Melissa Tilling CEO - Talking Transition, Private to Social Enterprise & Male to Female
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Show Notes
In this episode, Jeannette speaks to Melissa Tilling CEO and founder of the social enterprise company Charitable Travel. Over her 34 years, she has filled many challenging, innovative, and often high-level roles within the industry. They talk in-depth about her long and varied career. Including her transitioning from a man to a woman, while she was the director of Funway. She shares the impact not being her true self had on her personal and work life, how she got help and successfully made her transition from male to female.
Melissa explains how social enterprise companies function and work to make a big difference in society. They also discuss the impact CoVid has had on the travel industry and the good it does, including what needs to be done to get large-scale tourism to developing countries restarted so that poverty-stricken families can once again earn a living.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It is possible to make a social difference in your work life.
- Travel can be a huge force for good, particularly when it gives those in developing countries the chance to make a decent living.
- Social enterprise companies can be set up in a way that creates money for charities out of nothing.
- Charitable Travel works directly with 120 charities.
- The travel industry is ever-changing and working in it can be a very entrepreneurial experience.
- Be your true self - putting up a front is exhausting and counterproductive.
- People should be judged from a professional standpoint on how they conduct themselves and what they can achieve.
- Being prepared to laugh at yourself and not take yourself too seriously is good for you and everyone around you.
- Do your best to find a role that makes you happy as well as pays the bills.
- Be tenacious. Never give up. Chase what you believe in.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I´ve always regarded travel as being a massive force for good, particularly … in the developing world. ´
‘In terms of maturity and self-awareness, you kind of get to the sod it stage. You don´t care what other people think.’
‘Transition certainly made me more authentic, empathetic, understanding and certainly less defensive’.
‘Brilliance is making a difference. It´s not about what you can do for yourself. It´s about what you can do for everybody else.’
This is the perfect time to get focused on what YOU want to really achieve in your business, career, and life. It’s never too late to be BRAVE and BOLD and unlock your inner BRILLIANCE. If you’d like to join Jeannette’s FREE Mastermind just DM Jeannette on [email protected] or sign up via Jeannette’s linktree https://linktr.ee/JLinfoot
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Brave, Bold, Brilliant podcast series
www.jeannettelinfootassociates.com
ABOUT THE GUEST
Melissa Tilling is serial social entrepreneur and charity founder with thirty-five years’ experience in the travel industry. She is creator and CEO of Charitable Travel, a unique social enterprise travel company, co-founder of Charitable Radio and Charitable PR & Podcasts, and co-founder and trustee of The Charitable Travel Fund a registered charity helping people dependent on tourism income when that stops. Thirteen years ago Melissa, who is a transgender woman, transitioned whilst a director of a travel company and is a passionate advocate for the right for people to live their authentic self.
CONTACT METHOD
www.charitable.travel
ABOUT THE HOST
Jeannette Linfoot is a highly regarded senior executive, property investor, board advisor, and business mentor with over 25 years of global professional business experience across the travel, leisure, hospitality, and property sectors. Having bought, ran, and sold businesses all over the world, Jeannette now has a portfolio of her own businesses and also advises and mentors other business leaders to drive forward their strategies as well as their own personal development.
Jeannette is a down-to-earth leader, a passionate champion for diversity & inclusion, and a huge advocate of nurturing talent so every person can unleash their full potential and live their dreams.
CONTACT METHOD
Linktree https://linktr.ee/JLinfoot
Podcast Description
Jeannette Linfoot talks to incredible people about their experiences of being Brave, Bold & Brilliant, which have allowed them to unleash their full potential in business, their careers, and life in general. From the boardroom tables of ‘big’ international business to the dining room tables of entrepreneurial start-ups, how to overcome challenges, embrace opportunities and take risks, whilst staying ‘true’ to yourself is the order of the day.