Episode 209 - Christine Winebrenner Irick & Carly Oduardo, Soul of Travel Podcast
In this SPECIAL NEW YEAR EPISODE of Soul of Travel, Season 6: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine is joined by Carly Oduardo for a 2024 Reflection and 2025 Visioning!
Soul of Travel has achieved remarkable milestones in 2024, securing the #14 position in Feedspot's Top 100 Travel Podcasts and earning a prestigious feature in Forbes. What makes us most happy is connecting with listeners across 131 countries and 2,700 cities – it's incredible to think how far these conversations about mindful travel have spread!
Women’s Wisdom and Intentional, Impactful Travel
For those listening to the podcast who are looking for connection and a challenging yet welcoming space that aligns with everything we create at Soul of Travel Podcast, we can’t speak enough about the Book Sojourn! The Book Sojourn has been an incredible journey so far — and we’re just getting started.
“It’s really a privilege for me to hold that,” shares Christine.
We've nurtured this transformative reading journey for four years, creating a space where literature intersects with personal growth and travel wisdom. The 2025 reading list includes powerful works like "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay and "The Soul of Money" by Lynn Twist. Learn more here!
Looking Forward
We're expanding our reach through strategic partnerships with aligned organizations like Women's Work, Travel Coach Network, and RISE Travel Institute. Our focus remains on creating meaningful conversations about conscious travel while fostering a supportive community of mindful travelers!
We're also expanding our reach through in-person gatherings in Denver, New York City, LA, and Seattle, creating spaces for our community to connect and grow together. Reach out if you’d like to be our partner in creating these transformative and powerful in-person events!
We're also welcoming new advertising partners who want to co-create more meaningful content about conscious travel. Through authentic conversations, meaningful partnerships, and a commitment to personal growth, Soul of Travel demonstrates that the journey is not just about reaching destinations but about the connections we make and the lives we touch along the way. Most importantly, we're excited to keep growing this community of mindful travelers and continue sharing stories that inspire positive change in the world.
“We’re literally not designed to do this by ourselves. This platform really speaks to that. It speaks to this collective of people moving something forward together in really big and powerful ways.”
Soul of Travel Episode 109 At a Glance
Christine and Carly reflect on the growth of the podcast in 2024 and celebrate a few achievements, including:
✨ Placing #14 in the Top 100 Travel Podcasts by Feedspot
✨ Soul of Travel's Feature in Forbes!
✨ Nominations for Women in Podcasting and TBEX Travel Creator Awards
✨ 38,000+ lifetime downloads in 131 countries
Christine and Carly also discuss:
· The journey they have shared over the past 4 years in the Soulful Book Sojourn by Lotus Sojourns
· 2025 Travel Events where you can connect with SOT
· NEW Premium Subscriber Content! 🎉
· In-person Events hosted by SOT
· Advertising and Sponsor Opportunities for 2025
Join Christine and Carly now for this soulful conversation.
LOVE these soulful conversations? We rely on listener support to produce our podcast! Make a difference by making a donation on Buy Me a Coffee.
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goal #12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Sustainable Development Goal #17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode
Exclusive Access to Soul of Travel’s premium content: BEYOND!
Download the RISE Travel Institute’s Decolonizing Travel e-Book!
Sign up for the next cohort of the RISE Travel Institute Flagship Program
About the Soul Of Travel Podcast
Soul of Travel honors the passion and dedication of people making a positive impact in the tourism industry. In each episode, you’ll hear the stories of women who are industry professionals, seasoned travelers, and community leaders. Our expert guests represent social impact organizations, adventure-based community organizations, travel photography and videography, and entrepreneurs who know that travel is an opportunity for personal awareness and a vehicle for global change.
Join us to become a more educated and intentional traveler as you learn about new destinations, sustainable and regenerative travel, and community-based tourism. Industry professionals and those curious about a career in travel will also find value and purpose in our conversations.
We are thought leaders, action-takers, and heart-centered change-makers who inspire and create community. Join host Christine Winebrenner Irick for these soulful conversations with our global community of travelers exploring the heart, the mind, and the globe.
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Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). GUEST NAME (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.
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: @journeywoman_original, @she.sojourns, and @souloftravelpodcast.
Become a supporter of Soul of Travel!
Join the 2024 Soulful Book Sojourn
Lotus Sojourns offers transformational travel experiences for women, as well as being a hub for a global community of women. We offer a virtual book club, the Soulful Book Sojourn, to inspire travel, create cultural awareness, and offer personal growth experiences from the comfort of your home (or wherever you may be lucky enough to be in 2024!). In this year-long journey, we will read a new book every other month, which will offer you the opportunity to have many of the same types of experiences you would have on a Sojourn and create a space for personal awareness and transformation. Learn more about the Soulful Book Sojourn here.
Like any personal practice, the Book Sojourn curates the opportunity for you to reconnect with yourself, with others, and with your dreams.
This online book club for women provides the opportunity to read books written by inspiring and empowering women, specially selected to create this impactful and soulful journey.
Join the Soulful Book Sojourn!
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 2022’s winners, visit bessieawards.org.
Soul of Travel Episode 209 Transcript
Women’s travel, transformational travel, sustainable travel, women leaders in travel, social entrepreneurship
Christine: Welcome to Soul of Travel, women's wisdom and mindful travel. I'm your host Christine Weinbrenner Eirich. Each week you'll hear me having soulful conversations with women who are tourism professionals, trailblazers, and community leaders around the world. They share their personal and professional journeys to inspire you, and their stories teach you how to become a more conscious traveler, live life aligned with your values, and create a positive impact.
Christine: We are thought leaders, action takers, and heart centered change makers. And this is the soul of travel.
Christine: Welcome to soul of travel podcast. I am your host, Christine, and we're here today to celebrate 2025 with you. And today I have a extra special guest because it's my friend podcast producer slash like a million other slashes in my world. Um, Carly Eduardo. Thank you so much for joining me for this. It's like little New Year's kickoff.
