You Just Never Know!

NOTE: Article originally appeared August 2017.

In August, I will be singing the National Anthem at the Padres Game in San Diego. The game is the final event at the ASTA conference. It is a privilege and honor to do so on behalf of ASTA and all travel agents.

While I am known in these pages as the Sales Coach, I am a bit of a split personality as my other moniker is the Singing Salesman. Growing up, I was obsessed with sports but also had a passion for musical theater and earned a degree in Vocal Performance (Opera).

Now, with my career in travel, I am about to become the Singing Travel Agent at the ballpark! My worlds collide!

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I must admit that I never would have envisioned this opportunity when I was young. Instead, like so many thousands of other kids, I saw myself hitting the walk-off home run in the final game of the World Series. I can still remember pretending to run the bases, arms outstretched, to thunderous cheering.

That was the ultimate dream and desire of my life for at least 10 years. However, when it was apparent that I could not hit a curve ball (or many other pitches), my dreams turned to football.

I was determined to pursue my vision of being a professional football player, and so I played football in college. For one year. It then became obvious that I did not have the right skill set to survive let alone excel.

So, I took the normal path from football to opera! I sang professional opera for a few years and then returned to my love of musical theater. While I met my bride in theater—like baseball and football—the stage also did not become my life path. Through a story too long to share here, I became a travel agent and have been in this business for almost 35 years.

What does my life story have to do with you and your business? I’m simply pointing out that while you need dreams and plans, you also must be open to following where your talents may take you. If your vision for your business is not coming to fruition, take a step back and determine a new path based on your strengths and passions.

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I love the travel business, and I have integrated both my love of sports and theater into my career. You can be the Dancing Travel Agent or the Knitting Travel Agent or the Family Travel Agent—or whatever you want.

I long dreamed of walking onto the diamond at a professional baseball game for years but never did I think it would be doing so as the Singing Travel Agent. You simply never know where your talents may take you, so just keep pursuing opportunities to use them!