What is your favorite travel memory?
In 2014, my wife and I traveled to London, Rome, and Santorini for three weeks. We visited historic monuments, ate amazing food, and met some inspirational people. The best 3 week period of my life. Also, I proposed to her in Santorini at the end so that location will always hold a special place in my heart.
Which destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?
As far as the locations that UnCollege offers, I think that India is vastly underrated. Everyone that returns from Dharamsala raves about the profound experience they had. Dharamsala has one of the highest Tibetan monk populations in the world and is known for its amazing temples.
This is a great place to do some soul searching and focus on yourself - without distractions. People also get to visit booming cities of India and historic monuments such as Taj Mahal.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
The biggest factor in being a successful company is definitely the people. It's imperative to have a group of people on the same page and dedicated to the company's goal. At UnCollege, our team works as one unit to give our fellows the best gap year experience possible. From going on their voyage, to one on one coaching, delivering powerful workshops, even gaining real world work experience, we work very hard to make this a great program. We have great communication with each other and provide support when someone needs it.
What unique qualities does your company possess?
We are a mighty group of 9 people that work incredibly hard, but a unique quality is that we also love being around each other. When it's someone's birthday, we celebrate that individual by dressing like him/her for the day. We have a book club where we gather once a month to talk about the latest entrepreneurship book we've read. We eat lunch together almost daily. Sometimes we'll start singing impromptu top 40 jams. Loving where you work is so important.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
I had a student return from living in India for almost 3 months and he said that experience changed his life. He taught English to young Tibetan monks and was awestruck by the culture and spirituality that Dharamsala provided. When I was coaching him here in San Francisco, he often referred to moments in India when thinking about personal growth. He's now in a great place, will be finishing college soon, and even has begun executing on some great business ideas. His confidence is sky high and he's doing more international travel because of his experience in India.