Episode 230 - Jessica Blotter, Kind Traveler
In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 6: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine shares a soulful conversation with Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of Kind Traveler as part of the Return to the Soul of Travel series.
Jessica Blotter is the visionary CEO and Co-Founder of Kind Traveler, an internationally awarded responsible travel platform revolutionizing how we travel through its signature model, Every Stay Gives Back. As the first platform to connect travelers, hotels, and charities around measurable local impact, Kind Traveler empowers guests to create positive change in their communities by supporting environmental and social initiatives tied to each hotel stay.
A respected pioneer in responsible and regenerative tourism, Jessica served for four years on the Board of Directors of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) (2020-2024) and is a global speaker at top industry events including TEDx Culver City, the UNWTO Tourism Tech Summit (Chile), Lufthansa’s Changemaker Challenge (Germany), and the World Tourism Forum in Switzerland. Her leadership has earned Kind Traveler global accolades from Fast Company, Newsweek, and Travel + Leisure, and has been cited across 600+ media outlets.
Jessica holds a B.S. in Biology from Arizona State University and an M.A. in Education from Ottawa University. Her journey into social impact travel began after witnessing extreme poverty while on vacation—an experience that forever shaped her mission to transform tourism into a force for kindness. Learn more about how Every Stay Gives Back at KindTraveler.com. Discover Kind Traveler's live positive impact dashboards and impact to date.
The Evolution of Kind Traveler
Jessica and Christine begin their soulful conversation by reflecting on Kind Traveler's roadmap since its inception and how far it has come since Jessica’s first appearance on the Soul of Travel Podcast.
As the first socially conscious travel platform, Kind Traveler empowers travelers to make positive environmental and social changes through their stays — something that has been true since the company’s beginnings. “We started out as a booking platform where, through our Give and Get model, a portion of the stay would go back, but only if you booked through Kind Traveler,” Jessica explained. However, this model was limiting as the company competed with other online travel agencies offering discounted rates. “We learned quickly that we were in an OTA war…and we weren’t leaning into what we were best at: creating positive impact in communities.”
Jessica responded by introducing a critical shift in the model: The Every Stay Gives Back program which would become a cornerstone of their work. Prompted by guidance from a mentor during Kind Traveler's participation in the Blue Startups Venture Accelerator, Jessica realized, “Kind Traveler’s special sauce is creating positive impact in communities. So how can you do just that?”
Kind Traveler launched the Every Stay Gives Back program in September 2023. “This was the big pivot in Kind Traveler’s work,” Jessica shares. “In 19 months, this program raised over half a million dollars for local community and environmental charities by making every guest stay give back, no matter the booking origin.”
Here’s how it works: Hotels commit to donating a small amount—typically $1 per night—to a local non-profit of their choice. Kind Traveler ensures every dollar reaches these charities by acting as a third-party verifier. 100% of those donations are submitted directly to the charity, and Kind Traveler’s team verifies that these donations have been made based on the room nights booked. This made giving turnkey, helping travelers participate without barriers and make a more sustainable future through tourism with simple choices.
Transparency and Measurability: The Cornerstone of Responsible Travel
Jessica and Christine highlight how critical it is—both for travelers and the tourism industry—to quantify sustainability efforts and communicate them clearly.
Jessica explains, “It can feel very visceral when travel brands say that their stay gives back, but they don’t show how exactly. Travelers need direct transparency and measurement tools that communicate what giving back actually means.”
To address this, Kind Traveler utilizes live impact dashboards for each partner property, showcasing real-time metrics of donations and achievements. This transparency allows travelers to see exactly how their contributions matter. The concrete examples speak for themselves, with more than 91,000 servings of fruits and vegetables provided to families facing food injustice, and 10,000 square feet of wetlands created by the Blue River Watershed gorup in Colorado.
Jessica elaborates on how they calculate these metrics: “We ask the non-profits, ‘What does a $10 donation do?’ For example, at the Marine Mammal Care Center, $10 provides three meals for three sea lion patients for one day. From there, we can extrapolate the impact when a larger amount is donated.”
Travelers' ability to immediately see and understand the outcomes of their contributions fosters stronger trust and loyalty. The donations become, then, a richer storytelling experience, allowing travelers to feel proud about their contributions and seeing exactly where they are making a positive impact through a direct difference.
Investing in Local Communities: The Heart of Sustainable Tourism
Jessica emphasizes that reinvesting travel dollars into local communities is essential for alleviating poverty, building stronger economies, and fostering sustainability. However, many destinations suffer from “tourism leakage,” where the majority of tourism revenue never reaches the communities being visited. “The UNWTO reported that only 5% of tourism dollars go back into local communities, particularly in developing countries,” Jessica shares. “That’s just not enough to create sustainable and positive change.”
Through its Every Stay Gives Back program, Kind Traveler counters this issue by ensuring donations directly support smaller, local non-profits that have immediate impacts on their communities. For example:
In Catalina Island, donations fund the Marine Mammal Care Center, which rescues seals and sea lions tangled in plastic pollution and fishing lines.
In Palm Springs, hotels support Friends of the Desert Mountains, which stewards trails and conserves local wildlife habitats.
On the Oregon Coast, funds help clean beaches and restore coastal ecosystems.
Jessica further stresses the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and community welfare: “You can’t ask people in communities to focus on sustainability or things like wildlife conservation if their basic needs aren’t being met. When you lift communities—through education, economic opportunity, or environmental initiatives—they can think about the future.”
Christine shares her own anecdote from Belize, where curiosity led her to discover a community of women artisans. Based on a chef’s recommendation, Christine visited the co-op, participated in cooking classes, and purchased goods directly from the women. “It was such a special connection,” she explains. “Not only did it enrich my travel experience, but it felt good knowing I was giving back to their community in a tangible way.”
Jessica echoes: “Women are particularly powerful in creating change. Statistics show that women are more likely to reinvest their profits back into their communities.”
