This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, host Meredith Calloway is joined by Laura Young, founder of Laura Young Travel and a 2026 Gifted Travel Network Momentum Award winner.

After more than 20 years in financial services, Laura made the decision to leave behind a stable corporate career and build a travel business that aligned more closely with the life she wanted. In this conversation, she shares what it looked like to start over while raising three kids, working full time, and learning an entirely new industry from the ground up.

Laura opens up about the uncomfortable parts of entrepreneurship, including learning patience, defining her ideal client, and figuring out how to trust herself through the transition. She also reflects on how relationships, referrals, and clarity around who she wanted to serve became the foundation for her rapid growth.

They also explore:

• Building a travel business while balancing full-time corporate work and motherhood

• Why defining an ideal client changes everything in luxury travel

• The mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur

• Creating a relationship-driven business instead of relying heavily on social media

• How referrals became the biggest driver of growth in Laura’s second year

• The connection between entrepreneurial success, freedom, and fulfillment.

Laura’s story is an honest look at what it takes to reinvent yourself professionally and personally. For advisors navigating growth, career transitions, or the desire for more freedom, this episode offers both practical insight and meaningful perspective.

Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/4pbvtr8f

Laura's Website: https://laurayoungtravel.com/

Laura's LinkedIn: / laura-young-travel

TBU Live Tickets: https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/event

Promocode: PODCAST

This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, host Meredith Calloway is joined by Jessica Klement, Vice President of Advocacy for American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).Jessica shares how she built a career in advocacy, starting on Capitol Hill before eventually finding her place in the travel industry. Together, Meredith and Jessica unpack the work happening behind the scenes to protect travel advisors at the state and federal levels, work that many advisors benefit from every day without even realizing it.From proposed legislation that could directly impact advisor businesses to the importance of grassroots involvement, this conversation offers a deeper look at why advocacy matters for every travel advisor, not just industry leaders. Jessica also shares how ASTA works alongside advisors across the country to ensure lawmakers understand the real impact their decisions have on travel businesses and their clients.This episode is a reminder that advocacy is not separate from the day-to-day work of being a travel advisor. It plays a direct role in protecting the future of the industry and the businesses advisors work so hard to build.Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/4pbvtr8fASTA Website: https://asta.org/Jessica Klement's LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/JessicaKlementLITBU Live Tickets: https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/e...Promocode: PODCAST

This week on The Travel Business Unpacked podcast, host Meredith Calloway is joined by Kim Weas, founder of MoonTide Travel. Kim shares her journey from accidental travel advisor to established business owner, and the pivotal moment she realized her business needed something different to keep growing.From navigating a host agency transition to redefining her vision for the future, Kim offers an honest look at what business evolution really looks like for travel advisors.They also explore:• When it’s time to rethink your host agency• Why the right advisor community makes a difference• Moving from booking trips to building a true business• Mindset shifts around growth, fees, and confidence• What established advisors should consider before making a changeA thoughtful conversation for advisors navigating growth and change.Free Chapter: https://tinyurl.com/4pbvtr8fKim's website: https://www.moontidetravel.com/TBU Live Tickets: giftedtravelnetwork.com/eventPromocode: PODCAST