Episode 100 - Celebrating 100 Episodes!
We are celebrating 100 episodes of the Soul of Travel Podcast!
Thank you so much for listening, your support, and for cheering Soul of Travel on along the way. Christine thought this would be a great time to share some of the reflections and feedback she’s received from guests and listeners over the past two and a half years!
This podcast started as a bit of a life raft for Christine in the early days of the pandemic. As she emailed those first 10 guests and embarked upon this journey, Christine could never have imagined how the show would have grown and evolve.
In the first season, Tourism Rising, Christine started by talking with her friends and colleagues about what motivated them to start their businesses. The ways they viewed tourism could be a vehicle for positive change, and what they were doing to continue to make a positive impact when we were not traveling, as well as the ways they thought we would build back better before we were really talking about building back better.
While Christine loved these conversations, she realized fairly quickly that she wanted to begin to focus on women in the industry and create a platform for them to tell their stories, and a place where she could celebrate the impact of women she admired around the world.
The second season, Voices of Women, really set the stage for this transition. Diving a little deeper, Christine realized what set us apart is how these women have such a tremendous impact with their work.
And so in the third season, Shaping Our Future, Christine talked with her guests about how travel changed them and how that inspired them to create change in the world.
Season Four has just launched and Christine focusing on the mark that each guest hopes to leave on the world. And she’s asking them what is the change they are working to create. This season, she will be sharing the stories of Women Influencing Change.
As Christine’s community grows, these conversations are taking a different tone. She’s had the opportunity to build relationships, and even connect in person with some of her guests that adds an even deeper connection and allows us to get into conversations we may have not felt comfortable with in other settings.
Christine has learned after talking with a few women at recent industry conferences that many of them remembered a moment of feeling very emotional, even finding themselves moved to tears. What Christine really felt is a deep connection and trust. She is so grateful to be able to have these truly soulful conversations with each person.
On the podcast, Christine talks about professional successes and the personal growth it takes to get there. She loves that her guests offer that part of their journey with each of you. She’s seen a lot of personal growth herself over the last three seasons of the podcast. And she is thankful to have the space for that self development.
Join this reflective and soulful conversation with Christine!
In this episode, Christine shares:
How the show has evolved from the first season
Previous guests share their reflections on the podcast
The power of connecting with others
Some of the feedback she’s received from listeners
How you can support the Soul of Travel Podcast
Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode
Looking for ways to be a part of the community, learn more here.
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women.
Follow us on Instagram: @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcast
LOVE these conversations...support the production of this podcast by making a donation here!
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=Y76XFGFWCMEV8)
Join me for my Women’s Wilderness and Yoga Retreat in Alaska in March 2023!
We’ll be traveling 63 miles north of the Arctic Circle to stay at Arctic Hive, owned by my friend Mollie Busby and her husband Sean. This boutique property nestled in the Brooks Range is way off the beaten path and also off grid. We’ll stay in beautiful cabins built by hand by our hosts, practice yoga in their yoga dome lovingly referred to as The Hive, with gorgeous views of the surrounding nature.
We’ll explore the wilderness by snowshoe and dog sled, connect with members of the local community to learn about living in this remote environment, enjoy daily yoga practice and vegan meals all while keeping our eye out for the beautiful northern lights that like to show off their magic this time of year.
I only have 6 spaces for this unique adventure and a few are already taken. Hop over to the Lotus Sojourns website to book yours today.
Please share this experience with anyone you know would love this restorative adventure.
Want to learn more, you can listen to my Soul of Travel conversation, episode 67 with Mollie Busby
Visit www.lotussojourns.com/journeys to join this unique travel experience today.
Learn more about Lotus Sojourns
Looking for ways to be a part of the community, learn more here.
Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women.
Follow us on Instagram: @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcast
LOVE these conversations...support the production of this podcast by making a donation here!
Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=Y76XFGFWCMEV8)
WE WON A BESSIE AWARD! The Bessie Awards recognize the achievements of women and gender-diverse people making an impact in the travel industry. To view the complete list of this year’s winners, visit bessieawards.org.
About the Soul Of Travel Podcast
Soul of Travel honors the passion and dedication of the people making a positive impact in tourism. In each episode, you’ll hear the story of women who are industry professionals and seasoned travelers and community leaders who know travel is more than a vacation. It is an opportunity for personal awareness and it is a vehicle for change. We are thought leaders, action takers, and heart-centered change makers.
