Adventure Travel Podcast - Big World Made Small
Welcome to the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, where we go far beyond the beaches, resort hotels, and cruises to explore the really cool places, people, and activities that adventurous travelers crave. If your idea of a great vacation is sitting on a beach at an all-inclusive resort, you’re in the wrong place. However, if you’re like me, and a beach resort vacation sounds like torture, stick around. You’ve found your tribe. My name is Jason Elkins, and as an adventure travel marketing consultant and tour operator myself, I am on a mission to impact the lives of adventure travelers, the tour operators they hire, and the communities that host them, creating deeply meaningful experiences that make this big world feel just a bit smaller. Are you ready to discover your next great adventure, whether that looks something like climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa, SCUBA diving in the South Pacific, or hot air ballooning in Turkey? Then you’ll be happy to know that each episode of the Big World Made Small Podcast features a fascinating interview with an adventure travel expert that has agreed to share, with us, their own personal stories, favorite adventure destinations, and even some incredibly helpful tips and tricks they’ve learned while in the field. I trust that by the end of each episode you’ll feel like booking a ticket to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of these amazing places, and getting to know the incredible people that live there. I’ll be your guide as we explore this amazing planet and its people on the Big World Made Small podcast. I am a former US Army paratrooper, third generation commercial hot air balloon pilot, paramotor pilot, advanced open water SCUBA diver, and ex-Montana fly fishing guide and lodge manager. I have managed boutique adventure tour operation businesses in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, off-shore in Belize, the Adirondacks in New York, and the desert of Arizona. I also spent nearly a decade with Orvis International Travel, leading a talented team of tour operation experts, putting together and hosting amazing fly fishing and adventure travel excursions around the world. I have tapped into my experience and network of travel pros to put together a weekly series of exclusive expert interviews that I am excited to share with you. For the last couple of years I have lived a fully nomadic lifestyle, feeding my passion for exploration, creating amazing adventures, and meeting some of the most fascinating people along the way. I record every episode while traveling, so in a sense you’ll be joining me on my journey. Let’s discover some great adventures together and make this big world feel just a bit smaller. And, don’t forget to take a quick trip over to our website at bigworldmadesmall.com and join our adventure travel community, where you’ll benefit from new episode announcements, exclusive adventure travel opportunities, and special access to the experts you’ve met on the show. You can also follow us on social media, using the links in the show notes below. And, if you’re getting value out of the show please help us grow by sharing it with your friends, family, and anyone else you know that wants to get far beyond the beaches, resort hotels, and cruise ships, the next time they travel. I’ll publish another episode soon. Until then, keep exploring. It’s the best way to make a big world feel just a bit smaller. https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/podcast
Episodes
Danielle Finch
Founder & CEO
Equera
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/danielle-finch/
Mission-driven and people-centered leader with 10+ years of experience driving global initiatives in operations, product, and project management. Passionate about creating scalable solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities, combining strategic execution with empathy-led leadership. Proven track record of mobilizing teams, fo...
Emma Valahu
Founder
Inbox Journeys
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/emma-valahu/
Emma is the founder of Inbox Journeys and helps experiential travel founders build an automated system that turns website visitors and social media followers into warm, qualified leads—without them having to manually nurture every prospect.
summary
In this episode of the Big World Made Small podcast, host Jason Elkins speaks with Emma Val...
Christopher Hill
Founder and CEO
Hands Up Holidays
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/christopher-hill/
Christopher is founder of luxury philanthropic travel brands Hands Up Holidays and Impact Destinations, and serves his majority US-based clients from New Zealand where he lives with his wife, two boys, and dog, Zola.
summary
In this episode of the Big World Made Small podcast, Jason Elkins interviews Christopher ...
Karl Wilder
Founder & Director
The Chef Tours
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/karl-wilder/
Chef Karl Wilder is a culinary innovator whose career spans continents and cuisines. From his roots in New Orleans, where he reimagined Southern classics at The Country Club, to launching the acclaimed Empire Biscuit in New York City, Wilder has consistently pushed the boundaries of traditional cooking.
Previously, with b...
Samantha Smits
Founder & Sustainable Tourism Consultant
Smits SusTour Consultancy
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/samantha-smits/
Hoi! I’m Samantha Smits, a Sustainable Tourism Consultant based in the Netherlands and Tanzania. My goal? To empower you with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to create real change.
Originally from the Netherlands, I studied International Tourism Management at Breda University of ...
Siham Lahmine
Owner & Cultural Curator, Morocco's First Local >> Woman-Owned Culinary & Luxury Heritage Tours
Morocco Travel Organizer
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/siham-lahmine
Siham Lahmine is the mastermind behind Morocco Travel Organizer. Recognized for her talents in luxury bespoke travel experiences, she creates fully immersive tours showcasing Morocco’s highlights, cultural richness, and culinary...
Peter Syme
Partner
Tourpreneur
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/peter-syme/
Peter Syme. Ex military, Ex Large Corporate, Ex Tour Operators of multiple travel businesses in several countries. World wanderer and adventure addict, having visited over 140 countries. Now spending time building the world's largest community of tour operators with the aim of making them more profitable. To do so we work in the intersection of o...
Tamuna Tabidze
Director
Magic Roads Georgia
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/tamuna-tabidze
Director of the local branch of International tourism holding Magic Travels, previously Sales Manager with extensive experience of Business to Business Sales, working as Head of South Europe and Latin America Markets, later on North and Eastern Europe, MICE Department and as Chief Executive of Luxury department. With comprehensive know...
Phoebe Maina
CEO
Steri Tours and Travel | Kenya
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/phoebe-maina/
With over a decade in the non-profit sector and a smooth transition into private travel planning, I bring a unique skill set for individuals, corporate clients, and international NGOs. My background gives me a deep understanding of client needs, while personal interactions with Americans and Europeans help me tailor m...
Abdylla Geldiyev
Founder & Managing Director
Undiscovered Frontiers
https://undiscoveredfrontiers.com/
Abdylla Geldiyev is the founder and managing director of Undiscovered Frontiers, a boutique travel company based in Michigan. A lifelong traveler and advocate for immersive, culturally rich experiences in Central Asia, his journey into tourism began in 2005, when he was asked to guide an Italian writer/enthusiast re...
Sarah O. Vidal
Founder & Brand Consultant
Cultured Creative
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/sarah-vidal/
Sarah is the founder of Cultured Creative, a brand strategy and design studio that guides responsible tourism brands to attract the right guests. She’s seen many purpose-driven travel businesses struggle with visibility. The issue isn’t a lack of heart, but a lack of the right tools and guidance. Drawin...
Nicole Dane
Founder
Heart of India Travel
https://heartofindiatravel.com/
What began as a one-time journey has become a life where I spend eight months a year in India, embraced by people who now feel like family. With 3 years of experience creating authentic and sustainable journeys through Heart of India Travel, I’ve seen how transformative travel can be for both visitors and local communities.
At Heart of India Travel,...
Ingeborg Sæbø Oluka
Managing Director
Alakara Travels
As the founder and managing director of Alakara Reiser (Norway) and Alakara Travels (Uganda), I work to create customized, small-scale journeys that connect travelers with Uganda’s incredible landscapes, cultures, and communities.
What drives me is not only a deep passion for meaningful travel experiences—but also a strong commitment to creating ...
Eric Segalstad
Vice President & Partner
Gondwana Ecotours
https://www.gondwanaecotours.com
A Norwegian native now based in Vermont, Eric Segalstad has spent the past two decades working in the travel industry, with adventures spanning five continents. His career has included guiding exploratory ski trips in Kashmir, Patagonia, and Japan, collaborating with leading tour operators, and volunteering with the Rainforest Alliance to sup...
Jordi Llonch Esteve
Head of Growth
Satlantis
https://satlantis.io/
Jordi Llonch Esteve is a lifelong nomad, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for freedom technologies. After traveling over 50 cities as an airline pilot, he transitioned into entrepreneurship and innovation, helping hundreds of entrepreneurs grow their startups each year. Today, he leads growth at Satlantis.io, a social network built for frequent trave...
Dolores Gangotena
Founder
Quasar Expeditions
My husband and myself founded Quasar Expeditions in 1986. Up to then, my life had been filled with several experiences in the Galapagos Islands. My first trip was in 1969 when there was no airport and navigations had to be done from Guayaquil. My first experience visiting Galapagos, still quite young, in the company of a biology teacher and 5 friends truly changed my life. It is s...
Charles Odom
Founder
Painted Circle Travel Guide
Charles is a supporter of the sustainable travel movement through his platform Painted Circle. He has a degree in International Development and has worked in tourism since 2008. Starting his travel career in Germany, he is now working with travel companies around the world to build an ethical travel platform that helps travelers explore more intentionally and with a more posit...
Ami Jones
CEO & Founder
TerraFauna Journeys
Ami Jones is a seasoned travel professional, passionate conservationist, and respected leader in sustainable tourism with over 15 years of experience designing and guiding meaningful journeys across the globe. Her path began in 2008 in Placencia, Belize—an early spark that ignited a lifelong commitment to using travel as a force for good.
Since then, Ami has held key roles in bo...
Trish Sare
Founder/Owner
BikeHike Adventures
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/guest/trish-sare/
Trish Sare is a passionate adventurer, cultural connector, and founder of BikeHike Adventures, a pioneering travel company that has been curating unforgettable active journeys around the world for over three decades. With a deep love for meaningful travel and cross-cultural experiences, Trish has guided travelers through r...
Chris Torres
Director
The Marketing Coach & Tourprenuer
I started at 16 illustrating children’s books and never looked back.
After that, I spent years learning on the job—working in design studios and marketing agencies as an art-worker, designer, web developer, and eventually a marketing strategist.
I didn’t go to university. Truth is, I hated school. I was told I’d never amount to much. That doubt did...
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