It's Never Just the Ticket: Trust, Tech, and the Advisor Relationship, with Mike Liben

That's sort of what I was going to ask.

One of the things that we in the IT field sort of acknowledge when you go into this field, and I tell young people that they're interested in working in technology, I'm like, the only thing that's going to be consistent is that it's going to change.

Probably within your working life, you'll have to go through four or five massive major changes where you're going to have to relearn There's just all the things you might have done before.

Your day-to-day is going to change.

But to your point, the fundamentals don't change ever, really.

And I think that's the part that's really the most important part, like the things you learn that are right.

Just think about it.

So what are some of the changes you've seen in independent travel agencies over the years? I'm sure when you were a kid and listening and being part of the business, what's some of the changes that have happened there? And I would love to hear what stayed the same.

Yeah, so when my dad first started out, and as I was kind of observing what he did, and I would spend a lot of time at the office, right? Whenever I was at school, I was at the office.

In fact, I have the great pleasure to work with a lot of people now who remember me as a kid running around

the office.

Oh, that's so cool.

So that's really cool.

You know, and I think what's changed is early on in the industry, this was really just about you sold air.

right, the agent of the airlines who were out there, you were selling the airline's product, which is why they were called travel

agents.

And I think, and you know, what has really changed over the years, especially in the last 10 to 15 years, is a move from, we are agents of the airlines, and the primary responsibility is to sell their product

to,

we are advisors of our clients.

And that is why now actually, you don't hear the word travel agent as much, you hear travel advisor.

And that is because it is a move from, or it's a move towards really, we are advisors of our clients.

and really trusted advisors, the people that do it really well.

I was going to say that the space for a trusted advisor in this area is probably huge because You know, it's like, I'm sure, I'm sure just not to put words in, but the idea is that the things that stay the same is that trust, that knowledge, that professionalism, the people and getting things done for you.

So, you know, I would say, I assume that stay the same, but is there any lessons that really like jumped out? Like when you started, when you kind of came back into the business or into this field where you're like, man, this is, this is sort of how I remembered it.

Yeah.