Christine: Wouldn't miss it for the world. Thanks for having me. Um, well to just start, um, for anyone who might be new to the podcast, I'm gonna tell you a little bit about who I am. Um, as I mentioned, I'm Christine and I'm the host of this podcast. One of the other hats I wear is, um, I have a company called Lotus Sojourns where I create mindful adventure travel experiences for women.
Christine: And, um, I'm also getting into a little bit more of travel coaching and bringing some of my wellness and wellbeing into that, uh, in this year, which is really, really exciting. Um, and I also am a mom of three girls, so maybe that will give you a little insight into my focus on Amplifying the voices of women and trying to create equity for women in this world.
Christine: Cause I have three little women growing up in it. And yeah, I think that's all about me. Carly, you want to introduce yourself?
Carly: Sure. I'm Carly Oduardo. I am the co founder and the CEO of Convergente. We are a web solutions company, helping people get online, solving their tech block, um, and helping get their voices out into the world.
Carly: And part of that is that I have the privilege of Convergente. Being behind the scenes with Soul of Travel and producing the podcast, being with the guests, um, and it is my favorite, favorite time of the week when I get to do this work because I believe in it and I'm really, really grateful for it. Um, I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, originally from Michigan, over here.
Carly: Any Michiganders and I, um, love to write and I am working on a poetry book in my spare time. I threw in a fun fact there for you. Yeah. So that's me in my life. I'm also a mom. I have two kiddos, a nine year old girl and a six year old boy, a nine year old. She's turning nine in January. I've just like rounded up for her.
Carly: Um, and my husband and I work in the business together. So lots of family time in my life and lots of travel. locally and looking forward to more international travel very, very soon.
Christine: Yeah. Um, kids always appreciate the roundup. So I'm sure that she's with that. Like my daughter just turned nine and a half and she's like, so basically 10.
Christine: I'm like, let's give it a little more time. It's an aggressive roundup. Yeah. That's kind of aggressive. I mean, that's how I do math in my head. So it's fair, but. Um, and I am also in Colorado. I didn't mention that, um, we are near ish to each other, but often this is not close enough. Connect his online. Um, okay.
Christine: So to begin, we're going to just like reflect on 2024 a little bit. Um, I always share where we're at with downloads as a way to celebrate reach, because for me, that's a huge part of amplifying the voices of women is getting them in front of as many people as possible, um, with as diverse of an audience as possible.
Christine: And so we just reached 38, 000 lifetime downloads. Um, which seems like a huge number, especially thinking about the early days of throwing the podcast up and just being
like,
Christine: I hope someone besides like my sister downloads this thing. And, uh, and like hitting benchmarks of like 500 downloads or a thousand, like felt really huge.
Christine: So this feels huge. Uh, great. Just to see that. And then also, um, I think even more exciting is 131 countries and 2, 700 cities, which again is really hard to even envision, but it's like so cool. If you could map that out and just see the web that is being created by this community. And I think part of that is because guests come from all around the world.
Christine: So. Yeah. Though we're both based in the U. S., I really try to make sure I'm bringing voices in from around the world and hearing different perspectives, as well as people in different parts of the industry. I think it's really common in podcasts to have You know, only be speaking to CEOs or only be speaking to certain types of businesses.
Christine: And we are talking to people who are like guides or CEOs or entrepreneurs or solopreneurs or tech, like all these different layers. So I think that makes the conversation really cool as well.
Carly: Travelers too, I mean, I am not a travel company and I have learned so much being able to listen to all the episodes, um, about what it means to live your own journey, your own truth to create something.
Carly: And then also to enjoy travel in a responsible, mindful, ethical way. Like it's completely changed my approach to all of those things, so.
Christine: Yeah. I love that. And I, I think it's interesting because when I first started the podcast and I was looking for like coaching on how to do this better or the right way or whatever, and you know, I had my huge intro to the podcast, which we have finally shortened now, um, but what I really wanted to convey is, you know, the podcast isn't for everyone cause that doesn't do any good.
Christine: Um, but it, it does really speak, I think, to professionals and to travelers. Um, and the, the, you know, there's the part that we're, we're talking about travel and we're talking about the business of travel, but also women, like you said, share their journey professionally and personally. So there's so many different ways.
Christine: I think you can tap in and find. value, which I think makes this podcast really unique. Like I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I think like everybody can find something in it. And I love that. Like for me, that's really special is it's really the human perspective on a business ish conversation that I think is what's unique.
Carly: Yeah. 100%.
Christine: Um, well, one other thing that we want to celebrate is our top podcasts for the year. Like I can never choose a favorite episode. It's so horrible. If someone asked me where to start, I'm like, I don't know. Just like pick a number between one and 200 and go there. That's probably a great place to start.
Christine: Um, but buzzsprout where we host the podcast sends out one of those end of the year. Like, here's what you've done kind of like the Spotify. Roundup. And so the top five, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, yes, uh, podcasts, Carly and I are just going to reveal those to you. And this would also be a great place for you to start if you are new to the podcast or just catching up and want to know where to start.
Christine: So the first one we're going to share is, um, intentional travel and conscious travel collective with Tara Bush.
Carly: Then following your curiosity into travel and the outdoors with Alison Boyle. And
Christine: immersive global travel and business building for humanity with Kirsten Gardner.
Carly: And next up, surprising absolutely no one, leading authentically to change the landscape of travel for women with Beth Santos.
Christine: And the last is fostering women's leadership and adventure travel with Kathy Dragan. Um, like all these women, so amazing. You mentioned Beth, which big shout out to Beth. We have the, the last question that we share on the podcast always is who is one woman that inspires you or that you would like to acknowledge here on the podcast and best name is probably the most name dropped name in our community.