The guests work in all sectors of the tourism industry. You'll hear from adventure-based community organizations, social impact businesses, travel photographers and videographers, tourism boards and destination marketing organizations, and transformational travel experts. They all honor the idea that travel is more than a vacation and focus on sustainable travel, eco-travel, community-based tourism, and intentional travel.
These conversations are meant to educate, inspire and create community. They are directed to new travelers and seasoned travelers, as well as industry professionals and those who are curious about a career in travel.
If you want to learn about new destinations, types of travel, or how to be more intentional or live life on purpose, join Christine Winebrenner Irick for soulful conversations with her community of fellow travelers exploring the heart, the mind, and the globe. These conversations highlight what tourism really means for the world.
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Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor.) Original music by Clark Adams. Editing and production by Rayna Booth.
Transcript
KEYWORDS
travel, conversations, podcast, episode, women, community, listeners, connect, connections, tourism, felt, share, soul, important, world
Christine Winebrenner Irick 00:08
Thank you for joining me for soulful conversations with my community of fellow travelers, exploring the heart, the mind and the globe. These conversations highlight what travel really means for the world. Soul of Travel honors the passion and dedication of the people making a positive impact in tourism. Each week, I'll be speaking to women who are tourism professionals, world travelers and leaders in their communities will explore how travel has changed them and how that has rippled out and inspired them to change the world. These conversations are as much about travel as they are about passion, and living life with purpose, chasing dreams, building businesses, and having the desire to make the world a better place. This is a community of people who no travel is more than a vacation. It is an opportunity for personal awareness, and it is a vehicle for change. We are thought leaders, action takers, and heart centered change makers I'm Christine Winebrenner Irick. And this is the Soul of Travel.
Here we are celebrating 100 episodes of the Soul of Travel Podcast. Thank you so much for listening, for your support. And for cheering me on along the way. I thought this would be a great time to share some of the reflections and feedback I've received from guests and listeners over the past two and a half years.
This podcast started as a bit of a life raft for me in the early days of the pandemic. And it is hard to believe that so much time has already passed. As I emailed those first 10 guests and embarked upon this journey, I could never have imagined how the show would have grown and evolved.
In the first season Tourism Rising, I started by talking with my friends and colleagues about what motivated them to start their businesses. The ways they viewed tourism could be a vehicle for positive change, and what they were doing to continue to make a positive impact when we were not traveling, as well as the ways they thought we would build back better before we were really talking about building back better.
While I love these conversations, I realized fairly quickly that I wanted to begin to focus on women in the industry and create a platform for them to tell their stories, and a place where I could celebrate the impact of women I admired around the world.
The second season, Voices of Women, really set the stage for this transition. diving a little deeper, I realized what set us apart is how these women have such a tremendous impact with their work.
And so in the third season, shaping our future, I talked with my guests about how travel changed them and how that inspired them to create change in the world. Season Four has just launched and we're focusing on the mark that each guest hopes to leave on the world. And I'm asking them what is the change you are working to create.
And this season I'll be sharing the stories of Women Influencing Change. As my community has grown, these conversations are taking a different tone. I've had the opportunity to build relationships, and even connect in person now with some of my guests that adds an even deeper connection and allows us to get into conversations we may have not felt comfortable with in other settings. And I have learned after talking with a few women at recent industry conferences that many of them remembered a moment of feeling very emotional, even finding themselves moved to tears.
While we had a laugh about me being the Barbara Walters of travel podcasts, and guests being determined not to break down even some warning others not to join my show because they'd end up crying. What I really felt is a deep connection and trust. It is sacred to me. And I am so grateful to be able to have these truly soulful conversations with each person.
On the podcast, we talk about professional successes, but we also talk about the personal growth it takes to get there. I love that my guests offer that part of their journey with each of you. I've seen a lot of personal growth myself over the last three seasons of the podcast. And I thank you all so much for giving me the space for that self development.
I think it is so important to have this space and hold the space for each other. So I think you've probably heard enough for me. Let's hear from some of our guests and listeners.
Nikki Padilla Rivera from Global Guide Alliance shared her reflection. One of the best things about being a guest on the Christine show was having something in common with all of the other guests. She does such a fantastic job of finding interesting and inspiring women. So for me, it's been a great reason and easy way to connect with them online. Nikki, thank you so much for sharing that with me. One of my greatest visions for solo travel podcasts is definitely creating community. And I'm so glad that this connection has allowed you to build relationships with other guests, nothing could bring me greater joy than seeing those connections happen.
