When Tandy Wallack , President of Circumpolar Expeditions, decided to start her own travel and tourism company she thought she would be leading tours to Bali and Vietnam - then the Arctic came knocking at her door.
Tandy is the president and creative force of the family business, Circumpolar Expeditions. Circumpolar Expeditions arranges specialized tour programs, education and professional exchanges, and provides logistic support for expeditions and film companies in Alaska and the Russian Far East.
Through her work and company, Tandy helps the Arctic communities she visits through job training,economic development, and alcoholism awareness.
Circumpolar Expeditions website https://arctictravel.net/
[00:00:00] Tandy Wallach is a 42 year Alaska resident. Tandy has 21 years of experience working in the airline industry for Icelandic Airlines, Air France, Western Airlines and from Mark Air, where she rose to become senior director of Reservations, Passenger Service and training in 1991. Tandy left Mark Air to work full time in the travel tourism business she owns with her husband, Ken. Candy likes to note that when she left Mark Air in 91, it was still solve it. Tandy is the president and creative force of the family business circumpolar expeditions. Circumpolar Expeditions arranges specialized TOR programs, education and professional exchanges and provides logistics support for expeditions and film companies in Alaska and the Russian Far East. Major expedition work includes the circumpolar expedition flight for Governor Walter Hickel, Fiat's heavy truck overland expedition from Rome to New York via Russia and Alaska and to Bering Strait. Ocean swims for France's swimming without borders and for South Africa's mad swimmer charity organization Circumpolar Expeditions also conducts tourism and entrepreneurship vocational training and performs consulting work for airlines. The company received the governor's Exporter of the Year award in 1998 for its partnering with Reeve Aleutian Airways to establish air service between Alaska and Russia and thereafter received a second exporter of the year nomination for its work in Jakarta. Over the years, Tandy has served on many nonprofit boards, an NGO advisory boards. Following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York, the World Trade Centers Association issued its book of Honors Peace through International Trade Awards, and Tandy was selected as Alaska's award recipient.
[00:02:08] Welcome to the Daughters of Change podcast. I'm your host, Marie Sola. Each week we'll be bringing you stories from around the globe of the women and girls who are changing the world. Each in their own unique way.
[00:02:32] Tandy Wallach, welcome to the Daughters of Change podcast. We're so happy to have you here. You're sitting right now in the land of the midnight sun, is that correct? That's correct.
[00:02:44] That's right. Thank you for inviting me to participate in this podcast.
[00:02:50] You you are an amazing woman. You've done some really cool things. So our listeners are in for quite a treat today. So we've just read your bio and the listeners have heard about all the amazing things that you've done up to now in your life. But there's a lot of things that haven't been mentioned there that we're going to be getting into, like the fact that you lead private planes across the Bering Sea, you help reunite families across the Ice Curtain, which you can explain a little bit more about that. That's between the U.S. and Russia. You get young people from the small communities that you visit to become trained to be to be tour guides, to also learn English. You focus on helping with the economic development and some of the villages where the tourism that you're bringing there is such a natural fit. And you do humanitarian work around alcoholism. So that's a lot that's a that's a lot that you're doing with your company and with your own time. And so love to talk about how you got there, because when we talked off line, you told me that when you initially started your tourism company that you were planning on going to warm climates because you hate the cold. So tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got from that point where you'd been working in the airline industry. You think you're going to be doing these these trips to Bali and Hawaii and now your leading tours and expeditions in the Arctic. So how did that all happen?
[00:04:21] Well, it's been quite a journey, actually.
[00:04:23] So when I decided to leave the airline world and opened my own tourism business. What I did was I gathered a bunch of folks who I knew who were in business and different personalities.
[00:04:44] And I asked them to come over for lunch to my office. And and I sort of just explained my talents that I had. And I wanted them to help me formulate what what my talents could provide for a company and what that that was really a very good exercise in. And I enjoy doing that with them.
[00:05:15] They didn't come up with any specifics, but it helped me sort sorta formulate what I what I knew and what I thought I might be able to do. So, yes, I live in Alaska. I used to work for Icelandic airlines in New York. And I was I hate being cold. And so I my idea is when I open my business is to take people to Bali and Vietnam, because at that time, Vietnam was just starting to open up for tourism. So and those who were warm places. So what came knocking on my door was Russia. Aeroflot was just starting to fly into Alaska. And the US. And they came knocking on my door and asked me to do some marketing for them. So I thought, okay, I'll do that until my Volvo ISS picks up. So one day I was out at a reception at the airport and I really didn't I wasn't really happy to be there. That didn't site need to be doing another reception for an airline. And so I was just standing there waiting for things to happen.
[00:06:37] And I thought, OK, get out of myself, get out of myself and and talk to somebody. So I turned to this man is the older gentleman who is standing next to me. And I asked. I said to him, I go, Hi, how are ya? Just to get a conversation going. Well, that conversation changed my life.
[00:07:02] But he really said because this man was a retired airline navigator and he was working at a UN organization for the governor of Alaska. And it was. About aviation in the Arctic. And so anyway, we had a beautiful conversation about his work with SARS and my work with the airlines and everything like that. So that sort of got me out of that, you know, sort of low mood. And to finish doing the reception later that day, he called me and asked me to join an Oregon is this organization and to be part of an aviation advisory board.
[00:07:53] So, you know, nobody was calling me about Bollinger, Vietnam.
[00:07:58] So I thought, OK, well, maybe I'll just go and do this. And so I went and did that. And, you know, all the airlines, because we had a lot airlines here in Alaska, international carriers. And so we were brainstorming about aviation in the Arctic. And why is there such limited service between countries and and cities? And so anyway, what came out of that little committee was that the governor wanted to do a demonstration flight around the world in the Arctic. And so I was working with him. And then to do all the logistics for this whirlwind of a trip, seven days around the world in the Arctic, 15 cities. And it was going to be led by the governor and his wife. And so it seems like all the other people on that committee sort of fell away and it was just me and him doing it.
[00:09:09] And it was sort of exciting too, to plan such a trip.
[00:09:15] But when I would get overwhelmed with it, I would break it down into a simple format that, OK, it's just one city. And what do you need in one city? We arrive. We need transportation. We need food. We need some kind of tour.
[00:09:35] And then we need to get back on the plane and fly to the next city. So I just broke each 15 cities down to one city at a time and tackled that. And I remember going with this wonderful Norwegian man around and promoting this. This trip.
[00:09:59] And I remember one time when we were at a reception just talking about the trip and it was easy to talk about this thing in theory, you know. Yeah, we're doing this. Yeah, we're going to be doing this and everything.
[00:10:16] And then one day somebody facts and an app application form with a deposit for the trip.
[00:10:25] And I said to myself, Oh, my God, they believe me. And I guess I'm gonna have to really do this. And so that I overcame that insecurity of not being able to do it. And so the end result was that we we chartered a 727 from an Alaskan airline here and we went to 15 cities around the world with a group of 80 people from many different countries. And it was fantastic. It all worked out. So that was sort of the beginning of it. And then, you know, my mentor, as I told you, that funny little story and I'll tell it again, is that what he told me was that it's the young people who want to go to Bali and Vietnam and lay on the beach, but they don't have any money. And he said, Tandy, stick to the Arctic because these people don't have the beautiful bodies lay on the beach. They wear big puffy coats and they want to come to the Arctic and they want to learn something. And the important thing, Candy, is they have money.
[00:11:40] And so it's a switch me around. And he helped me get connected with other types of expeditions. And so now now in this already sort of special. And it's not what I wanted to be, but it's what came knocking on the door.
[00:12:00] So there are a lot of there's a lot of tidbits in that story. Tandy, first of all, synchronicity, right. That the synchronicity that you took, that marketing job, you were at that reception, which really isn't what you wanted to be, but being at that reception at that airport is what actually changed your life and changed the trajectory that perhaps you didn't think was the way that your tourism company was going to go. But it's where it was meant to end up. So that that whole piece of. There are no coincidences. You know, things happen for a reason and ways sometimes that we can't see. So that, you know, and we talked about that, you know, our flight and our conversation the other day. And you were talking about, you know, being open and remaining open, kind of take your blinders off. What is that you were saying? You tell your kids about that in blinders.