Christine: So. Yeah. We love you, Beth. Um, the other thing that, um, I wanted to share is just a little bit of accolades for the podcast. Um, it was nominated for a women in podcasting award. and nominated as a final nominee or something like that for the TBEX travel creator awards for best travel podcast. Um, we didn't win in either category, but I think it's always exciting to see the recognition and then again, just kind of see this.
Christine: a little bit bigger and put, put the podcasts in front of new people. So that's great. Um, also in June, there was a really great feature in Forbes, um, written by Everett Potter. It was a really beautiful article. He's such a great and thoughtful writer, and I felt really honored for him to share about us there.
Christine: Um, and then most recently, um, the podcast was included in the top 100 best travel podcasts by feed spot. And, um, this one was kind of fun for me. And I'll share a moment. This was one of my personal growth moments, but I saw that list. And first I was like, well, this is definitely a scam or I'm not sure what this is, or I don't know, whatever.
Christine: Like maybe they want me to pay to have my podcasts on the list. So I started with that, which we can talk about. Um, and then it's the top 100. I click on it and I see first, um, Rick Steves travel podcast. And so I'm like, okay, well, it's probably legitimate. Like, that's a pretty big podcast. And I'm like, well, if we're starting with Rick Steves, solo travel is probably going to be like way down here on like the top 100.
Christine: Yeah, the bottom. This is what I thought. Skip to page 3 or 4. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 3, 4, 10, 12. So I, I honestly went all the way down to like 75 started Cristine. And I'm like, well, I'm not there. So then I went back to the top again and started scrolling and it was number 14. Which is bananas. That's awesome. Oh my gosh.
Christine: And now you can therapize me about why I had to go to the bottom and why I believe it's not even true.
Carly: I bet you're not the only person who has had that experience as a podcast host and creator. Yeah.
Christine: Or I think in general, just, um, sometimes we are not our own best cheerleader, which is why I am grateful for you because I'm sure you started at the top of that list
Carly: for me.
Carly: Yes, I was angry. It wasn't number two. I Rick Steves, nobody, nobody's going to beat you, Rick. Sorry. You're amazing. But, um, it was very, very excited to see it there.
Christine: Yeah. Um, well, yeah. Thank you so much. I, I think it's, it's always funny those conversations we have, but it's also, I think that's why this podcast is important too, is we speak with so many women who may be, We hold them really high regard in the industry and we see them as these visionaries and these leaders.
Christine: And I can't tell you how many times I send the email to invite people and they're like, I've seen who you have on the podcast. You want me? And yeah.
Carly: Yeah. Are you sure?
Christine: Yeah. I'm like, yes, I want you. And the other thing I want to be conscious of is that this never feels like a hierarchy or like, Right. Only a CEO show or, you know, everybody has wisdom and every experience is important.
Christine: And also there's something to learn from every phase of everybody's growth journey. And even everyone who's at the like quote unquote top has been somewhere else along the way. And so I love when people share that as well as like, we always think that this far reaching goal is unobtainable because it's maybe far from where we are right now.
Christine: Right. But everyone there has hit where we are today. Like no one started at the end. It doesn't really work that way.
Carly: Completely. One of my favorite things is when you have somebody on the podcast, who's a repeat guest and you, that's another great place actually for new listeners to start. If you hear an episode, just look and see, you can search on the search bar and the site, if that person has been a guest again, um, to hear some of the ladies, some of the folks talk about, um, you know, where they started and just their, you know, the way they spoke about themselves and their businesses or, or what they were working on, their goals, their dreams in the first episode versus coming back onto the podcast and then describing what they've been up to.
Carly: It's so flippant, inspiring. It's incredible to hear. And just the way people speak, their confidence. Um, everything changes. Like we are constantly in this process of growth. Like you said, we're not all starting at the same place. And I think it's really inspiring to see people along the way.
Christine: Yeah, so this is a spoiler alert and this is going off script, which is going to make Carly be like, no, get back on script.
Christine: So we have some bonus content and some like premium content happening this year that we're spoiling right now that we're going to talk about later. But it just made me think how cool it would be actually to pick a handful of books women that we interviewed back in season two or three and do updates and hear where they are.
Christine: Oh my gosh. Those would be such fun conversations. So put it on the list. I'm putting it in the notebook right now. Um, okay, well let's shift gears a little from the podcast, but I want to talk a little bit about the, the Soulful Book Sojourn that I've been running since 2020. And why I want to bring it up here as this started as an offshoot of that.
Christine: my Lotus Sojourns company as a way to create community for women and still hold space when we weren't traveling as well as like bring the pillars of travel of growth and spirituality and connection and obviously travel into our worlds when we weren't traveling. Yeah. Um, but then, you know, as that business has evolved and then the podcast, like really we're looking at women's wisdom and intentional and impactful travel in both spaces.
Christine: So I think that the book Sojourn is a great place for people listening to the podcast who want more connection or women who've been guests. We want all of you. That would be so amazing. Oh my gosh. Yeah. That would for just for the two of us, we would be in, in, um, but Everyone else too. So anyway, we created the book Sojourn.
Christine: Um, it's been an incredible, like, super powerful journey in a way that I think I would have never expected. Like, I just remember getting off the first call and I remember also there was people that had signed up for just one month. At that point we were doing, one book every month. And so a lot of people are like, that's a lot.
Christine: I'm not sure. And like, we got off that first call and like the people that hadn't signed up for more than one month immediately, like one book the whole year right away. And then the other one signed up for more months. And I think we think about book clubs in a certain way. And this just isn't that like, it's kind of like my travel company.
Christine: I'm calling it that because that's what it looks like most. And that's what people. No, the book Sojourn is kind of the same. It's like, yes, we're reading books and talking about them. But really, it's so much more than that. And the, like, growth and trajectory it has in people's lives and the changes that people have made.
Christine: in their lives because they've been held in this space. Like, it's really a privilege for me to just hold that. Oh, Carly. So for the people listening and watching, her eyes are welling up. But listen, this is how I feel every time. And we just, we just had, um, a conversation a couple of weeks ago. We're, we're going to have our final call here tomorrow from when we were recording this, but a couple of weeks ago from when you're listening.
