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About Me (this is like the airline's on-time report).
The greatest journeys are born when people open their eyes to the incredible human performance casually referred to as travel.
Business evangelist, speaker, and author Jim Menge has worked in this performance as both actor and director. He’s traveled to 100 countries (and counting), pushing the leading edge of technology at some of the travel industry’s most significant companies. His contributions have enabled companies travel products to empower our ability to travel and travel well.
Jim shares his passion and expertise around the world, addressing audiences on topics of business, leisure, and inspired travel.
When Jim speaks about awakening the desire for travel, he speaks about awakening a purpose transcending basic needs. He encourages audiences to uncover reasons to travel that go beyond attending life or business events and have everything to do with creating life and business experiences. Every step out your front door can intoxicate and heighten your sense of the world around you. For Jim, this includes security checkpoints and boarding queues as well as eyeball-blistering bungee jumps and the expired passports he sequesters as priceless treasures.
Speaker & Advisor
To hear Jim talk about travel is like listening to someone who has had a conversion experience and is still glowing from the revelation. In reality, Jim’s conversion to the glory of planes, trains, and automobiles happened when he was a child in Miami more than 30 years ago.
He papered the walls of his boyhood room with maps of airline routes and schedules meticulously traced. He acquired his solo flying certificate before his driver’s license. Since then his energy has only intensified. It’s a life he was destined for.
Jim embodies the role of an evangelist—a passionate voice awakening belief in others. He never preaches; he lives the message; it’s in his blood.
As an industry professional, Jim’s authority stems from his experience and comprehensive grasp of the industry. He thinks and speaks fluently in the languages of global logistics, interdependencies, risk, synergy, and economics.
Whether or not your company is in the travel sector, Jim will reframe the way you think about your business, your product, and most importantly, your clients.
Throughout his multi-decade career, Jim Menge has led transformations at a host of travel companies, both regional and global, including Silvercar, ViajaNet, SilverRail, American Airlines, Sabre, and most notably Virtuoso.
His roles have spanned from Chief Marketing Officer to Executive Vice President of Member and Business Development and more. Along with Steven M. R. Covey and Brian Tracy, he contributed to the book Bushido Business: The Fine Art of the Modern Professional. Jim’s value as an executive partner is a matter of record, having architected cost savings for companies over hundreds of millions of dollars.
Traveler & Writer
From the back cover of Never Travel in a Straight Line:
Dive into the captivating world of travel with Jim Menge, a true insider of the travel industry and a passionate globetrotter. His expertise is matched only by his wanderlust, and now, he shares his remarkable experiences in Never Travel in a Straight Line.
Menge weaves a tapestry of travel stories that will transport you to far flung destinations and open your eyes to the enchantment of the journey itself. For him, travel is more than a passion; it's a means of creating magic. Routine trips take on a special significance, and ordinary lines become pathways of learning. Doorways reveal hidden portals, and every seat tells a unique story waiting to be told.
Menge's mantra is simple yet profound: "Never travel in a straight line.” He advocates for embracing detours and diversions, for in them lies the true essence of exploration. From a leisurely cruise across the Atlantic for a European business meeting to a soul-searching pilgrimage in Tibet alongside a bustling New York meeting, he finds the extraordinary in the unexpected. Whether it's a business meeting in Santiago followed by a weekend escape to Atacama or taking the scenic southern route from the U.S. to Sydney, Menge's journeys are a testament to the richness of the winding path.
Never Travel in a Straight Line is more than a travel memoir; it's an invitation to embark on a thrilling, meandering voyage through the world's wonders. Join Jim Menge as he encourages you to embrace the beauty of the detour, the serendipity of the unexpected, and the enchantment of the journey itself.
Purpose, Vision & Values
My Purpose
My Vision, My Values
My Vision, My Values
I write like I speak. Some tongue-in-cheek. Real experiences.
I'm a travel story teller, poet, and philosopher.
My purpose is simple. I like making things happen, not waiting for them to happen. I want the same for travelers.
I don't travel in a straight line when I can (thank you, Marc A and Paul Theroux). I believe a better travel experience delivers a travel story.
Herein is mine.
My Vision, My Values
My Vision, My Values
My Vision, My Values
Vision:
I love hearing people's travel stories rather than talking about my own. My vision is that more people will change how they travel ~ paying attention to what they see and experience. I think Airbnb and homestay programs have changed how we travel (much like Uber changed how we get to the airport).
Values:
I value creativity, diversity, inclusivity, and travel sustainability. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and am committed to promoting and sharing stories from writers of all backgrounds.