Encore: Host Agency Expert Stephanie Lee on Life Before Travel and the Diagnosis That Changed Everything

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). 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. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Host Agency Reviews Travel Agent Chatter Podcast The Road Map to Becoming a Travel Advisor Course (ASTA) Learn More About Cryoglobulinemia Vasculitis ABOUT YOUR HOST  Emma Weissmann is the 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.