How do you stay in business for decades? This episode we talk about how Jamie Anderson purchased Travel & Cruise Desk in 2019 from his mother-in-law, Sandy Hanna. He is a third-generation owner of a company that is celebrating its 60th year. He is interviewed by Heather Graves-Ramsey, owner of Coach to Brilliance, about how a business achieves longevity. Heather specializes in Executive Coaching & Leadership Development. Michelle O'Dell hosts and of course Chamber CEO Liz Hartman will share all the insider information we all need with What You Need to Know in LO!
Travel and Cruise Desk: Travel & Cruise Desk | Travel Agency | Lake Oswego, OR
Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Tamara David and Liz Tafel - Circulars - Grocery Outlet (Podcast: Episode 11: Better Together-A Conversation with Community Award Winners - https://business-lo.simplecast.com/episodes/building-better-together-a-conversation-with-community-award-winners
Lake Oswego Review - https://lakeoswegoreview.com/
Rotary Club of Lake Oswego - https://www.lakeoswegorotary.org/
Rose Festival - Portland Rose Festival
Tigard Balloon Festival – Festival Of Balloons( Multi-Chamber networking Friday, June 20, 7:30 am)
Lakewood Festival of the Arts - Lakewood Center Presents: The 62nd Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts! June 20-22, 2025. – Lakewood Center for the Arts
Millennium Concert Band - Performance Schedule – Lake Oswego Millennium Concert Band
July Fourth Lions Club Pancake Breakfast
Fourth of July Parade – walk with the Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Foundation, Leadership Lake Oswego Star Spangled Celebrations 2025 | City of Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego High School Graduation – June 6
Lakeridge High School Graduation – June 5
LIZ HARMAN:: [00:00:00] This is Business LO, a podcast by the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce, which connects, educates, advocates, and champions, our business community. We have nearly 500 members from international corporations to home-based businesses, and we serve them all. Each episode of Business LO gives insider information to the Local business community and the neighbors who support them.
LIZ HARMAN:: And now let's talk Business LO.
MICHELLE ODELL:: So today is Monday, May 19th, 2025, and this episode publishes on June 1st. And we're so excited to discuss Longevity and succession plans with our very. Special Chamber member Jamie Anderson. He is the agency owner of the Travel and Cruise desk in Lake Oswego. Now, they specialize in providing upscale booking and travel experiences to their valued leisure and business clients and those seeking the.
MICHELLE ODELL:: Very best for their once in a [00:01:00] lifetime special occasion. And they do so much more than that. And we're gonna talk about that as well. Travel and cruise desk experience beyond celebrating 60 years in business, and it's one of the reasons we're talking to him today. I'm Michelle O'Dell, and joining us is Heather Graves Ramsey, owner of Coach to Brilliance.
MICHELLE ODELL:: She specializes in executive coaching and leadership development. And of course, everyone's favorite chamber, CEO, Liz Hartman will share all the insider info we need to know with what you need to know in LO. So let's just take it away. Heather, is this
HEATHER GRAVES RAMSEY:: your first podcast?
Speaker 4: This is my first podcast, yeah.
Speaker 4: This is your
Speaker 3: first podcast. Okay. It is indeed. So Jamie and I were in Leadership LO together. That's how we met. So I'm really excited today to have an opportunity to talk to you about your business and how this business has. Been around for so many years and it's gonna be around for so many more. Love it.
Speaker 3: Welcome.
Speaker 4: Well, thank you. I'm so [00:02:00] excited to be here and I really appreciate the opportunity to share a little bit a bit about our business.
Speaker 3: Jamie interested to learn a little bit about you, your history, how you got to where you are now.
JAMIE ANDERSON:: Travel and Cruise Desk is celebrating its 60th anniversary. I am just a little over 15.
JAMIE ANDERSON:: Years being associated with the business. I initially started out helping them with their Facebook page. And here I am 15 years later as the owner, but as you're probably guessing from my accent, my journey started quite a ways away Over in Scotland, I grew up just outside of Edinburgh. And I found myself around the age of 25 in retail sales when I met a young American who was studying veterinary medicine over in Edinburgh, and she would later become my wife.
JAMIE ANDERSON:: But in the meantime, I moved back to the US and became an international student again. And so a business degree eventually graduating from [00:03:00] Washington State. As my wife had moved around a lot at some point, Sandy Hannah, who was the owner of the travel and cruise desk at the time, also my mother-in-law had come up with the idea of me assisting her with the business while we moved around from town to town.
JAMIE ANDERSON:: And while I was pursuing the degree. So that started out as some part-time assistants and as soon I was working full-time assisting with initially trips to Scotland and Europe. And then I got into the niche of actually destination weddings and honeymoons was my specialty. And I did that for a few years working from afar.
JAMIE ANDERSON:: In 2018, Sandy was getting ready to retire and wanted to sell the business at the time, because I was out of state, it hadn't even crossed her minds that I take it over as the owner. It wasn't until she had got quite far into the process and we realized that any new owner or anyone that was showing interest was also [00:04:00] going to be managing from OUTTA state, and that's when we had the idea.
JAMIE ANDERSON:: Have you ever considered owning a travel agency and. Up until that point, I really, I hadn't, what I had known is that I always wanted to be a business owner, and so this was a great opportunity for me. So I purchased a travel agency in 2019.
Speaker 3: This path really came about just naturally. You didn't plan it.
Speaker 3: It happened. You, you got there and it's interesting that your mother-in-law saw something in you to begin with, but then probably for her it was like, look, this is her baby and she wants it to go to someone that's gonna take care of it. Even if you were out of state, she was like, I wanna bring Jamie in.
Speaker 4: We're a relatively small business. There's 23 of us and so we have a very like family feel to our business and she was certainly aware that I cared about the staff and, and kind of got on with everybody.
Speaker 3: You have people there for so long, Jamie. I mean, just seeing your hosting last Friday, the networking event, being able to meet some of the staff that's there.
Speaker 3: You have people that [00:05:00] have been there for 25 years and so there must have been relationships. That she had with them. She wanted you to take care of them, and she knew you would make that happen. Again, you're somebody who, you might not know how to do it yet, but you're gonna figure it out. Just even from what I've seen of you out in the community, that's mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: That's how you come across. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I'm sure she saw that too. And by the way, you could give a masterclass on how to do a Friday morning networking, because you had a beautiful spread of food. You had tents, you had prizes for everyone. It was really, really fun.
Speaker 4: Thank you guys. That means a lot.
Speaker 3: It's true.
Speaker 3: Today is a little bit about succession and how do we keep an organization going? So from a succession planning perspective, let's talk just a little bit first about how did the business transfer? What were some things that Sandy might have been thinking about? What were you thinking about? At the time, let's play with this just a little bit.
Speaker 4: Sandy and I actually have a lot in common. I think it's what made us both successful business owners. Well, we managed in a, in a different way, Sandy kind of led by example. When she worked in the industry, she [00:06:00] was a, an advisor herself and focused kind of in the business and the staff would folLOw her lead and, and would treat their clients the way that she did, which was great because by the time.
Speaker 4: I got involved in the, the business. I could kind of take a step back and, and focus on the business and really kind of note down the. Processes that she had developed naturally and make it be more of a kind of business model. And so when it came to the succession, I had a kind of blueprint of what she had done before and was able to use that and, and create a business model that would, that would go on to work.
Speaker 4: One of the things I was most impressed by when I started working here is how much the staff. Care about their client's experiences. And it's not like they're following a script. They just are doing all they can to maximize the experience. And I think it was [00:07:00] on a recent podcast I, I was listening to with Liz and Tamara from Grocery Outlet.
Speaker 4: They were saying that their main hiring requirement is, is it a good person? Yeah. And. I found myself in this agency with just a bunch of good people wanting to do the best for their clients, which was was great. And the other thing that we had going for us with when it comes to the actual succession is that Sandy had gone so far down the process thinking that she was going to sell to a third party.
Speaker 4: She had sought out a legal professional that was focused on the travel industry, so we had a good understanding of what the business was worth and what a contract would look like had she not been selling to a family member. And so I. Had had a very good structure that we may not have had, had she not taken that that step before.