Christine: Um, and I mean, you guys show up for each other. It's. It's, it's incredible. And we don't read books that are like light. We read books that make you like think, they make you question a lot of things. They're hard books sometimes. And in fact, I got a text just a couple of days ago from one of our people that's been in it for a really long time, and she's like, I just read this chapter.
Christine: I am hanging by a thread. I need some support. And like, that's what we're really. We're doing like it's it's it's so different, but I'd love for you. You've been a part of it with me from the beginning as in much many of in as in everything. I'm so lucky to have you. But do you want to share a little bit about your experience?
Carly: Yes. Yes. Um, I would love to thank you for the opportunity and space to share because. I'm one of the people that at the beginning of the book Sojourn, way back first book, Do Less by Kate Northrup. Um, it was a really transitional period for me. I had left teaching. It was my second time leaving teaching that time for good.
Carly: I had two young kids and I was trying to do everything. And the first book we read was Do Less. And my view of myself and my value completely changed. Not just From reading the book, right? But reading the book, coming together, having a circle of women that was safe and that I could express myself however I wanted.
Carly: I, you know, however I was feeling, whatever I was bringing, people understood, and then the accountability partners, like, that are formed here, like, you have someone to process with, and you're always there, Christine, to process with as well, um, because it takes processing, it's not just reading and coming together and drinking wine and saying, wasn't that great, it's What have I been doing?
Carly: What do I need to change about my life and my habits or my behaviors or my approaches that is not working for me anymore, anymore, and even recognizing what does not working look and feel like? So when we read Do Less, that first book, I was super exhausted and I had a lot of health problems that I had just been dealing with.
Carly: Um, and That was the, the point where I got to rest. I gave myself the permission to rest because I didn't have to be or do. I could, like, I didn't have to be or do a certain thing or a certain way or a certain benchmark. I just got to be myself. And I started thinking about all of my output and my work as like, yes, it needs to be enhancing, you know, everything I am and it needs to be valuable and, and I have to do it because I'm a person who has to create, um, but it's all bonus content, like it's all bonus.
Carly: We're just existing together, um, and that Carly is a completely different Carly than the one sitting here today. I mean, even yesterday's Carly is a completely different Carly sitting here today because these conversations and these threads of wisdom just keep, they're always there for me to access now.
Carly: And also these friendships and, and relationships too. Um, And I'll also share about the book of longings. I know we're going to talk about it in a minute, but I'm so excited. Oh, I won't give it away, but that was another anchor book for me, I would call it, um, growing up in a religious sort of experience, not necessarily a real super religious household, but just experiences with the church and what I was supposed to be, how it was supposed to behave, how a lot of what I wanted to exist as or say was not going to fly in certain contexts.
Carly: Um, and. That book really healed a lot for me. And one other thing I'll say about these books that Christine has chosen or that really the universe has chosen and placed on Christine's bookshelf, because I know that's how you pick them, um, is that every chapter, every word, every conversation seems to come at exactly the right time.
Carly: And exactly the right version of you needs to be reading that book or having that talk and. You know, like a regular book club, sometimes I don't read the, you know, the chapters we were supposed to read before that. But, um, those conversations are always incredibly valuable, no matter what you're bringing to the table.
Yeah. So
Carly: that was one book. I would, I will keep coming back to it. I shared it with my mom. Like, it's really, really special to me.
Christine: Yeah, thank you so much for sharing that too, because that's also one of my most recommended and just like favorites. And I love that you shared kind of the universe delivering in big ways.
Christine: Like that was one of the things I try to lean into with this. Like, that's one of my things I'm learning and growing with in this space. And like you said, literally when it started, I had this huge pile of books on my nightstand and I was like, I wish I could read all of these. And then I was like, Hmm, I wish I could read all these with other women.
Christine: And I was like, looking at the pile and I'm like, you know what that looks like? That looks like a journey. And there was like 12 books. I was like, Oh my gosh, here we go. And then, you know, and when we finished that year, it was so crazy how each book, and again, I literally, the universe designed this, but each book like built upon.
Christine: like themes and got deeper and like untangled things like as we read through it. And if we had started with a different book, I don't think we would have been ready for it. Like it was so perfect, perfectly created that first year. And then every year I've worked to kind of pull that same energy into it.
Christine: And now we read instead of 12 books, which was a lot, we read six and we spend a little more time, which also is something people ask for. Like, We wanted to just read it slower, give us permission to have moments in our life where we're busier, but we can still sink in. And then also, like you said, the other thing I really try to do within this space is, like, even if you've never read the book, is we pick things from the book, but then we talk about it within the context of our own lives.
Christine: And funny, sometimes, like, one thing will come up and then we never talk about the book again, but we talk about so many things that are like within but we're not actually talking about the book so it is a great, I think it's a very forgiving space that you can still get a lot of value out of even if, um, you know, whatever happens in your life that you didn't read the book.
Christine: And, um, you also mentioned the partners. That was one of the things I created as like travel companions because it's like a sojourn. It's our journey. I couldn't
Carly: remember the official
Christine: name. Like it's some kind of buddy. Yeah, that's okay. But I, I just thought that was really important to have someone to touch.
Christine: Yeah. base with between and then also to build deeper connections within our community, like to learn to lean on one another. I think that's something we need as women is to learn to ask and lean and support. So that's an intentional element. And then, um, like each conversation is guided and like, we do three discussions for every book and they're 90 minutes long.
Christine: And Um, yeah, so there's a lot of time to be in it, to reflect, to reread, to integrate. Um, obviously we, we love it a lot. So that's why we wanted to share it with all of you. Um, our next journey is beginning in January and, um, we are reading, um, Let me go back to my notes here. We're reading, um, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
Christine: And then, um, we will read The Soul of Money by Lynn Twist, which is one of my favorites. And then My Mother in Havana by Rebe Huntman, who was someone I recently interviewed. Her interview doesn't come out until February when her book, when this book releases. Um, and I just, I loved it so much that I was like, okay, we're dropping this into the book sojourn.
