What does it mean to travel as your full self when the world isn't always built with you in mind? In this special edition episode, I'm joined by journalist and author Lindsey Danis to celebrate the release of their debut book, (Out) On The Road: The Radical Joy of Queer Travel (Ig Publishing) — and we get into all of it.

Lindsey is a queer writer whose work has appeared in AFAR, Fodor's, Condé Nast Traveler, Longreads, Eater, and more, and this book is the kind of thing the travel world has genuinely needed. We talk about what it took to write it, what they learned from years of reporting on LGBTQ+ travel around the world, and why queer joy on the road is, in itself, a radical act.

Chapter List:

00:00 Introduction to the Conversation

02:26 Celebrating the Launch of 'Out on the Road'

05:06 Exploring the Book's Unique Approach

10:47 Understanding the Queer Travel Experience

15:12 The Radical Joy of Queer Travel

20:30 Navigating Personal Identity While Traveling

25:07 Personal Stories and Their Impact

29:12 Empowerment Through Travel

32:19 The Emotional Journey of Writing a Book

This podcast is hosted by Beth Santos, founder and CEO of Wanderful and author of Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo. Beth has been recognized in Business Insider as one of 17 changemakers transforming the hospitality industry, and in Conde Nast Traveller as one of 12 inspiring people to follow. She's also the godmother to the Azamara Onward cruise ship, a cafe owner and a mom of three.

💼🚺♀️👩🏾👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

If you would love to connect with Beth, join her in these following spaces:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Women make 85% of travel decisions, so why are we not seen in 85% of travel marketing? What is shown to us when it comes to the "traveling woman"? Two narratives: either we're having a life-changing transformation and devouring pasta OR we're getting kidnapped and in fear for our lives. It's never somewhere in between.

As the founder of leading women's travel community, Wanderful, and creator of an incredible series of events, festivals, and activities for women travelers worldwide, I KNOW there is more to women traveling than what — and who — is represented in the movies or seen on commercials. So, I'm going to talk about it with some of the most phenomenal influencers, CEOs and changemakers in travel and hospitality around the world. Come buckle up and be my audio travel companion. I'm Beth Santos and this is 85 Percent.

💼🚺♀️👩🏾👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

This podcast is hosted by Beth Santos. Beth has been recognized in Business Insider as one of 17 changemakers transforming the hospitality industry, in Conde Nast Traveller as one of 12 inspiring people to follow for International Women's Day, in TimeOut as one of 10 people shaping the future of Boston, as well as a BostInno 50 on Fire, a Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 Young Leader Making an Impact, a Zell Fellow (a prestigious fellowship for entrepreneurs pursuing their MBA), and an alumna of the Babson WIN Lab. She was recognized by the Obama Administration as one of the top 100 travel bloggers in the US. In 2022, she was named Godmother of the Azamara Onward.

She is a dynamic keynote speaker, an entrepreneurship and marketing consultant for the travel + tourism industry, and a supportive coach who thrives on helping people build lasting, impactful communities.

💼🚺♀️👩🏾👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

If you would love to connect with Beth, join her in these following spaces:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Have you been moved by what you heard in this week's episode of "85%"? I invite you to leave an honest review of how this episode impacted you. Also, share this podcast with your travel buddy!

Song Credit: Nothing Just Happens

This is a Crackers In Soup production.

Welcome back to "85 Percent," the podcast where we celebrate the diverse experiences of women in travel! In today's episode, we delve into the captivating story of Nikki Vargas, a travel journalist who faced a life-altering decision at the awe-inspiring Iguazu Falls. Nikki's journey takes us through the complexities of calling off her first wedding, grappling with her Colombian heritage, imposter syndrome and ultimately finding resilience and happiness in her career and relationships. Join us as I explore the concept of self-care as a verb, not a noun, and highlights Nikki's best-selling memoir, "Call You When I Land." This episode promises to inspire, challenge, and celebrate the unique perspectives of women in travel.

Honorable Mentions

Wander Woman - Travel Book

Wanderful Community

B & H Photo Video

Call You When I Land

A Solo Woman Traveling

Real Self Care by Pooja Lakshman

Point-and-shoot memories: The influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour

Follow Nikki in these spaces:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niknakvargas/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callyouwheniland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unearthwomen/

💼🚺♀️ 👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

This podcast is hosted by Beth Santos. Beth has been recognized in Business Insider as one of 17 changemakers transforming the hospitality industry, in Conde Nast Traveller as one of 12 inspiring people to follow for International Women's Day, in TimeOut as one of 10 people shaping the future of Boston, as well as a BostInno 50 on Fire, a Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 Young Leader Making an Impact, a Zell Fellow (a prestigious fellowship for entrepreneurs pursuing their MBA), and an alumna of the Babson WIN Lab. She was recognized by the Obama Administration as one of the top 100 travel bloggers in the US. In 2022, she was named Godmother of the Azamara Onward.

She is a dynamic keynote speaker, an entrepreneurship and marketing consultant for the travel + tourism industry, and a supportive coach who thrives on helping people build lasting, impactful communities.

💼🚺♀️👩🏾👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

If you would love to connect with Beth, join her in these following spaces:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Have you been moved by what you heard in this week's episode of "85%"? I invite you to leave an honest review of how this episode impacted you. Also, share this podcast with your travel buddy!

The 85% Podcast intro, outro and transition music is named Nothing Just Happens by lemonmusicstudio and was found on Pixabay. Additional music and sound effects for this episode came from Soundstripe and/or Epidemic Sounds or is cited in the show notes. Crackers In Soup is the writer, audio editor and producer for this episode.

Hey everyone, it's Beth Santos here and we are continuing to celebrate Women in Travel! In our latest episode of 85 Percent, we dive deep into an inspiring conversation with Alexa West, a best selling travel author who transformed her heartbreak into a thriving career. Through solo traveling, Alexa shares how she found purpose and stability through solo travel, even without a traditional support system. From teaching abroad to publishing The Solo Girl's Travel Guide, to publishing The One Way Ticket Plan in 2023, Alexa's journey is a powerful testament to resilience and creativity in carving your own path and she is one to watch if you are thinking about joining the travel industry and creating a travel career.

Don't miss it! Catch the full episode on your favorite podcast platform.

Honorable Mentions

Wander Woman - Travel Book

Wanderful Community

B & H Photo Digital

Kids Are a Trip

Groups Are a Trip

Follow Alexa in these spaces:

Website: https://alexa-west.com/

Alexa's new podcast: https://www.truecrimetravelers.com/quick-links

💼🚺♀️ 👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

This podcast is hosted by Beth Santos, founder and CEO of Wanderful and author of Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo. Beth has been recognized in Business Insider as one of 17 changemakers transforming the hospitality industry, and in Conde Nast Traveller as one of 12 inspiring people to follow. She's also the godmother to the Azamara Onward cruise ship, a cafe owner and a mom of three.

💼🚺♀️👩🏾👵🏼👩🏽‍🦱✈️🚢🧳

If you would love to connect with Beth, join her in these following spaces:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Have you been moved by what you heard in this week's episode of "85 Percent"? I invite you to leave an honest review of how this episode impacted you. Also, share this podcast with your travel buddy!

The 85 Percent Podcast intro, outro and transition music is named Nothing Just Happens by lemonmusicstudio and was found on Pixabay. Additional music and sound effects for this episode came from Soundstripe and/or Epidemic Sounds or is cited in the show notes. Crackers In Soup is the writer, audio editor and producer for this episode.