Wounded Warriors - Tommy Middaugh

As Jeanette mentioned in her previous post Giving Back ~ Jeanette Bunn all of us at Travel To Go believe in giving back to the community. That’s why I’m a strong supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization that addresses the needs of injured service members through unique programs and services. I have seen the devastating effects of war on our soldiers over the years, and I find it important to recognize their dedication, their courage and the sacrifices they make to defend our nation.

 

As a young adult, I wanted to join the army and go fight the war in Vietnam but my parents talked me out of it. My brother had already gone there and earned a Purple Heart for his courageous efforts, and my parents were concerned about sending their only other child away. I saw my former classmates come back from Vietnam hurt physically and/or emotionally and face a very hostile nation. Like many other Vietnam War veterans, they were traumatized by the brutality of the war and later on were treated like dirt or even rejected by their own society. I knew back then I would make a lifetime commitment of giving back to our soldiers and veterans.

 

I’m very proud of my son Richard, who came back from his deployment in Afghanistan earlier this year and just completed his military service with the U.S. Army. Caring about our soldiers has been an even more personal cause because of him, the stories he’s told me, and the many sacrifices our soldiers still have to make today.

 

The Wounded Warrior Project gives our veterans opportunities they may not have access to otherwise. I also ride with the Patriot Guard Riders, a non-profit organization whose mission is to show respect for our fallen heroes and their families, as well as shield them from potential interruptions from protestors at funerals. In late September, I’ll be attending the Kern River Rock & Bluesfest in Kernville, CA. This 3-day event is a fundraiser to help with the construction of the Bakersfield National Cemetery Memorial Walkway and honor our soldiers who didn’t make it home alive.

 

 

Giving back ~ Jeanette Bunn

By now, you probably know that at Travel To Go, our #1 motivation is “Making Dreams Come True”. One way we do this is by providing 5-Star service to our 50,000 members. Another way is by being involved in our community and donating charitable contributions and our personal time to several non-profit organizations.

 

As the co-president of Send Me On Vacation, whose mission is to provide much needed vacations to women with cancer who have undergone treatment and need a place to rejuvenate, I was very lucky to attend the latest SMOV retreat in June 2013 in Hawaii with a dozen participants. I was able to see first hand the incredible work our organization does and how it helps bring women back to a loving place and show them what life can be again. I was delighted to be a part of these women’s incredible journey of courage and I can’t wait to help plan more survivor vacations in the future.

 

Travel To Go also recently sponsored the Royal Family KIDS golf tournament in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Royal Family KIDS is the nation’s leading network of volunteers, churches and professionals who work together to provide summer camps and mentoring programs for children ages 6 to12 who are in foster care. By sponsoring this golf tournament event, we were able to help raise enough money to fund a summer week of camp for more than 7000 kids. We were fortunate enough to be able to not only financially sponsor this event, but also offer an all-paid vacation package in Hawaii as one of the silent auction’s prizes during the charity dinner.

 

It’s organizations like Send Me On Vacation and Royal Family KIDS, who are so determined to improve the physical and mental well being of people in need, that keep us committed to giving back to our community over and over.

What my team teaches me ~ Tommy Middaugh

Managing small and large teams is one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve faced in my professional life. It’s given me the opportunity to become a better leader and a better person. But as important as leadership can be in our world, few people realize the efforts it takes to become an effective leader.

 

Most people tend to manage their employees’ performance at the expense of their professional development. I strongly believe it is my responsibility to provide my team with an environment that enables them to learn new skills and grow. To me, a good leader is a mentor, someone who behaves as a role model, shares his knowledge, encourages continuous learning, and provides constructive feedback. In return, I listen to my team’s suggestions, I ask for advice and I adjust my management style. My goal is to learn as much as my team does. That’s why I’m so thankful my team introduced me to social media and showed me new ways to reach people’s lives and spread more good around the world. You can follow me on Twitter @TravelToGoTommy.

 

I’d like to share this TED Talk video by Itay Talgum, a great orchestra conductor of our times. Talgum observes the styles of several famous conductors of the 20^th century to illustrate what leadership and management skills can get the most out of a team. Once you picture your company as an orchestra it can help you understand how you can behave to create a beautiful symphony. As Itay Talgum says, “[a conductor's] happiness does not come from only his own story and his joy of the music. The joy is about enabling other people's stories to be heard at the same time.”

 

 

 

 

 

Togethering through travel ~ Jeanette Bunn

With so many family members separated by busy schedules, different lifestyles, and hundred or thousand of miles, taking a vacation together is a wonderful opportunity to bring everyone together and forge new family bonds. Multi-generation travel is becoming more common today and many luxury timeshare properties make it easy for up to three generations to stay in the same unit, sharing common areas just like at home.  But vacationing under one roof allows families to reconnect in many more ways than just watching TV together or sharing a formal family function.

