Let passion lead the way – Vancouver, Canada’s Podcast

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's Podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_02: Business leaders, ready to cut costs and boost growth with a recurring bill
[00:09] SPEAKER_02: excolution that's built for you? Our platform won't just save you money, it'll
[00:13] SPEAKER_02: help you grow so that you make more money. Build clearly, grow quickly with
[00:17] SPEAKER_02: visibility. To calculate your savings, head to visibill.com today.
[00:21] SPEAKER_03: Hi, this is Cynthia LaCrie, host of Canada's podcast where we talk to
[00:27] SPEAKER_03: entrepreneurs for making it happen right here in BC. Today, I'm joined by Danielle
[00:33] SPEAKER_03: Riddle. After two years of settling in Vancouver from the East Coast of
[00:39] SPEAKER_03: Australia, Danielle identified a lack of customer service in the corporate
[00:44] SPEAKER_03: travel industry, leading her to create a customer first corporate travel company
[00:50] SPEAKER_03: inspired travel group. Welcome, Danielle. I'm really interested to hear how you
[00:58] SPEAKER_03: transition from Australia to Vancouver. So why don't you tell us a bit about your
[01:04] SPEAKER_00: company and your journey? Yeah, hi, Cynthia. Thank you for having me. It's lovely to be
[01:09] SPEAKER_00: here and to be chatting with you. Yeah, I mean, I came from I grew up in Sydney,
[01:15] SPEAKER_00: Australia, and I worked in the travel industry when I was younger. I was always
[01:23] SPEAKER_00: something that was of interest to me, but I had actually gone into studies in a
[01:27] SPEAKER_00: event management, and I figured my best way into the events and tourism
[01:31] SPEAKER_00: industry was to go through and also become an agent and work my way up. But pretty
[01:37] SPEAKER_00: quickly, I got into the agent job and realized that it was actually it was
[01:41] SPEAKER_00: actually wherever longed, but I was always very keen to be to be leading and
[01:47] SPEAKER_00: managing. And so my goals were pretty fast to get up there and run an agency
[01:51] SPEAKER_00: myself. So I did take over running an agency in Australia for a large, a big box
[01:58] SPEAKER_00: company, and I actually came over to Canada with with Canada on an incentive.
[02:04] SPEAKER_00: And I got to Vancouver and it was it was so strange to me because I just fell in
[02:09] SPEAKER_00: love with Vancouver. And as much as I love Australia and it and it always be my
[02:16] SPEAKER_00: original home, there was something about it that I just knew I wanted to work
[02:20] SPEAKER_00: there and and given my my nature, I sort of came home, I was quite young and I
[02:25] SPEAKER_00: said, I'm doing it, I'm going to go and I'm going to throw a caution to the
[02:29] SPEAKER_00: wind and just take off and see where it lands me. And I was I was planning to do
[02:34] SPEAKER_00: all, you know, working holiday, but not really just have fun, but I couldn't
[02:38] SPEAKER_00: help myself from going getting back into my career. And I was quickly sort of
[02:42] SPEAKER_00: snapped up by a corporate agency and very quickly realized I could do it
[02:46] SPEAKER_00: myself and and I met my business partner and our husband there and and we
[02:51] SPEAKER_00: started the journey into developing inspired and it just came naturally to me.
[02:57] SPEAKER_00: I knew what was missing in the industry, having been in a big box environment.
[03:02] SPEAKER_00: I knew that if we could break it down and create a niche that we could
[03:07] SPEAKER_00: create something special, but obviously that didn't come without criticism.
[03:11] SPEAKER_00: And whenever you try to develop something a little bit different or a niche
[03:15] SPEAKER_00: within an industry that is heavily saturated, that comes with a lot of
[03:20] SPEAKER_00: a lot of speculation and a lot of criticism. So it was really hard in the
[03:26] SPEAKER_00: beginning, but we just knew from the get go that we had the right level of
[03:30] SPEAKER_00: tenacity to make it happen.
[03:32] SPEAKER_03: So why don't you explain what corporate travel is because I think a lot of
[03:37] SPEAKER_03: people when they think of travel agencies, they think about sitting on a beach
[03:42] SPEAKER_03: in Hawaii and that's not what you do.
[03:46] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that honestly, most people don't really understand our industry.
[03:51] SPEAKER_00: They think of that exactly that.
[03:53] SPEAKER_00: They think of the sort of old school style travel agency where you walk in and
[03:57] SPEAKER_00: you meet someone and you talk about your holiday.
[04:00] SPEAKER_00: You want to do like you said to Hawaii or something like that.
[04:03] SPEAKER_00: And actuality, it couldn't be farther from the reality.
[04:07] SPEAKER_00: So corporate travel is a very fast-paced, very high-pressure environment.
[04:15] SPEAKER_00: And it takes a certain skill in travel that is many years of learned experience.
[04:21] SPEAKER_00: You can't throw a leisure agent into this and just expect that they're going to be
[04:25] SPEAKER_00: able to pick up.
[04:25] SPEAKER_00: You're dealing with high level executives every day.
