Welcome to this week's Friday 15 podcast! This week Shayna's live on location at ASTA, with Carolyn Okon from Exodus Travels. And thanks to our sponsor Outside Agents for making this episode possible. Here's the questions:

1. I am an ICF certified Travel Coach, and when I pursued my certification I intended to building an online coaching practice to help women in major life transitions (career change, loss, divorce, etc.) find their inner bravery to face those transitions via adventure travel. As I’m coming along I’ve begun to learn I’d actually like to host my coaching via IRL experiences; group trips and retreats. My questions: ideally I am booking everything for my clients once they are on the ground, I’ve heard about FITs on the podcast, and wonder if this is what I’m trying to accomplish? If so, then what do I need to know about organizing only FIT travel in which I accompany my travelers? How do payments from the trip attendees work when I host a FIT under a host agency? How can I operate this legally and ethically, while being fair to the host agency? - Courtney
2. When changing Host agencies, is it possible to transfer clients and vendor information without doing it individually? As a courtesy, should I tell the agency that I am moving on to another agency? - Pamela
3. Do advisors typically split their planning fees with their host agencies? If so, does it follow the commission split? Thank you! (Anonymous, please)

RESOURCES:

• Guide to charging fees - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agents-guide-to-charging-fees
• What to think about when switching host agencies. (https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/switching-host-agencies-5-things-to-consider)
• What does FIT in travel mean?
• https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/fit-travel-meaning

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Vanessa from Global Travel Collection! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. I am an IC with about 2 years in the business. I'm considering going out on my own because I'm not happy with my situation for many reasons. How do you know it's the right time to make this change? What do you see as the pros and cons of staying an IC and being independent?
2. I’m finding it can sometimes feel awkward or intimidating to confidently charge fees, upsell experiences, or position yourself as a premium service. What advice would you give to advisors who know they provide value but still struggle with the sales side of their business?
3. There’s so much pressure right now for us to constantly be posting on social media, building a brand, creating content, and trying to stay visible online. What marketing activities are actually moving the needle for advisors today versus what’s just creating noise and burnout?

Guide to charging fees - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agents-guide-to-charging-fees

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Samantha from Jus Adventures! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. Hi!! I am a new agent (8 months) working on planning my first group trip and I want to build a girls trip to New Orleans and offer a package price and then clients can sign up to go. I have checked with Traveljoy and it appears that I am able to take payment through Traveljoy, for them to hold and then I can pay each supplier with a virtual card instead of charging the client 10 different transactions. Traveljoy would then the merchant of record and I feel this is safe. I tried getting a quote from a DMC and it's just not working out how I want and I feel like I don't have much control, so I really would rather piece it together myself since it's domestic anyway. I just feel like this would be so much more seamless for the client. Is this okay to do? Any tips or advice would be very much appreciated. (Feel free to cut/paraphrase if you decide to air this!) Thanks so much! -Tiffany
2. I feel like I always have a question for you but you are the best at answering them. Here is my latest question. I have a new client that is a pretty big spender. I booked her on three cruises for February 2027. She is interested in booking a pre-hotel stay and possibly insurance but I have not heard back from her in a few weeks, she said should would take care of all of that later. I don't want to annoy her because she said she usually books a few cruises a year and I really want to keep her as a client. How often do you suggest I just check in with her without sounding like I am reaching out to add on to her sale? Thanks again!! Travel Dad Matt
3. I'm wondering about the economics of creating a trip for a client using a DMC or tour operator rather than piecing it together on your own? How do the commissions compare? Has anyone seen a good resource comparing the revenue of both routes? I focus on luxury FITs and land/sea itineraries primarily in Europe, East Asia and South American. I get that using a DMC to have a local person available for emergencies is helpful, perhaps even essential, but if I just book my clients through a DMC or tour operator am I limiting my income potential? And what does my client need me for if the DMC is doing all the work? - Laurie

RESOURCES:

• What is a DMC? https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-dmc-destination-management-company
• Booking Groups - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/supplier-want-you-know-booking-groups

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Katy from Explore Worldwide! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. A lot of us hear ‘tour operator’ and ‘DMC’ used interchangeably, and it can be hard to know who to go to for what. From your perspective, how should advisors think about working with an adventure tour operator versus going direct to a DMC?
2. For advisors who are trying to grow their business, what are some of the biggest opportunities you see when it comes to selling adventure travel? Are there simple ways newer advisors can start incorporating it without overhauling their entire business?
3. Adventure travel can mean a lot of different things, from soft adventure to more physically demanding trips. How can advisors make sure they’re matching the right client to the right trip, especially when they’re still learning how to qualify clients properly?

RESOURCES:

• What is a DMC? https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-dmc-destination-management-company
• What is a Tour Operator - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-tour-operator

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Bill from KHM Travel! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. I'm a new-ish agent, under 3 years experience, and I have been entertaining the idea of venturing out on my own. I am currently with a host agency. I am curious about how this would work with suppliers and if this is a good idea.
2. Do agents typically manage their workflow with their host agency provided CRM program only, or are there other project management platforms that are popular with travel agents?
3. I keep hearing everyone talk about FIT. So what is it and how does someone specialize in it?

RESOURCES:

• https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-preferred-supplier
• https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-agency-software
• https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/fit-travel-meaning

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Jennifer from Dugan’s Travels! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. What I'm still not clear on are things like this: how do I present options and prices to a client, and give them time to make a decision? Am I supposed to reserve all of the options first to guarantee the price, and then cancel the discarded options afterward? Or do you just present it and hope the prices don't change in the meantime? Are there other good places to find tips or suggestions for effective booking practices?
2. I keep noticing offers from my host agency/consortia/vendors that would provide perks for my clients and bonus commissions for me.. after it is too late to claim them. How do other agents manage the flood of consumer and agent incentives so they can make recommendations that are good for their clients and good for them? - Vince
3. I am looking for a host agency and I have never had one before. I have compared a tonne on your site and I am feeling overwhelmed. What are the main things I should be looking for in a good host agency?

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Jenn from HAR! A huge thank you to Avoya Travel for sponsoring this episode. Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. How important is it to get a client to decline insurance or purchase insurance? If I send out a form to a client to decline insurance or confirm that they already purchased insurance and they don’t fill it out, is the email confirmation enough that I offered them the insurance and made them aware of the consequences of not having? Am I protected by that?I have a client who I’ve sent the email to a few times and they just will not accept or decline, I don’t know why. I spoke to them numerous times and they said they would do it, but they just will not do it so I just wanna make sure that I am protected. - Travel Dad Matt
2. I struggle with knowing when it’s time to raise my prices or start charging fees, how did you approach that in your business, and what helped you feel confident doing it?
3. I’m in my first 30 days as a travel advisor and already feeling pulled in a million directions, what should I actually be focusing on right now, and what are some things I should avoid spending time on this early in my business?

RESOURCES:

• https://hostagencyreviews.com/insurances
• We had a webinar last week - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-conferences-events/2026/travel-insurance-reimagined-what-today-s-travelers-expect-and-how-to-deliver-it
• E&O - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agents-need-eo-insurance
• Guide to charging fees - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agents-guide-to-charging-fees
• TAC - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travelagentchatter/amy-freyder-epic-away-travel

****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol35

Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Uniglobe Travel Center

Today’s guest took a life-changing leap, selling her home, putting everything in storage, and moving her family to Japan. What started as a bold personal decision quickly turned into something much bigger.

Since becoming a travel advisor in 2019, Amy has grown her business to over $2 million in annual sales, all as a solo advisor.

What makes Amy’s journey particularly powerful is how it’s rooted in lived experience. From fully immersing her family in life in Osaka to traveling throughout Japan and Southeast Asia, she built her business from the ground up based on real-world travel and a deep understanding of what clients truly want. Her children loved the experience so much, they even asked to stay longer.

From the outside, her success might look like a smooth, upward climb. But behind the scenes, Amy has been navigating personal challenges while continuing to show up for her business and her clients.

In this episode, Amy shares how she built momentum during difficult seasons, how she prioritizes her time when energy is limited, and what it really looks like to grow a business when life doesn’t slow down.

Tune in for an honest, inspiring conversation about resilience, taking risks, and building a travel business that evolves alongside your life.

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Betsy from Uniglobe Travel Center! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. I just started as a travel agent this past September. And I do have quite a few sales, more than I expected. However, There’s been a few instances lately, where people have reached out to me and seemed eager to work together, and I’ll respond back to them to try and set up a quick phone call or video chat to get a vision for their trip, and before I can even really provide them with a proposal, they’ve kind of moved on. Do you think there’s something else I can try and to do to progress the conversation and get closer to a sale? Am I missing something? - Travel Dad Matt
2. Hello! I'm trying to figure out best practices for situations where the client does not pay for everything outright.How would you recommend handling payments done in installments (either paying a deposit and balance due, or using a tool that breaks up the payments even further)? Do you send the client a credit card authorization each time there is a payment? Should you send regular balance statements or simply forward the conformation/invoices from suppliers? What are the best practices?
3. I'm just starting out in the business. I'm about three months in and I'm working on setting the foundation of my business. I'm completing trainings, learning about suppliers, listening to podcasts, creating a logo and social media, along with plenty of other items on my to-do! I was even able to complete my first booking for some of my family! With that said, I'm worried that because I don't have more of a legitimate business, it's going to be difficult to complete bookings with any of the leads I get. What do you suggest I do to help build up my business and get potential clients to trust in me as their travel advisor when I'm so new? - Laura

RESOURCES:

• Getting leads - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-leads
• Great article about payment security in general that you might want to check out - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/tis-q4-2025

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Erwing from Oasis Travel Network! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. New advisor here, just starting out-I’m wondering if it’s possible to be successful in getting leads through online marketing only, and not tap into friends and family or local community?
2. I am a new home-based travel agent and I am curious as to which online payment gateway host you recommend? I will be using this payment gateway only for my fee. All other payments go directly to the vendors. Any help is appreciated, thanks!
3. Is there an actual hierarchy to the travel business? I understand we're all dependent on one another, but how would it look on a traditional organization chart? For example, do host agencies depend on suppliers, or are the suppliers what makes it possible to form a host agency? Just trying to understand the big picture of this industry!

RESOURCES:

• Getting leads - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-leads
• Great article about payment security in general that you might want to check out - https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/tis-q4-2025

This week’s Friday 15, we're welcoming Katie from Tern! Let’s have some fun, plus some questions to discuss this Friday at 12 pm CST. Join us!

1. I’m just getting started and trying to wrap my head around using a CRM, but I’m honestly not sure what I should actually be tracking in it day-to-day. Right now, I have client emails, trip details, and notes kind of scattered across different places. What are the most important things a travel advisor should be tracking in a CRM to stay organized and not let things fall through the cracks?
2. There are so many tools out there, and I feel like every time I turn around there’s something new I “should” be using. How do I actually evaluate whether a tool is solving a real problem in my business versus just adding another layer of complexity or something else to manage?
3. I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to use all the latest tech as a travel advisor, especially when I’m seeing what others are doing online. From your perspective, what’s something advisors often think they need technology for, but in reality, it might not be necessary or the best use of their time early on?

RESOURCES:

1. CRMs - https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-agency-software/category/crm
2. https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/har-wired