How Travelers Can Make an Impact Anywhere
For travelers visiting destinations not currently covered by Kind Traveler, Jessica offered practical tips to travel responsibly and make a difference:
Minimize Your Negative Impact: Reduce your carbon footprint, carry reusable water bottles and bags, avoid single-use plastics, and stay away from harmful activities like animal rides or circuses.
Support Local Economies: “Stay at locally owned hotels, book locally led tours, and buy artisanal souvenirs,” advised Jessica. “Look for ethical and sustainably sourced goods.”
Engage with Local Non-Profits: Seek out local non-profits to support, whether by donating or participating in activities such as wildlife conservation or guided community tours.
Ask Questions: “Ask hotels or tour operators how they support their local communities and what steps they’re taking to minimize their environmental impact,” Jessica said. “Demand transparency.”
Jessica’s guiding question for travelers and travel professionals looking to become a more conscious traveler: “Ask yourself, how can I reduce my negative impact while optimizing my positive one?”
“Sustainability doesn’t happen in isolation. You must create partnerships to move it forward.”
Soul of Travel Episode 230 At a Glance
In this conversation, Christine and Jessica discuss:
· Kind Traveler’s pivot over the last few years and the Every Stay Gives Back program
· The importance of measurable and transparent impact and sharing that with accommodations and travelers
· How to invest in local communities and the impact this creates on local economies and livelihoods
Join Christine and Jessica Blotter now for this soulful conversation.
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Related UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goal #1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Sustainable Development Goal #2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Sustainable Development Goal #3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Sustainable Development Goal #4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Sustainable Development Goal #5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Sustainable Development Goal #6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Sustainable Development Goal #9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Sustainable Development Goal #10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Sustainable Development Goal #11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Sustainable Development Goal #12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Sustainable Development Goal #13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Sustainable Development Goal #14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Sustainable Development Goal #15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Sustainable Development Goal #16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Sustainable Development Goal #17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode
Learn more and connect with Jessica: https://www.kindtraveler.com/
Connect with Jessica on your favorite social media network! Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn / LinkedIn
Learn more about how Every Stay Gives Back atKindTraveler.com. Discover Kind Traveler's live positive impact dashboards andimpact to date.
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Soul of Travel honors the passion and dedication of people making a positive impact in the tourism industry. In each episode, you’ll hear the stories of women who are industry professionals, seasoned travelers, and community leaders. Our expert guests represent social impact organizations, adventure-based community organizations, travel photography and videography, and entrepreneurs who know that travel is an opportunity for personal awareness and a vehicle for global change.
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Soul of Travel Episode 230 Transcript
Women’s travel, transformational travel, sustainable travel, social entrepreneurship
Christine: Welcome to Soul of Travel. I am your host, Christine, and I am happy to be back with another episode in our return to Soul of Travel series, uh, where I'm going back and talking to past guests, kind of getting an update on where they are now, hearing a little bit more about their journey and celebrating their successes along the way.
Um, today I am very happy to be joined by Jessica Lauder from Kind Traveler. Um, she joined me back in November of 2021, episode 49, um, which is almost 200 episodes ago, which is crazy to think. Um, also crazy to think that it was 2021. Um, but I am, I'm so happy to have you here. Thank you for coming back for another conversation.
Jessica: Oh, thank you so much for having me back, Christine. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Christine: Thank you. Well, as we get started, I'll encourage listeners to go back and listen to that episode, which was 49, as I mentioned. Um, if they wanna get more of your backstory and kind of hear the origin story of Kind Traveler, um, but to give us a quick overview, can you just tell us a little bit about who you are and the work you do at Kind Traveler?
Jessica: Sure. I'm the CEO and co-founder of Kind Traveler. We're the first responsible travel platform that empowers travelers to make positive social and environmental change when they stay with our participating hotels. And, uh, we work with about 133 hotels currently in nine countries and are partnered with about 52 different nonprofits that drive positive change in the communities that travelers visit. um, we do this because, um, there is an urgent need for travelers to give back to the places that they visit. In a recent 2024 booking report, it was cited that 71% of travelers want their travel dollars to be reinvested into the communities that they visit. However, there is no clear pathway for travelers to do that beyond volunteerism, which is not always available or simply, travelers may not want to participate. So our whole goal and mission is to streamline this process and make it very easy for travelers to feel a sense of giving back and, uh, contribution to the places that they visit.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you for sharing. And I always love when these themes emerged that I didn't plan for, that I wish I planned for because it would've been great. But my first conversation in this series, um, Joanna Hagan and I were talking about how to make, you know. The the changes that we need to make for travelers, how to make that more frictionless, how to make it easy for them.
And then all of my conversations after that are with these companies who are doing that. I'm like, oh, I wish I was brilliant enough to say that I planned it. It totally just happened that way. Um, but I love that 'cause this is, this is kind of another way. Um, it's a very easy and actionable way for people to be able to make that impact.
So I'm really happy to be sharing more about that opportunity.
Jessica: a hundred percent. The more turnkey we can make and create travel experiences that give back, the easier it is for travelers to participate and create a more sustainable future through tourism.
Christine: Yeah.
Jessica: it
Christine: I.
Jessica: both the traveler to be aware of that and want to do that, but also the industry to make it easy for the guests to participate.
Christine: Yeah. Uh, a great like 10000%. So that, that was one of the things when we initially talked that I just loved so much is the ease, but also the elements of education and the ways that it brings the traveler into the conversation. You know, even if maybe they didn't, you know, know exactly what they were looking for, how they wanted to, to support things, it gives them all of these pieces to grow their understanding and their vocabulary, and make them even more savvy, responsible travelers in the future.
Jessica: A hundred percent. And when you're saying that, it made me think of, um, something I was really excited about is one of my favorite icons of all time is Dr. Jane Goodall and she turns 91 this Wednesday. And one of her quotes that is so inspiring that points to this fact that we have to focus on education in the travel industry is her quote that says, only if we understand will we care. Only if we care will we help, and only if we help shall all be saved.
Christine: I love that so much, and here's something you might not know, but I have two quotes on the homepage of my podcast, and one is from Jane Goodall and one is from you.
