Friends & Legends with Skip Martin
Host: Skip Martin
Summary:
Skip Martin sits down with his old friend Denella Ri'chard, the award winning host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated series Traveling with Denella Ri'chard. She grew up in Baton Rouge, caught the travel bug following her mum's bowling tournaments, and found her calling studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994, the year Nelson Mandela became president. A career at Hilton and then as a cruise industry executive ended on 13 March 2020, when she laid off her team of more than 40 and then lost her own job. What started as a one year lockdown project is now filming its ninth season. She takes Skip from a hot air balloon over the Serengeti to a Maasai classroom with no electricity and no running water, Skip shares what he saw in Kenya, and he closes with his C words for success and the goat in the well.
Main Topics:
Growing up in Baton Rouge and travelling with her bowler mum
Studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994
A school project on Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko and apartheid
Hilton, the Hampton launch and the cruise industry
Inviting Oprah Winfrey aboard as a ship's godmother
March 2020: laying off 40 people, then losing her own job
Why 9-11 taught her travel always comes back
A lockdown prime time slot and the birth of the show
From poolside pina coladas to sharks, stingrays and monkeys
A hot air balloon over the Serengeti
The Maasai children who would match any US kindergarten
Skip in Kenya: the water truck comes Thursday
Skip's C words for success
Intriguing Quotes:
"I realized I was sipping more than I was painting." - Denella Ri'chard
"When borders open, we're going to travel the world again." - Denella Ri'chard
"I would put them against any kindergarten class in the United States." - Denella Ri'chard
"Where are the kids? Take me to the kids." - Denella Ri'chard
"The water truck will be here Thursday." - Skip Martin
"One completed idea is more valuable than a thousand dreams." - Skip Martin
"Success is a double-edged sword." - Skip Martin
"Just shake it off." - Skip Martin
Key Moments:
[00:00] Skip welcomes Denella Ri'chard
[01:22] Baton Rouge and a mum who bowled tournaments
[02:28] Southern University and a semester in Zimbabwe
[03:45] 1994, the year Mandela became president
[05:03] Hilton, Beverly Hills and the cruise industry
[06:07] 13 March 2020 and the ships shut down
[07:18] A friend offers a prime time TV slot
[08:08] What 9-11 taught her about travel
[09:14] Naming Traveling with Denella
[10:11] Monkeys, sharks and stingrays
[10:52] One year becomes season nine
[11:21] Ballooning over the Serengeti
[12:37] Take me to the kids
[14:58] Skip in Kenya and the water truck
[16:45] Soccer on a garbage dump and the Xbox lesson
[19:48] Skip's C words for success
[22:43] The goat in the well
[24:10] Where to watch Denella's show
Notable Resources:
Traveling with Denella Ri'chard, streaming on YouTube, Tubi and Apple TV+, and on local broadcast TV
Connect with Denella Ri'chard:
Website: https://www.travelingwithdenella.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelingwithdenellarichard
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelingwithdenella
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denella/
Connect with Skip Martin:
Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic