Thank you! I just looked at the calendar and realized that a little over six years ago, Richard Earls called me and asked if I would be interested in being the Editor of this new free thing he was developing for travel professionals to give them the tools to excel in their businesses. I enjoyed writing, I had gained a lot of experience writing for MSNBC, Richard was already well respected in the industry, and so I jumped on board. 304 columns and six years later…here we are! And between my weekly column and editing of the others, I have gained such valuable insight into the industry, my business, and yours! And for that I thank you. As I was mulling all of this, I realized that the one common thread is sharing.
Over the years, I have seen my agency go through some ups and downs as we all have. But today, it is a solid agency with a well-defined focus and direction. This was not done entirely on my own. I was able to peek inside the agencies of hundreds of colleagues on the TRO Community, ask questions, get and give advice–for free. I was able to read about the successes and failures of the brave agents who have offered to write for the Travel Agent Diary series. I have had my share of “aha moments” reading the Agent Perspectives and the Point To Point columns where we bring industry experts to your computer screen. And of course, the weekly insight from Richard Earls in his Publisher’s Corner or 365 Guide is always guaranteed to make me think in a slightly different way. When you toss in the TRO Tips and the Supplier Profiles and other tools—I sometimes wonder how any agency ever struggles!
And it works the other way as well. I have had some of the columnists come back to me with appreciation for TRO making them better communicators in their websites, blogs, brochures, and correspondence in general. It looks like a win-win situation to me.
But the benefit is certainly not restricted to me, and the people that are writing for TRO. The final product has always been designed, crafted, and presented with you in mind. TRO has remained true to their initial mission—free tools and advice for travel agents. Six years ago, it seemed a bit of an odd proposition, but it worked! And from many different perspectives, I thank everyone for making it so!
Are you familiar with all the tools? If not, maybe it is time to take a look; you have nothing to lose!
