This story begins in the Cancun airport.  Amy (my lovely bride) and I, were standing there frustrated, scared, and incredibly worried.  We had just ended a wonderful vacation and were trying to check our bags so we could head home.  But something had gone wrong.  Really wrong.

For those that have not traveled internationally since the pandemic, let me let you in on this little secret.  It’s harder to travel now.  Not impossible.  And to be sure, it makes sense.  But there are just so many more forms, documents, and details you need, that it’s hard to keep track of it all.  Amy and I have done this little dance before, and yet we both missed a very important detail.

We had forgotten to pick up our proof of a negative COVID test.

We had taken the test.  The test had come back negative.  But in the excitement of leaving the resort, we had failed to stop by and pick up that very important document.

No COVID results…no boarding a plane.  It’s that simple.

So there we are, ready to head home, bags in hand, and we are not allowed to go any further.  The airline employee really was sympathetic…but there is nothing he could do.  We could either track down those test results or get another test.  And we had to do one of these really fast if we wanted to make our flight.

It’s in stressful times when the best people show themselves.

Amy and I have been using Christina Aoun Woycitzky as our travel agent for many years.  We recommend her all of the time because she does an amazing job helping us arrange our travel.  She enjoys travel herself, so she has often visited the resorts we want to visit and can give us amazing insights that help us enjoy our stay.  Plus, in all of these years, she just “gets us.”  She knows what we will like and not like and can help guide us.  These are all amazing perks that Christina brings to the table.

But at that moment, in the Cancun airport, sweating and stressed, I did not need a recommendation.  I needed help.

I contacted Christina on a Saturday and told her our predicament (I am dumb).  She dropped what she was doing and got on the phone with the resort.  In a matter of 10 or 15 minutes, she convinced the team at the resort to email me Amy and I’s results.  We got the email, checked in, and made our flight.  That last sentence seems so simple.  But at the moment, it felt like a miracle.

This situation reminded me how important it is to have people in your life (and on your team) that you can count on.  These are the people that you can call on when things are tough, or you are in a jam.  Nearly everyone in your contacts seems like great friends or co-workers when things are going great.

Successful people work to surround themselves with friends and team members that show up when times are tough.

If you are interested in learning more about Christina and her travel company…head here and contact her.  You will not be sorry.  Oh…and if you are traveling to Mexico, make sure you pick up your COVID test results before you head to the airport.  Please.

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Kirby Hasseman is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing, a full-service marketing agency located in Ohio.  Learn more about Hasseman Marketing here.  And if you want to “level up,” now is a great time to check out Better Business University.