly, what activity options exist for more active travelers, and how to build a client brief that allows a DMC partner to produce something truly personalized. Travel advisors will come away with a stronger framework for positioning this region, practical language for managing expectations, and a clearer picture of how Western Sicily and Agrigento can elevate an Italy itinerary in a way few destinations can.

    47 min
  5. 35 The Essentials: Delhi & Khajuraho, India

    Jun 4

    35 The Essentials: Delhi & Khajuraho, India

    Delhi and Khajuraho reveal an India itinerary that can move beyond the classic gateway city and into a layered mix of history, wildlife, food, art, and cultural depth. Vivian Peres, Director of Ventours, joins as an India-based DMC expert with decades of firsthand experience designing high-touch travel across the region. The conversation explores how to position Delhi as a meaningful three-night stay, how Khajuraho has evolved from a one-night temple stop into a two- or three-night experience, and how Panna National Park adds a strong tiger safari component to the journey. Travel Advisors will hear practical insight on routing through Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, and Rajasthan, along with guidance on seasonality, transportation preferences, private guiding, shopping, wellness, museums, and culinary experiences. Tune in for a sharper understanding of how to design India itineraries that feel personal, well-paced, and deeply connected to place.

    45 min
  6. 34 The Essentials: Porto & Douro Valley, Portugal

    May 28

    34 The Essentials: Porto & Douro Valley, Portugal

    Porto and the Douro Valley offer Travel Advisors a more textured way to position Portugal, with Porto’s food, history, family-friendly spirit, and riverfront energy pairing naturally with the Douro’s slower, more remote wine-country rhythm. In this episode, Ryan Opaz, owner of Patamar Select, shares his deep destination expertise as a Portugal-based DMC with a background in food, wine, culture, and custom travel design. The conversation covers when to visit, how long to stay, what clients should experience in Porto, how to approach the Douro Valley as a day trip versus an overnight stay, and the client details Travel Advisors should gather before planning. Ryan also highlights the difference between the Douro River and the Douro Valley, the importance of mobility and dietary context, and how Porto can work beautifully for families, food lovers, wine travelers, architecture enthusiasts, and clients who want layered cultural access. Travel Advisors will come away with practical ways to shape stronger Portugal itineraries, position Porto beyond a quick stop, and guide clients toward a more intentional experience of northern Portugal.

    55 min
  7. 33 The Essentials: Spa & Wellness

    May 21

    33 The Essentials: Spa & Wellness

    Spa and wellness has become one of the most nuanced categories in luxury travel, and this episode unpacks how Travel Advisors can better qualify what clients actually mean when they ask for a spa day, a wellness reset, or a more immersive health-focused stay. Kate Sullivan, co-founder of Anthology Travel Group, joins the conversation to break down the wide spectrum of wellness experiences, from diagnostic retreats and structured wellness resorts to standout hotel spas and treatment-only setups. The discussion highlights how properties like Miraval, Canyon Ranch, Grand Velas, Chablé Yucatán, Salamander Middleburg, and The Ranch each represent different client fits, expectations, and planning considerations. Kate emphasizes the importance of asking better questions, understanding the physical spa environment, evaluating practitioner quality, and clarifying whether a client wants a treatment, a full spa experience, wellness programming, or sport-driven structure. Travel Advisors will come away with a clearer framework for matching spa and wellness offerings to the right client, setting expectations before arrival, and identifying when a spa is worth planning a trip around.

    42 min
  8. 32 The Essentials: The Basque Country, Spain

    May 14

    32 The Essentials: The Basque Country, Spain

    Spain's Basque Country is a destination where gastronomy, coastal culture, mountain landscapes, and slow-paced discovery come together in a way that feels entirely distinct from the rest of the country. Sandra Sancho, Office Director Spain for Tempo VIP, shares her personal connection to the region and how travel advisors can better understand its geography, culture, and client fit. The conversation covers when to go, how to structure an itinerary across San Sebastián, Bilbao, La Rioja Alavesa, Navarra, and the French Basque Coast, and which experiences help bring the destination to life for clients. Sandra explores the region's Michelin-level dining scene, pintxos culture, cider houses, txakoli wineries, countryside stays, family-friendly farm experiences, and active options like hiking, biking, and coastal exploration. Travel advisors will walk away with a clearer sense of how to position the Basque Country as a layered, experiential Spain itinerary for clients who want food, nature, culture, and a more immersive pace.

    39 min
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About

The Hivemind Podcast brings together the collective wisdom of travel advisors, supplier partners, and destination experts to make you feel more confident, prepared, and connected. Each episode delivers practical insights you can put to work right away — from understanding which hotels best fit which clients, to breaking down the nuances of a destination, to sharing pro tips that help you save time and streamline your business inside The Hive platform. Think of it as your shortcut to the knowledge that builds trust with clients and helps your business grow. Learn more at thehive.travel/podcast

Information

  • Creator
    Whitney Shindelar
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Whitney Shindelar
  • Show Website
    The Hivemind Podcast

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