• Certified Meeting Professional since 1987

• Experienced International Meeting Planner & Trip Director

• Industry Speaker, Author & Freelance Writer

• All in one package!

So, here I am, and by the way, most people just call me TML which is fine by me.  I’m a veteran meeting planner, experienced trip director, and now a free-lance writer focusing on issues related to the travel, meetings, and leisure markets.  My hospitality education started out on the formal side with a college degree in hotel management, but then continued via on-the-job-training in positions that have taken me around the world and back again to exotic places like China (twice) and Costa Rica (was it three or four times?), and romantic destinations like Paris (at last count about six visits, but no matter how many it’s never enough), and Hawaii (pause while recalling that sweet smell of orchids) along with plenty of others in between.  In fact, at last count I’ve visited over 42 countries around the globe, but still so many more to go.

I haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on my list.

Susan Sontag

In short, my resume covers a lot of territory, but all were jobs within the hospitality industry.  International Flight Attendant?  Check.  Global Planning and Incentive work?  Check-Check.  Associations, corporations, family businesses, and mystery hotel shopper – check, check, check, check.  In recent years I’ve added speaker and published author in addition to dog-owner, although – and I swear this is true – it’s NOT my dog! (More on that in future writings. . .)

As you can well imagine, I’ve learned a lot during a lifetime of travel, meetings and event planning.  Mostly that, contrary to popular opinion, you ALWAYS sweat the small stuff.  (A bunch of other helpful things, too, like never run out of chips before dip – or was it mom that taught me that? – and, don’t ever assume that your company executive can give a good keynote speech just because he’s paid a whole lot of money to run the company; and yes, learned that one the hard way.) So where did all this travel and meeting management get me?  Well to be blunt, I’ve certainly worked my way through plenty of ballrooms, meetings space, airports and hotel lobby bars, again, all over the map.  And as a wife and mother, I’ve learned a thing or two about life.  Maybe one day it will all come together for me?  A girl can always hope.

I often daydream that my life is just as it is now. . . only I have well-behaved hair. . .and I live in Paris.

Leigh Standley

What Else?

I’m also proud to say I have two grown kids, and even more proud to report they are both gainfully employed (pause while I do my happy dance).  And just like many other women my age, I own a house that’s too big to keep clean, a three car garage in which only one car fits, and I have a husband who thinks I nag when really I don’t (ahem), in addition to that aforementioned Australian Shepherd who is now officially and affectionately known as “It’s not my dog!”  Oh, and along with my love for travel, I also maintain a passion for reading, writing and Jack Daniels.  And that, my friends, pretty well sums things up.

Interests include, but are certainly NOT limited to…

Travel, travel writing, project organization (but let’s be honest, not the finishing part), walking “it’s- not- my- dog”, beach walking-preferably with husband and not it’s- not- my- dog, but either will do and mostly it ends up being the latter, baking (I specialize in recipes using bourbon), and reading – mostly travel, travel narrative, and memoirs.