A Conversation with Erina Pindar, Managing Director of SmartFlyer

AFAR

Erina Pindar, Managing Director of SmartFlyer, on the launch of EQTR, a nonprofit mentorship program to help develop future BIPOC luxury travel leaders. ——— CONNECT WITH AFAR Afar.com is a digital and print magazine that publishes travel tips, guides, news, and stories: https://www.afar.com  Get updates on the latest articles, travel news, and more from AFAR by signing up for the AFAR newsletter: https://afar.com/newsletters  Follow AFAR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfarMedia Follow AFAR on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afarmedia Follow AFAR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia Follow AFAR on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afarmedia

Transcript

00:00 Hi Irina. Hey Annie. It's so nice to be interviewing you and I'm so happy to be here

00:06 with you with Irina Pindar who is the Managing Director of Smartflyer and I feel like of course

00:11 in the industry you need no introduction. I've known you now for several years and you have

00:16 been such a force in establishing Smartflyer as one of the most respected full-service travel

00:22 agencies. You're headquartered in New York City which is where you are today right? Correct,

00:28 yeah I'm actually in our office. Nice, I like the background color.

00:31 And you have offices and agents throughout the U.S. and then also outposts in Sydney and Melbourne,

00:39 Australia and you're a hands-on travel advisor as well and of course I know this you love

00:44 discovering and recommending the best new places, where to go and just in general you

00:49 you know where to go around the world I think. So does that sound like you? It sounds,

00:56 you wrapped it up beautifully. Thank you, thank you for having me. Good, well so our reason here

01:01 today you are doing something really cool in the industry which I think is very needed. You founded

01:08 something called Equator which is EQTR which is a mentorship program not-for-profit developing

01:14 future BIPOC travel leaders and entrepreneurs and I just wanted to start with you know an

01:20 overview of that because I think in both of us know the luxury travel industry is very very white

01:26 very male as well but how did this start? Did it stem from last year's social justice movement? Has

01:33 it always kind of been in the back of your mind? Yeah so you know let me let me take it a step

01:41 back. So as a company Smartflyer has always you know has always developed young people and it's

01:50 part of our DNA mentorship and bringing new talents into the industry and the thing about

01:59 working with young people I think is that they push you to evolve and to do better always.

02:06 And so over the summer you know you mentioned the social justice movement that happened.

02:18 We had a lot of conversation internally and we this was last year was supposed to be our 30th

02:27 anniversary and we were going to either start a foundation or build a scholarship or it was always

02:36 in the plan but you know when George Floyd passed away it served as a watershed moment for a lot of

02:52 companies and we were trying to find our own footing and we've always thought that we were

03:00 diverse but then upon further inspection we realized that we could do better right. So we

03:09 decided to combine the two things that we are that we've always done which is bringing young

03:16 talents into the space and what we felt was lacking which is more bipod people in the space.

03:28 So like that's how it came about and out of the year we came up with this non-profit,

03:35 Equator, and it's something that we're really excited about and you said it best it's a

03:42 mentorship for to create pathways for young kids, young bipod kids to be in the industry and

03:53 eventually hopefully our future leaders. I mean I really love that and I think something I mean

03:59 I've always been passionate about kind of education because that's that's where it starts right when

04:03 you're when you're young and I think sometimes you don't you don't realize what exists and what's out

04:07 there and what's possible for you and and what has been the response from the industry as you

04:13 as you put it together? Yeah I mean it's been overwhelmingly positive of course.

04:22 But it's not just for the industry and that's kind of what's really exciting. So this

04:27 this initiative is a true crossover between education and career development and of course

04:34 the travel industry. So I've had to kind of step outside of my travel box and really

04:41 go into other spaces that I'm not comfortable I wasn't comfortable going into and

04:49 and but it's but in the end it's it's really cool because I got to meet some really amazing people

04:57 and within the education space and within the career development space and it's been incredible

05:03 seeing how excited everyone's been and especially the the feedback on travel as a very as a viable

05:16 career path. Yes yes because I think sometimes people think travel writer which I've gotten

05:22 before but you know travel advisor as well but you know what are what are some other areas of

05:28 of the luxury travel industry that young people may not realize they can get into? I mean what

05:34 you just mentioned is just the very you know we think about a career in in the travel industry

05:40 and we think about hotel management typically. Most hospitality schools focus on hotel management

05:47 so which is great and it has its needs of course and it's it's brought some amazing talents that

05:53 we both know into the space but a lot of people a lot of people that I know come into this industry

06:01 by accident. I know that's how I did it I was I didn't plan to be in travel but there's so much

06:11 there's there's so much I've met I've met lawyers there's there's PR there's sales and and it's it's

06:19 not even you know it's not the kind of industry where you can be like oh like I have to study

06:24 for a specific thing it's yeah it's very much like oh like you can probably take any career path and

06:30 put it into the travel space. Totally. Which is so amazing. Yeah I mean I love that and I think

06:36 that that is the thing you you say like people who say oh I love people and I love traveling and I

06:42 want to work and travel and I'm like actually there's a million ways that you can do it right

06:46 there's not there isn't one path right and I think the jobs in travel today are going to look

06:51 different in 10 years right so. Absolutely it's yeah even even the travel agency space which of

06:56 course something I'm really familiar with it's it's evolved so much in the past decade but

07:02 I don't know if you remember but I'm I'm always like I always laugh whenever I see

07:07 like an Instagram thing where it's like oh like get paid to travel. Yeah.

