Donna (left) is a teacher from Saskatchewan who, every year, leads a 17-day tour of up to 150 students spread across 3 tour buses—no easy logistical feat. Her secret weapon? Lisa (right), our Senior Relationship Manager: an all-star tour planner with 17 years at EF, over a decade of which has been spent working with Donna.

We met with both to gain insight into how strong teacher/EF team member partnerships form, evolve, and thrive and that their engagement on an EF tour doesn’t stop just there.
 

EF: Donna, when you first went looking for one, what attracted you to EF Educational Tours as a travel company?

Donna: I always knew that I’d be taking large groups through my travel club, so I needed boots on the ground. Prior to EF, I was working with a travel agent who, when they came back with a program, I told them I wanted to adjust it. They said “Oh, well, let me check with who we’ve subcontracted to.” Suddenly, I didn’t have that dedicated, one-on-one person. It just didn’t work. So I thought: “Who should I be travelling with?” After a period of research, EF was the one I chose.

EF: What has kept you travelling with us

Donna: There are so many challenges with a large group, as far as getting us out of Saskatchewan, and EF works hard to make it happen. It’s a great organization. We need to do our end of the work, but we know that EF will take care of all the details. And when I partnered with Lisa, it was like I hit the jackpot.

Lisa’s energy is contagious, and I so respect her attention to detail. She always did what she said she was going to do. Ever since that first phone call, she would get back to me in such quick order—I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

EF: What’s the secret to your success?
 

Lisa: I’ve been working with Donna for 10 years now, and every year, her tour sells out. There’s a waitlist. Due to its unique timing requirements, we always want to make sure that we get her tour scheduled between the specific days that her club can travel. Sometimes, when it comes to the itinerary, Donna dreams a little too big—but we always try to make it work.

Donna: Lisa really helps me differentiate between what is an absolute need for the tour, and what is a want.

EF: Is it difficult to navigate that line? 

Donna: Well, it’s not easy for Lisa to manage me when I have three buses, but she does so well with it. I get my answers so quickly, which is a huge help with planning.

Lisa: It’s like, “I know what you want, but we can’t get it if we’re going to keep it under this price”. That’s the level of transparency and comfort that we have; it works because there’s an established understanding between us. We sort it out, then, boom! The magic happens.

EF: How do you each feel about your time together?  

Lisa: When you’re with someone for quite a bit, you really get to bond and connect on a deep level. At a certain point, you’re the extended family. We’ve shared tears, we’ve shared laughter… You’re with your adventurous soulmate, in a way. She’ll call me—it might be nine, ten o’clock at night—but I’ll hop on.

Donna: I have been through a lot. Lisa’s had a lot on her plate. But we know we’re always there if either of us needs to reach out.