Jessica: Oh my goodness, that makes me so happy, she that, oh, I'm totally blushing right now because that, that I don't think there could be a bigger honor, like to be alongside anything that Jane Goodall does, because she is my inspiration and her legacy. Um, and conviction. And courage has sparked such a global movement.
And she has inspired, you know, conservationists and, um, travelers and, um, change makers from around the world. And if I could in any way inspire others to follow her legacy, uh, I feel like I'll have made a small difference.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you. Well, a another like beautiful coincidence, but I love that.
Jessica: Aw,
Christine: Um, well as we start, I just wanted to kind of share like one, one of the other things I love about this is like I meet these incredible women. When I met you kind traveler was in its earlier stages, you know, you were just kind of hitting that peak and really getting visibility and taking off and growing.
And, um, since then, like I love seeing all the things that go across my screen and a little like virtual high five two kind traveler. I've also been wearing, ironically, my kind traveler sweatshirt all week, just to put that out there as well, but. I like living and breathing. Um, but I, I just wanted to share a few of the successes that I've seen.
Um, in 2021, you are a finalist for Fast Companies World Changing Ideas Award, as well as recognized by Newsweek in the for a Future of Travel Award. Um, 2022, you launched the Kind Travelers Impact Tourism Report, which was really impressive. Um, and then 2023 launched the pilot of Every State Gives Back, which we're gonna talk a lot about later.
Um, also recognized as one of the most influential women in travel that year, and most influential people in travel. So that's great to see. And then again, last year as a finalist for Fast Companies World Changing Ideas Award, and I know there's a few other sprinkled in there, but, um, I just wanted to start there because I know that it's an arduous journey and those acknowledgements.
I think keep us going when we see that other people see the work that we're doing and stand up and support us. And also the growth. Um, like I know, I know how driven you are, but like when I see those numbers come in, I'm just like, man, she is doing the thing she said she wanted to do and it makes me so happy every time.
And I should have looked before we talked. But I feel like when we first talked there was like maybe 20 properties that you were working with and maybe, I mean, there was much, much fewer charities that you were working with and, um, just to see this continued steady growth, I'm just so excited for the work that you're doing.
Jessica: Christine, thank you so much. That means so much to me. I mean, you know, to your point about the, the awards, you know, they do act as little guideposts to let me and the company know that we're going in the right direction because sometimes it can feel like you're working in a silo. You're not sure if others even recognize your work, if they even see it happening. And it can be hard and dreaming to keep sharing it and not really be sure if you know, if, if others are, um, resonating with, with what you're building. And when you have that recognition from sources, from outlets that you respect, the, I see them as like these little guideposts that just keep going, you're on the right path. This journey is important. Um. As a female founder, you have to have so much conviction that lives somewhere deep in your heart and your soul to keep moving forward despite if no one hears you. If you're not sure if it's working, because it's your vision and belief that keeps you going, and that is something you have to get good at listening to.
And you always have to go back to that because it's an intuitive voice that guides you on a journey when you've gone all in like I have with kind traveler and literally have dedicated the last decade of my life to building this platform. it's important to have that conviction and to take the time in the very, very beginning to make sure that this is your conviction, because that's what's gonna keep propelling that journey forward.
Christine: Yeah, I agree. And I think that's also what makes it so special is, you know, I get to have these conversations where I get to peek at what that means to each of you and what, what it really means. I mean, to me, that is what Soul of Travel is. It's that part of you that will just. You know, every day, or at least every other day.
'cause some days we just can't. But, you know, like it won't let you put it down. That is the thing, like, you know, that's what the universe needs right now. Well, no matter what it takes, and that's that driving energy and that soul's purpose really is, for me,
Jessica: Yeah.
Christine: that's my way of interjecting that love and that recognition out there because I know how much you are pouring into this. I know how much all of these women are pouring into what they want for the world. So it, it is really important.
Jessica: that you recognize that and that you are elevating women's voices through your platform. Like the fact that you deeply resonate and have been such a champion for our growth, like means the world to me. And we're able to build surrounded in a community of like-minded women that you've built this wonderful community around and there's a lot of power in that.
Um, to champion growth into a bigger picture in creating a sustainable future for tourism and that community you've built is an important, uh, segue on that path.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate it. Um, well, as we begin having this deeper conversation, I would love to hear if there's any wisdom or anything in particular that you feel like you've learned that you'd like to share since you were here last.
Jessica: Yeah, well, we've gone through a major pivot with Kind Traveler, um, as you touched on, and it, it started shaping shortly, probably after we spoke. Um, and officially we launched the Every Day Gives Back program in September of 2023, which by the way, um, in 19 months raised over a half a million dollars for a local community and environmental charities by making every guest stay, give back regardless, or just no matter the booking origin. And so this is the big turning point in Pivot in Kind Traveler's work is that we started out as a booking platform where through our Give and Get model, a portion of the stay would go back, but only if you booked through Kind Traveler. So. This OTA type model that we had built, um, was limiting in a way because the impact that we wanted to create forced us to compete with exclusive rates and within an OTA war with the likes of Expedia and booking and sort of all these different third party booking platforms. And right around that time in 2021, um, at the end of 2021 is when Kind Traveler, uh, participated in the Blue Startups Venture Accelerator. We were. Um, I think one of eight companies to be selected. And, um, they were looking for female founders sustainably sustainability focus. One founder from Hawaii, which is my partner Sean, and we went through this accelerator and we had this really wonderful advisor and he said, Jessica, when you talk about impact, you really light up.
You're, I can feel this energy coming off of you, but when you are talking about driving bookings and competing with rates and, and competitive rates, um, it, it's a different energy that you're projecting and kind traveler special sauce is, is creating positive impact in community. So how can you just do that? And it really challenged us to start thinking about how we can lean into our gold vein, if you will, and really do what, what we were the best at doing. And there were plenty of other booking platforms out there, and we also knew that. That the opportunity for every state to give back was such a big, big picture that should not have been limited to just one booking platform. So anyways, we, we did a pilot program with about 15 hotels, and in 2023 we launched, we raised about, at first, about $80,000 in that pilot that we did in about six months. And we knew that that was the pathway that we wanted to take going forward. And so very slowly we started pivoting our partners over to the every day gives back platform.
