From the Classroom to the Road: My ITMI Journey

David Sherman didn’t come to ITMI looking for his first experience leading people. He brought more than 30 years of it with him—from church and music groups to Scouts, students, and travel.

What he was looking for was a way to take the skills and experience he had gathered over a lifetime and place them within a professional Tour Director framework.

After completing his online training, David chose to take one more step: joining an ITMI On-the-Road Experience to see what happens when what you’ve learned meets a real tour, real guests, and all the moving pieces that come with them.

We asked David to tell us what changed when he went from the classroom to the road—in his own words.

What first brought you to ITMI, and when you began the online training, what were you hoping this next chapter might lead to?

I looked at several Tour Director training programs, but ITMI seemed to offer the most in-depth program. That was important to me because I wasn’t starting from scratch.

For more than 30 years, I had been leading tours and trips with church members, music groups, Scouts, and students. I had experience organizing trips, working with groups, speaking, solving problems, and ensuring everyone had a meaningful experience. Travel and leading people have been a significant part of my life for a long time.  What I was looking for was a way to take all of that experience and put it into a professional framework.

I knew there were things I had learned simply by doing, some successfully and others through trial and error. ITMI gave me the opportunity to understand why things are done the way they are and to learn the professional standards, techniques, and skills required for the job.

One thing that really impressed me about ITMI happened even before the On-the-Road Experience.  The president of the organization took the time to have a long conversation with my wife and me, which really stood out.  It gave me a sense that ITMI wasn’t simply about completing a training program. There was a genuine investment in the people who were becoming part of the ITMI family.

When I began the online training, I was excited about the possibility of this becoming the next chapter of my life.  I didn’t know exactly where it would lead, but I knew I wanted to take what I already loved: traveling, storytelling, working with people, and creating experiences, and learning to do them professionally.

What made you decide that you wanted to take the next step and add the On-the-Road Experience?

I wanted to see the tour from both perspectives, the Tour Director’s and the guest’s.  I had experienced both sides before, having led groups and traveled as a guest.  But now I had something different: the framework ITMI had provided.

That changed how I viewed the experience.  Instead of simply watching a Tour Director do the job, I could begin to understand why certain things were being done and how all the pieces fit together.  I could view the experience from the guest’s perspective while also considering what I would do as the Tour Director.

Learning in a live environment was a great reinforcement of what we had learned online. Things that made sense in a classroom suddenly had context because I could see them happening in front of me. Doing it with my cohort made the experience even better.

Nars, John, and I came together almost immediately, as if we had known each other for years. We were able to experience the tour together, then talk about what we had seen, what we had learned, and how we might, or might not, use those lessons ourselves.

That was an added benefit I hadn’t fully anticipated. We weren’t just learning from the Tour Director; we were learning from one another.

Think back to that first day on the tour. How were you feeling?

My mindset was pretty simple: I’m here as an observer. Watch. Learn. Relax. Experience the tour from both sides.

I wasn’t the Tour Director, so I didn’t need to try to take over the tour.  My job was to observe and learn.  At the same time, I was ready to assist if asked.  And we were asked.  We had opportunities to interact deeply with the guests, which became one of the most valuable parts of the experience.  I wasn’t just sitting in the back of the coach watching.  I was experiencing the tour alongside the guests while paying attention to what was happening around me.

That allowed me to see things differently.  I could enjoy the experience while also watching the Tour Director and the driver, listening to the guests, and noticing how all the different pieces worked together.  It was a great place to be, learning without the pressure of being ultimately responsible for everything.

Was there a moment when something you had learned online suddenly came to life?

There wasn’t a single lightbulb moment.  Instead, there were many smaller moments when the training was reinforced by watching the tour happen.

Timing was a big one.  I have always understood the importance of keeping a group moving, but seeing how quickly a five- or ten-minute delay can affect everything that follows reinforced what we had learned about timing and the need to adjust when necessary.

I also learned, or perhaps had reinforced, something very important:

Don’t talk too much.

You can know a tremendous amount about a destination, but that doesn’t mean your guests need to hear it all.  Give them enough to make the experience meaningful and interesting without overwhelming them.

Another lesson is to avoid becoming dependent on notes.  Don’t read your commentary!  Know your material well enough to look your guests in the eye and talk to them rather than talk at them.  This is something ITMI founder Ted Bravos has repeatedly reinforced with me.  Use your notes to review, not to read from while giving commentary.  Those lessons became much more meaningful when I could see the tour moving in real time.

