In this episode of World of Travel: The Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with former New York Times and BBC foreign correspondent Nicholas Wood, the founder of Political Tours — a company redefining what it means to explore the world.

After years reporting from the front lines of global conflict and alongside world leaders, Nicholas shares how the quiet, human stories shaped his next chapter: creating immersive travel experiences that take people beyond the headlines and into the realities of life on the ground.

Now running Political Tours with his wife Karen, Nicholas leads journeys across more than 40 countries, connecting travelers with journalists, academics, and local voices who unpack the politics, history, and culture shaping each destination.

From Taiwan to Hungary to Turkey, and even places often misunderstood like Iran , this conversation explores how travel can challenge assumptions, deepen global awareness, and bring humanity back into the stories we think we already understand.

This episode is about perspective, access, curiosity, and why the most meaningful travel experiences don’t just show you a place...they help you truly understand it.

In this episode of World of Travel: The Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with media entrepreneur Jasmine Brand, founder and co-owner of The Jasmine Brand, the influential digital platform that has helped shape the modern media landscape for more than a decade.

Jasmine reflects on the unlikely path that led her into entrepreneurship. What began as a side project while working in corporate America quickly grew into a powerful platform. When her job forced her to choose between her career and the site, she made a leap of faith that changed everything. She shares the early struggles, including financial setbacks, moving back home, and building a business without a formal plan while learning the realities of ownership in real time.

The conversation explores how the media landscape has evolved from the early days of blogs and Twitter to today’s fast paced social media environment. Jasmine explains how shorter attention spans, instant access to celebrities, and constant digital competition have transformed reporting, storytelling, and audience engagement.

Lindsey, Kolyn, and Jasmine also talk about marketing instincts, personal branding, and the creative strategies that helped Jasmine stand out early in her career, including her signature pink hair on red carpets. They discuss the importance of relationships, mentorship, and the business guidance that helped turn a passion project into a sustainable company.

Beyond media, Jasmine opens up about life outside the newsroom, including her love for travel, trips to the Virgin Islands during carnival season, why New York still feels like home, and how motherhood, community, and balance shape the next chapter of her life and business.

This episode is about resilience, visibility, entrepreneurship, media evolution, and what it really takes to build a lasting platform in the digital age.

In this inspiring episode of World of Travel: The Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with entrepreneur and media visionary Fred Mwangaguhunga, founder of MediaTakeOut, the platform that transformed urban celebrity news and reaches more than 35 million readers each month.

Fred shares his journey from Wall Street attorney to digital disruptor and explains why betting on himself changed everything. He reflects on once avoiding travel, believing luxury meant buying things, until marriage and fatherhood shifted his mindset. Traveling with his children has expanded their worldview, deepened their understanding of history, and reshaped how they think about race, culture, and identity.

The conversation also explores media disruption and entrepreneurship. Fred explains why he resisted fully relying on social media when competitors rushed in, how that decision protected his brand, and why ownership and long term thinking matter more than viral moments.

Most importantly, he challenges the idea of chasing a financial number. Success, he says, comes from building something you love enough to keep doing long after you “make it.”

This episode is about vision, discipline, global perspective, media evolution, and redefining what real wealth looks like.

In this energizing episode of World of Travel: The Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with digital creator and road trip enthusiast Plant-Based Jan for a conversation about intentional living — on the plate and on the pavement.

From her home base in Washington State to the sweeping mountain passes of Colorado, Jan shares how she and her husband made the bold decision to prioritize travel during their “post-survival years,” turning a long-held goal into a lifestyle. With a mission to explore every corner of the United States — starting with national parks west of the Mississippi — Jan proves that adventure doesn’t have to be international to be extraordinary.

She reflects on jaw-dropping moments inside Rocky Mountain National Park, the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park, and even the unexpected food deserts outside Death Valley National Park. Along the way, she offers practical tips for maintaining a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle while navigating remote towns, gas stations, and long stretches of open road.

But this conversation goes deeper than snacks and scenic drives.

Jan opens up about how plant-based living reshaped her mindset — teaching her intentionality, discipline, and appreciation for the earth’s ecosystems. She discusses the synergy between nourishing your body and protecting natural spaces, why flexibility is the secret ingredient to meaningful travel, and how slowing down leads to richer human connection.

This is a conversation about purpose-driven adventure, wildlife encounters, redefining “exotic,” and discovering that some of the most breathtaking bucket-list moments are right here in America.

Follow Plant-Based Jan on YouTube at Plant-Based Jan — and maybe we’ll see you on the road.

In this heartfelt episode of World of Travel: The Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with lifestyle creator, entrepreneur, and Temple University alum Tyler Whitley for a conversation that moves from Philly roots to purpose-driven influence.

Tyler opens up about transferring to Temple in search of culture and community, finding sisterhood through Alpha Kappa Alpha, and how those college years shaped the confident, creative woman she is today. What started as a passion for beauty and artistry evolved into a successful body hair removal business in the DMV — a sacred space where women gather, heal, cry, laugh, and pour into one another.

But this conversation goes deeper.

Tyler bravely shares the story of losing her son at 40 weeks — a traumatic and life-altering experience that reshaped her understanding of strength, faith, and purpose. She reflects on navigating grief publicly, becoming a safe space for other women experiencing pregnancy loss, and how motherhood — raising her son and daughter — ultimately helped her find peace.

The episode also explores what it means to build a family brand in the age of social media. Tyler talks candidly about balancing influence with intention, protecting her children’s autonomy in the content space, maintaining a strong marriage while both partners pursue ambition, and why she refuses to force her kids into the spotlight.

This is a conversation about friendship, full-circle moments, entrepreneurship, Black motherhood, grief, joy, and choosing to live boldly — both online and off.

Follow Tyler Whitley at @tyler_whitley.

In this candid and layered episode of the World of Travel Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with political strategist and former White House Director and Special Assistant to President Joe Biden, Erica Loewe, a powerhouse communicator who has shaped conversations at the highest levels of government.

Erica reflects on her journey from being the outspoken kid who could not stop talking to becoming a trusted voice inside the White House and a former communications director for Congressman James Clyburn. Named to The Root 100 and Essence’s Power 40 list, she opens up about what it really means to be “bilingual” in Washington, fluent in both community and institution, able to translate the needs of Black America inside rooms not historically built for it.

The conversation moves beyond politics into the deeply personal. Erica shares what it looks like to navigate leadership while supporting her mother through dementia, carrying both the public weight of responsibility and the private tenderness of caregiving. She speaks honestly about boundaries, burnout, and the emotional complexity of being strong for everyone while still needing space for herself.

They also explore this new season of her life, one where she is boldly and intentionally calling in love. From making her list and checking it twice to refusing to shrink her standards, Erica talks about dating with clarity, self awareness, and a renewed sense of worth.

From a transformative wellness retreat in Costa Rica to the gravity of walking through a building her ancestors once could only enter to serve, Erica reminds us that power is not just about position. It is about purpose.

This episode is about influence, identity, caregiving, ambition, and choosing joy, even while carrying heavy things.

Let’s get into it.

In this inspiring and deeply real episode of the World of Travel Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with South Africa’s “Culinary Princess.” Chef, author, entrepreneur, and executive producer Lorna Maseko — a global tastemaker redefining how the world experiences African cuisine.

Lorna opens up about her powerful evolution from professional ballerina to becoming one of the most recognizable culinary voices on the international stage, proving that you don’t have to live in one lane to live a meaningful life. With honesty and humor, she reflects on how discipline, perfectionism, and perseverance from ballet shaped her ability to build a brand rooted in creativity, culture, and purpose.

The conversation moves through pivotal moments that changed everything: relocating to New York City, realizing the dream wasn’t what she imagined, and learning how the city forced her to live smarter — a lesson that ultimately inspired her hit show Lorna’s Pantry, built around making magic out of what you already have. From there, Lorna shares why Atlanta became her unexpected home, and how the city’s warmth, kindness, and Black excellence reminded her of Johannesburg in a way New York never could.

Together, they dig into what it really means to be self-taught, to bet on yourself, and to keep creating even when traditionalists question your path. Lorna breaks down the power of her pop-ups and dining experiences, how she uses food as storytelling, and why she refuses to be boxed into one identity, chef, host, producer, or entrepreneur.

This episode is about reinvention, grit, trusting your voice, and building a life where ambition has no boundaries… while still staying grounded in community, faith, and the joy of feeding people with intention.

Let’s get into it.

In this vibrant and deeply honest episode of the World of Travel Podcast, Lindsey and Kolyn sit down with award-winning author, journalist, and global tastemaker Demetria Lucas, the woman has long defined herself on her own terms.

Demetria reflects on a pivotal moment in 2011 when she walked away from a corporate job, invested in herself, and took her first transformative trip to Africa... a decision that cracked open a lifelong relationship with travel, freedom, and curiosity. From Johannesburg to Cape Town, Kenya to Morocco, Demetria unpacks how seeing Africa firsthand dismantled media-driven myths, reshaped her understanding of Black luxury, and ignited a desire to experience the world beyond the narrow frames she’d been shown.

The conversation moves seamlessly through unforgettable travel moments: safaris that bring leopards face-to-face, dancing to amapiano until midnight, spontaneous detours to Cappadocia that feel like real-life Disney, and the quiet confidence that comes with learning how to move through the world solo. Along the way, Demetria shares why her wildly popular See Some World trips sell out in minutes, how she curates travel with intention and ease, and why creating awe — in travel, home, work, and life — is her north star.

This episode is about centering yourself, embracing discomfort, redefining luxury, and giving yourself permission to want more... not just from travel, but from life.

Let’s get into it.