This is a moment in time.
A moment in time that has you on your heels. Heels that have been whittled down to a sliver that looks more like a well-used toothpick.
A moment in time that feels so vastly different than any other time in your business, and it doesn’t matter how long you have been in this business. You haven’t, and we haven’t, experienced this combination of fear, events, announcements, unknowns, inconsistencies and hourly changes. What you are feeling is real — own it.
A moment in time where you’ll either remember this feeling with dread or with thankfulness that you mustered up the strength you didn’t know you had to fight through the fear and uncertainty. You have it in you — grab hold of it like it’s the winning lottery ticket, because this is what you need to win.
A moment in time where you — yes, you — are an integral part of a historical event. This will be studied in Ivy League business schools for decades. It will be written about in history books, and Netflix, Amazon and A&E will compete to produce the best and most sensationalized documentary. You are smack in the middle of this incredible story. You will help determine its ending.
OK, stand up while you read this next part. Seriously, stand up. Read it out loud. Imagine you’re saying this to whoever in your life isn’t “getting it,” and who doesn’t seem to understand what this moment in time feels like for you. Really. Stand up! Ready?
This is a moment in time, and you will look back and say: “Yeah, that’s right! I made it through this horrific moment and all that has come with it.”
This is a moment in time, and you will look back and say: 'Yeah, that’s right! I made it through this horrific moment and all that has come with it.'
That’s right, friend: While you were standing in an hourlong line at Costco (who, by the way, you bought your vacation from — how did that work out for you?), buying up the toilet paper, bottled water (huh?), hand sanitizer and whatever else your conspiracy theory neighbor told you to buy, I was on my phone, on email, on text messaging and on Facebook Messenger 18 to 20 hours a day. I stole time from family so I could calm my client’s fears and stay on hold with overworked call center representatives who had to keep up with thousands of confused and haggard consumers and travel advisors across the country.
There were so many calls that systems crashed or just rang busy. But I kept calling, stayed on hold for hours — sometimes with multiple phones on my desk — trying to keep up with the news that came down hard and swift on our incredible industry.
I am a business owner, so I take pride in taking care of my clients. I patiently answered their questions about what they should do about their trip, figured out ways to get their money back for them and tried to explain why travel insurance does not cover “fear.” I spent countless hours curating new plans for those who weren’t afraid to travel, only for them to be canceled last minute due to the across-the-board stoppage of travel. I actively listened to the bride, who called crying hysterically, saying she must cancel her destination wedding because her friends are scared to travel, not because of possibly getting sick, but because they couldn’t get “stuck.”
Or, even better: I had to suspend family vacations, as millions of employees — who work all year long to enjoy that one special week with their families — were told by their employers that if they traveled on vacation, they couldn’t come directly back to work.
Then, there was that couple who had planned a celebratory cruise in honor of Mrs. Joe kicking cancer’s ass, only to be denied boarding. Imagine, the same illness that was mere months away from stealing her life now stops her from living her life to the fullest.
Yep, I was glued to emails every hour on the hour waiting for the next update from the myriad of travel suppliers I proudly partner with, to provide my clients a variety of choices when it comes to their travel experiences. These travel partners had to pivot quickly, balancing the needs of their company’s financial and physical health, with our mutual client’s health, while protecting the relationship we have curated together for years — all while their stocks plummeted. Many ceased operations all together for 30 to 60 days.
I lost a year’s worth of work in a matter of three weeks. There is no paycheck for me — no cushion.
Oh, and by the way, I am not a travel agent, dammit.
I am a travel agency owner, a travel advisor in the most incredibly impactful industry in the world — the industry that does more for world peace, acceptance and understanding than any government, world organization or your $50 “I feel good” annual charitable contribution can do. I curate incredibly personalized experiences that leave an imprint for a lifetime. I transform a destination from a mere point on the map, beyond an Instagram story, to a pinpoint in someone’s life. What’s your superpower? (Say it with attitude!)
“Yeah, that’s right, I survived this horrific moment in time. I made it through!”
It’s just a moment in time.
Things to think about: This unbelievable stress comes from giving your whole heart to something, even when it is spitting on your face. Your dedication to your clients — even when it seems like all of them are “leaving” you in the dust, with no care, reasoning or loyalty — withstands this. Some are just scared and reacting. Many others have stuck around, and how you handle this moment in time will determine when others come back to you. Americans love to travel, and they will again.
Your neighbors, co-workers, agency teammates, supplier partners, fellow advisors and more are admiring your tenacity, courage and ability to put one foot in front of other during this moment in time.
We are in this together — keep moving fiercely forward, rockstar!
