Pursuit 365 Day 293: Randi Winter

Randi Winter is a multi-faceted social entrepreneur, writer and facilitator who thrives on looking at life from a 50,000-foot view, so together, we can make a difference in the world.

Being involved in the travel industry, what have you been doing during the Pandemic?

This has been a time of great uncertainty globally, especially for the travel industry. I had changed my agency affiliation to partner with Camille Jocsak. We merged our companies and created The P2P Life. It is an umbrella for Planned 2 Perfection (events), Paradise 2 Perfection (travel under host Travel Edge in Toronto), my company, Passionate Travel and with it Travel with a Cause and Cruise with a Cause. We created P2P Romance for diverse Wedding and Romance Travel and The P2P Life Media which includes writing for LuxeBeat Magazine, MAGMA and freelancing for blogs, newspapers, and other outlets. It also includes our incredible “Collaborative Experts,” like Photographers/Explorers Jett and Kathryn Britnell, (who you can join to Dive in the Philippines, expedition cruise in Canada, Alaska and Baja on board Aurora Expedition’s newest vessel, The Sylvia Earle). Josh Rimer, Mr. Gay Canada 2019, has just also joined us with his OUT TV content and IN Magazine as well as leading LGBTQ+ travel experiences. Sherrie Wilkolaski will be leading book writing workshops around the world or help turn your book into a movie in her role with LuxeBeat Magazine, Location Station and Wonderland Pictures. We have so many unique and exciting proprietary, transformative, educational, and life-affirming opportunities to marry your interests and passions once travel once again opens to your level of comfort. Click here to learn more About Us

What changes should people expect when they start to travel again?

More than ever, we must think about absolutely everything from choosing where you want to go, with whom, and how you are going to get there safely. Next comes what kind of resort, hotel, ship, or tour company. Then there are other considerations like the size of unrelated groups or your own private pod (most popular right now) and private touring, jet sharing, transfers, villa and condo rentals, yacht charters, and visiting remote locations. Don’t forget that we must be aware of the ever-changing, city and country rules, how to prepare documentation and testing, what to pack, and not leaving home without the right cancellation and interruption insurance plus assurance options in case of positive COVID tests or medical evacuation. It is why a travel specialist is more valuable than ever before.

You talk about “The Right 1+The Right 1= Infinite Possibility. What exactly does that mean?

To me, it is the difference between probability and possibility. Of course, it is probable that 1+1=2 in its most literal sense. But we live in a world of combinations and permutations that change as fast as a butterfly flutters its wings. My mantra is to “Let your passions be your guide,” and to allow the Universe to unfold as it should. We should always be open, instead of living within the confines of probability.

Volunteering is an important part of your life. You’re like the Duracell bunny! What’s the secret of your abounding energy?

Passion and Purpose, when closely aligned allow you to integrate and transform “work” into so much more and give you a unique kind of energy that even runs on empty.

I have a special place in my heart for our charity DiabetesandMe.org which offers 24/7 closed support on Facebook called POKED (Parents of Kids Enduring Diabetes). Our T1 Summit is free and always expanding with new speakers and topics, and the book our family co-authored (Jared, Ilana Bergen and me) and illustrated (Kris and Maya Bergen), to help newly diagnosed kids and their families called ”Team Helping, Type 1 Diabetes: Helping Kids & Families Understand T1D.” It’s available as a pdf download or if you buy a book, one also gets donated to a hospital for newly diagnosed kids or their library.

Currently, I am on the advisory council for CHW, supporting Children, Women and Health. I am a consulting advisor for N.Y. African Restaurant Week, an advisor for Lost Canadians, helping another Collaborative Expert, Charles Mattocks with creating his YUR Health Network including his new series, Reversed showing on YUR HEALTH Network. Yur Health Network

I have been actively involved in working with leading-edge medical and technology and pharmaceutical innovation and products. This has allowed me to positively affect the lives and wellbeing of so many people I know personally, through support groups, and many I will never even meet.

