Melissa Biggs Bradley is the CEO and founder of Indagare, a membership-based luxury travel agency and media company that combines curated content with high-touch service and leverages its global network to create extraordinary, meaningful experiences for sophisticated travelers. Since launching, the company has been named to Inc.’s Fastest-Growing Companies in the U.S. and to Crain’s 50 fastest-growing companies in New York. Indagare believes that how you travel matters and its mission is to inspire and empower people to change their lives–and the world–through travel and to have a positive impact on the places they visit.
In 2022, Melissa launched a successful podcast on SiriusXM, Passport to Everywhere, where she takes you to dream destinations and hotels, shares insider travel intel and introduces you to extraordinary people she has met through her travels. She is also passionate about Africa, having traveled there more than 35 times–her book, Safari Style: Exceptional African Camps and Lodges, was published by Vendome Press in 2021.
Melissa also leads immersive small-group trips around the world. Among the journeys she led last year: a first-ever journey to Antarctica, a trip experiencing the world-famous cuisine of Massimo Bottura and Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, an art and design-focused trip in the South of France and more. Indagare has partnerships with brands such as the Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Architectural Digest for exclusive journeys hosted by top editors and influencers.
Prior to launching Indagare in 2007, Melissa was the founding editor of Hearst’s Town & Country Travel and the travel editor at Town & Country magazine. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing at Columbia University and her B.A. from Yale College.
On this episode, Melissa shares her one way ticket to Paris in the 1920s. Melissa also highlights the joys of slow travel, the importance of having exchanges with people that our different than us, and packing tips for being a carry-on only traveler. Plus, Melissa spotlights how Indagare has offset carbon emissions for all its travelers, and more . . .
Melissa is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.