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Articles to inspire, educate, and provoke you to curiosity, action, and communication with yourself, your team, and your community.


From Operator to Guide: Mariana Caliuolo on Building What Lasts
Leading Naturally: Conversations - This series is a collection of conversations with leaders in travel, people building meaningful work while navigating real complexity. We talk about the moments that changed them, the questions they’re still holding, and what it takes to lead with clarity, courage, and humanity over time. Mariana — thank you for being part of this. I’d love to reflect a bit on your journey and the transition you’ve been navigating. Q. To start, take me back


Leadership, Motherhood, and the Decisions That Add Up
The opportunities we take, the ones we decline, and the leadership choices that accumulate over time. Leadership is often shaped by the decisions no one else sees. The opportunities we take. The ones we decline. The private calculations we make about risk, responsibility, and what people might think. For many women, especially those raising children while building careers, these decisions carry an extra layer of complexity. The awareness that whatever choice we make may be ju


People Leadership Stories: Vice President of Conservation Engagement and Learning
This month, I interviewed several past participants of the Leading People Program TM (LPP) to check in and see how their leadership and life, may have shifted since their experience. Darcie Larson, Vice President of Conservation Engagement and Learning, Seattle Aquarium, joined my spring 2025 cohort. This is her progress about six months later. Q. Are there specific changes you made to your leadership style since participating in the Leading People Program TM ? A. I was abl


People Leadership Stories: Chief Experience Officer
This month, I interviewed several past participants of the Leading People Program ™ (LPP) to check in and see how their leadership and life, may have shifted since their experience. A.W., Chief Experience Officer, Good Trip Adventures , joined my spring 2025 cohort. This is their progress about six months later. Q. Are there specific changes you made to your leadership style since participating in the Leading People Program ™ ? A. I've become much more intentional about pau


Time For A Change
by Casey Hanisko (for my coaching clients) All of us have the wild inside. The ability to get larger, louder for our voice to hold more pride punch power. Our bodies like the sleek and timid cat who arches their back puffs its fur and tail hisses - warning! I am dangerous. See me straighten my spine, tilt my chin, raise my arms, and say, What do you think of this? I am here. Watch out. I am the lion, watching through the grass. I am the dog, baring its teeth I


AI Trends + Tips Every Tour Operator Should Know
A practical AI snapshot for 2025 - note: new resources will be added to the bottom as they come in! You don’t need to be a tech expert to...


Creating Space: Retreats Solo or Shared, Here's How to Begin
Earlier this year, I made a commitment to go on four writing retreats. I kicked things off on Vashon Island, a quiet, short ferry ride...


Leadership Books for the Curious + Evolving Leader
Here’s a curated list of books for executive leaders who drive results, shape cultures, inspire teams, and rethink how we work and lead....


Rethinking Tourism: A New Lens on Travel, Impact, and Connection
There’s an old saying that travel broadens the mind, but in our fast-paced, hyper-connected world, does it always? Tourism, as it stands,...


The Tale of Three Employees
Leading people is challenging — a journey filled with rewarding moments and constant opportunities for growth. Every experience, whether...


From Flat Tire to Leadership: A Journey of Learning and Growth
The other day, I found myself walking my bike down a trail, five miles from home, with a flat tire. I was frustrated with myself. Hours...


Networking, Time Management, Strategic Planning Tips and More!
On a bi-monthly basis, I write a regular column, providing business expertise to Safari Portal's passionate and loyal community. These...


The Gift You Give Your Team
“I have so much on my plate. I just spent four hours on a proposal this morning, and last night after dinner, I was reviewing another...


The Next Brave Thing
My finger hovers over the submit button. “Okay, why not?” I ask myself. “What do I have to lose?” Sometimes, life feels like I am just...


A More Human Management
There was a time when I was less patient, less understanding, and less forgiving of others and myself. Early in my career in my first...


Turn Frustration into Fascination
I turned the draft pages of the brochure one by one, looking at the photos and the copy. On the cover was a dark photo of a sunset. The...


How Saying Yes Saved Me, and My Marriage
“I can’t believe he wants to get a two-seater convertible.” I was at lunch with a colleague, explaining how with two young kids it just...
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