Christine: She's going to join us for a conversation. I just have confirmed that with her. So we'll get to talk with her about, about the book, which is fun. The spoiler that Carly was trying not to drop, we're gonna read Book of Longings again by Sue Monk Kidd because it's such a book. I hope that we don't, like, sell it too much and it doesn't deliver, but I've never had anyone read it and not, um, really resonate with it.
Christine: And then the last book we have is, um, All About Love by Bell Hooks. And then our final book for November and December. This year will be, um, chosen like through the journey. So we're going to wait and see what women come together and what they need to kind of end our year on. So yeah, that is that. And if you want to join us, we would love to have you, Soul of Travel listeners can get 10 percent off when they join us by January 10th.
Christine: Um, so you can go to my website and it's soul 10. So look at all these 10s, 10 percent off January 10th, you know, soul 10. I don't even know what 10 means, but it's probably going to mean something. Um, yeah, so we'll have that in the show notes. You can find that, um, other exciting things. If you want to find soul of travel out in the real world.
Christine: In 2025, um, you're going to have the opportunity, um, at the beginning ish of the year here in Denver. Um, I am going to be at the Denver Travel and Adventure Show again. I think this is the third here maybe. Um, I'm going to be speaking on a panel called Out of the Box Travel, um, with Wonderyear, and I, I interviewed one of the authors of Wonder Year, Annika Paradise, on the podcast.
Christine: That was a, that's their guide to traveling for a year with your family. Um, so we're just going to be talking about all these different ways that you can travel and kind of make travel your own. Um, so I'm really excited about that.
Carly: Absolutely. And there's also WITS, Women in Travel Summit. Put on by wonderful Beth Santos.
Carly: Hello. And this is going to be in downtown New York city this year. Well, yes, this year, May 16th through 18. There is another discount code for you. You can use the code soul of travel 75 to get 75 off your ticket. Um, I love what's I, I got to go a couple of years ago and I'll be going again in 2025, um, I took the beginner bootcamp for travel creators and in that bootcamp literally launched a blog.
Carly: I, I have since launched a second blog, a travel blog for myself. I've added things to do just a little plug, but, um, it made it so easy and fun and cool to be in this context with women and, um, non binary people who have done the thing, who have said there is nothing stopping me from creating the content I want to create.
Carly: And from having this life of traveling and sharing about my travel with other people. They've also done a great job of bringing in, um, experts who speak to what it means to share travel stories responsibly and ethically, and what it means to honor the experiences of people and host communities, community-based travel, and what that can look like into the future.
Carly: Because we're not just Instagrammers. Uh, yeah, Instagram is great, but we are not traveling places waiting in line for four hours. ruining a historical site to stand up there on a mountaintop and get our 30 seconds of of Instagram reel. Um, it's a really a place where we can discover and speak to one another about what it means to create travel content responsibly.
Carly: And do right with the world and do right by people and, and the earth and all of these things. So I love WITS. I am super, super, super excited. It's going to be in New York and cannot wait to go.
Christine: I'm really excited. I, and I get to go because, um, well I would go anyway, but the solo travel podcast won a Bessie award there for a brand.
Christine: That went above and beyond to support women in the industry. So I, I couldn't be more honored to be recognized in that way. But I get to go as a part of the, the Bessie award winning community, um, which is, um, It's super great. Um, I have met so many incredible women there. Some of them have also been on the podcast.
Christine: Um, Beth has been here multiple times. Um, Nikki Vargas, who is a writer has been on almost every single season. We've got to get her figure out why she's coming back this season. She always does something new so that I can bring her back. Also, she's great. Um, but yeah, I'm really excited about that event.
Christine: So again, as you mentioned, um, right now listeners can get a discount. And so if this is catching your eye, I would definitely encourage you to join us there. Cause that would be really, really great. Um, another event coming up that I'm excited to have in our own backyard this year is ATTA Adventure Elevate.
Christine: Um, I was just at their ATWS, uh, World Summit event in Panama. and hosted a conversation for women in adventure travel and it was really great. So I'm so excited to. bring that here. They're also combining it with Outside Fest, which was hosted by Outside Media. I talked with Sharon Houghton last year just before that event, and you can join for ATTA Adventure Elevate if you're in the industry or Outside Fest if you are a traveler.
Christine: Um, the May 28th through 30th I'll be at Elevate and then also May 31st through June 1st I'll be at Elevate. at Outside Fest. So that's so exciting.
Carly: Awesome. Getting that wait.
Christine: It's really fun. And Outside Fest is a really cool event. So for people who haven't heard of it, it was new last year. And they're looking at it being really kind of like a South by Southwest of the outdoors industry.
Christine: And they, Um, and they have really great speakers and like that screen film screenings and all kinds of things. So it's, it's a really cool experience. Um, then another event that I will be at is a virtual event is, uh, Rise Travel Institute's annual student conference in June. Um, the dates are not announced yet, but I will surely announce that when it comes up.
Christine: Um, many of you may know I joined the board of Rise recently. I'm so excited to be supporting them. Um, I completed their flagship course and attended this, the annual conference, and It is so amazing. Like it's such a diverse group of students. There's like university students, travel professionals, um, travelers.
Christine: There's like all these different viewpoints. Um, a lot of the topics again, like our favorite thing, they're hard and uncomfortable and we learn a lot. Um, but it's really great. And, um, RISE also recently, um, kind of building on this curriculum launched. Uh, their ebook, um, which is Rise Travel Institute's Decolonial Guide for, uh, to travel for the conscious traveler.
