What inspired you to work for TravelBud?
I had spent quite some time abroad and worked in the commercial field beforehand. I decided the best way I could give back was to help young people live a similar experience in their own unique way.
I also fully believe in giving back to communities and what better way to see the world and make a meaningful difference than through the uplifting of the youth of every country you live and work in.
Describe a typical day at work.
Lots of emails to and from potential teachers sprinkled with checking in our marketing platforms and making sure we reach the right people. Following that, I'll have consultations with prospective teachers and run them through all the ins and outs of their chosen program. Then I will answer the multitude of questions that undoubtedly follow (and rightly so) when planning such an adventure!
Why do you do what you do?
Making a difference in people's lives which, through direct correlation, makes a difference in the life of at least one other person. This has the potential for this to be even more impactful through our amazing teachers.
I've also been fortunate enough to live a life of travel and have seen some amazing places and had some extremely unique experiences. I feel that everyone should travel as much as possible. Seeing the world and traveling is the only way to truly understand the world.
Eating snakes and scorpions on a stick for dinner is one way to step outside your comfort zone.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part is speaking with the prospective teachers on a consultation and hearing the excitement in their voice as they talk about the exciting journey they are about to embark on. Relaying stories to them of my travels and then giving them the final acceptance onto their program and the reactions I get makes it all worth it!
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Don't sweat the small stuff. But don't let the small stuff become the big stuff. It's a new philosophy I'm adopting in my life but it applies to travel as well. You've got to be open to all manners of experience and they will not always be pleasant.
But if you're open minded and allow things that would usually stress you out and concern you to just fizz on the side whilst being open to some change like last minute flights and less than adequate accommodation you'll be much happier. However, don't let these small things become major stresses in your travel. Don't leave a flight or hotel booking till the day of but don't structure it too far in advance. Some folks can't do that, I get it, but always try to be less regimented when exploring a new place.
What makes your organization special?
The overwhelming sense of family. We strive in the office to make everyone feel as part of every decision as possible. Obviously there are some higher level things to which not everyone can be privy to however we try as much as possible to garner a sense of responsibility and contribution through our team.
I believe this has a direct impact on the way we deal with out clients. From the very outset they are included in every step of the process and given all opportunities to voice their concerns but also to tell us about their expectations for their upcoming journey! We love hearing back from our alumni and when we hear the amazing things they have done we have a little celebration! Making a difference keeps us going!
"Everything the light touches is your kingdom" One of my favorite quotes from Mufasa!
Why should someone choose TravelBud over competitors?
Having award winning support is obviously a major positive draw factor. For a lot of folks this is a brand new adventure and their first time away from home or solo travel. Having someone dedicated to you both in country and prior to departure is great peace of mind for a first timer.
The lifetime placement is a huge one for me as well. In an ever growing and competitive economy, having a guaranteed position for the foreseeable future is a great safeguard. But the most important thing is that we've all done it before and we have scars to prove it! Speaking with someone who knows what you're going through and the trials and tribulations of solo travel adds a personal aspect not often seen in most industries.
What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?
Well with things cracking on around the world with the new galactic voyages launching to space and Elon making waves. I reckon within the next few decades we'll be offering our world class support and programs to those brave teachers willing to teach on Mars! Jokes aside I think we're in a very good position to take our services to some extremely exciting new areas far reaching from our current position.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to continue to provide teachers with life changing experiences all the while making sure it is a smooth and carefree journey. We constantly strive to achieve higher levels of service and opportunity to our clients. We also believe in growth and are determined to continuously expand into new areas, industries and experiences, giving the best possible solution to an individuals' travel abroad expectations.
Cambodia's future best and brightest learning and engaging in their school work.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
A sense of worldliness, I'd like them to walk away from a few years teaching knowing that they have taken huge strides in making their own lives richer in experience and life lessons. I want them to walk away with a fuller heart knowing that they have gone out into the world and knowingly or unknowingly made a difference in at least one person's life. We're leaving the world a better place by offering opportunity where it may not previously have been.
If you could participate on one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would head to Japan. I have felt a weird connection to Japan and the Japanese culture. I don't know why or when it started but there is something about it that resonates with me. I think it is so completely different to anything I have experiences before in all facets of life not just in cuisine or transport.
They do everything differently and often times better. I'd love to be out there and see how it all works but also explore some of the different problem solving techniques they use in accordance with lessons learned from nature and history. Lot's to unpack there so catch me for a cold beer to discuss!
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It can be summed up in a quote from the movie Good Will Hunting, "So if I asked you about art you’d probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo? You know a lot about him. Life’s work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientation, the whole works, right? But I bet you can’t tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You’ve never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling."
There is now more than ever, so much information at our fingertips and we're blessed with 4K documentaries on everything! But there is something to be said for being in a new place, seeing with your own eyes and using all of your senses to create a memory.
As a group, we experienced true, meaningful travel while in Bali, Indonesia!
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
The cynic in me says it isn't. With modern technology developing the way it is, translators will become so good that in real time you'll be able to have a conversation in your own language with someone from the most remote part of the world.
However, I think there is a misunderstood physical attraction to learning a language. Coming from Africa we have a lot of languages which use the tongue in a really unique ways. The same can be said of some European dialects and Asian and the rest of the world.
There is something beautiful about the pronunciation of words from other languages. Plus, it is a huge sign of respect to the people you're conversing with if you've made the effort to learn their language to speak in their country.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
DO IT. You will not regret it! It will be the single most rewarding experience of your life regardless of the outcome.
You will leave your comfort zone and meet different people from different places who will show you hospitality and compassion that you'll be hard pressed to find in your own country. Every single person older than me I have spoken to has said how much they regret not traveling more when they had the chance.
We only get older and believe me, that shared dorm room you can put up with in your twenties becomes a stretch in your thirties. After that it's only hotels and AirBnB's. Take the time while you're young and open minded to go explore this life before it's too late!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is about more than finding meaning in one's own life. Whilst this is certainly a huge part of it, introspection and self discovery, it is giving back that really matters. Now, I don't mean full on philanthropy and working in rice fields every spare minute you have or cleaning up beaches on the weekend (although some this would be greatly appreciated).
I mean spending time genuinely being interested in the area you are and the people you meet! Remember that a lot of people who work at the tourist spots, restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and more don't have the opportunity to travel like many of us have been fortunate to do. Spending time with them, telling them about your culture giving them a real sense of what it would be like to visit your country whilst being an ambassador for your homeland is part of giving back.
Being friendly and respectful is also giving back. Smile at people, stop and chat and make someone's day. We are after all, people of the world. The little bonus of living a meaningful life of travel in my books is that you'll find the self discovery. Also, the introspection finds you when you're least searching for it.
