And Speaking Of… Community

I'm OOO this week - you can find me overseas at ILTM Cannes! This luxury-focused travel industry event is definitely a highlight every year, as Erica Whitaker , Director of Partner Relations, and I get to spend time with old friends and new connections in our industry. ILTM is both productive and intense, and we love every second!

Knowing that I would be spending most of last week prepping for this trip, then traveling to France this week with very little downtime, I asked Sandy Adcox Saburn , Chief Strategic Alliances Officer at GTN, to return as a guest writer for my newsletter! I loved the article she wrote over the summer, "And Speaking Of... Business Etiquette," and can't wait to see what she comes up with this week!

I hope you enjoy Sandy's article, drop a comment and let us know your thoughts!

-Vanessa

At Gifted Travel Network , we are in the midst of a major system conversion – moving from ClientBase to Sion – and it has me thinking a lot about the importance of community. Wondering how a technology transition sparked thoughts of community? Allow me to explain.

The reason I know anything about Sion in the first place is because of community. Last year, during Virtuoso Travel Week, I attended Virtuoso’s Tech Summit for the first time. The other attendees of the Tech Summit included agency owners, managers, and tech enthusiasts who were happy to share what they were doing and planning. As a result, I learned a lot from the people presenting and those attending.

The other reason this tech conversion has me thinking about community is watching how GTN advisors support one another. It starts with Carol McKee (McKee Travel), who is a member of GTN’s Top Producers Club and is also our Travel Tech Mentor.

As a top producer, Carol has plenty to do with her own business, but she is a great teacher and loves helping people. As a tech mentor, she spends quite a few hours each week supporting other GTN members in their use of travel technology.

Another one of our top producers, Stuart Marra ( The Opulent Explorer ), has generously given his time to helping GTN with technology decisions and sharing his expertise with our members.

It isn’t just Carol and Stuart who are supporting others. There has been so much support between members. Those who learned the system quickly are extending a hand to those who haven’t had time to focus on it or may need more guidance. They have been answering questions and helping solve problems. They do this as a service to the larger community and their colleagues. They are happy to do it and know that others will help them – and have helped them – when they are in need.

Being a part of a collaborative, supportive community is important for every professional – not just entrepreneurs. It doesn’t need to be your colleagues or co-workers. Actually, it is important to have more than just those that you work with regularly. You need new ideas and additional support outside that group.

Fresh ideas are always a good idea. At GTN, some of our best ideas didn’t come from the travel industry, but from learning how other businesses solve problems or handle issues.

I encourage each of you to think about the communities you are in and what you get from them. Lean into those encouraging and challenging you because that’s how you grow.

A community can be as small as two people or as large as thousands. As they say, variety is the spice of life, so make sure you have a variety of communities to be part of. You can learn from everyone. And remember to be a helper and a contributor, not just a taker. That’s how communities prosper.

When you look at your communities, you may realize you have outgrown some of them. Outgrowing a community doesn’t mean you are more intelligent or successful than everyone else. It could be that you have a different vision for yourself or your business than the community does. It’s OK. It happens. Move on with grace.

If you realize you aren’t in any communities, now is the time to find some. You can join existing communities or build your own. LinkedIn is a great place to find like-minded people and those who have similar interests to your own. If you want to dive deep into a particular topic and can’t find a community, start your own! I am doing that now. I am building a community of travel agency owners, managers, and advisors who want to share best practices around travel technology.

As we like to say at GTN, a rising tide lifts all boats. And there is no better way to raise a tide in an industry or within a group of people than with strong communities.