And today we are a hundred percent every stay gives back. And so the way it works is, um, a small portion of the state's, usually a dollar a night or $2 per stay is directed back to a local nonprofit that the hotel chooses. And what we do is we now track as a third party partner the donation has been submitted directly to the charity.
So the donations go from the hotel directly to the charity. They never pass through kind traveler. We verify that a hundred percent has been donated based off of the room nights booked at that property. And then when we receive that donation, we create these traveler friendly live impact dashboards that are celebrated with travelers with the hotel and with the destination partner if they're also involved, which by the way kind of represents another. that we've gone through where we've really decided to lean into creating destination first campaigns. And we've been in partnership with Visa, California now for four years, and we work with about 12 other tourism boards who create this holistic, regenerative, and responsible travel initiative through our Every State Gives Back program and they help invite the hotels, decide which charities are gonna be benefited, and those impact metrics in terms of how many trees may have been planted, how many miles of coastline preserve, how many wildlife force supported, whatever the metric is that we've based the formula on. Those become impact metrics for the destination, but also for the lodging partners. So we're creating this new way of storytelling about the destination, about the hotel that is through this lens of what travel can do from how can it support. And make a positive impact instead of heads and beds. It's how many trees did we plant and how many wildlife did we save?
And, know, what other things did we do? And every destination is gonna have its own set of challenges. And so recently here in la um, we leaned into supporting LA fire recovery. And so we just, um, signed up the Malibu Surf Rider who is supporting, for example, the Los Angeles Emergency Relief, uh, sorry, fix that. Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation, uh, who is supporting Wildfire Recovery, and that is just an example how a lodging partner can. Promote a story around tourism that gives back and serves a very important need in that community. So there have been these changes and we're so excited now to be a hundred percent in this.
Every state gives back model, which is just more sustainable and um, and frankly scalable to grow impact.
Christine: Um, thank you for sharing about that. And I wanna back up to kind of the beginning of that story. And I love so much that initial conversation where someone witnessed the way that you were speaking about what you were doing and creating and the way you spoke about the one part of what you were doing and.
Acknowledging that that impact was the thing you were most excited about. I think this is something that can be a really difficult space to navigate for entrepreneurs and creators, that you start building something and you've been really dedicated and committed to it, and then you start to feel a little bit out of alignment with what you've created, but you already feel like you put all of your eggs in this basket.
How could you possibly like rethink it or shift gears, even if there's a part of you that knows things are like almost there, but slightly off track? What, what did that feel like to have that awareness of like, oh, impact is who I am and maybe we need to shift the model? Like what, what, what did that feel like to kind of ask yourself that question?
Jessica: I think that because I already have an open mind around intuition, being an intuitive based leader, a heart-based leader, I was definitely already more open. that type of feedback. If I wasn't that type of a leader, then I may have not been able to accept that reality as easy. But because I am based off of following my energy and where I feel good, where it feels good, I do feel confident about taking leaps to align my energy and efforts to what, what feels good and right. So even though I knew it was gonna be a long, arduous process to lean and pivot over and of rebrand, the thing that I was able to hold onto is that our mission remained exactly the same. Which was to empower travelers to positively impact the destinations they visit. It's just that the way that we were gonna do that, the mechanism was changing. so from that standpoint, while a big pill to swallow, was able to convince our hotel partners, most of them, not all of them, um, to move over to this new platform and still deliver on the mission.
Christine: Mm-hmm.
Jessica: that the way that we were doing it was changing. And frankly, 90% of the lodging partners agreed and validated the fact that this was a better way to drive impact.
And it was really that pilot program where we had that six months in a pilot, we got to interview the hotels. We, we wanted to make sure that this was the way, if we were gonna go all in on this, that this was the way that we could do it. So I was able to kind of have some guardrails before just going out and launching it to the public.
I had a six month pilot where I could shape it, ask all the hard questions, kind of work out all the kinks, challenges, and, and shape a new path forward because the proof was in the numbers and the impact, and look how much, you know, the pilot was able to donate. And then we thought, wow, if we could just scale this. Then we are going to meet our larger life purpose and career goals of actually mobilizing significant community and environmental impact through the power of tourism and that that led us up. And so
Christine: Yeah.
Jessica: that path,
Christine: I love that, but I, I think it is great, like you said, that you kind of listened to that and were open to it because I, I think it's such an important thing. And I also have, um, talked with a few people about this as well, is, you know, the idea that, you know, what we're doing in the world is often again, like that, that deeper story.
It's like our own individual purpose. And so then as long as that, that we're creating is still true, it doesn't really matter what it looks like. And in fact many of us do like 10 different things that all drive towards that same
Jessica: right?
Christine: and that same goal. Um, so I, I just, I loved that, that question.
'cause I think it gives us a lot of permission to just say it's the same, it's just a little different, but.
Jessica: a lot of different pathways to get there. And I think when we're rigid and, and strict and not giving ourselves that creativity and freedom to think outside of our own boxes, that's when we're pigeonhole, pigeonholing ourselves into just one way. And especially if we're experiencing, if it feels heavy or if it feels like a lift that that shouldn't be so heavy to lift, then it is time to introspect, surround yourself with advisors and people that have been down this path because their wisdom often shape you. And I think it's really important to listen and to be open to listening, because we don't necessarily always know. And so being able to bounce back and have, and be open to that guidance too, I think is also a big part of it. 'cause we can get stuck in our own minds a little bit too.
Christine: I am also gonna save this section and go back and listen to it because I'm very much in this moment myself, like, I'm like, okay, feeling the energy getting stagnant a little bit. So what's the next way that I'm doing what I'm doing? And what, like, exactly what you said, like what feels like a lift that doesn't feel necessary.
What's the, the, the like stone you keep pushing up the mountain that just won't go and then be like, okay, what, why isn't it, or is it possible to just let that one go and, and head a different direction? Like I, I think
Jessica: Yeah.
