Welcome to the Travel With Meaning Podcast Season 4! A very special guest, Beth Santos, the founder and CEO of Wanderful joins us on this episode of TWM™. Wanderful is a global lifestyle brand and inclusive community of thousands of travelers and travel content creators. Wanderful reaches over 45,000 women each year through a thriving online membership network, local chapter events in 50 cities, global summits and small group trips. In 2014, Wanderful launched the WITS Travel Creator + Brand Summit, a leading event for women and gender diverse travel creators and industry hosted on two continents each year listed by Forbes as one of the top inspiring events for women to attend. Wanderful is also the creator of the annual Bessie Awards to honor women of impact in travel, as well as the first major outdoor festival for women travelers, Wanderfest. Wanderful has been recognized in Business Insider, Yahoo!, The Chicago Tribune, Lonely Planet, Matador Network, and Skift, among other publications. Beth is both a Tory Burch Fellow as well as a Zell Fellow, and has been named one of 17 changemakers shaping the future of the travel industry by Business Insider, and one of 10 people shaping the future of Boston by Timeout. In 2014, she was named a top 100 travel blogger in the USA and invited to the White House under the Obama Administration. She was the co-founder of #AtTheTable, a national movement to support female founders. Today, Beth is an acclaimed thought leader, consultant for travel brands and destination marketing organizations, and keynote speaker who has collaborated with organizations such as Tripadvisor, the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the Travel & Adventure Show. She is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management and Wellesley College, and lives in Boston with her husband and two daughters.

Travel With Meaning

Episode 65: Beth Santos

 Described by Downbeat Magazine as "an exquisite singer-songwriter", Joanna's music conveys a beauty of a many-coloured sort that speaks to straight to the human condition. Her songs reveal personal truths about love, loss, adventure, home and hope. World Music Report described it as "quintessential heart-music by a vocalist who seems to have connected with the deepest recesses of her being emerging into brightness again with songs of haunting beauty." Joanna is a master in the art of live vocal looping and as a multi-instrumentalist plays baritone ukulele, piano, flute, Indian shruti box, kalimba and melodica. Her music defies genre classification as she effortlessly imbues her songs with nuances of jazz, classical, art-song, and folk, carrying her "clear-eyed poetry" (Boston Globe) and "striking vocals" (Hothouse). Her songwriting extends beyond just lyrics and melody - Joanna also arranges for ensembles including string quartets, winds, a cappella voices and more.  Joanna's career has taken her around the globe.  She first studied to be a painter at Central Saint Martins, London. This led her to Paris, where she sang on the bridges of the Seine with the "Rene Miller Wedding Band". Following this formative time she did a masters in jazz at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  In 2012 she moved to New York City where she forged an indelible musical path, appearing and collaborating with musicians including Dan Tepfer, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Werner, Sam Newsome, Lee Konitz, to name a few. She released her debut album, Wild Swan, in 2011, featuring Joe Martin, Sam Newsome, Rob Garcia and Art Hirahara. In 2015 she signed with Sunnyside Records who released The Origin of Adjustable Things, an intimate duo project with pianist Dan Tepfer. As a follow up to this success she recorded Gardens In My Mind, her third album of self-penned songs and arrangements, featuring the award winning string ensemble The Sacconi Quartet, and Dan Tepfer on piano. In 2018 she self-released her fourth record, Blood and Bone, which London Jazz said, "overflowed with creativity and musical resources." 2019 marks the release of her fifth record entitled Far Away From Any Place Called Home.  Joanna’s unique musical background shines through in her own compositional style, evoking her classical routes with her love of jazz, art-song, folk and pop, pushing boundaries of genre and stylistic expectations. Her musical heritage is something to behold. Raised by classical musician parents, Australian violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch and London born cellist Raphael Wallfisch, her grandmother Anita Lasker Wallfisch, now 94, survived Auschwitz because she played the cello in the camp’s women's orchestra. Post liberation she became a founding member of the English Chamber Orchestra. Brother Simon is a renowned cellist and opera singer, and eldest brother Benjamin is an Oscar and Grammy nominated film composer. The Great Song Cycle: An adventurer at heart, in August 2016 Joanna embarked on a solo concert tour of the West Coast of the USA, by bicycle. Over the course of 1,154 miles she performed 16 solo shows between Portland and Los Angeles carrying her instruments, camping gear, and everything else she needed upon her bike. In her inimitable way she turned this once-in-a-lifetime experience into a 60-minute song-cycle, a recorded album and a memoir. She has performed the live piece in theatres including: National Sawdust, NYC, Boston Court Performing Arts Centre, LA, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, UK, Phoenix Theatre, UK and Joe's Pub, NYC. In June, 2019 Joanna celebrates the release of her fifth album Far Away From Any Place Called Home, and her debut memoir "The Great Song Cycle; Portland to Los Angeles on Two Wheels and a Song", which is being published by Australian Publishers UWA Press. 

