The No BS Travel Advisor™️

Marcie Muensterman

PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses: www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses

Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness

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While I’m taking a little break from recording new podcast episodes, I wanted to bring back a conversation that’s absolutely worth another listen.

In this episode, I sit down with Carrie Blackwell, a full-time nurse turned travel advisor who built her business while juggling a demanding career in healthcare.

Carrie didn’t grow up traveling the world. In fact, travel wasn’t really part of her life until later on. But once she started exploring more of the U.S. with her husband, everything changed, and eventually led her to build her own travel business.

Her journey is proof that you don’t need decades of travel experience to get started. What you do need is curiosity, confidence, and the willingness to figure things out as you go.

Inside this episode we talk about:

How Carrie went from limited travel experience to becoming a travel advisor

Balancing a full-time nursing career while building a travel business

The mistakes she made with her first host agency and why support and training matter

How traveling more opened her eyes to the world beyond what she grew up with

Working through imposter syndrome and building confidence as an advisor

Why finding your niche makes your business easier and more enjoyable

The power of networking, referrals, and relationship-building in this industry

Why Carrie believes in ditching the intake form and having real conversations with clients

The importance of being transparent with clients about availability and expectations

Why travel advisors are more needed than ever, even with online booking tools and AI

Carrie also shares what it looks like to build a business around the parts of travel you actually enjoy, and why you don’t have to take every client or every trip that comes your way.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can build a travel business while still working another job, or if you’ve struggled with confidence as a newer advisor, this episode is a great one to revisit.

🎧 Give it another listen.

Marcie Muensterman

PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses: www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses

Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness

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While I’m taking a little break from recording new podcast episodes, I wanted to bring back one that deserves another listen.

This conversation with Deena Schlosser is for anyone who has ever wondered if it’s too late to start over, build something new, or take your career in a completely different direction.

Deena spent nearly 30 years in the legal world as a paralegal before stepping into the travel industry at age 50. She’s also a caregiver, a mom, and now a travel advisor building a business that actually fits her life.

And in this episode, she shares what it really looked like to walk away from a long career, rebuild her confidence, and create a travel business from the ground up.

Inside this episode we talk about:

Walking away from a 30-year legal career and starting a travel business at 50

Balancing caregiving, motherhood, and entrepreneurship without burning out

The moment she almost quit the travel industry and what pulled her back

Why finding the right host agency support (Trevello) completely changed her experience

How commission splits of 85–100% can dramatically impact your income

The mindset shift that helped her go from “booking engine” to confident business owner

How calendar control improved her life at home and elevated her client experience

Charging planning fees as a newer advisor and finally attracting aligned clients

Deena’s unpopular opinion about the travel industry that advisors need to hear

And three free things you can start doing today to grow your travel business

We also talk about the real-life side of building a business, including how her husband went from being skeptical to fully protective of her business when clients don’t hire her.

If you’ve ever asked yourself:

Do travel advisors even exist anymore?

Can I start a business in my 40s or 50s?

How do I set boundaries with clients without losing them?

This episode is your permission slip to go all in.

🎧 Give it another listen and hear how Deena went from overwhelmed caregiver to confident travel entrepreneur.

Marcie Muensterman

PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses: www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses

Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness

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Real Talk About Sales, Clients, and Running a Travel Business with Chasity Munn

While I’m taking a little hiatus from recording new podcast episodes, I wanted to bring back one that is absolutely worth another listen.

This conversation with Chasity Munn is one of my favorites because it’s honest, practical, and packed with lessons for advisors who want to build a profitable travel business without burning themselves out.

Chasity is a single mom, accountant, and thriving travel advisor who built her business to six figures while working roughly 20 hours a week. She’s also taken every one of my courses and used them to completely reshape how she runs her business.

Even though we’ve never met in person, Chas and I talk constantly about life, kids, business, and everything in between. Sometimes we even have “DoorDash dates” where we order food and send each other voice notes while we eat.

That’s the exact vibe of this episode: two friends having a real conversation about what it actually takes to build a travel business that supports your life.

Inside this episode we talk about:

How single moms can build a six-figure travel business working about 20 hours a week

The real reason clients ghost and why selling travel is a lot like dating

Why charging a planning fee (even something like $250) can completely change your income

How Chasity built confidence as a romance travel and destination wedding specialist

The truth about switching host agencies and how commission splits like 70% vs. 90% actually impact your income

How building relationships with BDMs can open doors to partnerships and FAM trips

Why you can’t run a legitimate travel business without money in the bank and real travel experience

What many MLM-style travel agents get wrong, and how to avoid those same mistakes

The mindset shift from treating this like a hobby to running it like a profitable travel CEO

And three free things you can start doing today to grow your travel business

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s actually possible to make real money in this industry without working nonstop, this episode will change how you look at your business.

🎧 Give it another listen.

Marcie Muensterman

PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses: www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses

Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness

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Re‑listen with your contract, calculator, and notebook—then write down one way you’ll start advocating for your worth the way you advocate for your clients.

Summary

In this episode of The No BS Travel Advisor, Marcie Muensterman talks with Disney and autism travel specialist Farrin Gustafson of Vacations Worth Melting For about what it really looks like to build a business while your brain keeps whispering “who do you think you are?”. They dig into imposter syndrome, pandemic‑era curveballs, and why planning a vacation should feel joyful for families, especially those navigating autism and food allergies.

Farrin shares how she carved out her niche, found the right host agency, and learned to advocate for fair compensation instead of accepting confusing commission structures and low pay. You’ll hear how she uses community over competition, coaching, and her own lived experience as a special‑needs parent ally to create inclusive, autism‑informed vacations that actually work in real life.

