144 - More on What Fairbanks Offers You and Your Clients

Podcast Number One-hundred-forty-four

Jesse Carlstrom from the Fairbanks Information and Visitors Bureau joins us in the co-hosted segment of the show. Learn about the northern Alaska experience including the Yukon Quest sled dog race, world famous ice sculpting at the World Ice Art Championship and the Chatanika Outhouse Races. There are many cultural events during the winter in Fairbanks. Then summer begins and Fairbanks is host to all sorts of tourist events. Listen in as Jesse tells us about all that Fairbanks has to offer your clients.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog. Would you like to get more information about the travel business, about life and about business in general? Check out my personal blog at http://www.hometravelagent.net/WordPress/ Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

ULC
"Femspring" (mp3)
from "Spring"
(GO' Danish Folk Music)

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More On This Album

143 - Vacationing in Fairbanks in February - Learn Why This is So Cool

Podcast Number One-hundred-forty-three

Lorene talks about her adventure to Fairbanks, Alaska in February. Traveling to Fairbanks in February may not sound like a good vacation but Lorene turns the tide on that thought despite 40 degree below zero temperatures. Lorene embarked on this adventure by taking a Holland America Line familiarization trip offered to travel agents. Lorene describes her experience on a dog sled, bathing in the hot springs at the Chena Hot Springs Resort and a trip to the Fairbanks Ice Museum. Lorene and Gayle also experienced the Denali National Park.

You can view Lorene's slide show of photos by clicking >>>>>>HERE<<<<<<.

Other links that were discussed on today's show are:

Contact Ed Taylor at Destination Asheville if you are interested in helping Ed put together tours for Oberammergau 2010. Oberammergau 2010 is a Passion Play that is done once every 10 years. It is a special event. Here's your chance to put together a tour and sell some travel as a result. Contact Ed a ed@destination-asheville.com.

Hertz's new enhanced Neverlost service - www.neverlost.com

Specialty Travel Trends and Destinations at www.specialtytravelagents.com

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog. Would you like to get more information about the travel business, about life and about business in general? Check out my personal blog at http://www.hometravelagent.net/WordPress/ Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

Rick Braun/Richard Elliot
"R n R" (mp3)
from "R n R"
(ARTizen Media Group)

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142 - Learn From the Experiences of a Travel Agent's First Year in Business

Podcast Number One-hundred-forty-two

Ed Taylor of Destination Asheville joins the show. Ed describes his experience with host agencies and the process he used to find the right host agency. Ed talks about other things he has learned in his first year as a travel agent. Listen to the podcast and find out what Ed found valuable during the start up phase of his business. Some of the resources Ed talks about are JaxFax and OpenTravelCRM.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog. Would you like to get more information about the travel business, about life and about business in general? Check out my personal blog at http://www.hometravelagent.net/WordPress/ Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

Nancy Kelly
"'Till There Was You" (mp3)
from "Singin' & Swingin'"
(Amherst)

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Show Delay for February 10, 2008 due to Winter

This is an official weather delay for the Home Based Travel Agent Show for February 10, 2008. I was down in Indianapolis for the weekend working with the RawVoice, Inc. team. I left Indy and headed for home early in the afternoon today. My goal was to get home early enough to put the podcast together and get it posted. I was watching the weather for Western Michigan before I left Indianapolis and it wasn't looking good.

The wind was really blowing and gusting out of the west. Strong winds out of the west aren't a problem in central Indiana. But, when you get near Lake Michigan the west wind over the relative warm waters of Lake Michigan turns the lake into a giant snow machine. Well, the snow machine kicked in at about South Bend, Indiana and it only got worse as I traveled north. I was experiencing near blizzard conditions at times and snow covered and slippery roads.

Before I reached my exit at I-196 there were fire trucks, fully lit and strategically placed every quarter mile, forcing traffic off of the Interstate. Interstate 196 was closed! Fortunately we were leaving the Interstate at my exit. I heard there was a fifty car pile up further down the interstate. I still had 25 miles to go to get home once I was off of the Interstate. The rest of my trip was on country roads.

Obviously, I made it home but my arrival was much later than I expected. My intention was to publish the Home Based Travel Agent Show tonight. But, the weather has now caused a one or two day delay. I did spend some time editing the audio of an interview between Ed Taylor and me. Ed is a travel agent from Asheville, NC. Ed has been in the business for about a year and he has some great advice to share with travel agents. Stay tuned for this very informative interview.

I will be talking with you in the next day or two. In the mean time, stay Warm. If you are in a warm climate, hug a palm tree for me.

Barry

141 - Resources, Resources - Tom Ogg Offers the Travel Agent Tons of Resources

Podcast Number One-hundred-forty-one

Barry and Lorene interview Tom Ogg. Tom conveys a wealth of information in this show and he has more information available through his website for travel agents at www.homebasedtravelagent.com. Tom's website is a gold mine for travel agents. Just a scratch on the surface reveals travel agent forms, currency converters, host agency reviews and books designed to help the beginning travel agent. The photo on the right is Tom Ogg and Lorene.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMeeting

Check out Lorenes travel agent website at www.sharptonguedconsulting.com.

Check out Blubrry. It's a great place to be a listener. You can comment on podcasts you listen to and you can sign up to be friends with the podcasters on the Blubrry Network. Go over to Blubrry, sign up and become my friend. I would like to get to know all of you!

Stop by my travel business site Special Destinations where you can just browse or create your own account and blog. Would you like to get more information about the travel business, about life and about business in general? Check out my personal blog at http://www.hometravelagent.net/WordPress/ Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. You can email me at barry@hometravelagent.net or email Lorene at sharptongued@mac.com

The song in the show is, "Under a Blanket of Blue" from the album, "Flamingo" by Evans and Cappola. Lucianne Evans, the owner of the beautiful voice you hear in the song, is a listener to the Home Based Travel Agent Show. The song is played with her permission. You can purchase the album at CDBaby.com by clicking on the link to CDBaby.com.