The Travel Business Unpacked

The Travel Business Unpacked
  • 4.6 (10)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Daily

Welcome to The Travel Business Unpacked, the podcast by Gifted Travel Network, the premier host agency for luxury travel advisors. Hosted by Meredith Calloway, this podcast is your gateway to discovering how to turn a love for travel into a thriving career. Explore inspiring stories, expert insights, and proven strategies for building a sustainable and lucrative travel business. Whether you're dreaming of making a career leap or seeking fresh ideas to grow your existing travel venture, this is the podcast for you! Learn more about Gifted Travel Network: https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/

  1. 2d ago

    From Family CEO to Luxury Travel: Lucie McLaughlin's First Year in Business

    Lucie McLaughlin spent over two decades as what she calls the "family CEO," and when her kids grew up and life took an unexpected turn, she found herself searching for a new sense of purpose. In this episode, Lucie joins host Meredith Calloway to talk about trading the family-planner role for a career as a luxury travel advisor, and how a conversation with her mother-in-law led her to research host agencies and ultimately choose Gifted Travel Network.Lucie opens up about the emotional side of building her brand, Lucie's Luxury Travel, and how the process brought her back to childhood memories of her family's wine business and cross-country road trips. She and Meredith also dig into her Travel MBA cohort's tight-knit support system, her first Collette tour experience in Portugal's Douro Valley, and the unexpected way an Instagram connection turned into a recurring women's group-travel business, taking her from Charleston to Italy to a planned trip to Greece.📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-Chap7🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/Learn-More-TBU🖥️ Lucie's Luxury Travel Website: https://lluxurytravel.com/👤 Lucie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-mclaughlin-1698a7340

  2. Sep 7

    Less Than a Year In: Unpacking Nicholas Dintelmann's Leap into Luxury Travel

    Nicholas Dintelmann spent over a decade in corporate retail before he let himself pursue the international, travel-focused career he'd wanted since childhood. In this episode, Nicholas joins Meredith to talk about the deliberate process of unraveling his corporate life before joining GTN's Travel MBA program in the February 2026 cohort and launching CARTE ATLAS, his luxury travel business built for servant leaders who've built full lives but haven't made space to explore them.Nicholas is honest about what those first few months in the program actually look like: building a brand from scratch, navigating the gap between booking travel and getting paid for it, and learning to trust himself when the certainty of a corporate paycheck disappears. He and Meredith dig into the emotional fitness required to run a business, where the name CARTE ATLAS came from, his FAM trip to Grace Bay Resorts in Turks and Caicos, which was his first time traveling internationally for work, and the honeymoon trip where he circumnavigated the world in two and a half weeks.📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-Chap7🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/Learn-More-TBU🖥️ CARTE ATLAS Website: https://CARTEATLAS.com/👤 Nicholas' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-dintelmann

  3. Aug 31

    Pam Smithgall on Creating the Perfect Travel “Symphony”

    This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, host Meredith Calloway is joined by Pam Smithgall, owner of South Shore Travel and a longtime Gifted Travel Network member.Pam began her career as a music teacher before discovering a way to turn her love of travel into a business. Today, she brings the same attention to detail, sequencing, and storytelling that she learned through music into the way she designs travel experiences for her clients. She shares how she creates meaningful moments clients never knew to ask for, builds trusted relationships with travel partners, and has learned to see marketing as an opportunity to connect people with something genuinely valuable.Meredith and Pam also talk about the evolution of her business, from figuring everything out on her own to finding the education, community, and partnerships that helped her grow. Pam shares how her weekly newsletter, carefully curated website, and in-person travel events have helped her stay connected to both existing and potential clients, while reminding us that building a successful travel business takes patience, consistency, and a willingness to keep learning.Pam’s story is a reminder that the skills and passions you already have can become some of your greatest assets as a travel entrepreneur, especially when you learn how to bring them into your business in your own way.📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-Chap7🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/Learn-More-TBU🎓 Travel MBA Program: https://tinyurl.com/TravelMBA-🖥️ South Shore Travel Website: https://www.southshore-travel.com/👤 Pam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-smithgall-80430743

  4. Aug 24

    From Corporate Careers to a 7-Figure Travel Business: Shawn Lamphear & Jon Malpass

    Shawn Lamphear and Jon Malpass of LM Authentic Travel went from corporate careers to a seven-figure producing, six-figure-earning travel business in under two years. In this episode, Shawn and Jon join Meredith Calloway to break down exactly how they did it: why referrals (not cold outreach) drove every client they've landed, how their software backgrounds shaped the systems and workflows behind their business, and where AI is filling in the gaps as they scale.Shawn and Jon also get real about what surprised them most, including how much more "sales" the job turned out to be, and share the biggest challenges they've faced around social media, marketing consistency, and educating clients on the true cost of luxury travel. Plus, hear their favorite "pinch me" moments from the past two years, including one unforgettable stay at the Mandarin Oriental, London.Tune in for practical takeaways from Shawn Lamphear and Jon Malpass on building momentum from day one, leveraging your network, and what it really takes to grow a seven-figure travel business.-📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-Chap7🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/Learn-More-TBU-🖥️ LM Authentic Travel Website: https://lmatravel.com/👤 Shawn's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnhitspace/👤 Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmalpass/

