Trade Secrets Podcast

The newbie travel advisor’s playbook: Education, organization and selling the unknown (feat. Fora’s Henley Vazquez)

Starting a career as a travel advisor is exciting, but it can also feel like drinking from a fire hose. From picking the right education programs and mastering daily orga

Trade Secrets on the road: Ask a lawyer at Future Leaders in Travel (feat. Stephanie Hankins of Ment Law Group)

As a travel advisor or supplier, what are your most pressing legal questions? That was the question posed to attendees at Future Leaders in Travel, an event for young tra

To niche, or not to niche? Finding your agency’s sweet spot (feat. Mickey McBride and Dana Dziegiel)

Picking a niche – or two – is a solid strategy for any agency business. This week on Trade Secrets, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada break down the benefits of

Is fall the new summer? Unpacking luxury travel trends with Virtuoso (feat. David Kolner & Misty Belles)

This week, Trade Secrets is coming to you from the halls of the Aria Resort & Casino at Virtuoso Travel Week. Co-host Jamie Biesiada is joined by guest host Johanna Jainc

“Breaking the glass:” From family-owned Valerie Wilson Travel to a new homegrown initiative (feat: Kimberly Wilson Wetty)

This week on Trade Secrets, Kimberly Wilson Wetty discusses her transition from being the longtime co-owner and co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel (VWT) to her newest

Are travel bookings slowing down right now? (feat. Michelle Fee and Ryan Ranahan)

Inspired by a listener question from travel advisor Megan Vatnsdal, owner of Onyx & Evergreen Travel, Trade Secrets explores what’s going on with travel agency bookings.

When the answer is never ‘no’: The world of entertainment travel (Global Travel Collection, part 2)

The world of entertainment travel can be similar to both luxury leisure and corporate travel, but don’t be fooled: it’s really a beast of its own. This week on Trade Secr

An inside look at Global Travel Collection, the $2.4 billion powerhouse host agency (part 1, feat. Angie Licea)

In this episode of Trade Secrets, recorded in person at Global Travel Collection’s Arrive conference at the Fairmont Austin in June, get an update on all things GTC from

Checking in on 2026’s top travel trends

Six months into the year, Trade Secrets co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada look at the trends dominating 2026 so far, including shorter booking windows, a younger

Should travel advisors be worried about hantavirus? (Feat. Urvshi Marwah)

The hantavirus outbreak onboard MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has been in the headlines for the past few weeks. Should travel advisors be talking to thei

Trade Secrets After Dark: Growing up in travel and AI competition with Mr. Honeymoon (feat. Jim Augerinos)

In this episode, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada chat with Jim Augerinos of Perfect Honeymoons (aka Mr. Honeymoon) about his start in travel, keeping up with t

Why make $5 when you can make $500? Breaking into the world of ultra-high-net-worth travel (feat. Jack Ezon)

How can advisors break into the world of ultra-high-net-worth travel? Embark Beyond’s Jack Ezon addresses the connection economy, how to speak to this discerning group of

Encore: Trading social media for Substack: Using content to build a brand (Feat. SmartFlyer’s Kayla Douglas)

Trade Secrets is on a quick break this week, so please enjoy this encore episode. Here’s the article Jamie mentions in her updated intro, “How Substack became the hottest

Honest to blog: How one agency turned blogging into river cruise gold (feat. Hank Schrader)

River cruising is one of the fastest-growing verticals for many travel agencies. In this episode, listeners will hear from Hank Schrader, who owns Dream Destinations with

Trade Secrets After Dark: Bourbon, editorial strategy and cross-border incidents (feat. Johanna Jainchill)

This week on Trade Secrets After Dark, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Travel Weekly’s own Johanna Jainchill, the publication’s newly minted editor in

Succession planning for travel agencies, part 2 (feat. attorney Tom Carpenter)

What’s your plan for your business when you retire, or you’re unable to run it anymore? In this episode, the second in a two-part series on succession planning, hear fr

Succession planning for travel agencies, part 1 (feat. Stacey and Sami Ray)

What’s your plan for your business when you retire, or you’re unable to run it anymore? In this episode, hear from mother-and-daughter duo Stacey and Sami Ray of Sister

Don’t get burned: Navigating host agency red flags (feat. Marcie Muensterman)

How closely have you read your contract with your host agency? Does it have a non-compete clause? How about a detailed plan for termination? In the season seven premier

Encore: How can new travel advisors build a successful career? (Feat. Bill Coyle of KHM Travel)

Trade Secrets is on a winter break but will return with new episodes in just two weeks, on Monday, Feb. 16. Until then, please enjoy this old favorite. New travel advis

Encore: Travel advisors, what’s your elevator pitch? (feat. Jackie Friedman)

Trade Secrets is on a winter break but will return with new episodes in early 2026. For now, enjoy some old favorites. Welcome to season five of Trade Secrets. In this