Episode 64: Joanna Wallfisch

Show Notes: Early travel memory to a classic baseball stadium (8:51) The curiosity that led him to the real estate industry and to Marriott Hotels (15:45) Peter’s philosophy around creating a community through travel (22:10) Learning to travel in an RV during the pandemic (34:30) Handling the Starwood/Marriott merger (40:26) Struggles and successes with updating the group’s Rewards Program (47:30) What Does Travel Mean to You (54:38) Speed Round (55:40)   Peter B. Cole; Founder, Eclectic Companies Peter was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin.  Yet, he didn’t really appreciate the “Midwestern Nice”, until he moved to the East Coast, went for a run and said good morning to everyone in Central Park, only to be looked at like a crazy person. Peter is a lifelong hospitality veteran, whose eclectic sense of curiosity has led him to distinct leadership positions.  He started his career at Marriott in the world of finance supporting the company’s M&A efforts.  His financial skills allowed him to experience various sides of the hospitality business from hotel development through operations to corporate office. Peter gained a deep understanding of the luxury industry and international operations during his time as the CFO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.  Later, his knowledge and wealth of expertise enabled him to successfully lead the Marriott/Starwood integration as Managing Director.  During this time he oversaw a wide array of activities, including hotel operations, organizational design, talent management, loyalty programs, system integration, financial management, and unit growth. Most recently, Peter was the CEO of Design Hotels, a highly curated portfolio of independent, design-driven hotels that function as social hubs and spaces for purposeful experiences.  This time helped Peter deepen his belief in the power of working through a community and of curating experiences.  Under his leadership the company launched Further, a laboratory for collaborative culture, and won a Skift Innovation award for its original Virtual Retreats. Through these experiences Peter saw an opportunity to help forward-thinking entrepreneurs capture emerging trends by leveraging his background and expertise.  Consequently, he formed the Eclectic Companies. Peter is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and holds an MBA from the University of Maryland.  He is an avid swimmer and cyclist, and he loves to travel and explore new places.  He enjoys a strong espresso, a good glass of wine or a neat pour of bourbon while listening to an eclectic collection of music.

Ep 63: Peter Cole

On this episode, we reconnect with two old friends: air travel—it had been sixteen months since our last flight; and Los Cabos, Mexico—it had been twenty-five years since our last visit. We were invited by Los Cabos Tourism to take part in a FAM trip aboard the inaugural JetBlue direct LAX to San Jose del Cabo flight. There were festivities at the airport, on board and on arrival. Talk about a great way to return to air travel. This episode will give a detailed recap of the trip and experiences. It will also share some conversations with fellow travelers and locals, asking what travel means to them and what their hope is for the future of travel, post-Covid. Hope you enjoy this episode, and if you're looking for a great getaway Los Cabos has something to everyone. Conversations on this episode with:   Susie Najera (15:30) https://www.visitloscabos.travel/ Fernando del Toro (15:50) https://www.cabovillasbeachresort.com/ Lindsay Myers (20:43) https://getlostwithlindsay.com/ Mark Watson (21:01) https://www.cabo-adventures.com/en/ Ubaldo Martinez (21:20) https://www.lostamarindos.mx/ Rachel Harshfield (31:01) https://www.rachelharshfieldwellness.com/ Jill Chapman (31:13) https://www.instagram.com/jillslivingwell/ Eleni Rabadan (31:26) https://www.sunsetmonalisa.com/

