Kieran Wade’s Post

Who doesn’t love a road trip? I have loved them for as long as I can remember, and many decades after I learned to drive my enthusiasm for a trip is undiminished. It is even better when I have the opportunity to combine my love of a road trip with the Glencraft Luxury Mattresses ethos of customer service. 🔑 Customer Visits Are More Than Business: Stopping by in person to meet customers offers invaluable insights into their world. It’s about more than just business—it’s about understanding their challenges, celebrating their wins, and fostering real living partnerships. 🌄 The Journey Inspires Innovation: Whether it's a scenic detour or a quick pit stop at a local café, the sights and sounds along the way spark reflection and creativity. These moments offer a fresh perspective on how to approach customer needs. 🤝 Stronger Connections, One Mile at a Time: Face-to-face conversations lead to richer discussions and stronger bonds. A handshake and a smile go a long way in reinforcing trust and partnership. Today’s trip was relatively short in distance but just as valuable. My thanks to Kerry Barron and the team at Parliament House Hotel, Edinburgh for their hospitality. I can definitely recommend the homemade shortbread.  🚦✨ #RoadTrip #CustomerFirst #BuildingConnections #OnTheGo

Building Trust Through Adventure: LTG Cargo's Journey into the Wild The end of May heat, a 12 km trek, basic maps, compasses, water, snacks... and soon, a swamp surprise! What does this have to do with building trust within a management team? Last week, our 64 LTG Cargo managers embarked on a unique adventure. In a single day we focused on the significance of the journey itself, not just the destination. This experience fostered deeper and more lasting trust among the team. Here's what we discovered: 1. Building Blind Trust Quickly: For 10 minutes, we walked blindfolded, relying solely on the first person in line to guide us forward. With eyes veiled, trust and communication flourished. 2. Finding New Perspectives on Happiness: We approached four individuals on our route and asked them "how would you describe happiness?" Their diverse responses served as a reminder that happiness manifests differently for everyone. 3. Uncovering Strengths Together: This wasn't a walk in the park and navigating the wilderness wasn't always smooth sailing. We encountered detours and even a swamp crossing! But by leveraging each other's strengths, we navigated these challenges and emerged as a more unified team. So here are my key takeaways: ⭐ Shared experiences outside our comfort zones create lasting bonds of trust and fellowship.  ⭐ We learned the power of perspective – happiness is a subjective experience.  ⭐ Sometimes, the simplest solutions are right in front of us (like using moss to find direction!). This experience was a powerful reminder that while achieving results together is important, fostering genuine connection and understanding takes us to the next level!  #TeamBuilding #LeadershipDevelopment #LTGCargo 

I often talk to my team about how important it is to solve for the customer. The beautiful thing about our two-sided marketplace is that our teams have the opportunity to make an impact for two kinds of 'customers': helping would-be holiday-makers discover new and amazing destinations that they almost certainly wouldn't have found without #groupon and help our hotel and tour partners achieve their revenue goals. Getting great feedback like we did this week from one of Haley Bolinger's hotel partners reminded me of one of the key reasons why we do what we do. #winwinwin #travel #helpbusinessesgrow

When small businesses ask for a review, please don’t put it to the side. Take a few minutes and write even two quick sentences. It weighs heavily for all businesses but especially small businesses. #smalltravelagency #suitcasegals #googlereviews #writethereview

💬 "Every day comes with its own challenges. Every road leads to the unknown, and you gotta be prepared for it." Life on the road can be unpredictable, especially when you're navigating the stunning yet surprising landscapes of Eastern Washington. From the dry desert-like terrain to the charming Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, my journey has been filled with unique experiences. One highlight was indulging in authentic German cuisine while exploring Leavenworth's quaint shops. The town, once an old logging hub, transformed into a tourist haven, proving that creativity can breathe new life into a community. 🍽️ As I faced the unexpected challenge of getting stuck in the snow, it was a reminder of the resilience needed in van life. Thankfully, with some traction pads and a little creativity, I turned a setback into an adventure. ❄️ Here are a few takeaways from my journey: → Embrace the unexpected; it often leads to the best stories. → Discover hidden gems that showcase local culture and history. → Always be prepared with the right tools for challenges; they can save the day. → Find joy in the little things, like a delicious meal or a cozy night in. What unexpected challenges have you faced on your journeys? Share your stories below! #VanLife #TravelAdventures #ExploreWashington #EmbraceTheUnexpected #Leavenworth

