Gennady Podolsky, travel agent and concierge, shares the inspiration behind his decades-long travel industry experience.
Entrepreneurial journeys are like glittering snowflakes on a winter afternoon. Every individual's path is different, and each one is marked by a personal passion transformed into a challenging (yet rewarding) career. Some entrepreneurs use a "slow and steady" approach, consistently gaining expertise until they are recognized as industry leaders. Others rocket to recognition, never stopping their upward trajectory.
Gennady Podolsky, experienced global travel expert, concierge, and industry innovator, recently discussed the lifelong travel passion that fueled the launch of this successful venture. As the story unfolded, he expressed an affinity for the "undiscovered destinations" that still offered the flexible traveler an authentic experience.
Factors That Frequently Drive a Career Choice
Many successful entrepreneurs found childhood inspiration for their future careers. To illustrate, physicians, teachers, engineers, and astronauts (among others) often credit an industry luminary or memorable experience for their career choice.
Not surprisingly, this person or event would serve as the catalyst for the child's educational path, summer camps, internships, and other opportunities. Over time, they would realize their career goal and begin to make their mark in their chosen industry.
Gennady Podolsky's Travel Inspiration Takes Shape
Gennady Podolsky's story is markedly different. A native of the former Soviet Union, he was intrigued by travel at a young age. However, the country's citizens were prohibited from visiting overseas destinations.
Of course, that restriction fueled his curiosity about the world beyond the Soviet Union's borders. "That's why I was super curious about the world ─ because it was so inaccessible. We traveled as much as we could within the former Soviet Union. My parents were avid travelers. We did a couple of trips a year. We traveled by car, big car trips, as well as flying to different places. So, we traveled a lot, but it was always sort of within the Soviet Union, and I was always super fascinated by those other places in the world," Gennady Podolsky said.
A Travel Passion Becomes an Entrepreneurial Journey
With his curiosity about the broader world unsatisfied, Gennady Podolsky embarked on his college education. While attending Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College for a year, he knew he didn't share his freshmen classmates' career indecision. In fact, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: launch a travel agency.
"I started, I think, in 1993. I was still at Swarthmore, and basically, I was there for one year. In that first year, I started up my first travel agency.
"To be honest, I mean, I don't know actually why I always wanted to do this, but I was just kind of focused while everybody else at Swarthmore was thinking, 'I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe this, maybe that.' For some reason, I had this one track. This is what I want to do ─ no questions. So, it kind of made it easy for me."
The State of Travel Bookings in 1993
Before Gennady Podolsky launched his travel agency, customers had two reservation options: (1) Purchase their ticket at a local travel agency or (2) Purchase their ticket via an airline phone reservation. Both methods were time-consuming and often inconvenient.
Seeking an alternative, Swarthmore student Gennady Podolsky discovered that tech-friendly consumers could use the Easy Saber reservation system to directly book their tickets. He and a Swarthmore engineering student developed the VIA program that created optimal trip routings that also resulted in clients' cost savings.
The VIA Program Launches a Travel Brand
Once VIA was operational, the duo designed a website offering their travel booking services. Soon after the business' launch, the Yahoo platform profiled the company as the 'Site of the Week.' "At one point, Yahoo back then (we're talking 1993) had this little 'Site of the Week.'
"One day, they looked at what we do, and they decided to pick us. We didn't know much about it, but basically from that point on, hundreds of people started coming to the site. We didn't know what to do with them. It was just me, basically. I was drowning in the stuff, but we did what we could."
Gennady's Distinctive Approach Sparks Client Interest
As might be expected, Gennady Podolsky's new approach drew considerable interest. As a side note, he emphasized that his travel industry success was truly a "learn as you go" endeavor. "The thing for me is that I never went to a travel school, I never worked for a legacy agency. I basically invented everything I do myself," Gennady Podolsky concluded.
How Gennady Podolsky Keeps His Travel Passion Alive
Day-to-day work in any industry can threaten to derail an entrepreneur's excitement about their career. Gennady Podolsky is understandably concerned that many sought-after destinations are suffering from excessive tourism.
Fortunately, Gennady Podolsky has a solution: visit yet-undiscovered destinations brimming with authentic charm. Once he arrives, he immerses himself in the culture, experiencing the place as a local might do. Then, he chooses another intriguing locale and repeats the process.
"The way I live, I usually move from place to place every month. Last week, I was in Croatia. This week I'm in Romania. Later, I will be somewhere new. What I'm noticing is the over-tourism. Right now in Western Europe, that's just the experience.
Two Visits to Croatia: 20 Years Apart
"I was just in Croatia last week. The first time I was in Croatia was 20 years ago. It was a dramatically different experience right now because Croatia became such a significant destination. It is an amazing destination, but because there are so many tourists, the experience that you had 20 years ago is just not the same.
"Everything is becoming sort of commercialized. I feel we need to start traveling differently. Everybody has this 'I need an Instagram moment here. And I need this. And I need this.' I feel like a lot of people are traveling for somebody else because they want a picture. You should do it for yourself," he emphasized.
A Desire for Authentic Travel Experiences
From this perspective, Gennady Podolsky expressed his desire to visit destinations that tourists haven't yet discovered. He adds Romania to this ever-shrinking list. "I love to go to Romania right now, where there are no other tourists because people haven't come here yet.
"I'm in Western Romania, on the Serbian border. It's a beautiful place, no tourists, still authentic. I love this chase for authenticity and for things that are still different because I feel like sometimes, the world is becoming so similar.
"I want something different. I want to experience something different. I want to experience something that has not changed so much yet. I just feel we need to change how we perceive the world and how we travel today," Gennady Podolsky concluded.
Travel Light and Stay Curious
To get the most out of each travel experience, Gennady Podolsky takes a minimalist approach to packing his gear. "I travel with a carry-on only, so if it doesn't fit in my tiny little carry-on, it's just not coming. You can live simply. You can just do things this way. I guess it's a simple life."
He also emphasizes the need for curiosity and flexibility during one's travels. "You have to stay curious. You have to be super open-minded. You cannot be set in your ways. I guess it's part of being open-minded, but in a way, you have to be super flexible on everything.
A Future Filled with Global Travel
Gennady Podolsky's quest for undiscovered gems fuels his travels to global destinations. Once there, he revels in local connections, culture, and cuisine. Upon his return to Chicago, he combines travel knowledge and quirky creativity to provide clients with distinctive travel experiences.
