In this episode, Grace sits down with Travel Weekly senior editor Jamie Biesiada to talk about what actually gets a travel business covered in the press. If you've ever wondered why your pitch didn’t land—or what editors are really looking for—this conversation breaks it down.

Jamie shares how the retail travel press works, what makes a story newsworthy, and how travel advisors and business owners can pitch with purpose. They cover the dos and don’ts of media outreach, the difference between trade and consumer coverage, and why a little research goes a long way.

Whether you're trying to get featured, launch a podcast, or just build better media relationships, this episode will help you sharpen your approach and get results.

Key Moments:

• What the retail travel press actually covers

• How to tailor a pitch for trade media

• The role of networking in getting noticed

• How podcasts can boost visibility

  Jamie’s advice for sharing your story without sounding salesy

• Listen to Jamie's Trade Secrets Podcast

  
  

Connect with Grace on Instagram or LinkedIn for more content.

In this episode of Office Hours, Grace Van Hollebeke welcomes David Shull, CEO and co-founder of Tern, for a candid conversation about his journey from Michigan Tech to building a transformative travel technology platform. David shares how his early days at Handshake inspired his passion for creating impactful technology, and how a travel mishap in Greece sparked the idea for Tern.

Grace and David discuss Tern’s recent acquisition of Lucia (Grace's company) and why pairing great technology with high-quality services is essential for empowering travel advisors. They also unpack the importance of choosing the right VC partners who share a vision for supporting, rather than displacing, travel advisors, which is a refreshing stance in the world of venture capital.

Key moments include:

• David’s journey from Handshake to Tern

• The turning point that led to Lucia’s acquisition

• The role of technology and services in scaling travel advisors’ businesses

• How Tern’s platform is designed to eliminate invisible work

• Why their VC partners are committed to building with, not against, travel advisors

If you’re a travel advisor or agency owner looking to supercharge your business, or simply curious about the intersection of technology and human-driven industries, this episode is a must-listen.

Connect with Grace on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠ for more.

Follow Along:

• David Shull

• Tern’s Flight Path podcast

If you're a travel advisor running a $1M+ business or building toward it, this episode is a tactical guide to using SOPs to scale your operations without losing your personal touch.

Grace shares the real processes top-performing advisors use to run their businesses more efficiently. From qualifying high-value leads to pre-trip QA and post-trip rebooking, you’ll hear practical examples, tools, and frameworks that help you delegate with confidence and create a more repeatable, profitable business.

In This Episode:

• What SOPs (standard operating procedures) actually look like for travel advisors
• Four essential processes to document now
• Tools that support automation while keeping things personal
• Why documentation helps you scale, even as a solo advisor
• How weekly metrics reviews put you in control of your growth

This episode is for any advisor who wants to grow strategically and stop reinventing the wheel.

📩 Have a question for Grace to answer on the pod? Email mcbride1591@gmail.com