Christine: those are really great things, and especially when you're such a heart-centered leader, like you do have to be fulfilled because that's what carries it forward.
Jessica: Yes, a hundred percent. You have to feel fulfilled and you can't be so burned out and so drained all the time you're not able to enjoy the journey. And so, like you said, it takes sometimes different pathways. I think that e like totally different subject, but I see it as a way that's still building my pathway forward is that I have these different extracurricular hobbies.
Like I took up figure skating a couple years ago. I'm a complete beginner. I've never done it in my life. And I'm like two years in now. And I love it, but it it, it activates a different side of my brain because it is so different, it's so opposite, and it allows me to return back to my workspace. Feeling refreshed because I've moved my body.
It has nothing to do with the computer, and I've activated a different side of my brain. And I also do that through watercolor painting. So I have like these different hobbies that when I immerse myself into things that are the opposite in a way, but allow freedom and creativity, it's physical or mental, that freedom can really, you can take that back into your workspace and it perhaps can open up some boundaries that you've been working within. So I think it's important to think outside of the box like that too.
Christine: Yeah, I totally agree. And again, it's so easy to just get buried when you are, you know, an entrepreneur or when you're creating a business, when you are really in love with your business even too, like you want to keep giving it, and I. Like, we have to have all these parts of ourselves. And I think it can be hard to say no, I'm creating this space and I've, similarly, this year, I, my daughters all dance and I like will watch them and I'm like, longing for the part of me that used to do that when I was young.
And like, I'm like, oh, I'm living vicariously through them. And then I'm like, wait a second. I'm sure there's an adult dance class that exists in the world. And so I started taking ballet, which I had never done before. And then I was taking like a hip hop dance class and it was so great because I just like reconnected to that part of myself.
Like I was learning something new. Um, literally like focusing on balance, you know, in, in that activity. But then in my life and how to create it. So I think that's a really like sage piece of advice.
Jessica: I love that. I love that you're doing that. And yeah, just doing something different and new is, I think a key part too. Uh, re you know, reawakening parts of our brain that make us when we return back to our desk. I think it ties back to that self nurturing and that self care piece, which is especially important for women founders and entrepreneurs who maybe often juggle lots of other care caretaking responsibilities, uh, to, you know, have a, a heavy focus on what that looks like for you so that you can show up and be the best version of yourself.
Christine: Yeah. Fully agree. I love that. Um, well, I wanna go back a little bit to every state gives back. I just had a few more questions on that. I, I wanted to talk a little bit about where you are, you know, literally in the world because you said that, you know, there's a lot of destinations getting involved and a lot of different types of programs being supported.
Can you share a little bit about, um, where you are and kind of what you are supporting?
Jessica: Yeah, so here in California, um, through our four year partnership with Visit California, we've partnered with different destinations throughout the state. So, um, for example, visit Greater Palm Springs. Um, we work with different lodging partners here, for example, there's a, an adorable boutique hotel called Casa Codi, and they're in downtown Palm Springs. And every state gives back to support friends of the Desert Mountains, which is a local environmental nonprofit that cares and helps steward the trails. They contribute to wildlife and land conservation and help keep the Coachella Valley and the desert communities thriving for future generations. And they also have a visitor center that travelers can go and visit and. Learn more about the region. Um, that's just one example. But we also work with Sonoma County Tourism. We work with Love Catalina Island, visit San Luis Obispo, visit Oceanside down in San Diego, where we support regenerative agriculture programs in local schools. and, and, uh, a handful of other destinations as well.
And, um, but recently we expanded to the Oregon coast with the Oregon Coast Visitors Association about a year ago, and then also to the south of us, um, all the way down to Baja, California. We partnered with Los Cabos Tourism. Most recently. We expanded the effort onto the East Coast with visit Fort Myers. So we have about 12 tourism boards. And we're supporting different community and environmental initiatives that are unique to the destination. So everything is very destination centered and we work with them to help invite the lodging partners and, uh, decide who the charities will be and align these initiatives so that every hotel is gonna have its own impact dashboard on kind traveler. Travelers can go see the exact amount of dollars that have been raised for that nonprofit, learn how much per stay goes back, learn about why this particular charity was chosen, why it was important. But they'll also find ways that they can get involved. And so almost every nonprofit that we partner with has an activity or a stewardship. Um, type of activity that they can get involved with. So we'll always list additional ways for them to get involved. And we've also created these beautiful wooden plaques that have a QR code engraved in them, and they sit at the front desk at all of our hotels. And so if a traveler is on site and they wanna learn more about it while they're at the property, they can just scan the QR code and it'll go directly to the impact dashboard for that property.
Christine: Yeah. Um, I, I, I think that's so great because like you said, it's really helping to create this richer storytelling experience. And, you know, even if people booked it, they were happy that it is creating an impact, maybe it might stay there, but then this invites them even to have a deeper connection to the destination, which I, I know you and I both think is, is really important to the travel experience.
And like, some of the things that really have driven the action we wanna create are those deep connections we've had in a destination that make us see how important it is to really be supporting the places you are as travelers. So I, I think that it's so great that intention, attention, and intention put into creating those partnerships and.
That they're not all like maybe these big organizations you would've already heard of, but they are just like, there's so many really interesting, beautiful, like, smaller organizations that might not get this level of funding coming to them. And I just think, um, it, it's, it's really cool. I love looking and learning more about what you're doing.
Jessica: thank you. I mean, there's so many unique stories to be shared and they, you know, we, we make sure the nonprofits are local to the destination, so it does mean that they're gonna be smaller organizations and not these big national or international charities. Um, because that is part of driving destinations stewardship forward is to support the very nonprofits that make that destination better.
Christine: Mm-hmm.
Jessica: recently I had a chance to go over to Catalina Island and meet the gentleman who runs the Marine Mammal Care Center on Catalina Island. And I learned about the plight of different sea lines and seals and wild birds who simply just get strangled by fishing line and plastic pollution in the ocean. And so he is the only responder on the island that will come and rescue these animals from this sort of tragic um, problem. And so. Seeing this work firsthand and how important it is for travelers to be aware of, of the different types of not only the positive impacts that they can contribute to, but also how tourism could negatively affect a destination if one was not conscious. And so organizations like Marine Mammal Care Center are, um, educating travelers and visitors to understand the harmful effects of pollution, but then giving an opportunity to participate in the rehabilitation efforts of of marine life.
