I'm sitting here at my desk this Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving and just opened up iTunes and chose some holiday music. I know, a little early but it just felt good to me.
I'm thankful for our volunteers and teachers who ventured overseas this year to make a huge difference in people's lives. They gave their time, they gave their money and they made sure they left their communities and schools better than they found them.
Our company and business model runs on a strong overseas partner network. I'm thankful to all 54 of our overseas partners. It has been one challenge after another in 2011 and you have demonstrated your patience by hanging in there with us. And I'm thankful that you are so open-minded. We sure came up with some very creative programming ideas in 2011, which you embraced with a smile and operated flawlessly.
2011 has seen the number of voluntourism sending organizations double. Everybody and their brother thinks they can do this from home and that it's easy. Cruise lines offer 2 hours of volunteer projects and call themselves "sustainable" and resorts and hotels sprinkle in a few hours of volunteering like I would spices on my food--and they call that voluntourism. I'm thankful for our competitors who copied some of our programs. My friend and business partner, Kevin Morgan, constantly reminds me that
"imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." I, however, "like" the Facebook Page
Imitation Is NOT The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery...It's Just ANNOYING! To our competitors who copy our programs and think you can do them better and cheaper…I invite you to "like" that Facebook page. But thank you for showing me our program ideas are great.
I'm thankful for our staff. We have it right. It has never felt so good and comfy around here. These are dedicated men and women who live, eat and breathe taking care of our volunteers, teachers and overseas partners. They check their emails on their days off. They make overseas calls from home when necessary. They have some of the best ideas I've ever heard and I've done this work since 1975.
I'm going to name a few people I'm particularly thankful for being in my life personally and professionally. I'll leave some people out by mistake, and I'll piss off a few others. Happy Thanksgiving to you all anyway.
Working with family has its ups and downs and it is especially hard on the staff because they have no idea who to go to when they get frustrated. I'm thankful that my daughter, Alexandra, was able to take us to the next level of how we use social media. My son, Christopher, has been with us since day-one and you can't imagine what a wonderful feeling that is.
Few spouses can live together for many years. And I have one who has not only found a way to live with me, but work with me as well. I am so difficult. I want everything done my way, and everything done right, and I second guess everyone's decisions except mine. And
"I want it yesterday." So I'm thankful that I have a spouse who can live with me and work with me and who can take all of my negatives and turn them into positives…unselfishly. She's content to stand in the shade. We share our office, our ideas, our hopes and dreams. She puts all these wonderful programs together by taking my ideas and bringing them to life. We would have evaporated into thin air if it were not for Rebecca.
Voluntourism.org popped on to my radar in 2008. I flew out to San Diego to meet Dave Clemmons. In the last 3 years we have spent quality time together, and I'm very thankful for you, Dave. You have shown me the light, and you make certain that light never goes out. You don't even allow it to flicker. You walk your talk and that's an incredible example for the rest of us. Thank you for spending a year in Jordan and in an area of the world that is so important to be in right now. The work we plan to do together next year is so exciting for me, because even at my old age you continue to show me I can learn.
There are a lot of "vendors" that help us so much. Mitch over at
GoOverseas has been incredibly helpful and lots of fun to talk to. Gregory Hubbs at
TransitionsAbroad has brought our listings there to life and is a huge tribute to the incredible work his father did in this field. But amongst them all, Troy Pedden and Crispina Reynera at
GoAbroad.com have demonstrated so much patience and in particular, Troy has shown me
"the heart" of business ethics and in all honesty, they rise above anyone else's I know.
When are we friends with our competitors? How many of our competitors can we sit down with and have a few beers and talk for hours? Go for bicycle rides in California? I'm very thankful for two of my competitors who are now two of my very close friends. They are no longer my competitors. We simply share the same interests. I'm talking about Randy Sykes, the President of
ISV Student Volunteers and Jean-Marc Alberola, the President of
Bridge. And while I'm at it, I'm adding in here Alexia Nestora, the owner of Lasso Communications and who runs the
Voluntourismgal Blog. Before that, Alexia was the President of i-to-i North America.
When GeoVisions decided to offer volunteer and teach abroad programs these three people more than anyone else opened their companies, their minds and mostly their hearts to show me the very best way to provide volunteer programs responsibly. I cannot imagine my life without the 3 of you in it.Where do I pick up my statue? Oh…this is my Thanksgiving post.
Normally I'm ranting in my posts about online reviews and cruise lines and resorts jumping on the band wagon and deluding themselves and their customers that they are really making a difference in the world. So this personal post is a huge departure from the norm of what you would see here. For those of you who wonder if I have a heart…see? I do. For those of you who prefer my rants…stay tuned next week.
In the meantime, if you celebrate Thanksgiving,
Happy Thanksgiving. If you don't, have a great week and weekend and I trust we'll see you back here next week.