07:12 Yeah. But I feel I feel like but there's there's some like truth to it right like. There is yeah

07:22 but I mean it's definitely a job I said I mean I couldn't work in any other industry but it's

07:25 definitely you can't just love people and food and like hotels like you have to really understand

07:31 the business side right and and and understand all sides and I think that's what the mentorship part

07:36 will be so important with what you're doing um and how how many mentors do you have signed up so far

07:42 do you have a good um we have about eight mentors signed up so far um and our um our goal is 14.

07:53 So we're oh you're almost yeah that's amazing and our official launch is um coming up and as part

07:59 of that you're going to be doing a master class right can you talk a little bit about that?

08:03 Yeah of course so we are working with a diversity and inclusion expert his name is Dr. Derek Gay

08:11 um he is um he's amazing and he's um he's worked for you know like Tom Ford and like Sesame Street

08:21 and like kind of just like it's uh his his his incredible range which I'm super excited. Yeah

08:29 Tom Ford and Sesame Street that's yeah different sides of something yeah um but uh what he's going

08:38 to be where I'm going to do a little bit of an introduction on um on Equator um but um what he's

08:46 going to be talking about is how um how to bring diversity and inclusion and create a sense of

08:54 belonging um in in the travel space and and why you know why there's a serious business case for

09:01 it and and not just the social aspect of it and I'm really excited about it and everyone should

09:06 join. That's amazing and how it'll be I think it will have happened by the time this is published

09:11 so how can someone access it after it's um done? Yeah so we're going to be providing we're going

09:18 to be running a recording event and it's going to be recorded and um and it's it's something that

09:24 as a team um Smartfire as a team we feel like we have if we're going to get into the space we feel

09:31 like we need to do the work yeah um and uh but we thought well while we're doing it why not open it

09:38 up to everyone else who's interested. Amazing yeah so and that'll be on your site then right or?

09:43 Um yeah it's gonna it's going to be on on the website yes. Um I mean you mentioned something

09:51 too in that that Derek mentioned which is like how important it is to business and I mean it's

09:56 you know not all travelers look the same right and I think that's and to see themselves reflected

10:02 and the people that work in the business is really important it is there is a big business case for

10:07 investing in in the future and what it looks like right and the diversity of that. Yeah and you know

10:12 it's I guess that's it's that's more representation right like it um but that's that's the whole point

10:19 of Equator I feel like it's like if you can if you can see it you can create a path towards it. Yeah

10:27 and it's important to showcase to young people who might not even be thinking about travel as

10:35 a career path that this is um first of all it's it's a vibrant um industry that's very much

10:44 um alive and really exciting and yes but but also like you know you can you can be in this

10:52 in this space and like we want to show that the amazing talented people um who are currently in

10:58 it who can be inspiration for these kids moving forward and uh and it starts with our mentors and

11:05 and our and our boards which we're so lucky to have so yes and I am a mentor right so I should

11:11 say yes I'm one of those so I'm excited to be a part of it because I really do think and it's so

11:16 much about who you know and um you know we've talked about the power of one connection one

11:21 person can change your life and I really really believe um and showing showing showing what's

11:26 possible so I mean we've we've talked about that too I mean the importance of mentors in our own

11:30 careers in life and lives can you I mean can you talk about how that's helped you as you've grown

11:34 your career yeah I'm so um incredibly fortunate to have um a mentor who I feel like everyone wants

11:45 um would love to have as a mentor I'm talking about Michael Holtz of course um who's the owner

11:52 right or the owner and founder of Smart Flyer and he's been you know he's been doing this since his

12:01 20s and um we've obviously spent a lot of time building this company together in the past 11

12:08 years which is um insane but he's um he's he's taught me so much along the way um and he's

12:19 created space for me to not only um I think autonomy is is is a big thing and it's what I

12:28 try to do with my team um we I have a young team they're all in their 20s it's it's exciting so I

12:36 try to give them as much autonomy as as he gave me um of course I'm more of a control freak then

12:43 that's okay too that's everyone's different but yeah it's it is about I think it's important to

12:52 provide to provide space to create space for for young people and let them be who they are right

12:58 let them in absolutely um and and let them bring something to the table and that's what he did so

13:05 well and um and I'm you know I'm grateful for it yeah I mean it seems like I mean I'm from an

13:12 outsider's perspective my own I mean it seems like he's he's um he hasn't like done most a lot

13:18 of founders and CEOs are like all about the power grab sometimes and I feel like he's he's shared

13:23 the the platform and allowed you to become who you are so which is an amazing leader absolutely

13:30 and yeah and Michael is Michael is incredibly generous and in that sense and it's not just me

