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Stephanie Lee, the founder of Host Agency Reviews — what she calls “Yelp for the B2B side of travel" — is a true expert in the host agency sector. Lee spends her days helping connect new travel agents to the resources they need to start their agencies, and gives veteran advisors ways to enhance their professional toolkits, as well.
In addition to running HostAgencyReviews.com, she has an e-newsletter with nearly 15,000 subscribers; she’s the host of the Travel Agent Chatter podcast; and she’s the author of “The Road Map to Becoming a Travel Advisor Course” for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).
Credit: 2022 TravelAge West
In this episode of Humans of Travel, Lee recounts what it was like growing up with interracial parents in rural Minnesota and reflects on the years before Host Agency Reviews — as a teacher in Uganda, and as an activities director for a women’s transitional housing shelter.
Listeners will also hear what went into the making of Host Agency Reviews and the advice Lee has for travel advisors looking to affiliate with a host agency. Lee also shares about one of the biggest challenges to date: a diagnosis that changed her life, and a years-long battle with cryoglobulinemia vasculitis, a rare auto-immune disease.
Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by Historic Highlights of Germany
Inside the Episode
01:00 Meet Stephanie Lee, founder of Host Agency Reviews.
02:38: Lee details the difference between a host agency and a consortium.
04:50: Lee tells listeners about her experience growing up as a child of a mixed-race couple in rural Minnesota.
09:20: Lee reflects on her college experience, where she satiated her curiosity by taking a variety of different classes before graduating with a degree in Liberal Arts and Environmental Studies.
11:35: Lee shares the ins and outs of two previous jobs: working as a teacher in Uganda, and as an activities director at a women’s transitional shelter.
19:00: Lee decides to enter the travel industry and works for her mom’s travel agency.
22:45: Lee parts ways from her family’s agency and starts Host Agency Reviews.
28:15: Lee gives advice to new travel advisors looking to find a host agency.
31:00: As Host Agency Reviews gains momentum, Lee faces a new challenge with her health.
37:55: After being diagnosed with cryoglobulinemia vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease, Lee realizes the importance of advocating for her health.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Travel Agent Chatter Podcast
The Road Map to Becoming a Travel Advisor Course (ASTA)
The Details
Host Agency Reviews
About Your Host
Emma Weissmann is Digital Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly.
TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.
About the Show
TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.