Episode 62: Los Cabos Recap Solo-cast

Jeannette Ceja is an award-winning bilingual travel journalist, television host, travel advisor, and global public speaker. Over the past ten years, she has interviewed countless celebrities, politicians, athletes, and travel experts, including Samantha Brown, Rick Steves, and Anthony Bourdain. Jeannette’s travel segments have appeared on ABC7 Los Angeles, WTTW Chicago, FOX 11 Los Angeles, Mexico Travel Channel, KUSI News, and other prominent media outlets around the world. A seasoned journalist, Jeannette is known for her expertise on women’s travel and the Latinx demographic. Her work encompasses luxury travel, female travel, and diversity travel. Jeannette’s dedication has taken her to over 60 countries to date. A respected and sought-after host, Jeannette has emceed the New York Travel Festival, the Changemaker Awards, Global Voice Awards, and the Impact Travel Immersion Global Conference. In 2018, Jeannette was the Official Travel Host for the World Woman Summit at the Clinton Presidential Center. The following year, she was recognized as one of the Top 20 Global Women of Excellence by U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis and the Multi-Ethnic Advisory Task Force at the 7th Annual International Women’s Day Celebration. Jeannette has been nominated multiple times for her work by the Los Angeles Business Journal at the Women’s Council & Awards. She was a nominee for Best Travel Creator at The Tecla Awards - part of the 10th annual Hispanicize conference - honoring Latinx contributions to media. She has partnered with tourism boards, including Visit Pasadena as their official bilingual spokesperson for National Plan For Vacation Day. A passionate advocate, Jeannette has spoken about the need for more diversity and inclusion in the travel industry at conferences including The Women Economic Forum- Egypt, The Women in Travel Summit, The New York Travel Festival, Tourism in Romania Conference, Impact Travel Immersion Conference, Epic Mastermind Conference, Travel Talks, the Travel Unity- Economic Development through Diversity Summit and The Women Economic Forum- Mexico City. She is on the Board of Directors at the non-profit organization, Travel Unity. Jeannette is an active member of The National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She aims to assist and represent every traveler with a special emphasis on women, diversity, youth, and travelers with disabilities. Jeannette can be found on Instagram @jetsetwithjeannette.

Ep 61: Jeannette Ceja

A special solo episode, quickly checking in with all of you, dear listeners, after this crazy year we've had. As we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, I reflect on what the meaning of travel is, the things we took for granted, and how we move forward with travel in the future.  In this episode, I talk about my thoughts about the perception of travel, the concept of "revenge travel," travel versus tourism, and my five steps to traveling with meaning. See you on the open road!

Ep 60: Quick Check-in

Konrad Waliszewski is the CEO & Co-Founder of Tripscout, a venture-backed travel company that has built one of the most popular travel entertainment and trip planning apps. He has visited approximately 100 countries and Forbes has called him a “modern day Marco Polo.” The Tripscout app is the #1 ranked trip planning app in the AppStore, has raised $5m of venture capital, and has built an audience of 8m+ followers on Instagram across their network of travel accounts. Tripscout has maintained a fully remote team from its conception and that team currently spans 7 countries and 4 U.S. states. Prior to Tripscout, Konrad was the COO of Speek, where he led the raise of $6m in venture capital, operations, business development, and the acquisition by Jive Communications, now LogMeIn (NASDAQ: LOGM). He was also a consultant for several private equity firms and publicly-traded companies, helping companies with special projects – including acquisitions, restructurings, strategic plans, and new businesses unit launches. He also worked as an investment banker focused on cross-border technology M&A and venture capital for some of Silicon Valley’s leading companies at GCA Savvian in San Francisco. Konrad is a regular speaker and commentator on the future of travel, travel tech, and consumer trends. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Business Insider, Washington Post, Huffington Post, and Forbes. Konrad’s mission is to make the world a more curious, compassionate, and connected place through travel, and you can follow his adventures on Instagram at @gokonrad.

Ep 59: Konrad Waliszewski

Khalil Kinsey showed an affinity for the arts and culture from a very young age. Having been exposed to the world early on through travel with his parents, he developed a deep appreciation for the similarities that bond us as human beings, as well as the diversity that is to be learned from and celebrated. Khalil has always found inspiration through creative expression, and worked in the action sports, fashion and music industries for many years where he built a reputation as a trend forecaster. With growing awareness and pride for the work of his parents in spreading the often-untaught knowledge of African American achievement and contribution, Khalil began working alongside them in 2009 and serves as General Manager and Curator for The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection. He oversees The Kinsey Collection exhibitions and properties – including operations, museum services, strategic partnerships and more. Khalil also serves as Vice President of The Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that focuses on educational outreach and reform. He provides a refreshing perspective to the organization, and has a deep desire to reach the youth that so desperately need the knowledge of self. He travels around the country speaking to audiences about the importance of African American history, racial equity/social justice, as well as art collecting and cultural appreciation/preservation. With a passion for youth and youth culture, Khalil works with many organizations across the country, offering consultation in the areas of education reform, mentoring , marketing and communication. Following the family tradition, Khalil attended Florida A & M University, where he studied Journalism, and is an avid traveler.

Ep 58: Khalil Kinsey

Phil Rosenthal is the creator and host of “Somebody Feed Phil,” an unscripted documentary series on Netflix, which combines his love of food and travel with his unique brand of humor. Rosenthal was born in Queens, New York and moved with his parents and brother to New City, New York in Rockland County, where he was raised. After graduating from Hofstra University on Long Island, where he majored in theater, he embarked on a career as an actor, writer and director in New York City. In 1989, he relocated to Los Angeles. Rosenthal’s early writing credits include the series “Down the Shore” and “Coach." In 1995, Rosenthal created the hit CBS comedy, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which premiered in 1996. He was the Showrunner/Executive Producer for all nine years of the show's very successful run, which ended in 2005. During its original run, “Everybody Loves Raymond” was nominated for over 70 Emmy awards, and won 15 awards, including two for Best Comedy Series in 2003 and 2005. Rosenthal won the 2002 Writers Guild Award for Excellence in Television Writing for his “Everybody Loves Raymond” script, “Italy.” Rosenthal co-wrote “America: A Tribute to Heroes,” the 9/11 telethon which aired on all four networks in September 2001, for which he won a Peabody Award and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing. Rosenthal is also an author, having penned a book on the art of comedy and the making of a sitcom classic. “You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom” was published in 2006. In April 2011, Rosenthal wrote, directed and starred in his first feature film for Sony Pictures. "Exporting Raymond,” the true story about the attempt to turn "Everybody Loves Raymond" into a Russian sitcom, was met with critical acclaim. Rosenthal’s first travel food series, “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having,” premiered on PBS in fall 2015 and received two Taste Awards as well as the winner of the 2016 James Beard Award for Best Television Program, on Location. Rosenthal lives in Los Angeles, with his wife, actress Monica Horan (who played Amy on “Everybody Loves Raymond”), and their two children.

Ep 57: Phil Rosenthal

Mark Tsigounis was born and raised in New Jersey. There he fell in love with the Kittatinny Mountains and the famous barrier islands that litter the coastline. This passion served as kindling which fuels his service of the outdoor community today. Mark is the CEO and Founder of Hibear, where they innovate outdoor products through thoughtful design and serve an environmental mission to help eliminate single-use plastic. Their first product has been called the Swiss Army Knife of insulated bottles. They call it the All-Day Adventure Flask. Mark has a deep love for travel and adventure. He loves hugs, trees, hugging trees, is an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, two-time Ironman, ultra runner, and Navy Veteran. He lives to inspire a lifetime of experience and fuel adventure through smart design. Because life's just better outside with friends and coffee. When he is not getting lost in the woods, he is romancing his wife and son at home in Truckee, California with his subpar guitar skills.