There are a lot of wheels turning on a tour.  Timing, transportation, meals, attractions, hotels, guests, the driver, the Tour Director, and sometimes weather or traffic can throw another component into the machine.

Watching all of that through my new professional frame of reference allowed me to analyze the experience differently.  I wasn’t just thinking, “That’s interesting.”  I was thinking, “How would I handle that?”  The job is to keep the tour moving forward, provide the guests with an experience of a lifetime, and, when something goes wrong, solve the problem without letting the guests see the stress behind it.

What surprised you most about being out there with a Tour Director, driver, guests, and all the moving pieces of a real tour?

I don’t think I was surprised.  I was recognizing how much happens behind the scenes while guests are simply enjoying their vacation.  As a guest, you see the finished product.  You get on the coach, visit the attraction, have lunch, check into the hotel, and move on to the next experience.  As a Tour Director, there is a whole other layer beneath that.  And being able to see, recognize, and understand the “why” behind it in action gave some clarity to the process.

You are thinking about timing, traffic, where the coach needs to be, whether everyone is back on board, what happens next, whether the driver has what he needs, whether the restaurant is ready, and what you will do if something doesn’t go as planned.  And something will eventually not go as planned.

One thing I particularly noticed was the relationship between the Tour Director and the driver. They really are a team.  Good communication and trust between them can make an enormous difference in how smoothly the day goes.  I also saw how important it is for the Tour Director to stay calm. The guests don’t need to know that you’ve just had to rearrange three things in your head because traffic has changed the schedule. They just need to know, “We’ve got this.  We’re moving forward.”

Was there one moment, guest interaction, or experience that made you think, “I really can do this”?

Honestly, I’ve always believed I could do anything I set my mind to.  So, I didn’t have a single moment when I suddenly thought, “Maybe I can do this.”  What changed was that I now had a professional framework to complement the experience I’ve accumulated over the years.  That gave me even more confidence.

I already knew how to work with people.  I knew how to lead groups.  I knew how to speak to an audience, tell stories, organize activities, solve problems, and adapt when things changed.  I had been doing those things for decades.  What ITMI gave me was a way to apply those skills specifically to the Tour Director profession.  Interacting with the guests reinforced that for me.  I enjoyed getting to know them, hearing their stories, helping them, and watching the group become connected.  That’s the part of the job that really resonates with me.  At the end of the day, it’s not about how much information I can give them.  It’s about whether I helped create an experience they will remember.

Looking back now—from the day you first logged into ITMI to the day you stepped off that motorcoach—what changed for you?

The biggest change was gaining the knowledge and confidence to do this efficiently and professionally.  I started at ITMI with a lot of experience, but I didn’t have the professional Tour Director framework in place.  Now I have both.

The On-the-Road Experience was important because it let me see the training in action.  I could watch how the pieces came together, experience the tour as a guest, observe the Tour Director and driver, interact with guests, and continually ask myself, “How will I do this?”  It also reinforced what I already believed: the goal isn’t simply to get people from one place to another.

The goal is to create an experience.  You have to keep the tour moving, manage the details, know your destination, communicate well, and be flexible.  And when something goes wrong, you solve it without making it the guests’ problem.

Most importantly, remember that this may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your guests.  They may have saved for years for this trip.  They may have dreamed of visiting a particular place.  They may be celebrating something important.  You have the privilege of helping make that experience memorable. That’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly.

What would you say to another student wondering whether to take that same step?

Take the step.

If you’ve completed the online training and have the chance to go on the road, do it. You can learn a tremendous amount in the classroom, but nothing can replace watching a real tour unfold before you.

Go as an observer.  Watch.  Listen.  Ask questions.  Pay attention to the guests.  Watch the Tour Director.  Watch the driver.  Notice what happens when everything goes according to plan, and especially when it doesn’t.  Don’t worry about knowing everything.  You’re there to learn.

For me, the On-the-Road Experience didn’t replace what I already knew. What made the difference was experiencing a professional framework. I came away with more knowledge, more tools, and a much clearer understanding of how to do this efficiently and professionally.  Most importantly, I came away knowing this isn’t just something I think I could do.  I’m ready to do it.

Discover the Story.  Experience the Journey.  Share the Adventure.

David Sherman