Before Trip Happens, I bought and managed corporate travel for three decades — every executive move on UPS’s global account, eight years running The Nature Conservancy’s worldwide meetings and events, engagements with Coca-Cola and Tyler Perry Studios, and large-group bookings for MrBeast’s TV show. From boardrooms to creator productions: I’ve signed the contracts, lived with the rollouts, and cleaned up after the tools that didn’t deliver. Now I put that judgment to work for founders and People Ops leads at distributed companies — I tell you which tools I’d sign off on today, and what the demos won’t mention.
Booking and expense platforms designed for distributed teams instead of single-office headcounts. I compare policy controls, support quality, and true cost across options like Navan and TravelPerk, so you’re not stuck relearning this in a year.
Employer-of-record and payroll partners for teams hiring across borders. I look at compliance coverage, onboarding speed, and support responsiveness for platforms like Deel and Oyster before they touch your first international hire.
Venue sourcing, group logistics, and full planning for the one trip that has to land. This is where a distributed team’s culture either compounds or quietly erodes.
Health coverage and eSIM data for a team working from wherever they landed this month, like SafetyWing and Airalo. Small line items that matter enormously the one time something goes wrong.
Tell me how your team travels, hires, and meets I’ll tell you what I’d keep, what I’d replace, and what I’d never sign. No charge, no obligation. If I recommend a tool I partner with, I’ll say so out loud and in writing. That’s the deal.
Fill out the Stack Check form — two minutes, no call required to get started — or message me on LinkedIn.
Your current tools, team size, travel cadence, and what’s hurting. I ask the questions a buyer asks.
A short written rundown: what fits, what doesn’t, and links to anything I recommend — partner relationships disclosed, every time.
The demo is designed to be impressive. The contract is designed to be sticky. I’ve been on the receiving end of both for 30 years — borrow the scar tissue.
One email a week on the tools distributed teams actually use — travel, hiring, retreats, and the demo claims that don’t survive contact with real usage. Unsubscribe anytime.
