Lolita Jackmon is a highly accomplished professional who began her career in the hospitality industry, working for renowned hotels and airlines. With a deep-rooted passion for travel and a commitment to creating unforgettable experiences, she quickly established herself as an asset in the industry.
Driven by a desire to make a difference, Lolita transitioned into grant writing, focusing her efforts on increasing diversity in STEM majors through partnerships. Through her expertise in crafting winning programs and proposals, she successfully secured grants to promote inclusivity and empower underrepresented individuals to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
With a keen eye for detail and a talent for evaluating grant proposals, Lolita expanded her career by collaborating with grant funding organizations. Her meticulous evaluation of proposals ensured that resources were directed towards impactful initiatives, fostering innovation and societal change.
Lolita’s journey led her into a flourishing project management career, where she excelled in strategic planning, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement. Her ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver projects successfully while maintaining a focus on quality and client satisfaction earned her widespread acclaim.
Motivated by her unwavering love for travel and her desire to help others experience the wonders of the world, Lolita embarked on the entrepreneurial path, founding her own travel business. Drawing from her expertise in the travel industry, grant writing, and project management, she is committed to curating exceptional travel experiences that leave a lasting impact while promoting sustainability and inclusivity.
As a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in hospitality, grant writing, and project management, Lolita brings a unique perspective to the travel industry. Through her writing, she strives to empower travel businesses with valuable insights, resources, and opportunities, enabling them to navigate challenges, embrace innovation, and contribute to the industry’s recovery and growth.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Lolita Jackman, who shares her passion for travel and where she looks for travel inspiration that enables her to help her clients with their dream vacations. We also do a deep dive into the topic of grant writing as Lolita walks us through the research initiation and planning phases of grant writing, shares some of her favorite tools, and warns of the pitfalls to watch out for when approaching grants.
What You Will Learn in this Episode:
- Key elements to consider when building a successful grant application
- How Lolita built Global Gypsy Travel and what sets her approach apart from other travel agencies
- The importance of planning and strategic partnerships when applying for and managing a grant
- Strategies that you can use to find, evaluate, and apply for federal, state, and private grants
- Benefits of working with a grant writing coach, and how can they help improve the success rate of grant applications
Collaborating to Achieve Your Goals
In this episode of Destination on the Left, Lolita shares her experiences and insights into the travel industry and grant writing, offering valuable tips and advice for those who are interested in pursuing either (or both!).
One of the key takeaways from this episode is the importance of collaboration. Lolita emphasizes the value of having partners in achieving your goals, whether in grant writing or consulting with clients. She also shares how her company Global Gypsy Travel allows for a wide range of options for clients.
Reach Out to Your Network
Collaboration is essential when it comes to grant applications — Lolita stresses the importance of finding potential partners and building a network when seeking grants. Not only does this help demonstrate a wide range of support for your project, but it can also open up opportunities for further collaboration and growth beyond the initial grant.
Successfully Applying for a Grant
Another valuable insight shared by Lolita is the importance of thorough planning and budgeting. She discusses how it can be tempting for applicants to assume that their chosen subject “should” be funded without properly explaining the issue and demonstrating why there is a need for it.
In order to build a successful case study and stand a chance at securing significant grants, proper planning and budgeting are essential. This includes identifying partners and creating a memorandum of understanding before submitting an application, and having a clear and thorough explanation of each item in the budget and how it will be used.
Resources:
- Website: https://myglobalgypsy.com/
- Website: https://mygrantwritingcoach.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/globalgypsy/
- July Grant Coaching Cohort: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grant-coaching-july-2023-cohort-tickets-641585237717
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Dana Le is a healthcare innovation expert and Founder at Wander Health. She was previously on the Founding Team and Head of Operations at KidsX, one of the worlds leading digital health ecosystems focused on accelerating pediatric innovation. She built, designed, and managed the programming for the nation’s most prominent healthcare entrepreneurial programs. Prior to this role, she strategized innovative payment models at ECG Management Consultants and cofounded a community ventures program at Dell Medical School.
