As readers of the GT blog read recently, October 31 is a special day for Global Traveler and its founder Fran Gallagher. Fran took a calculated gamble, leaving the corporate world and the magazine which he developed and called home for 17 years.

I had a remarkably similar experience, days short of exactly 1 year later, although realistically I knew my future was sealed on that same October 31st. When Fran called me, I was the Circulation and Marketing Director at a community newspaper in Chicago. I had been there for 17+ years, but I was facing many of the same challenges which made his decision for him. I immediately signed on with Fran, juggling my GT responsibilities with my duties at the newspaper. I convinced my friend and associate, Louie, to join me in this endeavor.

One year later, after experiencing many cutbacks and bad decisions by the corporate bigwigs, Louie and I were faced with a major decision. With Fran as partial inspiration and GT as the partial insurance policy, we both did the leap right out of the corporate world and into our own entrepreneurship. We soon gained more publication clients. Like Fran, we never looked back. The rest of my story is similar to Fran’s as well, although not quite on the grand scale.

Somewhere it states that we were the “3rd largest publication distributor in the Midwest” (whatever that means), but we never concerned ourselves with that. We just wanted to run a company with good, dedicated people, for quality publications run by professional people.

Because of my clients, I have traveled to great cities like New York, Boston and Houston, but I have also been to underrated towns like Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Indianapolis. I have met politicians, musicians, athletes and authors. On non-traveling days, I can often be found reading a book on an Evanston Beach looking out to Lake Michigan. I am sure I have added years, or at least quality, to my life.

Relationships, Friendships and Trust is the stated corporate mantra of GT, but looking back it served me quite well, too. I have known Fran for 24 years, and Louie for 20. Those relationships, friendships and trust helped put me in my current position. The relationships, friendships and trust I have developed since GT‘s formation will hopefully guide me through the next phase of my life.

-John Wroblewski, Distribution Specialist