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Key Lessons from My Experience Mountain Trekking

This past year has been incredible for Pembridge and Pafco. We experienced tremendous growth, achieved the milestone of surpassing $½ billion in premium, and we are on pace to roll out our new portal, the PATH, next year to Brokers. Thank you to all our Brokers; you have been instrumental in this success.

This has also been an interesting year for me. One of my life long goals of trekking Mount Everest Base Camp was accomplished. Trekking has recently been part of my life, and it has taught me many lessons, which can be applied to other aspects of life.  Here are some of my insights gleaned from ascending to new heights.

Small Steps Make a Big Impact

No one ever begins their first trek with Mount Everest. You start small with an easier route or trail. Develop endurance, learn and grow to make progress until you are ready to tackle the most difficult mountainous terrain. Each small step you make is a commitment to achieving the goal.

You Need the Right Equipment

Every trekker needs the right equipment and must travel lean. Each piece of gear, whether clothing, tools or supplies, is designed to help you complete a function to better combat the rigorous elements. It is impossible to carry everything. You are forced to think strategically about which items you need. 

Listen to the Environment

Trekking often requires you to communicate and listen to a variety of experienced guides, crew and porters as you travel. While making your way through snow-capped scenery, you have to be aware of your surroundings, listening to your body, nature and the weather. When travelling with a team, you are often working collaboratively and checking on their health.

Going Forward Isn’t Always Easy

One misconception about mountain trekking is the belief it is a non-stop upward travel.  However, when participating in a Machu Picchu or Mount Kilimanjaro trek, significant time was spent taking rest days or slowing the trek. It is part of the process, and it is not negative. It helps your body adjust to the stress of the altitude in a new environment. Though we were also elated at achieving our goal of reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu, it was only half of the journey as returning home was even more critical.   

Those are my takeaways. For me, trekking teaches endurance, mental toughness, and commitment – all characteristics useful in business. Once you begin, you realize learning and growing, having the right tools, listening to the environment, and being comfortable taking a step back also play an essential role. At Pembridge, we embody these tenets, and much of my lessons from mountain trekking were evident in the last year.

• We started a new journey learning and growing through our ongoing rollout of the Continuous Improvement (CI) management system. 
• Like trekkers, Brokers need the right equipment, albeit in the form of technology. Though in beta mode, the PATH, a portal built based on Broker feedback, will help to address your technology needs and create efficiencies.
• Through our Pollara survey, We’re Listening to the environment and using your feedback to help guide us on where we should focus our strategic priorities.
• With the rapid growth, some challenges placed a strain on the service we provide. We could not continue pushing forward; we had to address these issues. In 2020, we will hire more staff, review our processes for efficiencies and share resources to eliminate any backlog. We are committed to providing exceptional service.

In the end, it has been a great year, but it is only part of the journey. Next year, we are determined to build on our momentum and return our service level to our exceptional standards.  

We look forward to more continued successes in 2020.

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