Ep 56: Mark Tsigounis

Matt Wilson is Co-founder and CEO of the travel company for people ages 21-35 Under30Experiences, and author of "The Millennial Travel Guidebook". Under30Experiences has been named number 801 on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America and number 198 on Financial Times 1000 list of America's Fastest-Growing Companies. Matt was formerly the co-founder of the media site Under30CEO (Acquired 2016) and is the Host of the Live Different Podcast on Business, Travel, Health, and Performance. He has interviewed everyone from NBA Legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar to the President of Starbucks. Matt's writing is published in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and The Huffington Post, and he is part of the invite-only Young Entrepreneurs' Council (YEC) comprised of the world's most successful entrepreneurs 40 and younger. Matt is a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers. He hosts yoga and fitness retreats in his free time and his personal mission is to help people live more adventurous lives.

Ep 55: Matt Wilson

The Healthy Voyager, aka Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, is the creator and host of The Healthy Voyager web series, site, and overall brand. An award-winning healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, holistic nutritionist, plant-based vegan chef, best-selling cookbook author, media spokesperson, sought after speaker, consultant and television personality, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle and travel as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. The Healthy Voyager aims to help people live well, one veggie at a time!

Ep 54: Carolyn Scott-Hamilton

Todd Glaser is a San Diego-born photographer, surfer, and waterman. A SURFER Staff Photographer for over a decade, Glaser is prolific for his young age, earning more than a dozen covers during his tenure at the magazine. Equally talented shooting land, water, and lifestyle photography, his work has also appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Men’s Health, GQ and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, in Washington DC. When he isn’t globetrotting chasing swells, treading water shooting in the tropics, or capturing images of the first wave ever ridden at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, Glaser can be found riding waves around his home, riding his bike, and enjoying the company of his wife, Jenna. 

Ep 53: Todd Glaser

On the acting front, Ravi’s next appearance is in Gal Gadot and Chris Pine’s WONDER WOMAN 1984. Ravi is also co-creator and co-lead in Netflix’s upcoming half-hour comedy series MESSY, which follows an Indian woman pursuing her passion of stand-up comedy in Mumbai and is set to premiere this fall. He was most recently a lead in COME AS YOU ARE (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) opposite Hayden Szeto & Gabourey Sidibe, as well as the Seth Rogen/Charlize Theron comedy LONG SHOT, both of which premiered at SXSW 2019. The multi-hyphenate is also a prominent figure in the documentary space. His eagerly awaited docuseries RAVI PATEL’S PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS is set to premiere on HBO Max this year. Ravi acts as host, along with his loved ones, taking the audience across the globe while exploring life’s most pressing questions. Ravi is also creator and star of a docuseries exploring the emerging stand-up comedy scene in India, produced by Will Smith’s Westbrook. Ravi is most well-known for co-directing, and starring in MEET THE PATELS, a festival darling that has become one of the most streamed documentaries of the last five years. The film’s success led to an offer to adapt the documentary into a feature film through Fox Searchlight Pictures. Other notable credits include the critically-acclaimed MASTER OF NONE, IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, SCRUBS, HAWAII FIVE-0, GREY’S ANATOMY, CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, and THE COMEDIANS. Formerly an investment banker, Ravi is the co-founder of This Saves Lives, which donates a meal packet for every granola bar they sell. He is also an active advisor and board member to multiple food, health and wellness start-ups. He is currently based in LA with his wife (a therapist) and three year-old daughter (also a therapist).

Ep 52: Ravi Patel

In a year where travel has been turned upside down I wanted to share something special with you.  Enjoy sounds from a recent road trip to Eastern Sierras in California.  You'll hear the stillness of the night, rain, thunder and rushing water from the Kern River. It's my hope you'll close your eyes and picture yourself standing in nature taking in the sounds for yourself. #travelwithmeaning #roadtrip

Ep 51: Sounds From The Open Road

Travel stories that have impacted the lives and careers of artists, entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs, CEO’s and travel experts. Hosted by Mike Schibel, Founder of Travel With Meaning.

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Travel With Meaning

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