Speaker 4: And it was great because it created kind of boundaries on what the relationship was gonna look like because this had been her baby for, I mean, she had ran the business for the [00:08:00] majority of his existence. She became manager in the late. Seventies, I believe, and I took over in 2019. That's a long time.
Speaker 4: That's
Speaker 3: a long time. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I love that you put out the boundary piece because I do see a lot of family businesses and your family when you're transferring it over, there's a lot of wasted brain space around like what somebody thought was gonna happen versus didn't. The conversations don't happen because it's uncomfortable to have.
Speaker 3: And so the fact that she had the valuation done, the legal piece done, it was very clear and it was still a business transaction, even though it's family. So it helps make it a little more objective, particularly Yeah. In that stage. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. When should somebody start planning? When did she start landing this transfer?
Speaker 4: I think she started the process at least a couple of years out, maybe a little bit longer. Took some time to find the right professional. And there are, when it comes to a travel agency, there are lots of ways to look at the value of the business and, and how [00:09:00] to go about selling it. Do you sell it for one price and pay just a, a full value amount for the agency?
Speaker 4: Or because it's big part of the business is a goodwill. Do you sell it over time and have a price that varies on the future business? Mm-hmm. And we sold it as, as a, a set price, but paid up over time. And that's a another way of doing it. But one of the common ways in the travel industry. It's almost like a, a buyout based on future sales.
Speaker 4: So less money done and then, and then out. But yeah,
Speaker 3: and then you pay more as you go. So I know today we're talking about longevity and therefore just curious, you know, what are three things that travel and Cruise Desk has done over time to be able to, to sustain and be here for 60 years?
Speaker 4: Genuine interest in your clients and making sure that you are doing everything that you can to improve their experience for us.
Speaker 4: When we look at travel specifically we used to be [00:10:00] something that people needed to use. You had to go to use a, a travel advisor if you wanted to travel somewhere. And now, because we are a, a luxury or a, I guess a second option, if you don't want to book on your own, we need to give the client something that they wouldn't get.
Speaker 4: Booking elsewhere and just someone that you know has your back, that can be an advocate for you. It really makes us kind of stand out and has helped us weather a lot of change.
Speaker 3: And I remember you mentioning too, you know, just keeping up with technology, you have been at the forefront by getting involved in some of the national travel.
Speaker 3: Associations and stuff like that. You have seen where those trends are going and then you've also brought some of that technology in, which may or may not have been so easy to do because you have staff that have been there for 25 years,
Speaker 4: always be focusing on the future. We have a tendency to shy away from technology or think this is going to ruin our businessmen.
Speaker 4: In actual fact, it can enhance the service that you're offering. The internet is a good example. It, [00:11:00] it gave clients. An additional option for booking, but it also gave us a lot more tools in our agency to do the research that we need to do when we're recommending something. One of the things that's really helped me, you can't be everything to everybody, and as the industry's changed, we've had to kind of recognize that there are times where a client might be best booking on their own.
Speaker 4: Can we really add value to a three day trip to Vegas? Maybe if you don't want to do all the research yourself. Yes, yes, maybe we can, but knowing where our service really shines, where we can take advantage of the relationships that we have with the cruise lines or tour operators or the, the hotels where we can get breakfast included at the same rate, that kind of thing.
Speaker 4: Knowing. Where we can add the value, I think is is very important too. I
Speaker 3: love that. And not trying to be everything to everybody. Great.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So you purchased this 2019 and then 2020 came, so COVID [00:12:00] hit and somehow you figured this out. So what did you do during that time to help keep not only the company itself, but your staff?
Speaker 4: COVID turned our world upside down. I know it was hard for a lot of businesses out there. We were certainly one of the ones that were impacted. We went from, I think people started canceling trips in February, 2020. So we went running at a LOss from February, 2020, all the way through to April, 2022.
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 4: And Yeah. And there's more to it than that because when somebody books a, a trip through us, we kind of have the responsibility to take them through the, the cancellation process as well. And so it wasn't just like we could close our doors and, and wait, we had all these clients to service and make sure that they were getting the refunds.
