Latin America has some of the world’s most incredible travel experiences—so why are so many travelers still hesitant to explore it? Kathleen Hall, co-founder of Explore the Americas and Dive the Americas, shares how moving to Costa Rica changed her life and ultimately shaped the kind of travel company she wanted to build. Picking up from Part 1 with her business partner Melanie Marsell, we talk about the misconceptions still holding Latin America back, what travelers actually want from the region, and why luxury can mean being pushed outside your comfort zone without sacrificing comfort. We also get into responsible wildlife tourism, choosing the right local partners, scaling a highly personalized business, and why destinations like Guatemala and El Salvador deserve more attention. Kathleen also shares why changing perceptions and a growing demand for experiential travel could make the next decade a defining one for tourism across Latin America.

Latin America accounts for just a fraction of global tourism—but Melanie Marsell believes travelers are overlooking one of the most diverse regions in the world. As the co-founder of Explore the Americas and Dive the Americas, Melanie has built her career around helping people experience the region differently. Born in Costa Rica and raised between Costa Rica and Florida, her journey took her from hotels and travel consulting to scuba diving and eventually entrepreneurship. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we talk about what travelers actually value, responsible tourism beyond the buzzwords, the misconceptions still holding Latin America back, and what it takes to build a travel company around the places and principles you genuinely believe in. Next Wednesday, Melanie’s business partner Kathleen Hall joins us for Part 2.

She couldn’t afford a passport, so she sold chocolates until she could. Now, Helo has traveled to 76+ countries—and somehow keeps finding herself in the middle of a good story.She plans obsessively, gets lost on purpose, talks to strangers, and actively chases the things that make her uncomfortable. This is about what happens when you stop waiting for life to get easier and start putting yourself in places where something can actually happen.

The future of travel discovery belongs to creators, not search engines. Co-Founder: Lexi St. John shares how The Nod is helping creators, travelers, and hospitality brands build trust through authentic recommendations instead of traditional advertising. We explore the evolution of the creator economy, why tourism operators need to rethink discovery, and how trusted voices are shaping the future of travel.

If you've ever dreamed of saying, "I quit!" and booking a one-way ticket, this episode is for you. After experiencing corporate burnout and setting off on a solo trip through Southeast Asia, Gabi Nowak-Jelonek discovered that the hardest part of travel wasn't finding incredible destinations—it was finding people to share them with. That realization led her to create Females Flying Solo, a Facebook group that has since grown into a global travel company. We talk about building community from scratch, why more women are embracing solo travel than ever before, and how stepping outside your comfort zone can completely reshape your life.

Melissa Clover grew up surrounded by adventure, but after years of guiding travelers through Yellowstone and Grand Teton, she's learned that people rarely remember the miles ridden or the wildlife they spotted. They remember how they felt. In this episode, Melissa shares how a 70-year family outfitting legacy (Wilderness Trails Outfitters) has created a space where strangers become friends, solo travelers find community, and busy people finally slow down. We discuss life at "three miles per hour," the rise of solo female travel, what we've lost as we've become more disconnected from one another, and why authentic experiences in the outdoors continue to resonate in an increasingly digital world.

Liz Long didn’t set out to become a full-time traveler. After graduating college and starting a publishing career in Boston, she found herself burned out, anxious, and questioning the version of success she had been chasing. What started with pet sitting and budget travel eventually turned into a lifestyle built around freedom, wellness, meaningful relationships, and intentional living. Since then, Liz has traveled across more than 25 countries while finding creative ways to make long-term travel financially sustainable. In this episode, we talk about the realities of solo travel, loneliness, money, community, wellness, and what it actually takes to build a life you genuinely love instead of waiting for “someday.”

Amanda Black built the Solo Female Travel Network after a terrifying experience in Cancun where everything she owned was stolen, leaving her isolated without a trusted support system while traveling alone. What started as a small Facebook group for women to share advice, safety tips, and real-time support quickly evolved into a global community of more than 500,000 members built around trust, reliability, and connection. Amanda shares powerful stories of women helping one another across borders, including moments where community members stepped in during dangerous situations abroad when local systems failed them. SoFe Travel grew from that same foundation — creating small-group adventures centered around trust, cultural immersion, meaningful connection, and making destinations that once felt intimidating or inaccessible feel possible for women traveling solo.

Owen Beiny is the founder of Points Partner and creator of the Fly Free Academy, helping thousands of people travel the world for little to no cost. A former CEO with 15 years of global travel experience, he combines strategic thinking with real-world tactics to maximize every mile, upgrade, and benefit. While his expertise spans all types of travel, Owen also shows—through his experience as a father—that flying free with a family is entirely achievable.

Kimberly Haley-Coleman, Founder and CEO of Globe Aware, breaks down one of the most important shifts in travel today: the move from passive tourism to purpose-driven service vacations. What began as a personal frustration with the lack of short-term, meaningful ways to engage abroad turned into a global organization connecting travelers with community-led projects across more than 25 countries. In this episode, we get into why traditional tourism—and even “voluntourism”—often falls short, what most people misunderstand about serving abroad, and why these experiences are less about helping and more about learning. Kimberly shares how stepping into a community with humility, not a savior mindset, leads to deeper cultural understanding and lasting personal impact. If you’ve ever felt like typical travel is missing something—or wondered how to experience the world in a more meaningful way—this episode will challenge how you think about going abroad.