[00:12:56] So what I said, you think of the horse that has blinders and he's gone in that straight direction. But what I have always told my kids in myself is take those blinders off and look at a, you know, 180 degrees of what might be out there and time to think outside of the box.
[00:13:17] So I think I said you I have the gift of curiosity I was born with. And so I'm curious about different things. So people find my company and we don't do a whole bunch of marketing, but we we do some and we partner with some other airlines and tour companies.
[00:13:41] So they so people find me and I have this little niche between Alaska and Russia, Coke. And so people call me and they run ideas by me. And so if I liked the idea there, I take off the blinders and I listen to it and, you know, half the ideas never happen. But I'm open to it. So I had a guy call me one time and he knew I did some swimming expeditions in the Arctic between Russia and Alaska. And he wanted to do a swim in the Arctic for a foundation that he was fined. He founded some disease that his son had and had died from. And so he was doing this promotion for that foundation. And so I listened to that. OK, you wanna swim? OK. Now, when do you want to swim? And he goes, I want to swim in October. And so I said, do I said, you know, October is winter. In the Arctic and there's ice between. So that's not a very good time. Just when. So it would be better in the summer because. Oh, OK. So I asked the man what kind of training he's doing.
[00:15:11] And he said he's been swimming in his pool. And I said, the Arctic is a completely different environment and it's very, very cold. And in October, design ice in it could be frozen all the way along. And also there are a walrus that you have to watch out for. So I told him to keep practicing his swimming. And then when he felt confident enough to be able to do it than to give me a call. And I never got a call back. But that's the kind of thing that people call me about. And I give a lot of advice to them. And sometimes it works into a project that that I would like to be involved in and sometimes it doesn't.
[00:16:01] So I had a couple from Pennsylvania. I think it was in and they wanted to take a little, too. I did a four day tour from Alaska over to Russia and a charter plane. And they go over and spend time in a bed and breakfast over there. So anyway, these people called up and said they wanted to do it. And so I try and feel them out a little bit just to see what kind of people they are. And they said, well, you know, we're driving from Pennsylvania to Alaska. Oh, OK. So are you camping along the way? And they go, Oh, no, we don't.
[00:16:40] We don't camp and hook up.
[00:16:46] And so then, you know, I said, well, what kind of vacations do you guys take this time to ask probing questions to find out if this would be a good fit for them? And they go, well, we're sort of beach people. And I sort of said, well, you know, you might not really like going to Russia on my tour, but on your way, if you get to Ohio or something and you feel like you want to do one of our tours and give me a call. And and they never called me.
[00:17:22] So they're swimming with the guy who's the other guy in Florida at a pool.
[00:17:31] But your op ed you listed, I. Well, you never know what's going to what's going to develop into something, right?
[00:17:38] Well, I have. Here's a here's an interesting one. I had a woman call me up and she was a scientist. And her specialty was artificial insemination of walruses in captivity. And so she wanted to go and meet up with villagers who hunted walrus so she could talk to them, because the information in the journals really didn't offer a lot for what you wanted to do. And so I remember that sounded interesting. I didn't know anything about Walrus. I knew they were there, but I learned so much from her. And then taking her to different villages and interviewing native people about walrus and the way they lived and everything like that. And I remember sitting in a little village with some walrus hunters and elders. And she asked the probing question is when you see two walruses on the ice that are mating. Can you explain to me what that looks like? And they were very, very quiet. And then one of them said, when we come cross walruses who are mating, we look away. And I thought, how beautiful. You know, a any went on to say, this is a private act, just like in humans.
[00:19:20] And we look away. So we can't tell you what it looks like.
[00:19:26] And that just showed me the deep understanding that native people have about their environment as your company has grown.
[00:19:37] There's so much that you've been doing personally and with your company to give back. And a lot of that has been around helping people in the small villages that you visit. I know that you told me that you do a lot of training with the young people both in English and to help them to get jobs within tourism, to be guides. And also, you do a lot with the economic development within those small villages and places that you visit. Talk a little bit about that.