Speaker 4: I don't know if you remember, but some of the airlines were difficult. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. To, to [00:13:00] work with when it, when it comes to making sure that clients were made whole again, I talked about us being an advocate for our clients, and this really was a, a test of that. We spent our days coming in canceling and then rebooking.
Speaker 4: Sometimes we would have trips that we'd rebooked. By the time we got to the end of it, we'd rebooked the same trip three times. Right. And you
Speaker 3: get paid only once for that. I am sure.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah. But I will say that government assistance. Did come in e eventually, and it really, it really helped us. We were very lucky in the, the state of Oregon to have the work share program.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Which was a, a godsend for us helped us keep our staff focused. We decided. Pretty early on that we were not going to close our doors. I know that some agencies made that decision and I I completely understand why they did. We opted to remain open and keep our staff throughout. While we got through those cancellations and, and refunds, we found ourselves with a little more time, and so we decided to focus on the.[00:14:00]
Speaker 4: On the future and implement a lot of changes. So strengthen our relationships with some of our suppliers. Ask for additional inclusions for our clients. We affiliated ourselves with a consortia who's very forward thinking and helped us lean into some of the charitable giving and, and positive impact, and really just focus on new technoLOgy and, and help us prepare for a future.
Speaker 4: That we were hoping, if you remember, was just a couple of weeks away, right? Yeah. And then just a couple of more weeks away. Yeah.
Speaker 3: But that's super smart. Focus in on the relationships. Again, this good human piece, right? Be a good human, take care of your customers, focus on that, but also use this as an opportunity to get really good at something or, or make some changes that will help us when we go.
Speaker 3: So I'm hearing the other part of this. longevity piece is like taking the hits that happen and really thinking of how can you make the most of that and make it into an opportunity instead of just a challenge.
Speaker 4: Yeah. And what ended up happening is we came [00:15:00] outta COVID on the other side with travelers wanting to go out and experience the world again by force.
Speaker 4: Remember the revenge travel? Yes. Yeah. We came out with staff that were, had new certifications. We have newer, newer technology all trained up, ready to go, and we really were able to kind of hit the ground running. And
Speaker 3: it's one of those things where you do the right thing and the right thing happens back.
Speaker 3: It's like, you're ready. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Well, you are everywhere in the community and, and you've plugged in not just to the local community, but you've plugged in nationally. Tell me a little bit about how you have plugged in.
Speaker 4: We've been a big. Part of this community for a long time. Julie's Travel is a well-known established branch when I got here and we were already kind of prevalent in the community.
Speaker 4: I, I, I think we are one of the older chamber members. We must be pushing close to 50 year of chamber membership. And really all I've done is. [00:16:00] Amplify what was already there, if you like, and it's been easier for me. As I mentioned before, Sandy was focused in the business and I've kind of been focused on the business and I see my role is letting everybody know how amazing our, our staff are and what we do.
Speaker 4: And so I've taken the time to be. Present at the Friday morning, networking and taking part in, in city events like the lake Oswego pride, the tree lightings, and really just being present is important. We've also been present in local media as well. The Lake Oswego Review has a great readership where.
Speaker 4: Also have a bimonthly, reoccurring article in the Lake Oswego Lifestyle Magazine where we talk about some of the positive impact initiatives that we're doing, just taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you. What started with a way to get my business name out there has actually resulted in a lot more than that.
Speaker 4: I've [00:17:00] gained friendships and connections with other small businesses. I became a member of the local rotary Egal Rotary. Which is a great organization. We're actually sponsoring the lobster feed. You will have the option to bid on a Seaborn seven night voyage anywhere in the world. At this year's LObster feed, these relationships just wouldn't have happened.
Speaker 4: I think we could have continued just being a Chamber member without. Any of the advantages that you only get when you meet in person.
Speaker 3: So I know we have to wrap up soon, but let's see. So a couple things we want to make sure of too is one, you know, you have these people, longevity wise, you have a lot of, you have new and staff that have been there for a very long time.
Speaker 3: So what's the secret sauce to keeping those people.
Speaker 4: One of the definitions of management is aligning people's goals to a common purpose. And the only way that you can do that, much like working with a client is asking questions. So if [00:18:00] there's a specific request or there's a scenario that might need some attention, just asking the question why?