On a re‑listen, this episode hits especially hard if you’re questioning your worth, craving a more aligned host, or wanting to lean into a niche like autism or special‑needs travel without waiting to “feel ready.”

SEO Keywords

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Disney travel advisor for autism families

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stress‑free Disney vacation planning

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autism‑friendly Disney travel tips

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overcoming imposter syndrome as a travel advisor

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special needs family vacation planning

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choosing the right host agency as a travel agent

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fair commission and compensation for travel advisors ​

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community over competition in the travel industry

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travel advisor pandemic lessons ​

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inclusive travel planning for autism and food allergies

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Disney trip planning for sensory‑sensitive kids

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coaching for travel entrepreneurs with imposter syndrome

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how to grow a profitable Disney travel business

Key Phrases

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Six years of Disney and autism‑focused travel planning (and why that niche chose her)

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What imposter syndrome looks like behind the scenes of a travel business

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How coaching and community helped Farrin trust that she deserved to be here

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Why families with autistic kids often skip travel—and how tailored planning changes everything

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Using Disney expertise plus autism awareness to take the stress out of vacations

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The moment she realized she was incredibly unhappy in her work life and needed a change ​

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Choosing a host agency that actually supports your niche and pays you fairly

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Understanding commission structures so you stop leaving money on the table ​

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Building community over competition with other advisors and why referrals matter

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Advocating for your worth: contracts, compensation, and non‑negotiables ​

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Practical advice for aspiring travel advisors who don’t feel “qualified enough” yet

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Empowering clients with food allergies and sensory needs to travel with confidence

“Why You Should Re‑Listen Now”

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If imposter syndrome has crept back in, re‑listening now will hit different because you’ll hear how much of what you’re feeling is normal—and how Farrin moved anyway.

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If you’re considering niching into Disney, autism, or special‑needs travel, this episode will give you a real‑world example of what it looks like to own that expertise without a million certifications first.

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If you’re frustrated with your host or commission structure, Farrin’s story will push you to ask better questions, read your contracts, and choose a host that respects your time and specialty.

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If the last couple of years have changed how you work and parent, the conversations about virtual school, pandemic travel, and rediscovering self‑worth land in a new way on a second listen. ​

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If you’ve grown since the first time you heard this, you’ll catch new strategy and mindset shifts around pricing, boundaries, and community that you weren’t ready to implement before.

Marcie Muensterman

PODCAST11 saves you 11% on ALL signature courses

www.thetraveladvisormarcie.com/courses

Join Maximize Your TA Business FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximizeyourtravelagentbusiness

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Re‑listen with a notebook, and write down one way you’ll stop working for free and start treating your business like the badass CEO you already are.

Summary

In this episode of The No BS Travel Advisor, burnout survivor and veteran travel advisor Marcie Muensterman sits down with Chelsey, a travel advisor who went from “just surviving the day” to running a real, profitable business outside of MLM. Chelsey shares how she launched her business in the middle of grief, losing both of her parents, and why she refused to keep recruiting into a model that didn’t feel ethical. ​ ​

You’ll hear the messy middle of leaving an MLM “host,” finding a legitimate host agency, and giving herself a promotion by charging fees, putting boundaries in place, and treating her business like a business. Together, Marcie and Chelsey dig into survival mode seasons, qualifying clients, using professional insurance, and why getting uncomfortable is the only way out of a stuck advisory business. ​

This episode hits differently on a re‑listen if you’re feeling burned out, questioning your host/MLM, or realizing you’ve been working for free and you’re finally ready to change it. ​ ​

SEO Keywords

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travel advisor burnout recovery ​

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leaving MLM travel business ​ ​

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MLM vs real host agency ​

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travel advisor survival mode ​

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travel advisor charging fees ​

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how to choose a host agency ​ ​

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travel advisor business boundaries ​

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rebuilding business after grief ​ ​

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resilience for travel advisors ​

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travel advisor professional insurance ​

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working for free as a travel agent ​

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how to qualify travel clients ​

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travel advisor client expectations ​

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independent travel advisor success story ​

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anti‑MLM travel advisor story ​ ​

Key Phrases

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From MLM “anti‑recruiter” to independent travel CEO ​

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Building a travel business while grieving the loss of both parents ​ ​

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What survival mode really looks like as a travel advisor ​

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Why Chelsey walked away from MLM travel and never looked back ​ ​

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How to choose a legit host agency (and give yourself a promotion) ​ ​

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Implementing fees when you’re tired of working for free ​

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Setting boundaries with clients so you’re not on call 24/7 ​

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Qualifying clients so you stop wasting time on the wrong inquiries ​

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Using professional insurance as a safety net, not an afterthought ​

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Treating your travel business like a business, not a hobby ​

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Why discomfort is the price of real change in your travel business ​

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Turning survival mode into a sustainable, booked‑out advisory ​

“Why You Should Re‑Listen Now”

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If you’re back in survival mode, this episode will remind you that “just getting through the day” can still be the start of your most profitable season. ​ ​

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If you’re questioning your MLM or host, Chelsey’s story gives you language, options, and permission to choose a model that actually pays you. ​ ​

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If you’re exhausted from working for free, this conversation will nudge you to finally charge fees, enforce boundaries, and take yourself seriously as a CEO. ​

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If you’ve gone through loss or big life changes since you first listened, Chelsey’s grief‑in‑real‑time story will land deeper and remind you you’re not behind. ​ ​

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If you’re recommitting to growth this year, re‑listening while you’re further along in your business will help you hear new strategy and mindset shifts you missed the first time.