Christine: Um, well, speaking of the impact, one of the other things, and you mentioned this, is that, you know, it's easy to see who you're supporting, how much is happening, you know, it's updated automatically. And I think that was one of the things I really loved is that your impact is really measurable and transparent.
And I think in sustainability, those, it can be hard to figure out what you're measuring and how you're sharing it. Um, and it becomes even more complex when you're figuring out how to share that with travelers and engage them. Like, it's one thing to have like an industry metric, but then if you wanna be able to have a conversation with travelers, it needs to be a little bit.
Of a different focus and I, I really have loved seeing the shift 'cause I feel like there's a lot of clarity and I just wanna share a few of the things I pulled off your website this morning 'cause I, they just caught my attention and to let our listeners know what we're talking about. But for instance, one of the metrics is, um, over 91,000 servings of Sonoma County grown fruits and vegetables provided to families facing food injustice.
Like I, I think a lot of us might. Might not connect how our travel could support something like that. And it's such an impressive thing to be like I was a part of that. Um, another one was, um, here in Colorado, um, over 10,000 square feet of wetlands were created by the Blue River Watershed Group. Um, and then the last one I took off there was 289 families received food for three days with the future today working in Sri Lanka.
Um, which I really wanted to mention because, um, I believe that's in part in connection with Cal Kanda house, which was created by a past guest and one of my friends, Dee Gibson. Um, so I, I think like there's no guesswork as a traveler. I can just go and I'd be like, I can, I can just see, I can envision what is happening, why this is important, and I can.
At least I would be very proud to be able to say I contributed in some way to making this impact.
Jessica: absolutely. I think that it can be very visceral when travel brands say that their state gives back, but they don't show how exactly. I think that travelers need that direct transparency and measurement tools that are going to communicate the specifics around what impact or giving back actually mean. so, you know, the formula that we use is we measure everything and what does a $10 donation do? And we'll ask the nonprofit, what does a $10 donation do, for example? mammal care center, it provides three meals for three Sea Lion patients for one day. So then we're able to say, okay, well if $10,000 was donated, we can then extract the approximate, approximate amount of meals that were provided for sea lions or marine life and recovery.
So it is that measurement transparency, having a third party validator of the donations, it's different than a travel brand saying we've donated a million dollars, but no one really knows. If that's true and you don't, in a lot of travel, brands won't show exactly what. It meant to give a million dollars, for example. And so I think that there's an element of third party validation. We're looking at the donation receipts. They're required to share the donation receipts when they join a membership program with Kind Traveler. And we have reminders that go out. And so we're really, you know, tracking the impact and then reporting on it. I think another challenge that addresses is the fact that, you know, a lot of, um, lodging partners may or may not have a dedicated sustainability director. And if they don't, caring out a program like this can be challenging. And so we see ourselves as a third arm to be able to, at least for this particular initiative, um, make it turnkey for that lodging partner where they may lack staffing to be able to do this on their own. And so I always say sustainability doesn't happen in isolation. You must create partnerships to move it forward, and I think that's a very important lesson for the industry, you know, to realize is that it's, it's not, no one is doing it in, in the, in a silo.
Christine: Yeah, and you know, so many of your properties too are, are smaller and like you said, they might not have a dedicated department to figuring this out and tracking and creating a plan and executing the plan. And so I think it would be really helpful to have that collaboration with the local tourism board and you know, to have your ideas about what's working in other destinations and get them thinking that collaboration is really going to allow things to move forward with more ease.
I think when you can see how it's happening in other places too.
Jessica: Yeah. Collaboration is key for sure.
Christine: Yeah. Um, well we have talked, um, a lot here and in general on the podcast about supporting local communities and why it's so important. Um, but I would love to just kind of dig a little bit deeper into this about why it is so important to support local communities and economies. Maybe thinking about why this isn't the standard, or perhaps where does the money typically go?
Like, why is this such an important conversation in the industry?
Jessica: Yeah, the U-N-W-T-O did some research a number of years back, and it said that only 5% of tourism dollars go back into local communities, um, uh, particularly in developing countries. so the reason that that's really important is because when tourism dollars. When they go back into the communities, they can lift communities out of poverty, support educational initiatives, and help communities thrive. And it's only when a community is thriving, they have their basic needs met and educational resources met, can they begin to think about sustainability? Because sustain environmental sustainability is hard to approach when communities are not thriving. so that is why that community piece is so important.
And to also from the cultural side as well, to make sure tourism dollars also respect, um, the cultural side. But because there is something called tourism leakage, I. There is this movement towards ensuring travel dollars are being reinvested into the destination so that the destinations and tourism can benefit and, and, you know, create environments and destinations that thrive well into the future. But if the tourism dollars are being held by big corporations and big overseas global networks where less than five do $5 from every a hundred dollars spent from a travelers actually stay in the community, it's really hard to create sustainable and positive change that lifts others out of poverty, while also inspiring those communities to think about wildlife conservation, climate change, um, the things that. Um, are really wildlife and ocean conservation. You know, the things that are really important to preserve. And, you know, I, I just read too that, um, it was released by the World Wildlife Fund, but, um, they said that there's been a 73% decline in the average size of global wildlife populations in just 50 years. So there's this, um, you know, uh, uh, apparel, uh, there, the system is in peril basically. And the most, um, the, the populations with the steepest decline, um, were recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was 95%. And so that, those regions particularly, but also the North America was 39%. So, so if, if we want to address the climate, if we wanna address the fact that there's more species going extinct than ever before in history. We have to ensure that communities, women, that there's a quality, that there's, um, dollars being reinvested to create thriving communities first.