[04:28] SPEAKER_00: And we're actually helping, we're implementing programs for them to
[04:33] SPEAKER_00: improve their efficiency and their productivity.
[04:35] SPEAKER_00: So a lot actually lies on our shoulders to be able to implement the right policies
[04:39] SPEAKER_00: to have their staff rested and rejuvenated and in control and not having to worry about how
[04:47] SPEAKER_00: they're going to get there.
[04:48] SPEAKER_00: And obviously, as you can imagine, the issues that come up and the trials and tribulations,
[04:53] SPEAKER_00: even for my agents, what they have to go through in terms of emergency calls were 24-7.
[04:58] SPEAKER_00: So my agents work around the clock in that respect.
[05:03] SPEAKER_00: You have to be able to pick up the phone at 3 o'clock in the morning and deal with someone
[05:06] SPEAKER_00: who is irate and is on their way to a huge meeting in Germany.
[05:12] SPEAKER_00: And they're potentially going to miss their opportunity at a huge pitch.
[05:16] SPEAKER_00: And you can only imagine the level of stress that you're dealing with when you've got an
[05:20] SPEAKER_00: irrational, irrational traveler who's a very high-powered business executive trying to get to where
[05:28] SPEAKER_00: they need to go.
[05:29] SPEAKER_00: So it's a very different world.
[05:31] SPEAKER_00: To leisure travel.
[05:33] SPEAKER_03: And I think any of those of us that have done business travel and have
[05:38] SPEAKER_03: had flight cancellations and weather emergencies and all the other things can
[05:43] SPEAKER_03: appreciate the amount of work that goes into trying to find your way.
[05:48] SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's tough.
[05:50] SPEAKER_00: It's a lot of work.
[05:51] SPEAKER_00: It's a lot different to what people think it is.
[05:53] SPEAKER_00: And you're dealing with people who are traveling 70 to 75% of their life.
[05:58] SPEAKER_00: So as you can imagine, that is not fun.
[06:01] SPEAKER_00: That is not a leisure activity.
[06:03] SPEAKER_00: So the difference in when you're dealing with someone who's traveling out of necessity and
[06:07] SPEAKER_00: need as opposed to someone who's traveling out of want, it's a completely different game
[06:11] SPEAKER_00: that you're playing.
[06:13] SPEAKER_03: So as an entrepreneur, you've created your business.
[06:16] SPEAKER_03: You've created your kind of at the forefront of your journey.
[06:21] SPEAKER_03: What are you most proud of in terms of the work that you do?
[06:26] SPEAKER_00: I think honestly, the thing that I'm most proud of, especially today and in light of the current
[06:33] SPEAKER_00: situation post-COVID is just never giving up.
[06:38] SPEAKER_00: It's sort of been instilled upon me from when I was so young.
[06:42] SPEAKER_00: And I think that the foundation was set early for me.
[06:45] SPEAKER_00: I was a competitive athlete when I was a teenager.
[06:48] SPEAKER_00: And honestly, I can't say enough about how much I learned in that time in my life,
[06:53] SPEAKER_00: that tenacity and the willpower that you need when you want to achieve something outweighs
[07:00] SPEAKER_00: anything else.
[07:01] SPEAKER_00: And it taught me such a discipline at such a young age that I think it allowed me at a very
[07:07] SPEAKER_00: young age to see success in the business world because I already had such a grasp on understanding
[07:14] SPEAKER_00: that you cannot give up.
[07:16] SPEAKER_00: You cannot, when the chips are down, that is when you're going to perform at your best.
[07:21] SPEAKER_00: And it's also your chance to shine.
[07:24] SPEAKER_00: And so for me, I try to instill this on my staff as well, is that even if it's tough,
[07:30] SPEAKER_00: even if you're struggling, we're here to support and we're here to help each other.
[07:34] SPEAKER_00: And it's all about mentoring and it's all about putting your time into your people
[07:39] SPEAKER_00: and making sure that if you aren't giving up on that, you're a village, right?
[07:44] SPEAKER_00: We all work together.
[07:45] SPEAKER_00: And if you don't give up on each other and you've got the same common goals that success will follow.
[07:50] SPEAKER_00: And I think that's probably, I'm so passionate about that.
[07:54] SPEAKER_00: And I do thank my younger years of discipline, I think, for that.
[07:59] SPEAKER_00: And I know that my parents saw that in me as well.
[08:02] SPEAKER_00: And I think they always knew that I was always going to march to the beat of my own drum.
[08:07] SPEAKER_00: And I was always going to make it happen no matter what it was.
[08:10] SPEAKER_00: And COVID was absolutely horrific for us as you can imagine in our industry.
[08:16] SPEAKER_00: And that's what it took resilience and just believing in yourself.
[08:21] SPEAKER_00: And that's the biggest bit of advice I could probably give.
[08:24] SPEAKER_03: And I love that because it really is about that passion and that belief,
[08:31] SPEAKER_03: whatever you do as an entrepreneur.
[08:34] SPEAKER_03: So is there any advice that you give to somebody who's starting out as an entrepreneur?
[08:40] SPEAKER_03: That was great advice.
[08:41] SPEAKER_03: Anything else you can think of when someone's listening, thinking,
[08:45] SPEAKER_03: maybe I do want to take that chance.
[08:48] SPEAKER_00: You know, I think that the most important thing that you can do as an entrepreneur is listen.
[08:53] SPEAKER_00: And I think a lot of people go into starting a business thinking they know everything.
[08:58] SPEAKER_00: And the issue is that that will be your biggest downfall.
[09:03] SPEAKER_00: If you don't understand your weaknesses, the first thing that you need to ascertain is what
[09:08] SPEAKER_00: you need support in.
[09:10] SPEAKER_00: And once you know what you're what you're not so great at,
[09:13] SPEAKER_00: you're like, you can build the army around you to create that.
[09:19] SPEAKER_00: And it also empowers the people that work with you and for you.
[09:22] SPEAKER_00: So again, when I bring on new stuff and I'm mentoring them and I'm talking to them about
[09:27] SPEAKER_00: their journey and where we see them.
[09:30] SPEAKER_00: And you know, I always tell people to, you know, look for the forest through the trees.
[09:36] SPEAKER_00: And just listen and listen to those that know what they're doing and take as much
[09:42] SPEAKER_00: that you can from a wise person.
[09:45] SPEAKER_00: Because if you can emulate someone else's like steps to success, you will create your own.
[09:53] SPEAKER_00: And I think that when I sit with my staff and tell them that, those that have followed
[09:57] SPEAKER_00: in those footsteps and said, okay, I know you're doing it the right way.
[10:01] SPEAKER_00: I may think I know what I'm doing, but why don't I take a little leaf out of your book?
[10:05] SPEAKER_00: Because you know, the proof is in the pudding.
[10:07] SPEAKER_00: And maybe when I started when I was younger, I was super audacious.
[10:13] SPEAKER_00: And I thought I was so self-righteous like thinking of myself as a 20-year-old,
[10:17] SPEAKER_00: oh my gosh, I feel so bad to all my bosses.
[10:20] SPEAKER_00: Because I just thought that I knew better than everybody.
[10:24] SPEAKER_00: And now I've realized that it's some of my younger staff or my junior staff that can teach me
[10:30] SPEAKER_00: a lesson or two as well.
[10:32] SPEAKER_00: And I know what I can bring people on to help me be stronger at, right?
[10:36] SPEAKER_00: And when they understand that I have weaknesses, it empowers them to know that,
[10:41] SPEAKER_00: hey, maybe I can step up here and I can prove myself and show my worth.
[10:46] SPEAKER_00: So I think anybody that's looking to get into it, you have to first, you have to wear every hat
[10:51] SPEAKER_00: for a long time and be prepared to do a lot of work.
[10:55] SPEAKER_00: It is blood, sweat, and tears, no jokes.
[10:58] SPEAKER_00: But listen, and look to people who are successful and take advice from them.
[11:03] SPEAKER_00: And have a chat, like invite someone for a coffee that is in a position of success in that respect.
[11:11] SPEAKER_00: And pick their brain, like people want to share.
[11:14] SPEAKER_00: When you're in a position, you're normally an inspiring type of person.
[11:18] SPEAKER_00: You want to motivate others and help and see success.
[11:21] SPEAKER_00: So I think always draw on those around you.
[11:24] SPEAKER_01: Canada's podcast, the number one podcast for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.
[11:30] SPEAKER_03: I love that advice because I find the older I get, the more I've been in this business,
[11:36] SPEAKER_03: the more I realize I don't have all the answers.
[11:39] SPEAKER_03: And that's where I need to listen more to my clients or listen to others around me
[11:44] SPEAKER_03: to hear all the voices.
[11:46] SPEAKER_03: So I love that advice.
[11:48] SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
[11:49] SPEAKER_03: Is there any piece of knowledge or information about your industry in particular
[11:54] SPEAKER_03: that would be of interest to our listeners?
[11:57] SPEAKER_00: I think more that that distinction between that the industry is broken into many subsectors.
[12:03] SPEAKER_00: And you know, it's funny because when I'm at dinner parties or I'm socially around people,
[12:10] SPEAKER_00: travel is always obviously a very exciting thing to talk about.
[12:14] SPEAKER_00: The leisure side of the travel in my life, I'm really passionate about.
[12:18] SPEAKER_00: But that's my goal to live that life, which is what I do.
[12:22] SPEAKER_00: So I'm lucky enough that I'm living my dreams.
[12:25] SPEAKER_00: But my work side of my life is quite different to that.
[12:28] SPEAKER_00: So understanding that the corporate world of travel is a very complex and a very
[12:35] SPEAKER_00: high-pressured sort of environment.
[12:38] SPEAKER_00: I think it's interesting to know that it's such a necessity, especially post-COVID.
[12:45] SPEAKER_00: There's been a huge depletion in the quality of service in our industry.
[12:49] SPEAKER_00: And that's because of a lack of staff.
[12:51] SPEAKER_00: That's because of a lack of money to be able to put into the sector.
[12:54] SPEAKER_00: And therefore services such as Inspired, which is obviously a full-service
[12:59] SPEAKER_00: service people-based company, it's a bit of a rarity.
[13:03] SPEAKER_00: And so having someone that when you're standing at an airport and you know,
[13:08] SPEAKER_00: you have to go to the dreaded airlines line, not line up, there doesn't exist for our clients.
[13:13] SPEAKER_00: They just call us.
[13:15] SPEAKER_00: And there's something so amazing about that for corporates out there that need that kind of support.
[13:21] SPEAKER_00: I think that it's come almost to a point where people don't even realize that it does exist
[13:27] SPEAKER_00: to have this level of service.
[13:29] SPEAKER_00: And that's why it's important to know that it is there,
[13:34] SPEAKER_00: and that you do deserve to have more support.
[13:38] SPEAKER_00: You do need to take on the right agency within the industry.
[13:45] SPEAKER_03: And so let's talk about being based in BC. We're both on the west coast of Canada.
[13:51] SPEAKER_03: So what are some of the benefits of being based in Vancouver?
[13:55] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think the obvious, it is an amazing CDE to live in.
[14:02] SPEAKER_00: The work-life balance of Vancouverites has always been such an amazing concept to me.
[14:10] SPEAKER_00: I find that having come from a bigger CDE of Sydney, it was more of a
[14:16] SPEAKER_00: you know, sort of lived to work rather than a work to live.
[14:20] SPEAKER_00: I find that Vancouverites have a really great attitude towards trying to turn off, switch off at 5pm
[14:29] SPEAKER_00: and get out there and enjoy the great outdoors.
[14:31] SPEAKER_00: And it's something that I've really embraced since I've been in BC.
[14:35] SPEAKER_00: And also it's a great gateway to the market of North America.
[14:39] SPEAKER_00: So you've got this awesome little like pocket of amazing,
[14:43] SPEAKER_00: an amazing environment, amazing climate, great scenery, outdoorsy, healthy.
[14:49] SPEAKER_00: It's got an amazing sort of social vibe to it,
[14:52] SPEAKER_00: but you've got the rest of North America at your fingertips.
[14:54] SPEAKER_00: And the way we all operate in such a remote environment these days,
[14:58] SPEAKER_00: it's sort of like in my opinion, why would you want to work in any other part of North America?
[15:02] SPEAKER_00: I think it's like we get to sit in the little, the diamond here in the corner
[15:07] SPEAKER_00: and we can service everybody. So you know, it's a gem, it's a love it.
[15:12] SPEAKER_03: I could not agree more.
[15:14] SPEAKER_03: And so what are some of the challenges though of being in BC?
[15:21] SPEAKER_00: Look, I think that because specifically the challenges of being in BC is that
[15:28] SPEAKER_00: it is a lot smaller market. And so from a corporate perspective,
[15:32] SPEAKER_00: you don't have that same access to big corporate business necessarily.
[15:38] SPEAKER_00: However, given the industry that we're in and it is a very remote based environment,
[15:44] SPEAKER_00: we do have access to that based on the right sales tools that we use.
[15:49] SPEAKER_00: So although being based, for example, in Toronto or on the East Coast,
[15:54] SPEAKER_00: you'd have a bigger market to draw from.
[15:57] SPEAKER_00: We have the luxury of being able to live in BC, but still draw on that market.
[16:00] SPEAKER_00: But it would be the challenge is that you don't have the same corporate market.
[16:05] SPEAKER_00: So when in a corporate business, it is a little bit more of a challenge, so to speak.
[16:11] SPEAKER_02: Absolutely. Business leaders, ready to cut costs and boost growth with a recurring
[16:15] SPEAKER_02: billing solution that's built for you. Our platform won't just save you money.
[16:19] SPEAKER_02: It'll help you grow so that you make more money.
[16:21] SPEAKER_02: Build clearly, grow quickly with Visibility. To calculate your savings, head to visibil.com today.
[16:27] SPEAKER_03: So you move from Australia to Vancouver.
[16:31] SPEAKER_03: So this is a question that you will definitely be well equipped to answer.
[16:36] SPEAKER_03: So if somebody is moving to Vancouver and is thinking, how do they get a foothold,
[16:43] SPEAKER_03: is there any advice from your own experience of being a newcomer on how you made the connections?
[16:51] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, look, I've actually been here now for like 16 years, which is a long time,
[16:55] SPEAKER_00: but funny because when you think about that, when I came here, I was at a very different stage in
[17:01] SPEAKER_00: my life. I was a lot younger and I had a very different social world. And we didn't live in the
[17:07] SPEAKER_00: world of social media. We do now. It was very different. It was far more actively social city.
[17:14] SPEAKER_00: In that respect, you had to get out there and go and pound the pavement kind of thing.