Dana received her Master’s of Health Administration from Columbia University and Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin. Dana was recently selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Healthcare and a TEDx speaker.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Dana Le about how she came up with the idea for Wander Health and why talking to your customers is the best strategy for remaining relevant. We also discuss the intersection of healthcare and travel and the importance of having access to the right medical care when traveling.
What You Will Learn in this Episode:
- Dana shares more about the evolution of her company and how she took Wander Health from idea to solution
- She steps us through how she did her research into what travelers need from a health care plan
- The problem with relying on a telehealth appointment with a US primary care physician or a credit card concierge
- The three services that Wander Health provides and how people access care when they’re abroad
- How using Wander Health can enhance the experience for a travel agent or tour operators customers
- Dana discusses what a greenfield market is and shares her experience of innovating in the travel tech space
Staying Healthy When Traveling
In the latest episode of the #DOTL podcast, guest Dana Le sheds light on an issue that can be a huge concern for many travelers: the limitations of travel medical insurance. She shares her personal experiences, highlighting how she encountered this ongoing issue every time she went abroad.
One of the key insights Dana discovered was the alarming statistic that 40% of people fall ill or sustain injuries while traveling. Considering that approximately 81 million Americans traveled abroad last year, a staggering 33 million individuals face health challenges during their trips. This disruption is significant, regardless of whether people are traveling for business or leisure, as it dampens the overall experience.
How Wander Health Helps
Dana shares the three essential solutions Wander Health offers to address the limitations of travel medical insurance. Their booking service enables travelers to schedule urgent care appointments while abroad. The upcoming chat feature connects users with local doctors via text or WhatsApp, providing guidance on healthcare issues and medication queries.
Wander Health also allows travelers to search for and purchase over-the-counter medication equivalents, even offering delivery services. These comprehensive offerings ensure real-time care and support for individuals navigating healthcare needs while traveling.
Innovating in the Travel Healthcare Space
To foster innovation, it’s essential to listen to customers and understand their needs. Stagnation can be seen in industries like travel and healthcare, where customer experiences often fall short. However, companies that prioritize the customer and adapt to their needs, like certain airlines, can create exceptional experiences and build strong reputations. By actively seeking to improve and innovate, travel healthcare providers can make a significant impact on patients’ lives, even with small changes.
Resources:
- Website: https://www.wander.health/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wanderhealth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderhealthco
We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/
Passionate about custom travel and creating unique travel experiences for his clients, Tom Casey is a longtime expert on travel to Ireland and the British Isles and, more recently, has explored many regions of Scandinavia—including Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Tom runs Old Sod Travel along with helping manage Scandinavian Travel.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Tom Casey about the business strategies that have made his travel companies successful, including focusing on your niche, hiring and nurturing a good team, and building reliable partnerships overseas. We also discuss how his business weathered the challenges of the pandemic to make 2023 their best year yet.
What You Will Learn in this Episode:
- Why Tom left the corporate world at age 50 to run his own business
- How Tom’s companies have evolved over time and why finding the right niche was of huge importance to their core business strategy
- Tom’s team’s commitment to creating exceptional travel experiences and how it really differentiates his company
- What Tom is doing right now to make 2023 his strongest year yet, and the unique, authentic features of their brand
- Some of the fabulous partnerships Tom has built with suppliers in Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia
Fine Tuning Your Niche
One of the key strategies that has fueled the growth of Tom Casey’s business is finding and honing in on a specific niche. Tom emphasizes the importance of fine-tuning what you want to do and excelling at it. This approach has allowed his company to focus more on delivering exceptional client experiences.
Old Sod Travel and Scandinavian Travel prioritize providing high-quality vacations, and because of this, they often invest in sending employees to business meetings and conferences in Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia, enabling them to gain firsthand experience and build confidence in selling their offerings to potential travelers. The positive feedback in the form of five-star reviews further reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering outstanding vacations and fuels their passion to continue excelling in their niche.
