When someone asks if I like what I do, my reply is always the same, what I do beats working for a living. Yep, think about it – I get to travel, meet great people, stay in great hotels, dine in fabulous restaurants and venues, get to enjoy activities and experiences that many don’t even know exists much less get to do, AND I get paid for it. Can it really get any better?
Yes, this completely ignores all the things we wade through to get to the good part. We’re part of an industry segment that ranks in the top 10 for most stressful positions – #5 in 2018, just behind military, police, firefighter and airline pilot. No, it’s not easy. But the reward, when you consider the incredible feeling of accomplishment when things click and your guests can’t get the smile off of their faces because they are overwhelmed by how the result of your hard work made them feel. I like that. No, I don’t like it; I love it.
Many people live their entire lives hating what they do, counting the minutes, hours, days, and years until they can retire. I, on the other hand, sold my company last year and could have retired and just walked away. But that’s not the path I chose. I assumed a role with the new company, joining a group of folks that I have tremendous respect for, and continue to connect, question and learn just as I have for the previous 27 years with my own company. Yes, it took (and in some ways, still taking) some adjustment to my new role as I find my way. I continue to be part of an amazing industry, with an almost never-ending opportunity to be personally mentally stimulated, amazed and excited and at the same time deliver pure, unadulterated joy, filled with experiences and ideas that our guests would never have the chance to appreciate on their own.
And so I return to my initial question – Can it really get any better? I don’t think so.
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Wayne Wallgren, CIS
Director, Global Development
GlobauxSource