You may be shocked to learn that I don’t know everything (despite my impressive stealth googling). None of us do. But sharing what we do know can be the key to raising the industry up.
Even before the pandemic, the travel industry was seeing a changing of the guard. Industry greats were retiring and taking with them decades of knowledge. And now, with an influx of new blood, we’re in desperate need of that knowledge. So how do we get it?
Mentors: the ultimate travel guides
Holly Velardo is the owner of HollyDay Travel in Adelaide. She is also a director for the Australian Travel Agents Cooperative board.
Every Thursday, Holly sets aside some time to meet with Mat Lewis. He’s a business coach and the founder of View Retreats. And Holly says, “he’s just fabulous”.
“The way that he sees straight into your brain, and he pulls apart a problem is unbelievable. His insights have helped me set some goals in business and break things down step by step.”
Holly was matched to Mat by the Travel Industry Mentor Experience (TIME), after winning one of its scholarships. And his guidance has proved invaluable, she says.
“You get into these ruts when you do things because that’s how you’ve always done them,” Holly tells Karryon.
“And we’re so busy now that taking time to learn something new, or network, or streamline can fall into the ‘too hard’ basket. Mat has helped me see things that I don’t.”
Mentee to mentor: it’s a two way street
Like Holly, Evolution Travel Collective‘s managing director Ingrid Berthelsen has benefited from having a mentor.
“I was a mentee with TIME back in 2015,” she tells Karryon.
“The program helped me enormously in my own career and that’s why I remain so involved today. I have been the state representative for TIME in Victoria for the past three years and involved with organising the networking events and promoting the program in Victoria for about five years now.”
And now it’s Ingrid’s turn to be a mentor.
“Being able to help others within the industry and give back is a big part of why I choose to mentor.
“You also have the opportunity to learn from the mentee – gain new perspectives, listen to different opinions etc… I believe all of those things create better leaders for the future.”
“There is an opportunity for us to really fast track transfer of knowledge and build the leaders of tomorrow via mentoring,” Ingrid says, “particularly with people retiring from the industry as well as the staffing issues most are currently facing.”
“We continue to see young leaders coming into the industry and I believe mentoring is a great way for people at all stages of their career to continue to learn, whether that is through mentoring themselves or becoming a mentee.”
Finding your wing(wo)men
And while organisations such as TIME can be really beneficial for some, sharing knowledge needn’t be so formalised.
Informal ‘mentorship’ can be just as valuable, and it can come in many different forms. A coworker with more experience in the industry can provide guidance and support, or a conference speaker can share insights and advice that sticks with you.
Even social media connections can be a source of mentorship, with industry leaders sharing their knowledge and insights online.
Meet our Travel Leaders
Karryon’s goal is to connect people, together in travel. We know you have questions and we know the people who can answer them.
In our Travel Leaders series we’ll be sharing the stories of how industry greats have gotten to where they are today and what they’ve learned along the way. We’ll ask them your questions.
Who do you wish you could speak to? What do you want to know? Reach out to me at editor@karryon.com.au.
