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Travel advisors are finally busy again — the good kind of busy. They're not in the cancel-rebook-cancel-rebook cycle they’ve been stuck in for the past two-plus years. But many of them are too busy, and it’s taking its toll.
Because burnout is now a real problem in the travel agency community. That’s why we’ve invited Laura Magnuson, a licensed therapist and vice president of clinical engagement at Talkspace, to join us on this episode of Trade Secrets. We discuss how to avoid workplace burnout, how to balance work and life when work is just so busy and when it might be time for travel advisors to seek out professional help.
This is also our season two finale! We’ll be re-releasing some of our older episodes in August and September so you can take a look back on topics we’ve already covered. Please keep in touch with your questions and ideas in the meantime! Then, in October, we’ll be back with all new episodes of Trade Secrets. We’ll release a trailer with our season three premiere date as it draws closer. Thanks for listening!
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod (License)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In This Episode:
- 0:55 - The hosts share a quick note about the end of Trade Secrets’ second season, and season three.
- 2:42 - Meet our guest, Talkspace’s Laura Magnuson.
- 4:38 - How can travel advisors manage the level of stress they’re currently facing in their professional lives?
- 9:00 - A lot of travel advisors are one-person businesses, and might not have the benefits of a traditional 9-5 job. If you work from home and own your own business, how do you keep work boundaries from bleeding into your personal life when your personal life is all around you?
- 11:57 - How can you best manage stress in the moment, during the workday?
- 15:22 - What are the signs that you should seek outside help from a therapist?
- 18:340 - Travel advisor Antoine Wilson is feeling burned out. As a serial entrepreneur, his mentality is always “go, go, go.” He asks, how does he combat that mentality and relax a bit?
- 21:18 - Listener Heidi Creed has noticed something among her agency’s clients: They’re nervous about traveling, and asking their advisors way too many questions. She wonders how they can set boundaries with clients, while still offering a high level of service.
- 23:35 - How travel advisors can use their out-of-office replies to their advantage.
- 24:21 - Laura talks about Talkspace’s relationship with Kimpton Hotels.
- 25:12 - Metherlyn Rondon is a travel advisor and a trained counselor. She offers some advice, including getting outside and getting some sun, and checking in with yourself and reminding yourself why you’re a travel advisor.
- 29:58 - Laura, Emma and Jamie offer some of their favorite mental health resources (linked below).
Laura Magnuson, a licensed therapist and vice president of clinical engagement at Talkspace
Credit: 2022 Jenn MartinsResources Mentioned in This Episode and Related Reading
Talkspace on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Workplace Stress Resources From Talkspace
Talkspace’s Partnership With Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Brene Brown
Esther Perel’s Where Should We Begin? podcast
Danny Lavery’s Big Mood, Little Mood podcast
Laurie Santos’ The Happiness Lab podcast
Need Our Advice?
If you're a travel advisor with a question about the latest travel news, trends, best business practices or more, please call our hotline and leave a message at 201-902-2098 or send an email to tradesecrets@travelweekly.com.
About Your Hosts
Emma Weissmann is the Digital Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.
Jamie Biesiada is a Senior Editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.
About the Show
Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, is where travel advisors ask — and answer — questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel industry insider to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at www.travelagewest.com/podcasts/trade-secrets.
