“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 venture, Keep Wondering Why. Wetty reflects honestly on the decision to sell VWT – which was first acquired by another family-own…

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. Join co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada in conversation with Cruise Planners’ Michelle Fee and Oasis Travel Network’s Rya…

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 Secrets, delve into the world of entertainment travel and everything it entails, from multimillion-dollar contracts and high security…

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 president Angie Licea. From the labor of (mostly) love that was the GTC brand unification, uniting several agencies that sell $2.…

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 demographic for all-inclusives and the state of domestic travel. Plus, the hosts share a sneak peek at what’s in store for the r…

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 their cruising clients about the outbreak? How should they address concerns, and should they be worried about a real threat to public…

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 the latest on agentic AI and being a SMIT (IYKYK). While Trade Secrets usually invites listeners to ask questions that are answer…

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 clients and why, as he says, “All my success is made up of failure.” This episode was sponsored by AmaWaterways.  Further reso…

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 social media platform.” In this episode, Trade Secrets is all about content — and why travel advisors should get theirs off soc…

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 his wife, Anne, about their success in the space — all thanks to blogging. This episode was sponsored by AmaWaterways.  Furthe…