Michael Mazzara, CEO of Rogue Expeditions, breaks down one of the most overlooked trends in travel: running tourism. What started as a personal challenge turned into a global opportunity—multi-day running experiences that combine movement, culture, and community across destinations like Japan, Slovenia, and the Dolomites. In this episode, we get into why traditional race travel often falls short, who these trips are actually designed for (hint: not elite runners), and how shared physical experiences create deeper, more meaningful connections than typical group travel. If you’ve ever laced up your shoes in a new city or wondered what travel could look like beyond sightseeing, this one’s for you.

Solo group travel and community trips are reshaping how people explore the world. Mantas Zvinas, founder of Surf Yoga Beer, shares how a lifestyle built around surfing, fitness, beer, and connection evolved into a global travel company bringing active, like-minded people together. Since 2014, SYB has designed high-energy itineraries packed with epic moments, spontaneous adventures, and friendships that last long after the trip ends. Most travelers arrive solo, but leave as part of the crew.

What if you didn’t know where you were traveling until the day you left? Lillian Rafson, Founder and CEO of Pack Up + Go, shares how a random conversation in a hostel in Riga led her to move back to Pittsburgh, start a surprise travel company at 23, and build a business that removes the stress of trip planning while restoring a sense of discovery. The conversation explores how surprise travel works, why travelers willingly give up control, and what it takes to design trips that prioritize discovery over endless planning. Lillian turned a simple idea into a travel company that has sent more than 50,000 travelers to 300+ destinations across the United States takes more than good marketing — it requires trust, logistics, and a deep understanding of how people actually want to travel.

Building a top-ranked Airbnb Experience takes more than aesthetics — it requires systems, hospitality, and trust at scale. Christy Hunter, Founder & Co-Owner of Photowalk Nashville and one of Airbnb’s top Experience hosts, shares how she turned photography into a multi-city travel business rooted in human connection. This conversation breaks down experience design, platform dependence, scaling with partners, and what both travelers and travel professionals can learn from businesses that prioritize transformation over transactions.

BIPOC creatives are still underrepresented in the travel industry — Aspen Cierra shares how collectives like Black Women Photographers and the Black Travel Alliance unlocked grants, press trips, mentorship, and access that led to Iceland, Jordan, and beyond. From a Nikon-backed grant to tourism board work and creator press trips, her journey shows how representation, shared resources, and showing up in the right spaces can change who gets seen — and who gets hired. This conversation is about building a career through alignment, visibility, and belonging in an industry still catching up.

Pretty travel content doesn’t pay the bills — value does. Angie Thomas of The Honest Passport unpacks the realities of building a sustainable travel creator business, from navigating rates and early mistakes, to understanding when gifting no longer makes sense. Grounded in her European upbringing and corporate IT background, Angie breaks down what providing value actually means beyond aesthetics and how genuine passion leads to better partnerships. With the creator economy projected by Goldman Sachs to approach $480B by 2027, this conversation is essential listening for creators and travelpreneurs who want to grow with integrity, intention, and leverage.

Personalized European travel at scale requires more than technology — it demands expertise, trust, and intentional design. Bryan Lewis, founder and CEO of Tenon Tours, breaks down how he built an award-winning boutique travel company across 18 European destinations by balancing structure with flexibility and keeping the human touch at the center. From sourcing “farm-to-table” travel experiences and expanding during COVID to lessons from failed launches, motorcycle touring in Ireland, and evolving traveler expectations, this conversation offers practical insight into bespoke travel, experiential tourism, and scaling a high-touch service business without losing quality.

In this conversational, story-driven episode, global traveler and communication strategist Lauren Gibson shares the journey behind her 44-country passport — from studying in France and China as a teen to solo breakthroughs in Canada and navigating culture shock in North Africa. Each chapter pushed her toward greater independence, resilience, and self-understanding. Rather than tactics, we explore the human side of travel: identity, safety, discomfort, curiosity, courage, and the spiritual wake-up calls that come from being far from home. Lauren’s experiences reveal how moving through the world can reshape how you see yourself. If you’ve ever felt that travel changes you in ways you can’t quite explain, this one will feel like a conversation you’ve been waiting for.

Andrew Herr, founder and CEO of FlyKitt, breaks down the science behind jet lag and how his system helps travelers feel dramatically better after flying. He’s worked with Navy SEALs, business executives, and pro athletes at Inter Miami. From explaining how cabin pressure and low oxygen trigger inflammation to why most travel hacks get circadian rhythm timing wrong, Andrew shows how FlyKitt helps over 90% of travelers beat jet lag on both long-haul and short-haul flights. He shares what he’s learned from coaching elite performers and why everyday travelers lose 20–40% of a trip just trying to feel normal again. If you’ve ever landed foggy, bloated, or drained, this episode will change the way you travel.

Few people have had a front-row seat to travel’s evolution like Dan Christian, former Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Digital Officer at The Travel Corporation, a billion-dollar global travel group. Now the host of The Travel Trends Podcast and founder of The Acceleration Team, Dan helps brands and travelers make sense of what’s next. From generative AI and hyper-personalized planning tools to the surge of multi-day adventures, festival tourism, and a new generation seeking real-world connection over screens—this conversation unpacks the forces redefining why, where, and how we travel. For anyone building, booking, or dreaming about the next era of travel, Dan’s insights offer a rare look at the innovations—and human stories—reshaping the industry’s future.