The value of service cannot be underestimated. I arrived at my hotel today and was given a bottle of water and a sealed envelope. When I opened the envelope, I had a nice handwritten note concerning my stay, What a nice gesture. The note was a nice touch in providing service and commitment to personal excellence. Here are three ways to provide service: ❤️One way to add service and commitment to your team is by consistently recognizing and appreciating their efforts. Acknowledge their hard work and dedication, and reward them for their contributions. ❤️Another approach is to provide ongoing training and development opportunities to help your team grow both personally and professionally. Invest in their skills and knowledge to show your commitment to their success. ❤️Lastly, fostering a positive and supportive work environment can enhance the level of service and commitment within your team. Encourage open communication, collaboration, and a sense of belonging to create a team culture that values service excellence and mutual support. #customerservice #tonypollardspeaks #committment #discipline

Starting a new season in your life came be intimidating 📖! But when your Chapter 1 begins with poms poms, cheers, and a Red Carpet - it is a story that anyone can get on board on 🎉. This Monday we welcomed over 50 New Cohearts that started a new story in their life today. While everyone’s Chapter at Southwest Airlines begins the same, the next page to the next Chapter embarks a different journey, as our New Hires venture to the Flight of Their life into their own Careers ⬇️! 💙 A Cohearts Chapter 2 can lead them to helping one of our customers board our plane. 💖 A Cohearts Chapter 3 could be analyzing the latest technology to help modernize our operation. 💛 A Cohearts Chapter 4 could be flying 150 passengers to their next destination. Like every happy story, there is a plot twist where one may encounter. At times we may go through turbulences that may cause us to challenge ourselves. However, no matter what happens through that turbulence, we have each other to ensure we land safely. And despite our differences at Southwest Airlines, we all land the same way; by being #ONETeam – no matter what chapter we may be in our #SWALife ✨. Where are you in your story 📚 ? Rather you are in the planning phase of your career, in the middle of your professional journey, or heading towards your Happy Ending – we all start somewhere, and for many it starts today! Happy Monday 💙💖💛! #recruiting #networking #jobseekers #SouthwestHeart #jobseekers #mondaymotivation #motivation #opportunities #letsconnect #aviation #culture

Happy New Year from the Happiest Place on Earth Disneyland Resort. Here are my top 10 New Year’s resolutions: 1. Be present with my family. This is especially hard because of the next resolution. 2. Grow Winston Francois to 8 figures. But this is still second to number 1 above. 3. Get rid of my cognitive biases. Recency bias is my Achilles. Right Cait Anderson? 4. Move my body every day. 5. Eat well — mostly healthy and nutritious — but not in an obsessive way. 6. Drink more water. I have to get back on the giant jug of water bandwagon. 7. Have a regularly scheduled date with my wife every week. 8. Invest in my team. For me, that means connecting with every team member every quarter. 9. Roll out a clear mission, vision and values for the company — and get everyone excited about it. 10. Scale myself so I can fire myself as a consultant and work “on” the business instead of “in” the business. What are yours?

🎉 Happy New Year! I'm working today. I’ve worked through this year - Christmas Day was my only day off. It’s been an interesting shift, and a bit different from the last few years. December is always one of our busiest months at Wellington Cable Car Limited with over 90k passenger trips. January will be busier.... 🧑🧑🧒🧒 - Normally, I’d be on leave and still checking emails, thinking about everything going on - it is our busiest time and I am a top Cable Car fan. But this time? I’m just working. And surprisingly, I feel more in control. I have a better understanding of the operations, and they are running with precision! - Having me on-site means we can adapt faster, make roster adjustments on the fly, and scale up or down as needed. - It’s rained nearly every day. Not ideal for visitation or cruise ships coming into port, but honestly? It makes me feel better about being at work. I know my time off is coming. And it’s made me more excited than ever. I’ll be able to switch off knowing the operations have been set up for success. There is so many unknowns as we enter each year. But right now? Working through feels like a good decision. #Leadership #Operations #WellingtonCableCar #Tourism #BusinessLeadership #WorkLifeBalance

If you don’t know yet about our Corporate Services, then just watch Vincent in this short video, simple, easy, voilà!