Loving New Orleans

New Orleans is one of the many unique and culturally rich cities in the United States. Whether you are drawn to its amazing creole food, incredible jazz music, or supernatural folklore, #NOLA tends to be on most travelers’ bucket list.

This week we are getting a local’s perspective on the people, culture, food, and sights of New Orleans.  Listen Here

New Orleans is one of the many unique and culturally rich cities in the United States. Whether you are drawn to its amazing creole food, incredible jazz music, or supernatural folklore, #‎NOLA tends to be on most travelers’ bucket list.

This week New Orleans resident,  Laura Valliant gives us a local’s perspective on the people, culture, food, and sights of New Orleans.

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Join Our Pink Cruiseaid -for Breast Cancer Research

We are so excited about our Pink CruiseAid in October – Raising Awareness and Funds for Breast Cancer Research! Listen Here

Cancer continues to touch and take the life of so many people dear to us that Travel Talk decided to do something about it. We have joined the fight against breast cancer!

The statitics are startling.

• 1 in 8 Women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer in their lifetime
• Every 2 minutes, one case of breast cancer is diagnosed
• Every 13 minutes a person loses their fight to breast cancer

On October 23, 2016 – the Travel Talk hosts embark on #PinkCruiseAid Maiden Voyage – we are cruising to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. We are looking for other Warriors in Pink to celebrate and honor. If you would like more information visit Philanthropy Cruise on Facebook.

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Ready, Set, Goals

Returning to Travel Talk — Rick and Brenda Reese!   Listen Here

Experienced Travelpreneurs and Founding Circle Members of Surge365, the Reese’s host a weekly conference call to help new travel agents set realistic goals for their business and practical strategies to achieve them.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

As Jake recommends…Have a pen and a pad of paper ready because we’re sure the Reeses are going to give lots of suggestions on how to NOT GIVE UP on your dreams.

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Importance of Cruise Ship Certifications

Travel Talk is catching up with our good friend and fellow Travelpreneur Carolyn Walker Parrish!

Just returning from another cruise ship adventure with Costa Cruise, we asked Carolyn if she could share some insight on the importance of travel professionals furthuring their education within the cruise industry as she has graduated from the Accredited Cruise Counselor tier to the Master Cruise Counselor. Yay!

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) creates a global standard for our industry. They have 3 levels of certification

• Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC)
• Master Cruise Counselor (MCC)
• Elite Cruise Counselor (ECC)

Life Through My Eyes – Irina Ivic

Journalist, Morning Talk Show Host, Professional Ballet Dancer, Advocate to stop violence against women, Periscope Broadcaster and World Traveler…Listen Here to amazing Irina Ivic!

An excerpt from Irina’s biography.

As a video journalist, I travelled and filmed reports in Serbia, Copenhagen, Istanbul and Hanover. As a journalist, producer and anchor I was working on a series “The Children in Need”, in cooperation with UNICEF.  I was a trademark face and a host of a promotional film in a campaign “We are changing diabetes” organized by The Republic Health Insurance Fund and host of the show “Innovators” from which RTS selects and rewards the best scientific innovations in Serbia each year.

A few years ago I got an offer to become a presenter of the Morning show, and not long after from the editorial board of the Cultural news to become one of their anchors. Today I work as a host of both shows, but new roles in the programme have not changed what one journalist carries inside – the need to observe and analyze social issues twenty-four hours a day.

The question I hear every day is – how can you wake up at four in the morning? The answer is #liveyourlife and in the meantime figure out how to do it in the best possible way.

Choose To Be Unstoppable – Angela Rockwood

Choose to be UNSTOPPABLE in 2016 is the topic of this week’s Travel Talk show. We are thrilled to have Actress, Motivational Speaker and Ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Angela Rockwood join us.

Angela will share how she dealt with accessibility issues while traveling in Vietnam and Italy last year as well as how she chooses to be unstoppable while manifesting her dreams.

Ms. Rockwood was featured in the Sundance Channel‘s television show “Push Girls” in 2012 and 2013. In 2001 Angela was in a horrific car crash on her way home from San Francisco paralyzing her with a C4 spinal cord injury. She underwent pioneering treatment in Portugal after doctors in the United States told her the chances of feeling or moving below her neck were slim.

Today Angela lives a very active and busy life with the use of a manual wheelchair. She continues to work with the Reeve’s Foundation conducting outreach campaigns within Asian-American communities. Connect with her via Instagram or Twitter.

Delivering Fun with Carnival Cruise

We are starting 2016 with fun!! Join us next week on Travel Talk to for our first show of the year when we welcome Jennifer Buenrostro-Carnival Cruise Lines Business Development Director.

Learn what Carnival Cruise Line has planned for 2016, how they deliver fun and memorable vacations for guest and what they are doing to support nonprofits.

Corporate Events @ Sea

Organizing seminars, corporate events, conference or retreats regardless of the size can be a daunting experience. There are so many details (venue, accommodations for attendees, food, audio/visual equipment and extracurricular activities) to consider, especially if the event is over the course of several days. Listen to the replay

Amber Verdugo from Pro Travel Network (PTN) joins the Travel Talk co-hosts to discuss how to PTN simplifies the planning experience by hosting Corporate Events @ Sea.

From the planning stages to promoting the event, Ms. Verdugo will share the benefits of hosting your next event onboard your favorite cruise line. Perhaps our hosts can also get the inside scoop about PTN’s upcoming Cruise to Hawaii in 2016.

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100 Days of Happiness

Have you ever thought about RVing Across America? Listen to the show.

Well, that is exactly what Best Selling Author, Speaker and Founder of Teen Confidence Academy – Jacqui Letran is doing with her trusty travel companions. Around the same time she embarked on her cross country adventure, Ms. Letran also started a 100-Day Happiness Challenge.

Jacqui is stopping the Travel Talk to share how the first 70 days of happiness has gone as well as some of her favorite places to visit while RVing.

In the words of American Writer, Henry Miller, “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”

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Travel-preneur : Work Your Passion, Live Your Dream

Want to learn how to be a Travel-preneur? Learn from someone who has already done it. ‪#‎TravelTalk‬ ‪#‎SurgeNation‬

Special Guest, Jessica St. John, Director of Operations – Sunrise Travel Services  Listen Here

On this episode of Travel Talk we explore the life of a travel-preneur. How we have defined travel-preneur is, “a person with a wanderlust spirit who has incorporated their passion of travel into a business or enterprise.

Our guest is Jessica St John, a 30-year old entrepreneur who thas made it her business to travel the world learning about the richness of other cultures and helping others to do the same. Ms. St John is the Director of Operations for Sunrise Travel Services.

Join our hosts Dawn Barraco, founder of Dawn to Dusk Travel; Doreen H. Wong, co-founder of the Getaway Contessa; and Jake Culbertson, founder of 24/7 Travel Agents as they explore the emerging industry known as “Travel-preneurism”