A Candid Conversation on Travel Entrepreneurship with Steph Lee

When it comes to entrepreneurship, sometimes the most powerful lessons come from open conversations about real experiences.

Last week, I sat down with Host Agency Reviews founder Steph Lee (who is also my friend and colleague) to explore her journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family to building one of the travel industry's most trusted resources.

Her story reveals valuable insights about authenticity, growth, and the courage to carve your own path.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Starts Early

Growing up surrounded by entrepreneurs shaped Steph's understanding of business, and in ways, she didn't fully appreciate until later.

For her, watching family members run various businesses - from t-shirt printing to travel agencies - normalized the idea of being your own boss.

This early exposure made traditional 9-to-5 jobs feel foreign and helped her recognize that entrepreneurship wasn't just a career choice, but a lifestyle.

Action Steps:

1. Reflect on your early experiences with entrepreneurship and how they shape your current perspective
2. List three aspects of entrepreneurship that excite you most
3. Connect with other entrepreneurs to share origin stories and learn from their journeys

Curiosity as a Business Superpower

Curiosity drives innovation and creates unexpected opportunities in business.

Steph has learned that asking questions - even ones that seem obvious - often leads to discovering gaps in the market and ways to serve others better.

This natural curiosity becomes a powerful tool for understanding your industry and audience deeply.

Action Steps:

1. Keep a "curiosity journal" to track questions that arise about your industry--I keep these in my notes app
2. Schedule time each week to explore one industry topic in-depth with your macro content
3. Turn your frequently asked questions into valuable content for your audience

Authenticity in the Digital Age

Building an authentic online presence takes time and intentional practice.

Steph's discovered that being genuine online isn't about being perfect - it's about being consistently yourself and letting your personality shine through.

This authenticity helps create genuine connections with your audience, even through a screen.

Action Steps:

1. Identify three core values that define your business personality
2. Practice sharing personal stories that align with your business message
3. Create content that showcases your unique perspective and voice

Building a Team that Fits your Style

Learning to build a team taught me that success isn't about following someone else's management playbook.

Steph found that acknowledging her strengths and weaknesses helped her create a team structure that works for everyone.

Giving team members autonomy while maintaining high standards has been key to HAR's growth.

Action Steps:

1. Define your ideal working style and management approach
2. List the qualities you need in team members to complement your style
3. Create systems that support independence while maintaining quality

Embracing Technology with Purpose

Technology should serve your business goals, not dictate them.

Steph has learned to approach new tools and platforms with intention, focusing on those that truly enhance their ability to serve the HAR audience.

This mindset helps cut through the noise and identify technology that adds real value.

Action Steps:

1. Audit your current tech stack for effectiveness
2. Identify one area where technology could improve your workflow
3. Research and test new tools with specific goals in mind

To hear more about her experiences and get the full story, including exciting details about Host Week 2025, tune in to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform.

I'd love to hear your thoughts - what resonated most with you?

Share your takeaways in the comments below.

Resources

Strategic Travel Entrepreneur Podcast