13:35 of course like he's he's like that with with everyone he is yeah in contact with and he's I

13:42 know a lot of our agents um look up to him as well and it's um it's it's it's great it's it's

13:50 incredible what you can what you can do um and how you can grow when you work with really amazing

13:56 people who are invested in in your future yeah I think that's the differentiator right I mean if I

14:02 look back at bosses like the ones who have said you can do this you can do better bigger things

14:07 I believe in you right I mean it just makes such a difference so yeah absolutely well so in your

14:13 opinion I mean who else is leading the way in the travel industry can you think of anyone who's doing

14:17 some cool cool things yeah of course um you know I um my uh my marketing manager Kayla Douglas ran

14:28 um well I think this is her second time running in the Serengeti Girls Run um so this this is a um

14:37 this is a the Serengeti Girls Run is the long-standing collaboration between the family

14:42 run lodge company Sengira which the most gorgeous brilliant lodges in Africa yeah yeah dream um and

14:51 the Grumetti Fund which is a non-profit organization with focus on wildlife conservation

14:56 and community development work um it's a three-day run across um the Serengeti to help raise funds

15:05 help girls in the local community become leaders and uh we were introduced to the program by

15:12 Sengira and um it's I think they're just you know in terms of conservation and yeah and community

15:19 support and now like you know building leaders and which is obviously something that I feel

15:24 strongly about it's um I think I think it's amazing yeah I mean it plays right into what

15:29 you're doing right I mean it's yeah that's really cool I mean yeah Sengira has or they've definitely

15:34 led in the space um of sustainability and community and environmental and I mean all

15:40 all areas of sustainability um so that's awesome so if you wanted to sign up for that too you can

15:45 right this yeah yeah the three-day run yeah we're both like maybe not maybe another way to help

15:52 maybe we're in the truck exactly also um well so on a you know on a harder note I guess you know

16:00 what are what are the two biggest challenges you're grappling with right now and what would

16:03 help um I think the biggest challenge is connecting with um with schools and just simply just because

16:16 like it's not it's not um a field that we're familiar with uh we we have a lot of help um

16:24 so far and it's it's been so great um but um and I and I've been saying it throughout this um this

16:33 conversation of course it that travel is a viable industry and um I think when you're working with

16:40 kids it's it's about convincing the parents too that you're I mean you have a daughter so like

16:46 I'm sure you understand um when you're trying to work with young kids you want to make sure that

16:52 they're you get their parents buy in as well yes and that they understand that you're trying to do

16:59 something great with their kids um and not lead them down the wrong path right right at least it's

17:06 not like I don't know what's a what's a dead-end career now it's I mean it's a vibrant career right

17:13 there's it's it leads to a paycheck and you know amazing relationships and like fulfillment which

17:19 is awesome um yeah and also um showcase um you know we've already touched on this as well but

17:25 like just showcasing the depth and the breadth of the industry because there's so much it's exposure

17:30 yeah yeah no it's it takes a lot and I think I mean you know real life experience teaches you

17:35 better than anything so um internships will be a big part of what you're doing as well right

17:40 trying to connect people with those real life yeah yeah for sure for sure and um how people

17:46 can help well if um you know students who'd be great for this we'd love to hear about them

17:52 and of course um where we are not shy asking for help so yes uh school connections and um

18:02 yeah I mean it's it's it's about um it's about awareness more than yeah it's such a new program

18:08 that it's um we were trying really hard to uh create a get the word out voice around it yeah

18:16 yeah um well what do you think I mean for anyone who works in travel from you know no matter what

18:21 their title or status is what can anyone do to kind of um make the world a better place

18:26 um I think it's just back to basic it's it's like just be open-minded be kind um you know

18:37 lots of empathy especially these days um everyone's got a story and and um you just

18:43 got to find them listening to it yeah um and finally um I think I know why because I feel

18:52 this way too but I want to know why you love this industry so much something to pass along

18:56 to people who might be interested um yeah I mean this industry I think travel inherently values

19:03 differences um it fosters inclusion uh it's an industry that builds a global community of

19:12 like-minded individuals um it's not often that you can go anywhere in the world and need a friend

19:20 yes and not pre-plan and uh but I think most of all it you know the travel industry encourages

19:28 the entrepreneurial spirit which I love so yes it's great but if you can dream it you can build

19:34 it within it I love that I agree with everything you said 100 percent um and and so and where's

19:41 your next trip I have to know yeah I'm uh I'm heading to Marrakesh it's a last-minute trip

19:48 I'm really excited um I've never been so I love it yeah I'm excited it's all about color that's

19:56 the one like it's like it's dazzling it's amazing you're gonna have the best time so

20:01 can't wait to follow it on Instagram and your Instagram is what at arena pin dar at arena

20:07 pin dar so if people want to follow your adventures which are very you might be jealous

20:11 or encouraged to work and travel by your Instagram so um thank you so much arena I really appreciate

20:16 it and your and your website is is what for equator uh it's eqtr.org eqtr.org and smartflyer.com

20:25 for the agency perfect thank you bye bye

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