[17:19] SPEAKER_00: But I would say, especially if you're starting a business and you've moved here and you're
[17:25] SPEAKER_00: starting a remote business, that's a huge challenge because you have the issue potentially of
[17:32] SPEAKER_00: being a little insular and being isolated. So I do know of just being in my community,
[17:39] SPEAKER_00: the community outreach programs are actually amazing. I'm blown away by how many different
[17:45] SPEAKER_00: social media platforms you can join that have groups. So you can join like women entrepreneur
[17:52] SPEAKER_00: groups. You can join women in business groups. You can go, they have socials. There's hiking
[17:58] SPEAKER_00: groups that you can join. I would say when you first come here, enjoy the city for what it is
[18:04] SPEAKER_00: and embrace your hobbies. And from that, you will meet people that are like-minded and then you're
[18:09] SPEAKER_00: going to see those people that are also in business and pursuing their dreams. And I think for
[18:15] SPEAKER_00: me, it's always following your passions and your dreams. You will sort of fall into the right
[18:20] SPEAKER_00: spot because you'll come up against like my- well, with-sorry, like-minded people. And then you
[18:26] SPEAKER_00: sort of help each other build those bonds. I think when you come front, when you're in X-PAT,
[18:32] SPEAKER_00: you naturally- like if I meet an Aussie or I hear of an Aussie, you have this like instant like,
[18:38] SPEAKER_00: well, we're connected because we're Aussies, right? It's that natural and it's the same
[18:42] SPEAKER_00: if a Canadian goes somewhere. That's always handy. But and it's the same, you move into state or
[18:47] SPEAKER_00: into province and you meet- you're from Saskatchewan and you meet another person from the prairies.
[18:53] SPEAKER_00: There's a natural bond. So there's always groups that are Australians in Canada or Brits in
[19:00] SPEAKER_00: Canada or whatever it may be. But I just think the social media, there's social opportunities
[19:06] SPEAKER_00: through social media. You know, there's like next door, which is your neighborhood program if you're
[19:11] SPEAKER_00: in the suburbs and then there's LinkedIn as well. And yeah, just get- you've got to get out there.
[19:16] SPEAKER_03: You really do. And I know being from Ontario Living in BC, the thing I noticed the difference is
[19:22] SPEAKER_03: Ontario people ask what you do for a living. See people ask what you did on the weekend.
[19:28] SPEAKER_00: Exactly. Yes. Like I said, it's like a- it's a- it's a work to live kind of city. But it is,
[19:34] SPEAKER_00: there's a cultural shift everywhere, whether you're just moving from province to province or
[19:38] SPEAKER_00: country to country. And I think as an expat, it is up to you to like understand the culture that
[19:43] SPEAKER_00: you're coming into and embrace it and immerse yourself as best that you can because you are coming
[19:49] SPEAKER_00: into a different culture. And sometimes it's hard to adapt. I found that in the beginning that I
[19:54] SPEAKER_00: was like, oh my gosh, it's so different to the way Australian and socialise. And it took some time
[20:00] SPEAKER_00: for me to understand people's sense of humour. Australians are extremely sarcastic and we're
[20:07] SPEAKER_00: really like- we have a pretty dry sense of humour. And so understanding those nuances and people
[20:13] SPEAKER_00: thinking you're an audience that aren't like that. So I had to adapt to a lot of things like that.
[20:19] SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't take long to fit in and love living here. So yeah.
[20:24] SPEAKER_03: Well, let's talk about success. How do you define success? But more importantly,
[20:29] SPEAKER_00: how do you celebrate your successes? Look, I think for me, success has always been and it's what I
[20:37] SPEAKER_00: constantly preach is time. And I know that sounds a little bit like what do you mean? It's time.
[20:44] SPEAKER_00: Obviously profitability comes first. We can't deny that. We have to- we do have to feed our families
[20:51] SPEAKER_00: and we do have to provide paychecks and we want our staff to be compensated like well.
[20:57] SPEAKER_00: But you know that you're successful as far as I'm concerned when you have time in your life
[21:01] SPEAKER_00: because time is freedom. And for me, it's been my goal right from the get-go is you have to find a
[21:07] SPEAKER_00: way to replace yourself and a good leader will be able to mentor and pass that on to their staff
[21:15] SPEAKER_00: and they'll be able to mentor their staff to become them. And I think when you see that,
[21:20] SPEAKER_00: it makes you so proud and it also shows you that you have succeeded and that and that you've
[21:26] SPEAKER_00: achieved those goals because then you can spend time with your family, you can travel, you can-
[21:31] SPEAKER_00: you know, I see my kids every day. Obviously, I can drop them at school, I can pick them up from school,
[21:37] SPEAKER_00: we all have dinner together. My children, I think, they think I don't do anything. I think that's
[21:43] SPEAKER_00: kind of the funniest thing is that that's life goals. My kids think that I don't do anything until
[21:48] SPEAKER_00: they realise that, you know, obviously, you know, holidays don't come for free. So, but for me,
[21:55] SPEAKER_00: and that's how we celebrate our successes. We live out the dream of travel and we travel all the
[22:01] SPEAKER_00: time. So, you know, anyone that knows me is always like, where are you? What are you doing? I take
[22:07] SPEAKER_00: my business everywhere I go. I'm always available to my staff, but I've got freedom. And I think for
[22:13] SPEAKER_00: anybody, if you're working, if you're living to work, like I said, you just bought yourself a job.