Speaker 4: Why do you want to do it this way? Or Why do you want to do that? And getting to the bottom of the why and then. Everybody has different goals. Once you understand the motivation behind them, you can change the end result to something that maybe benefits everybody. And the specialization of our advisors is one example of that.
Speaker 4: Another is that we have staff members that have given. 25, 30 years of their life to to this office and how they work has, has changed. And so maybe they wanna work a day from home once or twice a week and rather than just say, no, we are a office here, we figure out a solution that kind of works for both.
Speaker 4: So some are, are now working kinda a hybrid that's creates a little more space in the office. One of the things I was hesitant about having our employees work from home. [00:19:00] Is that kinda water cooler effect that you have from being in an office. When you work with one of them, you're not just working with the 20 years of experience they have.
Speaker 4: You've got a whole office worth of experience that they can kind of rely on. But advancements in technology have made it. Pretty easy for us to jump on a, a zoom together. And, and so no matter where they are really, they still kind of have that. And then we make sure that we have LOts of events here in the office.
Speaker 4: And when we have a vendor come in to do a presentation, the staff will come in for that. And it's worked out to be kind of a win-win scenario.
Speaker 3: So why should I go to a travel agent instead of trying to figure this all out myself?
Speaker 4: There are really three. Things to consider when thinking about whether you wanna work with an advisor or not.
Speaker 4: We provide a layer of advice. We can take your existing idea, ask the questions we need to ask to figure out if it's the right trip for you or if there are ways that we can enhance it if there are considerations that are maybe being [00:20:00] missed or even it's just a, a double check. So advice is the first one.
Speaker 4: Advocacy is the next. Even before you come to us, we are already working with our suppliers to maintain relationships with them so that we can maybe make a, an extra special request or even just call a hotel before you turn up to. Let them know how special you are or what the special occasion is. And so advocacy is really important during travel as as well.
Speaker 4: Perhaps there's something going on in that city or there's a travel delay, a, a flight delay or something like that, having your back. Whilst you're in travel is, is very important as well. And so advocacy is the second one. Accountability is the third one. Our advisors aren't just focused on the quick sale.
Speaker 4: We care about the long-term relationship and well, you might just book one cruise with that cruise line or stay one time at that hotel. Sure. They care about your experience. But [00:21:00] if it isn't quite what you expected, there's no real accountability afterward. Mm-hmm. Our advisors wanna make sure that we have picked the right spot and that whilst you're, whilst you're there, the experience was what you expected it to be.
Speaker 4: A big part of what we do is setting expectations. Where we really add value is. Making sure that you are spending your hard-earned money on the right experience for you.
Speaker 3: I just really appreciate you being in this community, this idea of non-transactional, working together, building relationships, doing the right thing, being good human, and delivering amazing customer service.
Speaker 3: All of that is just a piece of what you do, and we're just grateful that you're here and that you stay as engaged as you do because it just. Really brings a positive light to our community. And, and I would just add in too the, the Cruise Way economic forum. I think there's a link that we have to the recording there.
Speaker 3: 'cause this is a great start of [00:22:00] that discussion. But for people who are looking for the LOgistical pieces, that is a great session to listen to. And this is here, this is the heart. Part. Right. The other one is more I, I guess the head part, but this is the heart part of, you know, how do you make sure to stay, to stay sustainable over time and to be here for 60 years and to be here for 60 more.
Speaker 4: We are thinking about succession now. Ready? Even, even though I want to spend another. 40 years doing this. I love this. A lot of people in this industry get into the industry because their love for travel. I've found myself doing what I wanted to do, which was own my own business. And the perk is that I get to sell travel, which is, I, I can't think of a better product that just, it makes people happy.
Speaker 4: It, it's something they look forward to. It's, yeah, it's awesome. So I wanna be doing this until I am 80. Years old. So succession's never really been something that I've thought about [00:23:00] until recently with Ashley expecting our, our daughter next month. We actually started the conversation with Anastasia.
Speaker 4: You might start her about estate planning and what it would look like if suddenly we needed to, to hand the business on who would take over and, and so we're going through all of that, that discussion now, even though I have zero intention of selling the business anytime soon.