[00:20:10] Well, as I started leading and doing logistics with my company here in Alaska and then in Russia and then that trip around the world, just seeing the similarities of the countries in the Arctic and the people, and there's such similarities that people have who live in the Arctic. And I've had the opportunity with different projects to be able to go and visit small communities. And, you know, one of the things that I've been hired to do is to go to a village and evaluate the possibilities for economic development. And tourism is such a natural. And I mean, I remember when I was proposing this idea to the governor of Coca that we do some training on tourism development. And he looked at me and he goes, well, why would anyone want to go to the coca? And I mean, I got that same question. Here in Alaska, why would anyone want to go? Who? Hooper Bay. And I say because they want to see the environment. They want to meet the people. They want it. Understand the culture and how they live. And that simple statement is true for villages throughout the world, whether it's in the Arctic or whether it's in in Africa. And people are going on a safari and they might want to see the animals and then they'll want to, you know, visit with the people who live there and see how they live.
[00:21:57] So that was the the nugget that I have found. And so I've been I've had the opportunity to go to different villages and talk with the people about their village. And sometimes they don't even recognize the beauty that surrounds them. So I asked them to take me on a walking tour of their village. And as we're walking things that are just ordinary for them, I will ask I'll see a flower on the side. Well, what what's that flower? Well, that flower is set inside and we pick it in and they have greens and the greens we ferment in and we use it with our fish. And so, you know, by asking different questions like that and then they they realize they have a wealth of information about who they are and what they are. And so when I was working with some kids up in Intact Kovic, where I work now, and I mentor polar bear guides up there, what I found is when the kids when I talk to the kids, so there's you know, there's nothing to do in my village about it.
[00:23:14] And then I go, Will, tell me about fish camp. What do you do? Fish. And so then they'll tell me a whole story about this tradition in the summer of going to fish camp and either fishing or hunting and camping and berry picking. And it's a wonderful experience. Whether the kids or the elders. And it's just wonderful. So they sometimes they don't recognize how beautiful their lives are. That's not to say that they're there aren't problems in villages and there are problems in villages. And one of them that I have found is alcoholism is affected villages throughout the world and in cities here in our country. So one of the things that that I will do is I'll speak to folks about alcoholism and help them understand that there is hope for folks, whether they're their alcoholic, other their family members of alcoholics. And if you can share with them that there is a way out of all of that. I think that speaks to economic development. Once they're there, found hope and they are dealing with the alcoholism on a positive basis, then they can have economic development and small economic develop.
[00:24:54] So that's sort of what I do. So you're bringing hope. It sounds like, to a lot of these small communities.
[00:25:01] And you you mentioned to me that when you go back now, sometimes some of these young people that you've worked with are now like the mayor of the community or they're they're doing all these incredible things. So you're starting to see you're starting to see the results as well, correct?
[00:25:21] That's correct. I was fortunate enough to be able to be granted a grant to train folks in Russia in the small villages over on the Bering Sea, on tourism. And I went to the National Park Service has a bridging program. And that's the bringing was the ancient word for to coat guy in Alaska. It's the Bering land bridge way back when. And so they were founded to study and research the Bering Landbridge. And so I used to go to those conferences because I was interested in that area of the world. And I would sit there and listen to all the scientists talk about mushrooms, let's say. And I'd learn about mushrooms. And then so I went. To them, and I said, hey, how about trying to train folks in the villages on tourism and economic development? And they they came back to me and they said, oh, well, that's not really what we do. Tandy, we really do research with scientists and historians and Link was everything. But I had read what their mission statement was. And so I quoted their mission statement back to them and I said, isn't your mission, you know, to encourage and understand cultural development and and awareness? And they said, Yeah. And I said, what a better way than to help villagers understand who they are and what they are, and then have tourism as an economic development line where the words came to me that day.
[00:27:26] And they said they'd consider it. And then they came back and they gave me a grant. So. So that's what I did. You know, I brought people from all the villages up and down the coast over to Alaska and train them in how to be a tour guide and made it simple for them. And then they went back and they asked me the same thing, Marie. They asked me the same thing. When I did an introduction, I asked each one of them to tell me why they're there a little bit about themselves. And one woman said to me, just, Candy, why would anybody want to come to my village? And I said the same thing that I said to the governor. I said, they want to come in. They want to meet you, Ludmilla. They want you to talk about your grandkids. They want to sit in your your DOMA, your home and drink tea with you. And she looked at me very skeptically. And so we did the train and she went back. And then that summer, I brought over some tourists and we went to those villages. And I have this wonderful picture of five tourists sitting in her house, in her living room and were drinking tea. And she's explaining through a translator what her life is like. And it was beautiful because it came full circle. So now she's the mayor.
[00:28:52] She used to be the tourism director and now she's the mayor of of her village.
[00:28:59] And I'm going to be visiting her in a couple of weeks.
[00:29:03] Young airmen over there and going to her house and having tea and have her talk about who she is and all that.
[00:29:12] I mean, this is a mayor in town that there is a. She was trained by Tandy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:29:21] I mean, the thing about it, I think, is that I just sort of hopefully inspire them to go back and look around where they live and how. How would you show off your village if you had a relative coming from Moscow to visit you? What would you show them? So, you know, tourism. Is not rocket science, OK, an end there is an art to tourism, and I believe in that. I don't like fake tourism or that kind of a thing. And and the people who do good tourism have a talent to be able to share with clients. I remember when Russia was started, that ice wall was melting. As you said, you know, we had this ice wall between Alaska and Russia. And we never thought of going, you know, further west into a lot into Russia. Because of the ice wall. But then in the late 80s, that ice wall started to melt and we started to look across the Bering Sea to who lived there. And so that was just really, really, really an interesting time for Alaska, because there is that Russian phrase was looking to Alaska to help them on whether it was on. Business, small business or financing or oil development. We had a lot of business exchanges and educational programs. So I remember some folks coming over here and they wanted to buy chicken, okay.
[00:31:15] They were chicken salesmen in in rush.
[00:31:22] And that was great on me.
[00:31:25] That was great. They were going to come over here and buy chicken from us and everything. But then they they heard about tourism. They saw tourism here in Alaska. And then they would say to themselves, well, I gotcha, doctor. You know, I guess I could be tourism. I can do that. And so those chicken salesmen started wanting to be tour guides and tour businesses. But their heart wasn't in it. And it was just like, oh, I can do this, you know? And, you know, you can do it if you understand what tourism is about and how you share with a client what a tour is. But you can't be a chicken salesman and do tourism on the side.
[00:32:14] Wait, wait. That's a quote. You can't be a chicken salesman. Do tourism on the side.
[00:32:21] So that to to suppose that the ice wall because I know you've done some other things around that with reuniting families. So that was actually a physical ice. While that's not sort of an analogy for the country's being separated. Right.
[00:32:36] That that was a physical big ice dummy ice for hundreds of years has accumulated in the winter in the Bering Sea and, you know, years. One hundred years ago, people came across on the ice and they came across in seal boats or whatever. So, you know, we read about all that and and and how, you know, families were crossed there. But because of political concerns and our relationship with Russia was that you just can't go there. You know, even though it's like, you know, from Little Diomede to Big Diamond, it's only two and a half miles between those two island.
[00:33:24] And but you never would think of going that way, and then when the Soviet Union started to break apart with glasnost and Gorbachev and all of that. So then, you know, we we reached out to our neighbors across and there's a guy in Noam and I love this guy because he has such creative ideas.
[00:33:49] And what he did. He was a ham radio now person, you know, with ham radios back and forth. And he was on his radio and he would hear the dialogue from folks on the other side. So. He wanted to to reunite the people, so he he sent up a balloon like a weather balloon or something like that. And in there was a note that he had translated in to Russian and it was about peace and that he launched this weather balloon and it landed on the shores of Nome, didn't go very far.
[00:34:40] And somebody found it. And they came into town, said, hey, the Russians have sent us a note.
[00:34:45] And then he goes, no, that's my note for the Russians. So with with a guy like that, I mean, he just started trying to communicate across for us that ice wall and it came down. And because he had different kinds of ideas, you know, he was of seed for the friendship. Why? So Alaska Airlines did a flight over to the private Dania and that and that was a beginning of back and forth. And so what I'm trying to do is maintain this connection and not have political strife. Close that down again so that the people can visit their relatives and and come over here and learn.
[00:35:36] And we go over there and learn.
[00:35:38] So that's what this trip were doing in a couple of weeks here with private pilots recalling ourselves, air ambassadors. And we're going to fly over there in small planes and then meet me with the mayor of New Chapel, Reno, Nev. On tea with her. And anyway, so just keeping that open so that wherever is going to happen is going to happen.
[00:36:09] So that that's a figurative ice wall. And that ad that separated families, right. Like in the dying meat that those two islands we're talking about ones in Russia, ones in the United States. But there were families on family members on that were on either island. Correct.
[00:36:25] Exactly. Exactly. So for hundreds of years, families, they would go on. It's not like I say, it's only two and a half miles. So they would go back and forth and on Big Diomede. Now there. It's a military border control. And in the past, they used to be five villages on Big Diomede. And the folks who live on Little Diomede are dart are dying off. Now, the elders who remember that and heard stories about what those villages were like over there and they. That's why was fine to help those guys reunite with their relatives. And my idea, because I take the blinders off, is that I wanted to have this reunion on Big Diomede. And where the folks, the relatives, them to go, to go back to Big Diomede, where they came from, and then the folks from Alaska could also go over to Big Diomede. And so people would say, well, look here, how are you going to do that? You know, there's no housing over there. There's no restaurants over there. And they go. They don't need housing. It's just a family gathering. They'll bring their tents and sleeping bags and they're cookstoves and they'll have a family reunion for three or four days and and dance and pick greens and tell stories of their families. And, you know. But I wasn't able to do that. You know, I tried really hard with the to quote the administration who I've worked with for years. And they just said, no, nyet, that's no in Russian. And I get that a lot.
[00:38:26] Yes.
[00:38:29] But, you know, it would not be hard. I mean, it's it would be just like on a camping trip. But this huge barriers there, huge, huge barriers to be able to do that because it's in Russia.
[00:38:43] So anyway, I wish that would happen some day and maybe it will. You know, the folks who live on Little Diomede, you know, there are hunting walrus and everything like that. And they can't go across that border line. There's invisible border between Alaska and Russia. And so somehow the walrus, they come over on the U.S. side and then they start hunting them. And then those walruses know that they can't come across that line. So they go back over into Russian waters.
[00:39:20] Oh, they're smart. They know right away. Yes. Yes, exactly. Exactly.
[00:39:28] Well, Teddy, we have a couple of other questions for you. But before I get to that, tell the daughters of change out there, listening about the letter that you wrote to Mother Teresa.
[00:39:38] Oh, you know, I I started my business in Russia and I went to Russia to see what it was like, obviously. And I know this now that there was some bad water that I drank while I was in Russia. So I guy came back from Russia. And about four months later, I started turning yellow. And I didn't really know I was yellow, but people around me were telling me I was yellow. So what was happening is my liver was shutting down and. For some reason, and the doctors didn't know why it was happening and I had to do a liver biopsy up here to see what was in there. I was getting sicker and sicker and yellow and yellow or yellow is not a good color for me. And anyway, so I had to go down to Seattle and, you know, talk to a specialist and he was going to put me on a transplant list. And and then sort of a miracle happened. I started to get better, but it took a long while for my health to come back and to be able to do my business. So when I started to get better, I was thinking, wow, this is just a gift from God, I'm getting better here. And I started just reading different spiritual things and books about Mother Teresa. And so I read this one little book about her life.
[00:41:15] And it was one day when I was feeling really spiritual. So I wrote her a little letter just saying that I really liked the work that she's doing and I would like how can I help? And so I sent that letter off and I had a friend who loved Mother Teresa as well. And I asked her. I've written Mother Teresa and she's gonna write me back and she's gonna ask me to come to Calcutta. So I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me. And she said, yes. Yes, I would. I said, well, you have to shave your head and you'll be dressing in some kind of a loin cloth. Are you willing to do that? And she said, yes. And so one month went by. I didn't hear anything. Two months. Then three months went by. And then I got this little envelope from the. From Mother Teresa and. And in it. You know, I got it and I thought, I'm going India. And what she said to me was, Dear Tandy, thank you. I've got the letter right here because I have it. So I. It reminds me. Dear Tandy, thank you very much for your letter. I believe in doing what is in our power, and that is to give our services where we are. Therefore, try to help all those who are your neighbors by being God's light of love and the place you live and radiate his peace, who all you come in contact with.
[00:42:56] Let your good works be nothing but works of love and peace. God bless you, Mother Teresa. So I read that and I go, Oh! I don't know if you can swear on this. Yes, you can. OK, great. So I went, oh, shit, you know, the mother tree. I'm a Mother Teresa reject and she wants me to be nice to my family and neighbors. And I go, I don't want to do that. I want to be nice to the people in Calcutta. And so but it was a wonderful reminder of me was to do what I can. Where I live. And that's what I try and do. And it stopped me. I mean, I had I have I had kids and a husband and a business. And I was going to shave my head and go to Calcutta. If she had said yes, I would have been gone and that was not the right thing to do. It's just like when I met my mentor Amer and I wanted to take people to Bali and Vietnam and he said, no. Take him to the Arctic. He said, I thought the same thing. Oh, I don't want do that, but I did it anyway. And look what's happened. So I'm open to ideas and I have my blinders off.
[00:44:22] That's a that's a beautiful thing, how it just all keeps coming full circle and bringing you to the path that you're meant to be on. Which was sort of the path you were thinking about in terms of tourism. But it's just where the actual path was leading that was a little bit different. Yes. Yes, exactly.
[00:44:39] That's so, Tandy, this is the part in the podcasts where I'm going to ask you to give the best piece of advice that you've learned along the way to the daughters of change out there. They're listening.
[00:44:51] So what I would suggest is to take the blinders off and think outside of the box and be open to possibilities that might come your way and think creatively because you never know what might happen or where it will lead you. You know, I remember early on in with my business, I remember, you know, talking with a friend. And she had said, you know, Tandy, if you if you plan your life out for one year from now, you would shortchange yourself on what you'd be able to accomplish. And I thought to her, I go, no, because I have big ideas. And but after a year, I I was doing some incredible things that I had never, ever thought I could do or be involved in because of curiosity. And opportunity. So, you know, think outside the box.
[00:46:01] That's beautiful. I love that. Take off the blinders. Think outside of the box. Be open. Stay curious. I. All really great and good advice that has served you well. So, I mean, not only is that advice that you're giving, that's advice that you've lived. That's that's your truth.
[00:46:20] Yes. Yes. Yes, I guess.
[00:46:24] So, Tandy, how can right now all of the daughters of change and the people that love and support them that are out there listening. How can we connect and support you and your work?
[00:46:37] Well, I thought about that and.
[00:46:44] What came to mind is another passion of mine, and it's related to, you know, alcoholism and dysfunctional in in towns and villages and all of that. Is that what disturbs me a lot is the homelessness that we have around round the world, quite frankly.
[00:47:09] And we have homelessness here in Anchorage and we have homelessness up in Nome, Alaska. And in Nome, Alaska, it gets really cold in the winter. And people freeze on the street. We've had people freeze here and angry, and I just see that as a society that we can if we come together and collaborate. And really have a discussion on a solution based that we can come up with some kind of a solution for homelessness. And I don't know what that is. And I just. You know, and I sort of. Joining. We have our mayor here in Anchorage, has a task force on homelessness, and I thought of joining that, but I had so many other projects going on. But it's something that bothers me every time I drive down the street. I see these poor souls who are homeless. And it just seems to me that we could do something positive without that. So that if somebody could, you know, help with that. I would love to be involved in a solution on how to improve homelessness.
[00:48:41] And so, Tandy, how how we'll make sure this is all in the show notes as well, but what would be the best way for somebody to get in touch with you either if they have some ideas about the solutions for homelessness or things, projects that might relate around that, but also if they want to take a tour, they want to go to you know, I know you also lead lead torch like National Geographic and you do you also help scout movie location. So if anybody wants to get in touch about that or about, you know, your passion to help around homelessness, is it best to reach out to the Web site through your email or what? What's the best way to get in touch with you?
[00:49:24] Well, we're in the process of redoing our Web site so you can contact me through my Web site or or my e-mail, because we have a section on our Web site which it talks about humanitarian efforts. And so, yeah, anybody can e-mail me. I mean, I'd love to be part of a discussion on how what can we do? How can we do instead of just complaining? That's that's the discussion I hear is the complaints. And I understand. But let's do something positive. So or if somebody wants to see what I call the third Alaska. OK. So people coming to Alaska, the first time visitor normally would take a cruise. OK. And then if they want to come back and experience more, they would come and they'd go to Denali and Homer and that kind of thing. What I sell is or decline promote is the third Alaska, the Arctic. And the villages and what the environment is like. And we're seeing dramatic changes in the environment right now. So if they're interested in seeing firsthand what goes on, you know, right now, I tell people I go, the Artic is hot. OK. Right now, all many countries are focusing on the Arctic because of the melting of the ice and the new shipping routes that are opening up. And more and more countries are coming to the Arctic and they're exploring the Arctic for economic development. So more and more people are coming. But sometimes when they come or companies are coming, they lose sight of the folks who live here and the impact that what they think is the best thing for the Arctic might not be the best thing for a village of 200 people who are subsistence hunters. So I want them to have a voice and a seat at the table with all this dialogue going on about the art. I don't know if that helps you at all.
[00:51:55] But anyway, I know that that's that's wonderful. What? This is all really, really important. These are all really important issues. And it's amazing really to think about how your company is impacting all of these different things to help make things better. So kudos to you. That is that is the true true makeup of a daughter of change.
[00:52:26] Well, thank you. I mean, if if if anything, I could give advice to folks. I mean, we're a small company, OK? It's a family company. And we hire contract people to do larger projects if we need it. But if I can emphasize anything that a small company or one person can definitely have an impact and a change on on the world in society. I mean, our little company. I never thought this would be the outcome of it. But when we did all that training for those folks over in Russia, that was seen as an act of peacemaking and keeping the border open and all of that kind of thing. And so we were awarded the World Trade Center Award for Peace. And I'm really proud of that because really I am a little part of that. But people with small companies, not just one person, it's amazing how you can make a dramatic change. And if you make a change in one person's life.
[00:53:46] Boy, isn't that worthwhile.
[00:53:50] Well, to quote, this may not be a direct quote, but it is a quote from Mother Teresa is little ripples make big waves, right? So, yes.
[00:53:59] Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
[00:54:01] And I think I realize that I get great joy out of that.
[00:54:05] So I've been blessed with the opportunity to work with governor around the governors, around the Arctic and the world and and do big trade missions and expeditions for BBC and stuff like that. But you know what? I can tell you one little story that really makes me feel good is I had a woman call me up and she wanted to send her nephew on a trip to Russia and that he was sad because his wife had died. And he's not a very experienced traveler and he's a little afraid and all this kind of a thing. And he didn't want to go for very long. So I asked him to come on down and I talked a little bit with him. And so I said, listen, you know, here's what I can do. I can put you on this plane and it's four hours to Russia and you can take 24 hours there while the plane goes off somewhere else. And then he'll come back and will pick you up and bring you back. And I'll have a guide and meals for that 24 hours. And he said, you know, I could do that. I could do that. So I talked to the crew, the pilots and the flight attendants and told them about this man who is doing this. And they just took him under their wing and treated it beautifully on the flight and came back and picked them up and everything like that. So there's was only 24 hours. And, you know, I didn't make any money really on doing that for. But when he came back and it changed his life. It changes and called me up and just said, thank you. And that means a lot that I could provide something that could change somebody's life. So you're doing small things. And like you say, the ripple effect.
[00:56:08] So anyway, it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing. Daddy and I I just it's everything you're doing, you're doing with passion. You're doing. It's all coming full circle. And it's it's really it's delightful to talk with you. It's been really fascinating and uplifting and inspiring. So thank you so much for joining us. Tandy. And again, we will make sure that all of your information for your Web site is in the show notes. But would you like to just. Tell us what your Web site is as well.
[00:56:48] While it's w w w dot Arctic travel dot net.
[00:56:54] Ok. Arctic travel dot net. That's right. Fantastic. Thank you so much for joining us today, Tandy. It's been a pleasure.
[00:57:04] Well, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity.
[00:57:12] Thank you for listening to this week's episode of the Daughters of Change podcast to learn more about today's guest or any of our previous guests. You can visit Daughters of Change dot com forward slash podcast. You can connect with Daughters of Change on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching those platforms for Daughters of Change. If you are a daughter of change yourself and would like to appear on the show, send me an email at Marie at. Daughters of Change dot com. Thanks again for taking the time to listen today. Take care.