Christine: Yeah, I think that's such a, um, important point and way of, uh, really valuable way of thinking about it because. I mean, it might seem obvious, and yet I don't think I've ever heard anyone state it exactly that way. But, but yes, if you, if you're so busy worrying about, you know, how you're gonna care from your fam for your family, it's a lot of a, a lot to ask you to also think about how you're conserving why wildlife in your region, or making sure that water's clean when maybe you don't even have enough water for your own selves to drink.
Like, um, I, I think that it's so valuable to think about that and how important it is to be able to, to secure that for local communities and then allow them to be a part of the conversation then in what they need to move forward to create the, the means for conservation and protection in their areas.
Jessica: Yeah, one of the main, you know, pathways, I, I, I just went to the International Desert Conservation Summit here in, uh, Palm Desert, that was one of the number one themes. They had all these different researchers and conservationists from Africa and all over the world speak, and one of the main themes was you can't push wildlife conservation until you've engaged the community. And it's that community engagement piece and making sure that. You know, the community is balanced and then engage them into wildlife conservation and how they can benefit from wildlife conservation in their community and how it, it provides benefits. And so, and that's why the heart of sustainable travel seeks to balance not just the community, but the environment and the economy and when, when all those are in balance, that's what moves sustainable travel forward.
It's not just one, it's not just one of those things. It's always the blend of all three being imbalanced to move sustainable travel forward.
Christine: Yeah, and I, again, like, I think a lot of people might initially think it's the environmental aspect, but it, it does have to be all of those pieces. Otherwise it just, you know, it, it won't fall apart. It literally won't be sustainable. And so, um, I, I think it's, it's always valuable to think about. You know, where your strongest and where your weakest and, and start there to be able to, to move it forward as a community.
Um, I know that, you know, the idea of traveling more responsibly is really important to you, not only with kind traveler, but as a person. Um, if someone is traveling somewhere where kind Traveler isn't yet, which hopefully you're everywhere soon. But, um, what are other ways that people can really think about having an impact?
Like, what questions can they ask about, ask of themselves? Like who would they reach out to? What might they look for in creating those responsible travel choices?
Jessica: Yeah, and I think the overall mindset is just asking yourself, how can I reduce my negative impact while optimizing my positive impact? And so when we look at the negative impact side, we're looking at ways to reduce my carbon and plastic pollution primarily. And, um, on the positive impact side, you're looking at how can I support local and keep travel dollars invested in that local community.
So it might be staying with a, um, booking directly with a locally owned, um, property as your stay, booking locally owned, um, tours or activities. Um, shopping for goods that are locally sourced, that are artisanal, that aren't, um, being shortened not to promote accidentally buying goods that resulted in, you know, wildlife or other animals suffering in some way.
So just being conscious about purchasing ethical souvenirs animal welfare consciousness. Um, you know, I think that. Um, there's a lot of, especially internationally, uh, tour companies that are selling things like dolphin rides or elephant rides. We have to be very conscious not to support entertainment that involves animals as entertainment.
If we wanna see wildlife, let's go and see them in the wild, always having this mentality of, uh, taking photos and leaving only footprints, uh, or shooting photos. Yeah, sorry Christine. You might have to edit that.
Christine: Hm.
Jessica: Sorry.
Christine: That's okay.
Jessica: Um, but, but where I was going was beyond. Those things. How can I give back? I mean, looking at the local nonprofits, if there's not a kind traveler, every state gives back property there.
What local nonprofits may I be able to support through an activity? Because a lot of these nonprofits will have really unique experiences too, like visiting a wildlife sanctuary or to taking a docent led tour with a conservationist group. so I think that those opportunities really wonderful to support and, and underrated. that's a, a great way to go out there and, and support the places that you visit is through giving back through experiences, just by learning about the different nonprofits and finding those that support the community or the environment in a very impactful way and getting involved with 'em.
Christine: Yeah. And I, and then I think also like our curiosity as travelers also empowers some of these organizations to create ways for you to engage with them when you travel, which is also, I think, really powerful because I know for my own self, I really use the lens of gender equity as a way for me to engage in, um, communities.
And, um, one thing that I'm thinking of in particular, um, when I was in Belize last, which I know that's a place that we both. Um, love and hold dear. Um, I was in San Antonio and there is a local women's community group that I learned about through the chef at the property I was staying at. And, um, she directed me to go there.
And then when I got there, I learned about some cooking classes they do and some craft work that they do. And then I got to sit and visit with them for a while, and then they showed me things that I ended up purchasing to bring home. And like that really allowed me to have a special connection in that destination that I might not have had if I didn't one, like follow my own curiosity, but to just like ask how else I could connect with the community.
So I think it enhances my experience, but it also adds a lot of value to the local community. And then they can see what travelers might be curious about.
Jessica: Yeah. I love that you said that because, um, when we support women-owned business businesses, um, travel businesses, you know, they are more likely, there is a stat that we shared on our social media for Women's History Month, but women are more likely to invest their profits back into the community. And so supporting women owned or women led businesses is also a really wonderful way to support a more holistic, uh, approach to tourism dollars that will go than the thing that you're doing.
Christine: Yeah. Yeah. And I, I mean, I am, I guess I feel biased 'cause that's always my focus, but when I look at the U-N-W-T-O goals, like I feel like all of them have a connection with gender equity or supporting women. Like they're like, it's always one step further if you include that element.
Jessica: Yeah.
Christine: To each one of those goals.
So, uh, it's really, that is really, really important to me. And I think in so many places that we travel, especially today, like supporting women is, is just such a critical thing that we need to be doing. And, um, again, allows us to see a unique part of the culture and have a greater understanding of the context of what's happening in the world, in those areas and across the US in those areas.
So I think it, it's maybe even more an important part of the conversation than it ever has been to think about working with women through tourism.
Jessica: For sure. They're definitely, they're at the heart of community transformation, so when you're able to support a locally owned sustainable business that is also women owned or women led, you're just taking that impact that much further.
Christine: Yeah. Um, well, before we wrap up our conversation, I have one question that I've kind of been asking in this series, and we tapped into it a little bit maybe already. But, um, I'd love for you to share one way that, um, you or someone else has maybe grown your mindset, a way you can grow your skillset or grow your business.