Speaker 3: You know, I love that you say that you've gotta have your exit plan, and we never know what's gonna happen in our life.
Speaker 3: So being ready for that, and even if it's just like I see you succession planning when it comes to building others in the organization that can then lead. I see you actively doing that, and I think that's a big part of it too, because yes, it's you and. We can be so much better if we bring other people along.
Speaker 3: So it could be to hand it over, but it can also just be to shift what we're doing within the organization and how we're serving our people. Jamie, thank you so much for spending time with us today. Again, just really appreciate all you do, not only in the community, but for your clients, and we're [00:24:00] really excited for your new arrival that is coming in June.
Speaker 3: We're all gonna be sending extra good thoughts. Just thank you for spending the time today to be with us and share with your experience and how. Travel and Cruise Desk has been around for such a long time and is gonna continue to be around for an even longer time.
Speaker 4: Thank you so much. I really appreciate the time today and thanks also for all you guys do for the community.
Speaker 4: I cannot think of a better place to own a business, and a big part of that is because of the Liquor Oswego Chamber and, and the work that you do. So thank you.
Speaker 2: That was a wonderful time with Jamie, but let's find out what we need to know in LO.
Speaker: I wanna tell you a little bit of what's going on in June.
Speaker: We're gonna start with Saturday, June 7th. It's the Grand Floral Parade in downtown Portland, although that's not right in LO, it's pretty easy to get down there. If you haven't been to the Grand Floral Parade, you need to know how many thousands of people come to Oregon for this parade. That's followed by Saturday, June 14th, which is the.
Speaker: Annual lobster feed that [00:25:00] 500 to 600 people attend at the Lakewood Center. Heather, have you been to that one?
Speaker 3: I have been to that one. I'm actually a Rotary member and I highly, highly, highly recommend the lobster feed. It is a great celebration of Lake Oswego. The community all comes out in force. There's LOts of great auction items that you can get there, and it's for a really good
Speaker: cause.
Speaker: Now, June 20th is a multi chamber networking with the Tiger Chamber. It is the Tigard Balloon Festival and the insider information is that the balloons go up at 5:45 AM and then there's some tethered rides from six 30 to seven 30. Highly recommend getting in line early 'cause that line gets LOng really quick.
Speaker: That weekend is also the weekend of the Lakewood Festival of the Arts, and that's from Friday, June 20th through Sunday, June 22nd. I know I'm volunteering on Friday the 20th. We'd like to encourage other people to volunteer. This is the biggest visitor event for Lake Oswego, and that is a [00:26:00] great time to welcome people in.
Speaker: But it's also a time when our visitors are visiting our businesses, as well as the Lakewood Festival of the Arts on July 3rd. That is the Millennium Concert Band down at Millennium Plaza. It's definitely a place where you get to see everyone from Lake Oswego and it. Preps you for Friday, July 4th, which is the pancake breakfast that the Lions Club puts on.
Speaker: Starts at seven 30 in the morning, and then you absolutely have to go to a wonderful Americana parade. 10:00 AM coming down a avenue. We have an entry for the chamber. If you're a chamber member, you can march with the Chamber on Friday, July 4th, and end your day. With a fabulous laser light show down at Foothills Park.
Speaker 3: Well, if anybody says they have nothing to do, I think they're lying. The only other thing that I would add is, Hey, businesses be ready. Because graduation is happening. Graduation for both Lakeridge and for Lake Oswego High School is happening. I think there's gonna be a lot of company in town that weekend of June 6th, seventh, and [00:27:00] eighth.
Speaker 3: So be ready.
Speaker 2: Well, thank you ladies so much. Another awesome episode of Business LO and remember. Every day is a Chamber of Commerce Day here in Lake Oswego,
Speaker: the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce. Thanks you for listening to Business LO. We would love to have you as a member so you can help Lake Oswego continue to be one of the best places to live, work, and play.
Speaker: If you wanna share an idea for a future episode. Or become a member. Visit us@lakeoswegochamber.com and please like and follow us on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for help with your business podcast, go to podcast productions.com.