And in fact, when I start to notice those connections happening online and on LinkedIn, and I see one guest connecting and cheering on another, my heart is filled with such joy, to know that this is really our community rising together. So I really appreciate you sharing that with me.
For me, one of the greatest things about this podcast is learning so much from my guests, and being able to pass that knowledge on to others. Sometimes I'll be talking and making a connection with someone in my community, and they want to learn more about a certain topic. And it's so great to be able to point them to an episode. And if they need more information, be able to connect them to an organization, or even a guest to find out more about what they're interested in. And I think it is amazing to be able to put those connections in place.
A few months ago, I was connecting with Julana Dizon, she was telling me she was interested in learning more about ethical wildlife travel experiences, and I was easily able to point her in the direction of a conversation I had just had with Nora Livingstone. And it was so great to be able to know that she would be able to find something that would be of value to her. And after she listened to that episode, she sent me a message and so I just wanted to share that with you.
Hey, Christine, just wanted to say I listened to the episode with Nora plus a few others. I got chills so many times. These conversations you have are so amazing. And unlike any others that I've heard, I love what you say about being a guest in other countries and treating every scenario with respect and kindness. The world needs more conscious travelers for sure. I can't wait for our episode. Thanks so much for that feedback to Lana. So I love knowing that that offered value to Joanna and was able to spread the work that Nora is doing. I'm also really excited that Julana is going to be joining me for an episode of the podcast later this season.
So stay tuned and you'll be able to hear from her about her experiences as an on camera host and traveler and wildlife content creator. We've already had some great conversations and I can't wait to be able to bring those to you in this space. Soul of travel has opened doorways and created connections in a way that I would have never expected. One of my favorite experiences is dropping into a zoom and immediately being able to dive into heartfelt conversations with potential guests to know one another, finding out where our passions lie and then discovering what we can share together on the podcast.
So Nora Livingstone, who is the CEO and co-founder of animal experience international shared these thoughts with me about her experience on the podcast. I so sincerely loved our talk. I loved the space that you were able to hold while we talked about the deep roots of tourism, from the innocent curiosity to the painful colonial gaze. It's these important conversations that not only make AI better, but make the whole tourist industry better. We can't live better lives if we don't challenge our practices and privileges. Now, I love talking with you. Meeting a kindred spirit via podcast is such a 2022 experience. And I'm very happy to experience the first 100 episodes and to 200 more. Thank you so much, Nora.
Honestly, I treasure these connections more than you will know. And I'm so grateful to be able to share these really important conversations and get our listeners curious and excited and have these deep and meaningful conversations on their own. Wondering how they can travel better. These are all things that I am really excited to be able to do with the podcast. It's things that are so much more impactful with guests like yourself. So thank you for sharing your passion and your vision with me in this space
10:17
This is Habiba founder of Asgunfa Impact Traveling to off the beaten track in Morocco. So grateful to have been hosted by Christine in Seoul on a travel podcast to exchange about sustainable tourism and how it can positively impact communities with it. What a great opportunity to be part of this community of like minded travel experts around the globe.
Christine Winebrenner Irick 10:54
I love being able to share some of the feedback and comments and reflections from our guests. But I thought I would also share some of the feedback I've gotten from our listeners over the past couple of years. So Liz golden hour left this feedback on the Apple podcast. This podcast is amazing. I'm so glad I discovered it. The episode with the author of beyond guilt trips was fantastic. It really got me excited about traveling again. Thanks, Liz.
I'm really excited to hear that. And that book is so amazing. So I hope if you have the chance you can pick it up and read it all the way through. It's one of the things that really gets me excited about thinking about how we're going to be able to travel more consciously in the future. And if other listeners love that episode, make sure you check out Rhys travel Institute and their flagship program where they really dive into Dr. Anu Taranath’s book and think about how we can be traveling more responsibly as global citizens. Another review from flash 43 on Apple podcast says I really enjoy the fresh perspective of the show.
The conversations are always interesting. This is a much needed show. The topics are right on point, thank you so much for the great work you are doing. Thank you also for your feedback. I really tried to bring content that is relevant, but also interesting and hopefully somewhat entertaining. Even though sometimes we're talking about heavier topics.
These conversations are really what I need. So I hope that you all find they're just what you need as well. Deanna Camilla left this review, loving the focus behind the show on travel, not just from a tourist lens, but as a global citizen. Appreciate the host introducing listeners to interesting people in this travel space. Thank you Deanna. And one last one I'll share from Teresa loves living abroad.