[22:21] SPEAKER_00: And so, if you're going to go through the blood, sweat and tears, and if you're going to put in the
[22:25] SPEAKER_00: time, which those first five years, as you know, I'm sure, that's what it takes. But if you can see
[22:31] SPEAKER_00: the forest for the trees, you know there's a bigger goal at the end, and you know that you're
[22:36] SPEAKER_00: going to buy yourself time in the end, that's the greatest success and freedom that I think you can-
[22:42] SPEAKER_00: get. And, you know, we do the same for our staff at work. Our success is celebrated twice a year.
[22:49] SPEAKER_00: We take our staff on a retreat, but it's an incentive retreat. So, we go to go away together. We
[22:55] SPEAKER_00: create memories. We build bonds. And it's something that everybody works towards. It's a huge goal
[23:02] SPEAKER_00: in our company. And they feel accomplished and they feel rewarded. And they remember it forever.
[23:08] SPEAKER_00: People don't remember a bonus necessarily. It's easy to spend that extra thousand dollars.
[23:13] SPEAKER_00: But you'll remember the memories that you make. And it's something that we pride ourselves on.
[23:17] SPEAKER_03: And it's a huge part of our company culture. I think that's absolutely great. And I know as a
[23:23] SPEAKER_03: working mom, I can relate as well that if I can get to school and give my kids the hug at the end
[23:30] SPEAKER_01: of the day, that success. Yeah, absolutely. Canada's podcast, the number one podcast for entrepreneurs,
[23:39] SPEAKER_03: by entrepreneurs. The flip side is how do you deal with fear and doubt that could creep in? And
[23:45] SPEAKER_03: especially, you probably had a lot of fear and doubt when we were going through the pandemic.
[23:51] SPEAKER_00: Oh, I mean, I think this is like, it was the biggest, the biggest, um, hurdle and the biggest
[23:58] SPEAKER_00: adversity we hopefully ever faced and ever will. But it takes a certain level of you can, you can
[24:07] SPEAKER_00: lay down and surrender. But I just knew that we couldn't, we had to dust ourselves off, we had to
[24:15] SPEAKER_00: pick up our socks, we had to pivot, we had to think on our toes, we had to put that entrepreneur
[24:20] SPEAKER_00: hat back on. And I think having had those years in the beginning of doing it ourselves and being
[24:26] SPEAKER_00: accountable and, you know, putting the responsibility on you and taking every job, you can go back to
[24:33] SPEAKER_00: that any time and you can do it again. If you've done it once, you can do it again. And, you know,
[24:37] SPEAKER_00: I have person, I've never doubted the business. I have always wholly and solely believed. So I've
[24:43] SPEAKER_00: never, I can honestly say I've never thought, oh, am I making the wrong decision? Is this the right
[24:48] SPEAKER_00: way to go? I built this, this business on passion and belief. So that was never a doubt for me.
[24:54] SPEAKER_00: My doubt comes from my own self-doubt of being, you know, I kept myself in the shadows for the
[25:00] SPEAKER_00: majority of our businesses life. And I think post-COVID I had this epiphany that if people need to
[25:07] SPEAKER_00: understand the backbone of my business, they need to understand me. And they need to understand that
[25:14] SPEAKER_00: in order to create something that can suffer through adversity and, and absolutely just like,
[25:21] SPEAKER_00: come out of it all guns blazing and blow it out of the water, they need to know that that comes
[25:26] SPEAKER_00: from the strength and integrity of the character of the people behind it. And I am absolutely like
[25:33] SPEAKER_00: terrible with like, I hate public speaking, I am terrified of any kind of media, anything like that.
