Ep 254 Shop Talk: Year-End Wins, Workflow Overhauls, and What’s Next for 2026

If you’ve ever reached the end of a year and wondered how so much happened so fast, you’re in good company. In this December Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney look back on a whirlwind year and unpack the wins, challenges, and ‘aha’ moments that shaped both their lives and their travel businesses. They dig into how AI has become a game-changing partner in everything from client experience to team operations, and why building stronger workflows has opened up space for more strategic thinking. The conversation also explores shifting goals around profitability, capacity, and lifestyle as they plan for a sustainable year ahead. It’s an honest, energizing reflection that invites every travel advisor to reconsider what’s working, what’s not, and what possibilities lie ahead.

What if selling travel wasn’t just about itineraries, but about identity, connection, and the stories travelers carry home? In this episode, Brianna sits down with AmaWaterways’ Director of National Accounts, Jazzmine Douse, to explore how purpose-driven, culturally rooted experiences are reshaping luxury travel. Jazzmine shares the evolution of AmaWaterways’ soulful experience sailings and why intentional inclusion has become both a meaningful mission and a powerful growth strategy. They also discuss how luxury has shifted to personalization and immersion, and what travelers are truly seeking beneath the surface of their requests. Tune in for a refreshing, heartfelt look at how travel advisors can sell with soul and create experiences that matter.

What would we do differently if we started our travel agency all over again today? In this episode, Whitney sits down with industry veteran Julie Lanham, President of Vacations to Remember, to explore that question. Julie brings 40 years of perspective, having built her agency from the ground up long before host agencies, online bookings, or social media existed. Together, she and Whitney unpack what they’d repeat, what they’d absolutely change, and how new advisors can learn from decades of experience. From boundaries and mentorship to CRMs and hiring support, this conversation is both reflective and refreshingly real about the evolution of running a travel business.

Join systems-specialist and travel industry veteran Erin Faith Erdos to demystify how travel advisors and travel business owners can stop relying on hustle and start building support, systems, and automations that actually work. Erin shares her journey of moving from being a full-service travel planner to designing streamlined workflows that free up your time and scale your impact. Plus, she covers where advisors typically get stuck, how to bring in smart automation (without sacrificing personal touch), and how to set up your team and tech so everything fits together instead of fighting each other.

In this month’s Shop Talk, Brianna and Whitney open up about the realities of travel, delegation, and growth as a travel entrepreneur. Whitney shares highlights from her recent trip to Greece and the honest challenges of creating content while managing client work on the go. Together they talk about what it really takes to balance marketing, travel, and team leadership without burning out. Their conversation unfolds into lessons from mastermind retreats, the importance of profit and wealth-building, and how both are reimagining what growth looks like in this next season of business. It’s a candid conversation about building success that’s sustainable, flexible, and aligned with the kind of life and business they actually want.

If your travel business is thriving on paper but you sometimes feel like you are barely holding it together, tune into this episode where Brianna shares the real signs that you’re ready to hire and what it looks like to step into leadership with intention. Explore the financial and mindset shifts that turn hiring from a scary leap into a strategic next step. Walk away after this episode knowing exactly how to prepare for growth and what it means to build a business that runs for you, not because of you.

When it comes to hotel knowledge, it’s not about knowing which property is “the best”—it’s about understanding the differences and trade-offs that help you guide each client to the right fit. In this special crossover episode from The Hivemind Podcast, Whitney models how to have smarter, more strategic hotel conversations with fellow travel advisors Michelle Orr of Master Travel and Andrea Duvall of Andrea Duvall Travel Design.They compare six hotels in Grand Cayman—from the design-forward Hotel Indigo and lively Palm Heights to the classic luxury of the Ritz-Carlton—sharing what truly exceeds expectations, where the trade-offs lie, and which clients each property serves best. This conversation is a masterclass in how thoughtful hotel comparisons can elevate your credibility, strengthen client trust, and transform the way you sell destinations.Explore more hotel comparison and destination deep-dive episodes on The Hivemind Podcast at thehive.travel/podcast

Financial clarity might not sound glamorous—but it’s one of the most powerful tools for building a sustainable, confident business. In this conversation, Brianna Glenn and Kinaya Pettiford of Atlas & Ledger explore how clean books lead to calm decision-making, why clarity unlocks freedom, and simple steps to start managing your money with confidence instead of avoidance.

October’s Shop Talk is full of honesty, exhaustion, and big-picture reflection. Whitney shares how an overwhelming travel season pushed her to rethink her team structure and workflows—and what needs to change before next year. Brianna reflects on her own delegation journey, what it means to truly give team members ownership, and how she decides when to let go of personal preferences in favor of team growth. Together, they talk about balancing high-volume success with sustainability, taking sabbaticals abroad, and the launch of The Hivemind Podcast.

Search is changing faster than ever—and it’s not just about Google anymore. As AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity reshape how travelers look for information, the rules of online visibility are shifting. In this conversation, Brianna Glenn and SEO strategist Meg Clarke of Clapping Dog Media break down what travel advisors need to know to stay discoverable. From optimizing for engagement and authority to showing up consistently across platforms, Meg shares practical steps to help you stand out in the age of AI search.Learn more about Meg: https://clappingdogmedia.com/