  5. Aug 17

    Lisa VanBuhler on Painting the Perfect Travel Masterpiece for Every Client

    This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, host Meredith Calloway is joined by Lisa VanBuhler of XOOM Tours, a longtime Gifted Travel Network member who has built a thriving luxury travel business from an unconventional start in student and group travel. Lisa shares how her background in education led her to planning trips for students, eventually serving groups of up to 250 people, and how that experience became the foundation for her transition into luxury travel. At the heart of her approach is a simple but powerful belief: every client’s trip is a blank canvas. By listening closely, drawing on her deep destination knowledge, and working with trusted travel partners, Lisa creates highly personalized experiences designed around each individual traveler. Meredith and Lisa also explore how Lisa turned the uncertainty of the pandemic into an opportunity to bring people together through virtual destination experiences, why there is always a way to serve a client regardless of their budget, and how thoughtfully curated travel can become something much more meaningful than simply a vacation. Her story is a reminder that the skills you already have may be more transferable than you realize, and that passion, curiosity, and a willingness to keep learning can become powerful assets in building a travel business. 📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-Chap7 🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/yz462bhx - 🖥️ XOOM Tours Website: https://xoomtours.com/ 👤 Lisa's LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/zyje3472

  6. Aug 10

    Keely Culpepper on Creating Experiences That Keep Clients Coming Back

    This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, Meredith Calloway is joined by Keely Culpepper, founder of Blue Venture Travel, to talk about building a travel business around exceptional client experiences and lasting relationships. Keely shares her journey from the corporate world to travel entrepreneurship and how focusing on thoughtful, personalized service has helped her build a business driven by repeat clients and referrals. She talks about the importance of creating an experience that goes beyond simply planning a great trip, with the goal of leaving clients excited about where they’ll go next. Meredith and Keely also discuss the role of attention to detail, strong systems, industry relationships, and the patience it takes to build momentum in a travel business. Throughout the conversation, Keely offers an honest look at what it takes to build trust with clients, create memorable experiences, and turn those relationships into a sustainable business. - 📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-freechapter 🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/yz462bhx 🖥️ Blue Venture Travel: https://blueventuretravel.com/

  7. Aug 3

    The Power of Mentorship in Building a Travel Business with Meghann Bjarnesen

    This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, host Meredith Calloway welcomes back Meghann Bjarnesen, co-owner of Besté Travel Design and Lead Mentor & Programs Manager for Gifted Travel Network's Travel Business University.After first joining the podcast as a successful travel business owner, Meghann returns with a new perspective as she steps into a leadership role focused on mentoring travel advisors. Together, Meredith and Meghann explore why mentorship is one of the most valuable investments advisors can make, and why building a successful travel business requires far more than learning how to book travel. They discuss the importance of business education, branding, community, and accountability, along with the common challenges advisors face as they grow their businesses.The conversation also touches on GTN's new Ascend program, designed to help experienced advisors strengthen the business side of their agencies and prepare for long-term success. Whether you're just getting started or looking to elevate an established business, this episode offers practical insights into the mindset, guidance, and support that help travel advisors build thriving, sustainable businesses.📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-freechapter🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/yz462bhx-🔗 Meghann's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megbmin🖥️ Besté Travel Design: https://www.bestetravel.com/home

  8. Jul 27

    Kay Fahlberg on Finding Your Niche Without Boxing Yourself In

    This week on The Travel Business Unpacked, Meredith Calloway sits down with Kay Fahlberg, owner of Ippo Travel, to discuss how finding your niche doesn't have to mean limiting your business. Drawing on her Japanese heritage and passion for travel, Kay shares how she built a reputation as a Japan expert while creating a brand that allows her to serve clients traveling all over the world.Along the way, Meredith offers valuable coaching on branding, client attraction, and the importance of building a business around your unique perspective rather than a single destination. They also discuss why Japan is one of today's most sought-after destinations, how a travel advisor can elevate the experience, and the cultural insights that make every itinerary more meaningful.They wrap the episode up with an inspiring discussion about mindset, boundaries, and the role emotional fitness plays in business growth. Kay shares how learning to attract the right clients, and having the confidence to say no to the wrong ones, helped transform both her business and her confidence as an entrepreneur.📖 Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/GTN-freechapter🎓 Travel Business University: https://tinyurl.com/yz462bhx-🔗 Kay's LinkedIn:   / kayfahlberg  🖥️ Ippo Travel Website: https://www.ippotravel.com/

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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Travel Business Unpacked, the podcast by Gifted Travel Network, the premier host agency for luxury travel advisors. Hosted by Meredith Calloway, this podcast is your gateway to discovering how to turn a love for travel into a thriving career. Explore inspiring stories, expert insights, and proven strategies for building a sustainable and lucrative travel business. Whether you're dreaming of making a career leap or seeking fresh ideas to grow your existing travel venture, this is the podcast for you! Learn more about Gifted Travel Network: https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/

Information

  • Creator
    The Travel Business Unpacked
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Travel Business Unpacked
  • Show Website
    The Travel Business Unpacked