Since its inception, CEO Greg Fisher has worked to transform TripShock into a travel industry giant. Greg along with the co-founder Donna Marler operated in Destin, FL for two years before branching out into other locations. Proactive and personable, the award-winning young entrepreneur first developed a passion for tourism while studying hospitality at the University of Central Florida. After working at hotels as a front desk agent helping people find fun things to do in the city, he realized he could monetize his efforts and his passion. In addition, Greg has contracted over 75 key travel partnerships and kept the company ahead of the trends.
What is TripShock all about?
TripShock is an online marketplace for booking tours and attractions in popular cities across the United States. TripShock connects tourists with the best local businesses to create a wealth of unforgettable, family-friendly travel experiences. The company has hundreds of tour providers in popular destinations including Destin, New Orleans, Panama City Beach, and Gulf Shores to name a few. Some of the popular tours and activities include dolphin cruises, boat tours, snorkeling, and parasailing, among many others.
TripShock continues to have success by offering a wide range of great travel products that consistently satisfy and meet the demands of modern travelers. The company allows users to gift experiences with a TripShock gift card. The gift card lets recipients choose an adventure from top vacation destinations across the country. Whether it’s exploring New Orleans or taking a carriage tour, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. We are also the recipients of awards such as Inc 500, Inc 500, and Entrecon.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I’ve been in the hospitality industry since I was 19-years-old. It all started when I was working in hotels as a front desk agent, and soon after, I went to college and received my bachelor’s degree in tourism management. As a front desk agent, I really enjoyed helping people find fun things to do in our city, but I thought it would be great to monetize our efforts since we sold so many tickets for tour operators. Not long after, I found an opportunity to partner with a local businesswoman that shared a similar idea and launched TripShock.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
It’s hard to break this down into three things as there are many skills needed, but at this time in my career, I’d say Patience, Perseverance, and Kindness are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur.
- Patience: A large majority of us will not experience fast growth. It takes time to build relationships and find the right formula for success. You can’t force this part of the building process.
- Perseverance: The easy thing to do is to quit. You have to push through the challenges you may be faced with. Having the emotional competency and mental strength to power through all obstacles is everything.
- Kindness: Your team members want to work for someone that is kind and thoughtful. I always try to stay ahead of my employee’s needs so they know how much I care about them.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
The future plans are to continue growing our current destinations with new activities and tours, but also seek new ones as well. Since we’ve been around for 13 years, we’ve put together a great formula for finding destinations that make a great fit.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
We separate ourselves by giving white-glove service to our suppliers and customers. We are one of the few travel agencies that still provide US-based customer support for both our suppliers and our customers. And since we are nearly wholly owned by the founding team, we can still act fast on new initiatives. Also, TripShock is a rare example of a tech company that has never accepted outside investments or venture capital. This puts the leadership in a position to make decisions for the benefit of customers, partners, and employees.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
The top three mistakes we made were:
- Forcing us to grow fast
- Hiring team members we weren’t ready for, and
- Not using existing software to solve problems.
I learned a lot from these mistakes. Most importantly, I learned to slow down and sleep on big decisions so I can have a clearer mind.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
My team and our clients make me stay driven to keep going in my business. I love to see all of them grow both personally and professionally. I also can’t help but challenge myself to hit certain milestones. It’s very gratifying when you reach your goals and make new ones.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
When starting out as a new entrepreneur, you need to be flexible. You might find your idea going in a completely different direction than what you initially thought. Also, keep in mind that the equity you sell or give away early on will be the most expensive. Don’t be too quick or tempted to give away any share of the equity. It’s okay to be stubborn when giving ownership away because the long-term effects could be very expensive to deal with.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I honestly wouldn’t do anything different, because it was those mistakes that made me into the entrepreneur I am today. We all make mistakes and those mistakes give you the opportunity to learn from them. All in all, you need to make mistakes to learn and grow.
What is your favorite quote?
“Run fast alone, run far together”
What is your definition of success?
Success is when money is no longer important in your career.
How can readers get in touch with you?
They can reach follow me on LinkedIn
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