Christine: I just messed that all up, but, sorry, I'll link it in the show notes, no biggie. Um, but it is really this comprehensive resource guide, really designed to help travelers navigate the complexities of travel and to acknowledge some of these things that have, I think, been really been not talked about or people didn't have the language to talk about, if we're honest, like, I know these things I witnessed when I traveled, but I didn't know what I was seeing.
Christine: So it's helping you to understand colonial colonialism, there's real world examples. and case studies. So you can download this for free on the rise website. Um, and then if you love what you're learning there, I would definitely encourage you to take the, the rise flagship program. Um, when you complete it, you earn a certificate in sustainability and anti oppression and travel.
Christine: Um, and then after you complete the program, you can join a rise experience journey, which Like lets you take everything you've learned and then put it into action and then get an even deeper understanding because you're not just reading it, you're living it. Um, and their next EJ is going to be in India in November in 2025 and I want to be there.
Christine: I hope I am there. It was already great now that it happened. That was our mantra we used when we went to Bali together years and years ago.
Carly: Wasn't that amazing? And then it was. Yeah. And that it was amazing manifesting.
Christine: Yes. We manifested that incredible experience together. So anyway, rise, um, that India was a blast.
Carly: Absolute blast. Wasn't it? So, so amazing.
Christine: Um, okay. So let's see. Next thing we wanted to talk about here a little bit is sponsorship and advertising. So we have additional sponsor and advertising opportunities coming available here in 2025. I'm so excited. I want to see it. Um, extend special thanks to Explorer X who has partnered with us in January to help us bring some of our content.
Christine: Um, I think that we really offer something unique here at the podcast as well as it being a unique medium. Like a lot of people think it's a little outside of the box from their traditional marketing strategies, but I think it gives brands an opportunity to show their commitment to creating more opportunities for women in leadership.
Christine: and amplifying the reach of women in travel. And I think like, it's just a great way to say like, this is what we believe is important. Um, and we appreciate you supporting us. And I think that it really also is a way for you to forge meaningful relationships. With the conversation that we create because our, the promos we create are very different than your typical ad spot.
Christine: So they're like, I really work to help you tell your brand story in a way that resonates and is relevant. And we also don't just work with everybody. So a select group of people that we think has aligned values that this audience really wants to hear from.
Carly: 100%. This is a, an audience that's been cultivated, obviously.
Carly: I mean, if you're listening, you know, that you're a part of this greater conversation. And I think it's incredible when brands decide to show up for that audience and for those conversations. Um, it means a lot.
Christine: Yeah. And it means a lot to me to share about these brands, too. Like, that's the whole thing is I want to give them visibility.
Christine: It's not that I just want them to pay to support the podcast. Like, these are people who I really wish other people knew more about as well.
Carly: 100%. Yep. So, advertising's available for as low as 600 for a single episode, and there are opportunities for as much visibility as, um, for a lot more visibility. In a season sponsorship, which really amplifies and increases the investment of time and energy we as a team can put towards growing all that we envisioned for the show.
Carly: So I will tell you it makes a ginormous difference.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you. Cause we have big, big
Carly: ideas,
Christine: right? And we want to spend more. I mean, I have
Carly: a whole list y'all. I have a whole list of like, anytime we get together, Christine and I, it's. Uh, first of all, an absolute blast. And we end by saying, I love you every time, which love you kisses.
Carly: Um, but it, it's, you know, partially like getting to business, what needs to happen next, what's coming down the pipeline. And then we've created this space. You've created this space, Christine, and this solo travel team that is about generating new impact and greater impact and bigger impact. So, um, we have big, big plans.
Carly: And. We need money for those plans. Yeah. We need support for those plans. We, we're not meant, this is something that I've learned in the, in the book Sojourn as well, like, We're literally not designed to do this by ourselves. It's not supposed to be like that. Um, and I think this, this platform really speaks to that.
Carly: It speaks to this collective of people moving something forward together in really big and powerful ways.
Christine: Yeah. I love that. And that's that visual that I always see kind of from the outside, especially when I like look at the website. And that's why when you look at the website. I always put all these faces together because it just blows my mind.
Christine: I'm like, this person and this person and this person are doing this. And together that's like huge. And I think especially as impact driven entrepreneurs and people trying to create a change and heal this world and heal themselves, like that's hard. And we sometimes feel very isolated and just this idea that even if we're doing.
Christine: Things with similar energy that look different on the outside, that there is this cohesiveness, and it's a good reminder that, like, we might be alone, but we're together. So, I think it's really important. What I'm trying to share. Um, so we're going to talk about what's ahead. Some of these big dreams, some things that are already in, in the works.
Christine: Um, we have soul of travel beyond that we're launching, and that's going to be our new premium subscriber content. Um, as we mentioned a little. Did we mention I don't know what we've talked about yet in person a little bit love it. Yeah. Yeah and then also partnering with other Organizations organizations working to elevate women in tourism.
Christine: We're really looking at some different ways. So the soul of travel beyond this was just something you and I have been talking about this for like three years and then like What if this is the year? And then we just were like, you know what, this is the year. So it's happening. Um, we are going to be, it's already there.
Christine: Actually, you can go right now to Buzzsprout. We'll have the link in the show notes. Um, it is early access to bonus. Um, yeah. episodes. Um, so we're going to, we're creating some special episodes that you'll get to see, I think about a month ish before everybody else. And then some other content that you're going to get early access to.
Christine: And then we're going to have exclusive access to live expert panels with Q& A opportunities that, Only those of you who are in Soul of Travel Beyond will get to participate in. Um, we are still noodling over the name of this, so you can be a part of this conversation. I love Beyond. Yeah. Yes. Well, no, not the Beyond, but we have our Oh, that's the Our quick conversation.
Christine: Oh, yes.
Carly: The, mm hmm. We Yep. We have the Our whole list.
Christine: Yeah, we have right now Soulful Expresso, like express bites of information, and then we had bites. Mm hmm. Which we came by shorts and coffee, which we thought was kind of funny anyway, whatever it becomes being named as, it's going to be quick conversations on really specific topics that have surfaced in the community.