I am very excited about helping to establish Autism Today as both Canadian, American and International non-profits to create a network that helps bring as many of the resources, organizations, medical and support, educational, families and those on the spectrum together to create more of that “Infinite Possibility Magic” including mentoring programs from global businesses to assure meaningful work to the best of everyone’s abilities, world-class video games that everyone can enjoy, but are also teaching important life skills to those on the spectrum which will lead to meaningful employment, cross-disciplinary events, learning and communication platforms and so much more.

Pursuit:365 and Fresh Magazine Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Shelly Lynn Hughes, also knows that whatever project she is committed to, I am right there with her!

What kind of writing have you been doing lately?

I have another children’s book written for one granddaughter awaiting illustration, and I have made a promise with my 5-year-old grandson, Atlas, that we would write a book together. It was the perfect opportunity to show that age is no barrier to following a dream, and that it was “for real.” I can’t wait to co-author with my 3-year-old granddaughter, Teddy’s book when she is old enough. Family stories matter.

I am also collaborating on children’s books on Autism, Sickle Cell, Type 2 Diabetes and other “meducational” important topics that can be presented in a very authentic and engaging way, while also being informative from a medical perspective. I regularly also help with editing first drafts of books and scripts.

In the last few weeks, I have joined a script writing/production team, which is a dream come true. Even better, the script authentically references two of the causes I am most passionate about.

As always, this and other incredible opportunities to help shape the future of WEB 3.0 have come to me because of my 50,000-foot thinking and ability to connect ideas and people with purpose and passion. You can always find like-minded people when you venture out of your comfort zone into a higher perspective to make great things happen!

You seem to be very involved in fashion, how did that come about?

I have always loved fashion and clothes. My Vancouver “insider fashion secret” for 40 years has been Armadillo Boutique run by Fay and Lee Jensen. I became involved in Vancouver Fashion Week because of a chance meeting at a designer’s event, sitting next to the person who became my “sister-from- a-different-Mister,” and fellow Pursuit 365 author, Marilyn R. Wilson. Other than women of a certain age who have short hair and wear glasses, often wearing the same colours and similar styles, and have a special spot in our hearts for Kjaer’s line K-O.Me and Carolyn Bruce, everything else from hair colour, heel height to body shape, and our height discrepancy could not have been more different. Yet that never stopped anyone from coming up and looking us in the face and asking why we were ignoring them, as if we knew them. It will be interesting to see if after the pandemic, and very different new looks, it will prove that memory and recognition is something much more than skin deep.

What is your secret to an enduring marriage?

I have been blessed to have an incredibly (mostly) understanding husband and a wonderful, although geographically scattered family. It has made it very difficult over these past two years, including missing half of a grandchild’s life is an empty hole in my heart, but thank goodness for apps! I count my blessings that during the pandemic, even when my husband was not allowed to do dentistry for 3 months (the #2 most at-risk profession from COVID-19), that we survived and thrived. He baked a lot of bread and made a lot of yogurt and is still here to laugh and tell stories.

Once again, my math is not traditional. The truth is that both parties in a marriage must be 110% committed to one another. Within the relationship, each of us, in the worst moments, must get past the immediate drama and see the non-negotiability of being fully committed to go all the way…and then some… for each other. The 50-50 split is just subject to too many different perspectives that often leave chasms between intention and commitment.

Do you have plans to slow down or retire?

Me? Not while I have something to offer that makes a difference personally or professionally. I am all in; if I can help someone with my N.Y. Pizazz, Passion and aligned to my Purpose. My life-lived experience does have me adding one caveat. If everyone else is volunteering, I am right there volunteering too. I am always in for a worthy cause. However, if it is a business venture, then I expect to be treated in a business-like manner and with professional respect and compensation. So should you!

So, if you are reading this, what can we do together to make a difference today?