Christine's podcast hits right at the intersection of women leaders in the travel industry following their dreams to build a more sustainable tourism industry. I love learning about ways to make my own worldwide travel more sustainable, engaged and meaningful. Kudos Christine, thank you so much, Teresa.
I love hearing that you're learning about sustainable tourism, but also being inspired by these women who are living their dreams and understanding ways that we can be more engaged and have more meaningful travel experiences. So thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I love seeing those reviews.
If you're a regular listener, I always love to hear from you. So feel free to contact me directly or leave a review on Apple podcasts so we know what you're loving and what to bring more of into the next 100 episodes.
13:49
Hi, my name is Vincie Ho, I am the Founder and Executive Director of RISE Travel Institute. I had the good fortune to be connected with Christine last year and I started to follow her work and the soul of travel is always super impressed with the lineup of all the incredible women she gathered on her podcast. Then earlier this year when she invited me to be a guest I felt honored and humbled and to be honest, also a little nervous because I'm not a good public speaker.
And I'm not always as articulate as I want to be but pristine created a safe space for me to be vulnerable and be real, and I really appreciate it. I'm really grateful to have had the opportunity to not only share my personal stories about my past travels and learnings and how I got into the travel industry, but also to introduce my nonprofit RISE Travel Institute to her listeners so that more people can learn about conscious travel and sustainable travel and some educational resources available to them on our platform.
I really admire Christine's ability to connect and willingness to amplify women who are doing important work in the sustainable travel space. So thank you so much, Christine, and congratulations on your 100th episode. I'm honored to be celebrating this big milestone with you and I look forward to many more meaningful conversations on soul troubles in the future.
15:34
What I loved about my episode on the Soul of Travel is really a safe space that Christine created, we recorded way back early days of the pandemic. And it was the first time that I spoke about my depression, and what I've been through and how important that is to what I do in wellness travel. I'm so grateful for the comfort that I felt, and all that Christine does, to lift women up, because that's what this is all about.
Christine Winebrenner Irick 16:09
Thank you all for celebrating 100 episodes, I look forward to the next part of our journey that we will share together. Every week, I'm connecting with even more amazing and inspiring women and I can't wait to be able to share their stories with you. If you are finding value in these conversations, please make sure you are following the podcast so you automatically get downloads each week to grow the audience and bring the stories of my guests to even more listeners, please share your favorite episodes on social or with a friend and let them know why you think they'd love it. You can also leave a review, I really appreciate hearing from you. To continue to bring these valuable conversations to this community. I am beginning to work with aligned brands and organizations as sponsors and looking for individual supporters to help cover the professional production costs of this podcast.
You can reach out to me directly at connect@Lotussojourns.com or find the link to make a financial donation in the show notes of every episode. Which reminds me, I don't do this alone. I would love to celebrate Rayna Booth, my podcast producer who has been on this journey with me for a while now. She helps me to take these conversations and bring them to each of you editing, writing show notes and posting on Instagram, you might have thought I was impressively able to do it all. And I think it is so important to acknowledge that I need the support. And it is okay to ask for assistance, which was a really hard lesson for me to learn. So thank you so much Rayna for all that you do to bring the Soul of Travel to life. We have so many great conversations ready for you in the next few weeks.
Thank you again for spending this time with me and my guests. Time is sacred. And we hope we are bringing something meaningful to your lives. I'll talk with you all soon. Until then, enjoy your journey.
Christine Winebrenner Irick 19:00
Thank you for listening to the Soul of Travel. I hope you enjoyed the journey. If you love this conversation, I encourage you to subscribe, rate the podcast and share the episodes that inspire you with others. I am so proud of the way these conversations are bringing together people from around the world. If this sounds like your community, welcome.
I am so happy you are here. You can find all the ways you can be a part of the Soul of Travel and Lotus Sojourns Community at www.Lotussojourns.com. Here you can learn more about the Soul of Travel and my guests.
You can see details about the transformational sojourns. I guide women, as well as my book Sojourn which offers an opportunity to explore your heart mind in the world through the pages of books specially selected to create any journey. I'm all about community and would love to connect.
You can find me on Facebook at Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community, or follow me on Instagram either @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcast. Stay up to date by joining the Lotus Sojourns mailing list. I look forward to getting to know you and hopefully hearing your story.