[25:42] SPEAKER_00: And it's been honestly a crazy thing that's like, tarboard me for many years. And I realize that
[25:48] SPEAKER_00: like, I don't have a boss to tell me you have to do it. I could easily shy away from the things
[25:54] SPEAKER_00: that I was the most afraid of. And I, and after COVID, I was like, no, no more excuses. Like, come on,
[26:00] SPEAKER_00: if you can get through COVID, if you can survive that hell, you can do anything. So I was like, I'm going
[26:05] SPEAKER_00: to, I'm going to just pick up my big girl pants and I'm going to let the people know who I am. And I
[26:11] SPEAKER_00: think bringing a, bringing a person into a people-based business was always sort of the key. And
[26:18] SPEAKER_00: yeah, fear will always be there of your, you know, personal self-doubt. But I've got kids,
[26:26] SPEAKER_00: I need to show them that, you know, if I want them to step up and join a new activity or if I
[26:31] SPEAKER_00: want them to be able to do a presentation in their class, Mum's got to be able to do it too. So
[26:35] SPEAKER_00: I really need to lead by example for my staff and, and for my children. And so, yeah, that's been my
[26:41] SPEAKER_00: like big personal hurdle that I'm hoping I can get through, you know, in the next phase of my
[26:47] SPEAKER_03: career. Well, and I find that a lot of people want to know the person behind the business. We're
[26:54] SPEAKER_03: tired of these faceless corporations. We want to see the person with the passion, the person with
[27:01] SPEAKER_03: the inspiration. And, and that's going to inspire people. And we, a lot of us, I know myself,
[27:08] SPEAKER_03: I like to spend money in a place where it's authentic, it's aligned with my value. So I think
[27:15] SPEAKER_03: that's great that you're, you're showing up and you're letting people know who you are. Because
[27:21] SPEAKER_03: we all need more authenticity. Yeah. So, where do you see your business in five years? You've had
[27:30] SPEAKER_00: an interesting five years. Yes, to say the least. I think, again, coming out of COVID,
[27:37] SPEAKER_00: you learn so much about how much resilience you really do have and how much potential maybe
[27:44] SPEAKER_00: was sort of sitting a little bit at bay. And, and I think that, you know, I, I think that we were
[27:51] SPEAKER_00: a little bit somewhat complacent pre-COVID because everything just went along smoothly. We were
[27:56] SPEAKER_00: doing really well. We had a very nice, comfortable life. And, you know, the business was in was,
[28:02] SPEAKER_00: was doing well, COVID really sort of like lit a bit of a fire. And it made me realize that,
[28:08] SPEAKER_00: hang on, I can do more than this. Like, we were forced to pivot through COVID and take on new
[28:13] SPEAKER_00: challenges and new projects, purely out of necessity. And it made me realize that I need more of
[28:19] SPEAKER_00: this in my business. If I can get back there, I'm going to go absolutely guns blazing. And that's
[28:25] SPEAKER_00: pretty much what we've done. So we'll continue on with our expansion through Canada. And then the
[28:30] SPEAKER_00: hope is to have international expansion even into next year. So that is really exciting for us.
[28:38] SPEAKER_00: But I also feel like it's, it's a natural next step. We've grown exponentially since COVID,
[28:43] SPEAKER_00: which I think is a somewhat of a surprise because people think, oh, you know, COVID is obviously,
[28:48] SPEAKER_00: it was devastating to our business. But since then, what has really worked to our advantage is that
[28:55] SPEAKER_00: people are realizing how important service over volume is and people are realizing that
[29:01] SPEAKER_00: quality over quantity is what is needed in anything. You do need someone you can rely on.
[29:07] SPEAKER_00: You do need someone when you're traveling that understands the real details of your trip and
[29:12] SPEAKER_00: understands the details of the destination you're going to and has your back. And I think more so
[29:17] SPEAKER_00: than ever, the corporate travel service is absolutely integral to any businesses success.
[29:24] SPEAKER_00: And so we've really been able to prosper from that in pushing our message and pushing our vision.
[29:30] SPEAKER_00: And it's helping us grow now. And we can see the writing on the wall for the vision going forward.
[29:36] SPEAKER_00: And I think we've got this new level of just like determination and tenacity because of that,
[29:42] SPEAKER_00: those adversities. And so again, it's like, don't see those pitfalls as
[29:48] SPEAKER_00: negatives in your life. See them as an opportunity to become stronger. And I think that's how I look
[29:53] SPEAKER_00: at it. It was devastating at the time. We were many tears. We thought we were going to lose
[29:57] SPEAKER_00: everything in our life. But we just kept going. And now it's like, this guy's the limit, right? So
[30:04] SPEAKER_00: I think the growth trajectory for us is very exciting. And I can't wait to see where Inspire
[30:11] SPEAKER_03: will be in 2024 and 25. Oh, it's, it sounds very exciting. And especially as we continue to travel more.
[30:19] SPEAKER_03: In terms of advice that you received as an entrepreneur, is there a book you read or
[30:26] SPEAKER_03: or somebody you've spoken to, any advice nugget that's really helped you, that you want to share
[30:34] SPEAKER_00: with people that are listening today? I think, look, I look to entrepreneurs that
[30:40] SPEAKER_00: we all go to the big entrepreneurs that have done so well and say, oh, I want to be the next Steve
[30:44] SPEAKER_00: Jobser. I want to be the next Mark Cuban or all those sort of people, right? And they're kind of
[30:48] SPEAKER_00: pie in the sky. But if you actually break down the journey of these people, I think what resonates
[30:54] SPEAKER_00: so well with me is that, you know, I look at someone like, I love Richard Branson. I think he's just
[31:01] SPEAKER_00: an amazing entrepreneur. What I love about him the most is that he came from humble beginnings and
[31:08] SPEAKER_00: he followed a dream and a passion. And I think, you know, he, he suffered through the adversity of
[31:15] SPEAKER_00: education battles and he wasn't, you know, dyslexic and he went through so many troubles in high
[31:21] SPEAKER_00: school and look, I struggled in high school, not academically in terms of the ability, but I,
[31:27] SPEAKER_00: I was not a good scholar. And I think it's because I am not, you know, I can't follow the herd ever.
