Memories of Lonely Planet

From 2002 to 2005, I worked at Lonely Planet in Melbourne, in a couple of different IT leadership roles. In 2004, I was the IT Operations Manager, a role I loved. 

One of my fondest memories from that time is the "Helpdesk Blitz Day", an event I created with the intent of tackling our backlog of support tickets, improving the understanding of service delivery processes across the business, and building team morale. 

The entire IT team and many non-IT staff, including most of LP's C-suite executives, were encouraged to "donate" an hour to man the Service Desk, and they all participated enthusiastically, including our CEO. We'd ordered these caps and badges for every participant, and focused on closing as many tickets as possible while enjoying music and snacks. The event achieved every one of the stated goals, and was considered a resounding success. 🎉 

Recently, a former colleague shared a photo of his badge from that day, bringing back great memories and prompting me to dig out some photos I'd forgotten I had. I can't believe it was 20 years ago! 2004 was a pre-smartphone, pre-social media and only-just-digital camera time so there aren't thousands of photos like there would be today. The fact he shared the badge photo now tells me so much about the type of place Lonely Planet was back then, and I'm pleased I'm not the only one who remembers that day. 😊 

My time at Lonely Planet was filled with professional growth, a supportive culture and some lasting friendships. LinkedIn started around then, so my first 100 or so connections are all former LP-ers. I always remember it as a place where we worked hard but had a lot of fun. As I explore new opportunities, I reflect on the importance of culture, teamwork, and good leadership, all qualities I hope to embrace in my next role. ❤️