Something that you have learned in the last few years that might resonate with our listeners.
Jessica: Yeah, I think I, I touched on this a little earlier, but I think that there's a unique opportunity for women, women owned businesses to look for, whether it's an accelerator program or an advisory, uh, an advisor or building your own advisory circle around you. I think that it's very important to build your, your dream vision alongside other communities that are going to listen to you and provide you valuable feedback.
'cause it kind of goes back to this thing where maybe sustainability can't be grown in isolation, but neither can your own business. And so. There's, I've seen so many different, uh, accelerator opportunities out there. There's one that is, um, from the Social Capital Summit that I just learned about that takes place in San Francisco later this year.
I see them popping up all, all around, and I can just say from my own personal experience with Blue Startups and, and joining that accelerator program and surrounding myself with these different advisors, that feedback and mentorship help shape my vision. And, and that was a big theme of what we talked about today with our pivots.
So I think that that's something that, um, I would recommend. And at that same time, just strengthening that inner voice and following, following the pieces of, of the business that, that bring you the most joy and being okay to listen to that and follow that, that voice and that vision.
Christine: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I love that. And, um, I, a few years ago I participated in, um, a Vital Voices program, and that was really, really powerful for me. So I, I can recognize, and I also went through the women's work, um, uh, pilot cohort of that program. And each of those things really,
Jessica: Hmm.
Christine: it really did allow me to kind of grow, look at my business in a new way.
Find, like you said, those mentors and those people who are gonna support your, your vision along the way. Um, so I love that suggestion.
Jessica: I love
Christine: Um. Okay. Lastly, I have my rapid fire questions just to wrap up our conversation. Um, so the first question, um, Jess, what are you reading right now?
Jessica: Oh, geez. Um, Christine, I
Christine: like, I don't know,
Jessica: you know, I just bought. I'm
Christine: I.
Jessica: junkie, so I just went to Barnes and Nobles and bought like three really cool magazines and I'm reading all three at the same time, but they're like educational magazines. So I bought Veg News. Um, I'm mostly vegan slash vegetarian.
Um, but Veg News is all about plant-based living and lifestyle and for someone that deeply cares about animals, uh, love, love learning about the plant-based movement and travel in particular. And I just love that book so much. Or the magazine rather.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you. I mean, I think that's great too. It's like the, all the things that we've learned and bring into our lives, those are such valuable resources and new perspectives, so I, I love that. Um, what is always in your suitcase or backpack when you travel?
Jessica: Always you'll find my yoga math. Some, uh, tea bags, relaxing type and energizing. So like green tea, and then also like a chamomile. then I'll usually also have some essential oils with me for relaxing and always my reusable water bottle and reusable bag. Um, I think those are really important to travel with.
Christine: I, um, I used to always travel. I have a folding yoga mat. 'cause sometimes it's hard to take the, you know, big round one. But then even now I'm like, if I'm really pinched for space, I have like Pilate socks or the socks that have the grips. So then I'm like, I feel like I can at least attempt to do yoga no matter where I am if I at least have those.
But
Jessica: I have to have that, that movement no matter like where I am. So the, yeah, the, the collapsible, like foldable yoga mats I think are perfect. I have one.
Christine: yeah. Um, to sojourn, to me means to travel somewhere with the respect as if you live there. Uh, where is somewhere that you would still live to Sojourn?
Jessica: I have so much traveling to do. Um, I love going to visit our partners and we recently have expanded into some international destinations throughout Italy. We just launched our first property in Palermo, and I've never been to Italy and I'm just dying, dying to go.
Christine: Yeah. Uh, that would be beautiful. Uh, what is something you eat that immediately connects you to a place you've been?
Jessica: Something that I eat like, okay. Um, gosh. Hmm. Can we come back to that one?
Christine: Sure. Or we can pass. It's okay. I'll give you a pass.
Jessica: Okay.
Christine: who was a person that inspired or encouraged you to set out to travel the world?
Jessica: Well, I think in my early days growing up as a child, that would've been my dad because my first vacations were with him. Um, you know, one, I'm from Pennsylvania and we went to Colorado to visit my uncle and went skiing, and that was sort of one of my first trips outside of Pennsylvania. And it, it opened up my mind to this whole other beautiful world that exists, existed beyond where I was from.
And so I would, I would have to give that credit to my dad.
Christine: Yeah, thank you. If you could take an adventure with one person, fictional or real, alive or past, who would it be?
Jessica: Well, I don't, I travel mostly with my partner, Sean, and we, we do everything together. So he's. My other half and I always say like, where kind of my skills and vision end has began and vice versa. So we're, you know, we do everything together so
Christine: Yeah. That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Uh, the last, you know that Soul of Travel is a space for celebrating women in the industry. Who is one woman that you would love to recognize in this space today?
Jessica: well. I know we already talked about Jane Goodall, so I'm not sure if that is my person that I am supposed to recognize for this question. Um, obviously she has been such a, a leader and icon for me. and she's always sort of like the first woman that comes to mind when I think about big picture inspiration.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, and she's also on like, number one on my wishlist of guests. I'm like, somehow I need to make this happen. I don't know how, but, um, so many people in this industry, especially in the area where we have focus, like really respect and admire her. And, um, yeah, I, I think that's a, a tremendous, a tremendous amount of gratitude and, and like knowing just the ripple she's created within this industry, whether she knows it or not, I think it, it's really cool to kind of, to hear that and see that from so many people.
So thank you.
Jessica: I love
Christine: Um, and thank you so much for joining me again, for sharing some more of your wisdom and for giving me the opportunity to celebrate what your journey has looked like since we last spoke.
Jessica: Aw, thanks Christine. It's such an honor to to share the space here with you, and I just appreciate all the ways that. You've supported me and you continue to support other women. It, it's really powerful. It means a lot, so thank you.
Christine: Thank you.
You can find me on Facebook at Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community, or follow me on Instagram either @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcast. Stay up to date by joining the Lotus Sojourns mailing list. I look forward to getting to know you and hopefully hearing your story.