A Committed Team
Tom Casey’s business model includes a unique approach to his team, which has evolved over time. Initially, he hired stay-at-home mothers due to budget constraints, and one of them eventually became his business partner. They recruited friends with similar backgrounds, creating a social and enjoyable work environment. The workforce genuinely cares about clients and understands the travel style they sell, which aligns with their own experiences. This inherent understanding makes it easier for them to recommend luxury accommodations and convince clients that the extra expense is worth it for a truly satisfying experience.
Truly Customizable Tours
The flexibility granted to employees, such as working a few hours in the morning to communicate and collaborate, allows for customization and personalized trip planning. Unlike other companies that claim customization but offer limited options, Tom’s team goes the extra mile, traveling with clients and making themselves available whenever needed. Their commitment to building relationships and providing comfort to nervous first-time travelers sets them apart from the competition.
Resources:
- Website: https://www.oldsodtravel.com/
- Website: https://scandinaviantravel.com/
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Tristen Norman is the Head of Creative Insights, Americas at iStock and Getty Images. She operates as one-part visual anthropologist and two-parts data scientist working across disciplines to understand what motivates visual selection, identify trends within visual language, and use this data to help shape the development of Gettys creative content globally. Leveraging consumer research and social and cultural listening and pairing it with proprietary data, Tristen hones in on the valuable insights that feed the development of Getty Images’ own creative collections.
A passionate advocate for elevating marginalized voices within creative spaces, Tristen also plays a critical role in supporting and advancing initiatives and partnerships to champion diverse visual narratives at Getty Images and beyond.
Tristen’s experience stems from over nine years in creative design, market research, and brand strategy. Before joining Getty Images, Tristen was most recently a Senior Experience Strategist at Wunderman, where she was responsible for developing creative, data-driven omnichannel creative brand strategies for clients across various industries. Tristen earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Temple.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Tristen Norman about how the era of ‘no normal’ has impacted content creators and what destination marketers can do to ensure they’re telling multilayered stories. We also discuss the importance of interrogating our content choices to improve our marketing and stress that it is the little choices that make the most significant impact.
What You Will Learn in this Episode:
- Why wellness is an ongoing content trend and how we can make it a universal experience
- How to create multilayered stories to share with prospective visitors
- The importance of remaining authentic as a brand
- What kind of imagery consumers are looking to engage with
- How to take a deep dive into your content and identify the gaps
- How Getty Images’ VisualGPS tool can help you diversify your content library
Why Authenticity is Key
In today’s travel marketing landscape, authenticity has become paramount, and it’s essential for brands to share authentic images and narratives. Tristen explores the challenge of maintaining authenticity while telling layered stories and emphasizes the importance of investing time, resources, and energy in the process of authenticity.
Through image testing and surveys, Tristen’s team discovered that consumers respond most to images that represent slices of real life. These visuals should reflect diversity, different cultures, communities, and lived experiences.
Take a Step by Step Approach to Curating Your Content
DMOs and brands need to analyze their existing content and identify how they can best fill any gaps, such as concentrating on little-known attractions of their destination. Incremental changes can lead to a profound shift in the audience’s relationship with a destination. Rather than attempting to solve all the world’s problems at once, brands should take a step-by-step approach, assessing what’s available, what can be swapped in, and what resources might be needed. Starting with small, manageable changes is the key to building an authentic brand narrative that resonates with audiences.
Tools for Content Creators
When it comes to tools and resources for content creators and marketers in the travel industry, Tristen mentions several options available through Getty Images. She also shares how to stay updated with industry insights, trends, and conversations via their VisualGPS Insights tool, which provides data and insights on global visual content trends, helping marketers make informed choices.
Resources:
- Website: https://www.gettyimages.com/
- LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristennorman/
- LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getty-images/
- Creative Insights: https://creativeinsights.gettyimages.com/
- VisualGPS: https://visualgps.com/
- iStock: https://www.istockphoto.com/
- iStock blog: https://marketing.istockphoto.com/
- VisualGPS Insights tool:
- https://www.gettyimages.com/visual-gps/insights
- https://www.istockphoto.com/visual-gps/insights
- Content Planner: https://custom.gettyimages.com/creative-content-calendar/p/1
- Guidebooks, Toolkits, Collections: https://www.gettyimages.com/corporate-responsibility
We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/