Travel Seen founder Jen Atkinson launches podcast after life-changing event

Rather than focus on destinations, as many travel podcasts already do, The Holiday That Changed My Life uses travel as a ‘segue’ into life’s heavier issues – such as addiction, natural disasters, relationships and grief. 

Its tone is established in the pilot episode, which sees entrepreneur Dominic McGregor recount his experience of surviving the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks during a celebratory city break with his then-girlfriend.

For the first time, the Social Chain co-founder opens up in the podcast about how the harrowing incident – which left 130 people dead and nearly 400 injured – led to his alcohol dependency and ultimately, his new-found sobriety.

Other guests include Married at First Sight UK contestant Sophie Brown, who opens up about her honeymoon to Saint Lucia, and Dragons’ Den star Derry Green, whose cancelled holidays during the pandemic inspired him to build a lucrative glamping pod business instead. TTG Luxury’s editor April Hutchinson is also set to appear on an episode of the podcast. 

Each interview is also rounded off with a segment called Postcard from... in which Atkinson and Maguire share their respective takeaways from the conversation. 

Real stories

“Travel is the access point to vulnerability,” Atkinson explains. “It’s a segue into people’s authenticity. We’re tired of manicured stories. We want real stories from people that surprise you.”

Atkinson has already recorded 10 episodes of The Holiday That Changed My Life, and is now in the process of planning a second batch.

The endeavour is an unlikely one for the former ITC boss, who, prior to the pandemic, admittedly “wasn’t a fan of podcasts”. It was during lockdown, however, which coincided with the end of her 20-year marriage, that she began to appreciate the digital medium for its soothing and thought-provoking qualities. 

“I started to find inspiration and solace in podcasts,” she says. “It was almost part of a healing process.”

Most recently, Atkinson is the founder of Travel Seen, a social-first travel brand aimed at building authentic luxury audiences across social channels by sharing original and inspiring content. It also invests in travel businesses and helps them grow and scale by tapping into those audiences.

She is also a lifelong travel enthusiast, having worked in the industry for more than two decades and visited an estimated 50 countries. It was only natural, therefore, that when she decided to start her own podcast, the subject matter would investigate what she knows best. As for the inspiration for the title, Atkinson says the idea came to her after experiencing two life-changing events on her travels. 

“All the biggest things that have ever happened to me happened when I was away,” she admits. “The owner of ITC made me CEO in Barbados when we there on a trip, and fast forward 10 years on, I was on the beach when I realised my marriage was over during another trip to Barbados.” 

Giving Back 

Atkinson and Maguire are also determined to share the wonders of travel with others, especially those who may not have the resources to do so.

To celebrate the podcast’s debut, they have invited listeners to nominate a person who deserves a holiday or has a unique reason to visit a certain destination. Potential candidates could be a carer who rarely gets the opportunity to travel, or an inspiring individual with an extraordinary goal. 

“It’s a bit like DIY SOS. People will write to us about the back story, they go away, and then they share their story,” explains Atkinson. She also welcomes suppliers to support the cause, adding: “We want to create a bit of a movement. We want to work with travel partners, such as hotels or airlines, to help give people the opportunity to do things they might not ordinarily be able to do.”

Future of Podcast 

Having successfully completed the podcast’s first series, Atkinson is currently hoping to attain sponsorship for a second instalment. In the meantime, she’s also keen to secure as many interviews as possible, revealing her dream guests to be Judith Chalmers, former presenter of Wish You Were Here...? and Monty Python legend and renowned traveller Michael Palin.

And like all business projects she’s previously undertaken, Atkinson’s ambitions for The Holiday That Changed My Life are high. “I’d love it to be top 10,” she admits, before adding that there’s no limit on the amount of episodes in the pipeline. “We’ll go to series 10, even series 100!”