Christine: Maybe something I read on LinkedIn from a past guest, um, something else that's just resonance that I think is worthy of further exploration. So those are just going to be these. Kind of quicker, hard hitting, deep dives, I don't know, will, will reveal the magical name. And then occasionally just reflections from me.
Carly: Love it. And if you have input on the name, obviously share, um, and I would love to invite listeners and past guests as well to share what you would like to see in that bonus content. Because it's really, I mean, we're inventing life every single moment, moment. So we might as well invent what bonus content people actually want to hear and engage with.
Carly: Um, so if you have any ideas. Where can they reach out to you, Christine? What email address would you like to send them to? They
Christine: can email, um, souloftravelpodcast at gmail. com, which is a new email that I'm putting out there as well. Um, yeah, and that's just going to be, um, we're starting it at 10 a month.
Christine: And so we'll, again, we'll have the link on Buzzsprout. And as you're hearing this, there's already going to be something waiting for you. So you can just hit the button and join. Um, and yeah, Carly, you want to share a little bit more about in person? Yes.
Carly: Yes. So, not to keep talking about the book sojourn, but I'm going to keep talking about the book sojourn as a segue to this.
Carly: Um, one of the most powerful things about that experience is the circle, right? It's the collection, it's the coming together, and it had to be virtual because of, you know, It had to, but we're looking ahead to creating that experience of coming together and a collective idea and a collective mission, vision, and movement in person, which as everybody knows, infinitely more powerful.
Carly: Um, and I can not wait. This is one of the biggest, uh, most exciting things. Every time I think about it, I'm like, yes, I'm like, uh, and somebody who thought she was an introvert for my whole life. And then. As I healed some of these, like, wounds and these, all of these things, I realized how much energy I get from people and being with people and being around people.
Carly: And I cannot wait. So we're looking at creating in person events. In Denver, obviously, and also hitting New York City up, going to LA, um, Christine has an awesome connection out there and lots of people to connect with. I can't, I like, that would be incredible. And Seattle as well. So obviously more people there to link up with and hook up with, but, um, in person events for sort of travel.
Christine: And, um, you did mention some feedback. We have a listener survey that we're going to link in the show notes. This is where you can tell us like where you are, where you'd love to meet up. Actually, lots of other questions about shaping some of the content and community. So we're really excited to hear from you.
Christine: So please. Um, take a moment, visit the show notes and find that information. Um, also if you are a past guest or business, and you would love to host one of these gatherings of these incredible innovators in the tourism industry, reach out because we'd love to partner with you to bring these to life.
Christine: Again, this is for us all about this. equal energy exchange. So this is a way for you to have lots of other people hear about your business. You show, you know, gratitude for people in this space and create a space for connecting together. So I think, um, yeah, I'm just excited to see what that looks like. Um, speaking of equal energy exchange, we have all these beautiful podcast allies that that is What our relationships are built on, and we're all aligned in amplifying women in the industry and creating these spaces.
Christine: So I just want to celebrate, um, women's work, uh, led by my friend and someone who inspires me all the time. I are a SuperNESCU, um, women travel leaders. I have spoke to so many people from that community, including both the founders, um, Jeannine Cohen and Catherine Gallagher. Um, and then travel coach network, uh, Sarah Rose DeVore is such, um, a real friend of the podcast in all the best sense.
Christine: Like she gives us so much, um, support and visionary leadership when she doesn't have to. And we try to do the same with her. And so each of these communities were co creating something for 2025. Um, we have some community partnerships. coming up as well. And these are other just aligned communities that we find ourselves constantly engaging with, RISE Travel Institute, um, and Women in Travel CIC.
Christine: So these are other really fun things in the works, um, as well as, you know, Uh, we mentioned earlier our partnership for January with Explorer X and, um, I'm gonna let you share a little bit more about that, Carly. Yes.
Carly: So, um, we're super proud at the podcast to be sponsoring the Hero Travel Fund for Explorer X.
Carly: There are two awesome, uh, additional sponsors. You can read more about it on the Explorer X website, explorer x. com. slash hero. So the hero travel fund is new for 2025 and it's an annual fund that's going to go out, um, an award and it's, and it's designed to honor individuals who are heroes in their communities, who dedicate their lives to making a positive impact in the world and who do that day in and day out and may not get the recognition or the opportunities that sometimes come from those kinds of jobs.
Carly: Um, and roles like social workers and teachers and people who are giving so much of themselves to create something greater. Um, so this travel award is an opportunity for one of those individuals to go on a meaningful, I think, life changing journey, um, to reflect their passion for doing good. And it aims to provide financial support to those who wouldn't otherwise have the means to take that kind of journey or that kind of trip.
Carly: So, the award is about so much more than travel. As we know, travel is just a vehicle for all the change we want to see in the world, but this award is about recognizing, empowering those people whose actions have touched the lives of people around them and the planet, while encouraging slow and mindful exploration and community connections, and really those meaningful travel experiences that, as we know, could change the world.
Carly: just sometimes happen, and they're not planned necessarily. So Explorer X specializes in this kind of travel. Um, So if you're driven by purpose and a desire to make a difference and you understand and love travel and understand the power of travel on your lives and the lives of people around you, this fund is for you.
Carly: Uh, we will share a link in the show notes for more information, but applications are open January 1st and you can apply until February 28th. Your application will be reviewed and then, uh, the recipient of the award will be announced. So we are so excited to, um, offer this out to our community and solo travel podcast as well and just expand the reach, whether you decide to apply or not, or whether you send it to a friend you think would be perfect for it.
Carly: Um, It's more about getting the word out about how we can use travel to make the world better.
Christine: Yeah, and I think it's just aligned with that energy exchange, right? It's, part of why we wanted to do this is to just create that awareness about the power of travel and Like honoring the way that people are giving of themselves and so anyway, we're really excited to be a part of this.
Christine: Yes Okay, so we are nearing our time I didn't I didn't know that we were gonna talk for a whole hour, but here we are We totally did actually I should have known that because you and I never talk for only an hour and we had all these things To talk about so that that indeed that's wrong I don't know why I didn't think that but since this is our New Year's episode I'm Um, I wanted to just wrap out our conversation with sharing maybe one thing you're looking forward to in 2025 and I'm surprising you with this, but like if you have a mantra or a word or like anything that you have as your like anchor point yet for 2025.
Carly: Yes. Um, in 2025, my mantra is be here now, and it's a phrase that has sprinkled in and out of my life, but it is a commitment that I'm making in 2025. Um, it's really easy for me. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but it's really easy to get into the past or into the future or try and figure out what I'm supposed to.
Carly: Thank you. You know, be up to in each moment, but, um, that's my commitment is just to being and being here wherever I am last. Um, one of the previous podcast, Judy shared podcast guests, Judy shared about how she. Makes her home wherever she is. And that concept is incredible to me. I want to feel at home in my body and in my space and in what I'm doing and what I'm creating and who I'm creating with, um, every step of the way, no matter where I am.
Carly: So. To tie it into your other question, I am looking forward to more travel in 2025, whether that's locally in my neighborhood with my kids, with my family, um, you know, exploring and approaching our community like we're traveling is something that I always try to do, but more of that and also trips like journeys, travels, I, I really want to get out there.
Christine: Yeah, also, I don't think you and I have traveled together for like a year, which we are so lucky. We're due man Yeah, that's not a true statement often. I don't know how we yeah, who created that accidentally or intentionally, but now We that needs to happen. I think yep, India already have a little
Carly: wintering season.
Carly: Yeah. Yeah, exactly We went to India together and it was
Christine: Wow. So good. Um, so I am looking forward to growing the podcast, obviously. I, I'm, but I'm looking forward to it. Like, I think this thing has, you know, ebbed and flowed energetically and was like a huge passion project and a labor of love and then it was just like kind of a labor.
Christine: And now I'm evolving back to the excitement of the possibility of where we are going next. Um, I'm also excited to get back to work at Lotus Sojourns. Um, I'm planning a birthday trip, um, for myself in 2026. Um, that is going to coincide with a women's trip to India. So India is just like boom, boom everywhere, India.
Christine: Um, I'm also adding, I think, as I mentioned, a little travel coaching to my business. That's going to blend the Ayurveda that I've been studying with wellness and intentional travel. Um, I'm also excited to attend other women's events, uh, with, Some of them have travel dates pending, so I'll share those as they come up.
Christine: Um, I'm also returning to my yoga practice. Um, I'm going to study some more with the lovely Molly Busby who has been my teacher and I cannot wait to return to again. Like the universe keeps telling me, like, I don't know, I just see her name popping up everywhere. I'm like, okay, it's time. And also I just can't wait to bring a little more of that balance back into my life because it's been, uh, Crazy year and traveling with my daughters is always on the docket and my word that just landed as I came into this conversation, um, shouldn't be a surprise.
Christine: And yet it kind of is, is intention and just really bringing that to every space and every decision is really what, what And why am I making the choices? And so I'm excited for that. And I also love be here now. I've actually thought about that being a tattoo. So many, I
Carly: was going to share that that's going to be the tattoo that I was going to get, but I was afraid to say it out loud, but yeah,
Christine: here
we go.
Christine: So I can't remember. I have to look it up because it was like a, almost like a saying, I think maybe from in Sanskrit. And it was almost like, Meaning like I'm on the path beneath my feet and I, and I wanted to get it on my foot, of course, um, on the bottom. No, just on like the arch on the bottom where no one can see it.
Christine: Um, but like that idea, like we can only be where we are. And I think sometimes that is challenging because there's all the things in life pulling us in different directions and the goals we have that we want to like get to now. And they just. Yeah, we need to be where we are. So
Carly: anyway, life is really short.
Carly: You blink and then 2025 will be over and we will be having a 2025 wrap conversation and you will ask where has the year gone,
Christine: but India was great, but India was so great. Um, well, I am so glad that we had this conversation. I hope that our listeners got to enjoy like the madness and the big love that is behind it.
Christine: the podcast because I think it's nobody sees that but listen like you said this is So fun. Um, you and I have had our ups and downs over the year. Always. It seems at the same time, we're like, Hey, let's get on this roller coaster together,
Carly: even though we, we decided we were not going to go through the tricky bits at the same time and it still happens.
Carly: Does it
Christine: matter? Um, yeah. But I, I love being able to share this with everybody else to, to just know that it's not, um, just me behind the microphone and that there's this, uh, relationship that's creating this space. And I appreciate you so much. So I'm glad to give you a little visibility in this time as well.
Christine: And just so people know, like there, this is, it's more than a podcast so much more. So I'm excited to grow it together and. 2025. So happy new year to everybody listening, and we will see you soon with our next episode.
Carly: Happy new year, everyone. Thank you for listening. We love you.
Christine: Thank you for listening to Soul of Travel presented by Journeywoman. I hope you enjoyed the journey. If you loved this conversation, I encourage you to subscribe and rate the podcast. Please share episodes that inspire you with others because this is how we extend the impact of this show. Learn more about each of my guests by reading our episode blogs, which are more than your average show notes.
Christine: I think you'll love the connection. Find our episode blogs at www. souloftravelpodcast. com. 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'm so happy you are here. I am all about community and would love to connect.
Christine: You can find me on Facebook at Soul of Travel Podcast or follow me on Instagram either at She dot sojourns or at soul of travel podcast. Stay up to date by joining the solo travel podcast mailing list. You'll also want to explore the journey woman community and its resources for women travelers over 50.
Christine: I'd also like to share a quick thank you to my podcast producer and content magician Carly Eduardo, CEO of Convergente. I look forward to getting to know you and hopefully hear your story.
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.
