Brian Morgan is the CEO of Adventure Life Journeys. Adventure Life is committed to providing quality small group tours that have a positive impact on the local culture and environment. Groups-size is kept to a minimum, welcoming a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Each tour is designed to present the best of each region, at the same time allowing freedom and flexibility for the unexpected and unpredictable that make each tour, each destination, unique. Our goal is to provide a fun and exciting holiday, while creating a better understanding between travelers and our wonderful hosts.

Website:www.adventure-life.com

1. How does your career / business relate to your core "values" in how you
approach life and what you want to share with others?

To me life is about experiencing new people and new places, and building
life long relationships with the diverse people and places of the world.
Adventure Life lets me do just that! I started the company to share with
other people the amazing experiences I had when traveling on my own and to
enable me to keep going to South America to see friends from my first trip
there. Over the years, I've got to do just that, and what is also fantastic
is that I've explored many new places, and become close friends with many
new wonderful people. For me, it's also always been important to give back
to the places we visit - like a good neighbor and friend. We've also got to
do that through out donations and bringing travelers to stay in the family
owned lodges we work with.

2. When you look at the impact your career has had on people around you,
what makes you the most proud?

That's a tough one! I feel torn between the impact I've had on my own staff
here in Missoula and the impact I've had on our partners overseas. In my
office, my staff has become much more than employees. They are a sort of
family and it's been great to watch them raise families, buy homes and
really settle into the Missoula community while contributing so much of
their energy to Adventure Life. Of course, in our destinations there have
been some great impacts too. I guess I'm proudest of two financial
assistant commitments we made this year. One was to be part of a new
funding program in the Galapagos Islands. We were one of only four tour
companies to immediately adopt the funding plan and we have since raised 10
times more than we raised for Galapagos conservation the year before - over
$20,000! We've also shown other companies how affective this funding plan
is and others are starting to implement it too. That certainly makes me
feel good, but I also feel great about a commitment we made to fund two NGOs
in Cusco with $5000 grants each this year. Cusco is a magical place that
visitors can't help but fall in love with, but it's also very poor and it's
cultural heritage is constantly under attack due to this poverty. We've
committed to funding these program annually to help preserve the artisanal
cultural heritage of the area.

3. Was there a "defining moment" when you knew that this was what you wanted
to focus your professional energy on?

Yes. I remember being back from my first trip to South America and I was
walking in the mountains near my home town in Central Montana. I had just
applied to about a dozen moderately interesting jobs, but nothing really
piqued my interest. I was day dreaming about my experiences I had in
Ecuador and Peru and marveling at the beauty of Montana in the Fall. I new I
really belonged in both places, and it dawned on me that maybe I could
organize trips from Montana to visit old friends! I can still remember the
path I was walking on and the color of the leaves. Of course, I had no clue
how to go about achieving this, but I can get pretty obsessive, and this
goal became my life for several years.

4. In your personal life, what is the "cause" to which you dedicate the most
time / energy / money?

I volunteer weekly with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I started this just over
a year ago and I love it. It's been wonderful to get to know my little
brother and to watch him mature and learn about life. It's also gotten me
to try a few new things - like rock climbing and Folf (Frisbee Golf) - both things he
loves!

5. Why? Has it touched your life somehow?

6. What do you do - personally or professionally - to support that cause?

Each week, we get together. Sometimes we have some great event planned,
like skiing or rock climbing, but sometimes we just hang out, play chess and
talk. One of the best times we had was just making tacos one night. He had
never cooked and he tried all sort of new food in his taco - which he
normally just had with meat and cheese.

7. What do you wish people understood about your cause?

How many boys are waiting for a Big Brother. I was incredulous when I heard
that sometimes boys wait for months and even a year for a Big Brother
volunteer. For me, it's been so easy and so fulfilling to be a Big Brother.
Heck, it's actually fun! I understand they have enough Big Sister
volunteers, but I wish more adult men knew how badly they needed their time
and how much fun and fulfillment it could be.

8. If you had a magic wand, what would you do?

Good one. I'm not much for wishful thinking, but I guess it would be
outstanding if more of our tax dollars were directed toward social and
educational programs than where much of it is now directed.

9. What organizations support your cause that we should all know about?

Go to http://www.bbbsmissoula.org/ for more information.

10. Can you think of an example of a really innovative approach to solving
this problem - either one that someone else did or that you would like to
see someone do?

Sure! In one of the countries where I work, Ecuador, corruption was so bad and
people were so disappointed at how their tax dollars were spent, that the
federal government allowed everyone to elect to have 25% of their taxes
diverted to 3 or 4 regional causes. They could divert them to specific
universities, conservation programs, infrastructure improvements, etc. The
changes I started to see in the major population centers was amazing. A
river was being cleaned up and an entire waterfront area was transformed
into a park that everyone could use. Essentially, such a program broadens
democracy and I think that we, as individuals, can often make better
decisions than what we've seen in Washington. I know this is far fetched,
but it certainly is also innovative!