[31:36] SPEAKER_00: I've never been able to and put my parents through hell like, I'm sorry. Now, I'm like,
[31:41] SPEAKER_00: please kids, don't do this to me. But, you know, I think taking from sometimes being a little bit
[31:47] SPEAKER_00: different and like, and just marching to the beat of your own drum, like I said, is so powerful. So
[31:54] SPEAKER_00: I think it's looking at those entrepreneurs and realizing that those that have come from those
[31:58] SPEAKER_00: humble beginnings, which a lot of them and most of them have, it's the, it's the greatest foundation
[32:03] SPEAKER_00: that you can, you can have, right? So yeah, I would sort of say to people that feel like, you know,
[32:10] SPEAKER_00: I haven't had a head start. I haven't had, you know, I haven't had that backing or I don't have
[32:15] SPEAKER_00: a safety net, but neither did I. And neither did some of the biggest, most successful entrepreneurs
[32:21] SPEAKER_00: there are. And I think there's something to be said about that. If you do come from humble beginnings,
[32:26] SPEAKER_00: you've got to, you've got the best chance of anyone because you've got this determination and you've
[32:33] SPEAKER_00: you know, you've got the chance to take the risk. So, you know, I'm all about, I'm a risky entrepreneur
[32:38] SPEAKER_00: and I follow those people. I take risks because without risk, there is no reward. If you don't have a
[32:44] SPEAKER_00: safety net there or you don't have something already in place for you, you have to take the leap.
[32:49] SPEAKER_00: And, you know, so I'm always very inspired by entrepreneurs that have that outlook and it's kind
[32:55] SPEAKER_00: of what I've followed and it's been my mantra too. It's like, even when you think the chips are
[32:59] SPEAKER_00: down and it could be risky to do something, that's when you've got to, you've got to pass
[33:04] SPEAKER_00: on and you've got to do what you can to get there, right? Absolutely. And I love Richard Granson as well
[33:09] SPEAKER_03: because of his dyslexic story and the fact that he had a learning disability, but he, he still has
[33:19] SPEAKER_03: Sean using working on his strengths instead of focusing on his weaknesses, which is usually what
[33:24] SPEAKER_00: people want to do. Yes, it's just so inspiring and if you can take those nuggets from people and
[33:33] SPEAKER_00: realize that you don't have to be cookie cutter, you don't have to follow a certain, you know,
[33:40] SPEAKER_00: algorithm, like you can shine all on your own. I'm so big on that and I do that with my staff, you know,
[33:46] SPEAKER_00: we always talk about finding the right seat on the bus and it is so important. You can be on the
[33:52] SPEAKER_00: bus, but you probably shouldn't necessarily be the driver and you're maybe not best being up the
[33:57] SPEAKER_00: back either. We may need to, you know, put you a bit further up the front. You've got to find
[34:00] SPEAKER_00: your seat and when you do find your seat, the sky's the limit. Absolutely. Well, this has been a great
[34:06] SPEAKER_03: conversation and I really enjoyed chatting with you before we sign off. Is there anything else
[34:13] SPEAKER_00: that you want to say? Oh, look, I think that anyone who's thinking about taking that chance,
[34:21] SPEAKER_00: do your homework, make sure you have a clear vision, understand your business and what it is,
[34:26] SPEAKER_00: the model that you want that you want to move forward with. And I think don't doubt yourself,
[34:32] SPEAKER_00: don't doubt your ideas and business and you have to go for it. You need to, you need to have the
[34:37] SPEAKER_00: logical steps in place. You need to understand how business works. So draw on that community around
[34:43] SPEAKER_00: you, talk to people that have done it before you, but moving on from that, let your passion and let
[34:50] SPEAKER_00: your dreams lead the way and be afraid that they might not work because you're going to fall,
[34:56] SPEAKER_00: you're going to fall many, many times, but you have to just pick yourself up and know that with
[35:00] SPEAKER_00: every fall that you have, you're getting a little bit stronger and you're going to see more success
[35:06] SPEAKER_03: in the end. So yeah. Great advice. Well, thank you. And if anybody is listening, how can they find
[35:13] SPEAKER_00: you online? Also, I mean, our website, you can go to inspiredtravelgroup.ca. I'm also
[35:20] SPEAKER_00: on LinkedIn and we're on Facebook and the company is on LinkedIn and Facebook so you can find us
[35:25] SPEAKER_00: there. Shoot us a message and you know, if we can help with corporate travel for any company,
[35:31] SPEAKER_00: we would love to be able to put some policies in place for you and design a productive
[35:37] SPEAKER_03: travel program. Well, thank you. And we will look forward to talking to you again.
[35:42] SPEAKER_00: Thank you. It was lovely. Lovely to talk to you. Business leaders. Ready to cut costs and boost growth
[35:48] SPEAKER_02: with a recurring bill explosion that's built for you. Our platform won't just save you money.
[35:52] SPEAKER_02: It'll help you grow so that you make more money. Beal clearly, grow quickly with visibility.
[35:57] SPEAKER_02: To calculate your savings, head to visibill.com today. Canada's podcast, the number one podcast
[36:03] SPEAKER_01: for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.