 

Kids get to enjoy the company of their relatives in a more informal and relaxed setting. They love the extra attention everyone can give them without the distractions of everyday life. Grandparents get to spend a lot more time with their children and grandchildren than they would during a holiday meal. This gives them an opportunity to share childhood stories the grandkids may never have heard of before. Grown-ups get a chance to share what’s been going on in their busy lives over a glass of wine or a cocktail while relaxing by the pool or visiting a brand new city.

 

Traveling together gives families the opportunity to share their vacation with the people they love the most and make one-of-a-kind memories. If you’ve taken a multi-generational vacation, what did you enjoy the most about it? If you haven’t yet, where would you take your whole family and why?

The places I've seen and what I've learned ~ Tommy Middaugh

Just like Hank Snow sang it so well "I've been everywhere - Hank Snow", I’ve been everywhere, whether it’s by riding my Harley on desert roads or flying to Orlando for a business trip. The natural and man-made surroundings vary a lot and the people may look quite different on the surface too. But I’ve learned that underneath it all, we have a lot more in common with strangers than we realize.

 

 

People around the world all want the same things, including physical and financial security. They want to love, feel loved, and be happy. They’re proud of where they’re from, and for plenty of good reasons. Most people are genuinely friendly and helpful. They will share much about their world and lives if you take the time to listen to them. These conversations can help you reevaluate your own priorities at home, so give them a try.

 

Travel really offers the best education in the world. Seeing where and how people live with your own eyes beats reading about it or watching it on TV. If you’ve ever been on the Small World ride at a Disneyland / Disneyworld park, the lyrics of the song say it all. As far apart as we can live, there are a lot of feelings and aspirations we all share and should be more aware of.

 

“It's a world of laughter, a world of tears

It's a world of hopes and a world of fears

There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware

It's a small world after all.”

 

  

 Sorry if you end up with that song in your head all day long!

 

What 5-Star service really means ~ Jeanette Bunn

Since the day we founded Travel To Go, we’ve been working hard at “Making Dreams Come True” and providing 5-Star service to our 50,000 members. Our goal is to go above and beyond what our members expect from a travel club and to give them an exceptional traveling experience in terms of quality, service and value:

 

·         Quality: we feature a large variety of vacation options, such as beautiful, spacious condominiums in sought after locations, and luxury cruises in many attractive parts of the world

·         Service: we don’t just provide traveling options to our members (cruises, tours, hotel and condominium stays), but also educate them on the advantages of each depending on their personal preferences and needs.

·         Value: we’re able to offer some of the largest discounts in the travel industry (up to 75%)

 

Travel To Go employees sincerely care that all members receive outstanding customer service by being:

·         Friendly from the moment they pick up the phone and greet you as a human being, not a number

·         Enthusiastic about your vacation plans

·         Caring about your specific needs (e.g. travel dates, traveling far away or close to home)

·         Respectful of your requirements (e.g. looking for family-friendly destinations when traveling with children)

·         Productive by booking your reservation promptly

·         Thankful for your member loyalty

 

If you’ve experienced our 5-Star service first-hand, we’d love to hear from you in the Comments section below.

 

Integrity in business and leisure ~ Tommy Middaugh

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” — Alan K. Simpson

 

Integrity is the adherence to moral and ethical principles and is often synonymous with honesty. In the business world, integrity is at the core of a company’s success. In today’s highly competitive business world, customers have more choices than ever before and easy access to them through the worldwide web. So they will often opt for those companies displaying the most ethical behavior. Integrity leads to trust, which is essential to attract first-time customers and obtain repeat business. Without integrity, a company won’t be able attract new customers, as well as the necessary business partners. The company may fail to thrive and eventually collapse.

 

So where does integrity come from in the business structure? It is up to the company’s leader to set the moral compass for all employees and departments. Once the leader / CEO establishes integrity as the heart and soul of the business, it will trickle down to reach everyone underneath. One of the best ways for employees to show integrity is to be their customer’s advocate. They need to ask themselves if they are doing their best to offer the most valuable products and services. Do they keep their advertising promises and deliver on customer expectations? Being able to answer these questions truthfully and making the necessary changes is what makes the difference between an average company and a great one.

 

Of course, integrity is a moral principle that applies to your personal life, not just your professional life. Your personal reputation and relationships are crucial to your happiness, so why risk it? As C.S. Lewis said so wisely, "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching."