Back to Newsletter July 05, 2008

A conversation with Patrick Peartree
by Nick Gosling

Nick Gosling:
What do you enjoy most about traveling the world?

Patrick Peartree: Certainly, there is so much to be learned and appreciated in this huge cornucopia of wondrous differences. And yet, the character of the many peoples of the many nations remain remarkably the same: warm, open, sharing, friendly, hospitable and welcoming. These to me are just some of the reasons one absolutely must venture abroad. It's really what I enjoy the most about traveling.

NG:
What do you like most about working with Sandy Dhuyvetter and the TravelTalkMEDIA Team?

PP: One thing is the break-neck speed at which some of these huge travel opportunities come at us. Many folks might prepare for the better part of year when they are planning their trip of a lifetime. With us, it could easily be a situation where we see an opportunity for a great story and compelling programming and we are off to an emerging tourism destination within a few short days. We don't exactly keep our bags packed, but we don't keep them in storage either. For us, the only thing we can really rely on is CHANGE! Working with Sandy has been particularly enjoyable and I think in part because she is a brilliant artist and a master of computer graphics and Internet technology. This unique combination of talent and knowledge gave her huge credibility in the travel and tourism industry in the early 90’s. She is also a people person and can easily command a convention hall shoulder-to-shoulder with the captains of the industry. To see her clearly emerge in the past few years as a highly regarded travel expert and an international media celebrity wherever we travel, well, frankly it's sort of like traveling with a rock star of tourism. Very exciting, indeed, and Sandy is recognized and enthusiastically greeted and welcomed in every country, event and destination we visit. It's inspiring and I know the entire TravelTalkMEDIA team feels this way. We all have a passion for travel and for our mission at TravelTalkMEDIA of connecting our audiences to the experts in travel and tourism. Even thought there is obviously no manual or instruction book for what we are doing, Sandy carries a very bright LED torch and is boldly leading the way for us.

NG:
What are your primary responsibilities at TravelTalkMEDIA?

PP: Well, in the interests of time, I'll just say my hat rack is very full and the TravelTalkMEDIA team members all wear many different hats at different times. I do a lot of operations and project management and take care of our information technology infrastructure. I also shoot a lot of our video and stills, capture and edit audio for our radio programming, set up remote broadcasts, bag schlepping, coffee making, dish washing, etc, etc. As a recovering attorney, I also prepare or review many of our legal documents and I get involved in many of our sales negotiations and marketing discussions. Each of us on the team already has many core competences in so many needed skills and what we lack, we learn from each other on the fly. In fact, I think we actually invented the term On the Fly (OTF).

Nick Gosling:
Of all the places you’ve been, which place did you enjoy the most and why?

PP:  I'd have to say the Holy Lands were perhaps the most enlightening and moving experience for me. To follow the stories of the Torah and the Bible and Quran, to walk where Abraham, Moses, the Pharaohs, Jesus and Muhammad walked, to begin to understand and appreciate the Jewish and Muslim people and their faiths - these were all things that stirred me to the very core of my existence and my belief systems. Plus, not to forget the last 60 years of recent turbulent history in the Middle East since the modern nation of Israel was formed. So you have very old history right up against some very new history and it's really quite fascinating. However, for sheer adventure and thrills, I'd have to say going on safari in Tanzania should definitely be on everyone's "bucket list".

NG:
What was the most memorable experience you’ve had traveling abroad while working for TravelTalkMEDIA?

PP:  One afternoon in the ancient stone city of Petra in Jordan, Sandy was befriended by one of the Bedouin camel handlers. He invited us to dinner with his family in their village high up on the mountain. Sandy rode his donkey and I walked behind and it was probably four solid miles of rugged uphill terrain. Along the way, we saw scenes of life and death playing out - young boys tending to a ewe giving birth on a hillside and a bit further on, the relatively intact carcass of what looked to have been a mule lying along the trail. As we neared the village, it began to rain heavily and we got thoroughly soaked. We met his mother and his siblings in their meager but very clean two-room concrete walled home. >From their small metal oven we were offered a delicious meal of chicken and vegetables and although a longtime firm vegetarian, Sandy even broke her dietary rules and ate heartily of this home-cooked offering. We sat on their large cushions on the floor and after dinner, we all sang and laughed together in the dimming light. The mother even made an unexpected gift of one her beautiful handmade dresses to Sandy. It was a moving and rather emotional experience. These people didn't have much of anything, but they were joyful and generous with what they had. I'll never forget the few hours we spent together in Jordan with this delightful Bedouin family in a small village high above Petra.

NG:
What do you see on the horizon for TravelTalkMEDIA and yourself?

PP:  We are New Media and we are growing in leaps and bounds as broadband technology expands so very rapidly. When she started broadcasting, Sandy had one of the first (if not THE first) online radio shows ever and certainly the first to focus on travel news and entertainment. She was streaming audio over the Internet before the term podcast was on anybody's radar. Now, with the ability to stream and podcast full video, I only see our TV work continuing to grow, both on conventionally broadcast TV and on the Internet. We have some very exciting television production projects in the works with major cable and satellite networks on four continents. We'll continue to be a pioneer in the travel news industry and our distribution channels will continue to expand around the globe. For me, that means staying up with the latest technology, staying organized, continuing to learn everything I can about the industry and staying fit and robustly healthy for traveling the world with Sandy and the TravelTalkMEDIA team.

Bio:
Patrick Peartree is the Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Celestialink, LLC, a global communications company. As such, he serves as a key executive for several multimedia communications companies that specialize in the production and worldwide distribution of digital, broadcast quality news, information, advertising and entertainment. Celestialink is a pioneer in the use of convergent digital media technology, an innovative process for harnessing and multiplying the communication power and reach of radio, TV, print and the Web.

Patrick obtained his undergraduate education and doctorate degrees in business and law at Creighton University and has attained several additional professional certifications including Project Management Institute (PMI/PMP) and Microsoft Certified System Engineering (MCSE) certifications. He has published in prestigious journals and speaks to audiences both in person and via broadcast media addressing subjects including the successful use of modern convergent mass media, the creation of synergy between digital technologies and the promotion of international trade and global business relationships through highly effective communication campaigns.

His passion is in the development of business relationships that maximize the power of technology for greater productivity and prosperity both nationally and internationally.

Back to Newsletter July 05, 2008