Twenty Years of Family, Faith, and Building Something Together
In February 2026, I officially celebrated 20 years of working full-time for our family business, ICI Traveler.
Of course, if we're counting all the years I spent licking stamps, stuffing envelopes, making PowerPoint presentations, and helping my parents around the office, I could probably argue I've been working here considerably longer.
I'm pretty sure I was making presentations for my dad when I was in seventh grade!
To celebrate this milestone, my parents treated my husband, Matt, and me to an incredible trip to Mexico. And while the sunshine, beautiful water, wonderful dinners, and time away were absolutely amazing, it was the opportunity to slow down, spend time together, and reflect on everything we've built that meant the most.
Because when I look back over the last 20 years, I don't just see a career.
I see a lifetime of memories, lessons, laughter, challenges, answered prayers, and two people who have shaped not only how I do business, but how I live my life.
And I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to say thank you.
Growing up, I never imagined I'd someday be helping run my parents' company.
I actually went to school for digital film and media. I worked at a PBS station, had my own production company for a while, and always knew I wanted to do something creative with my life.
Meanwhile, my parents were building a business, and I was occasionally recruited to help.
Back when the internet was painfully slow and online insurance applications were still relatively new, we had an account with a cruise company that referred travelers to us.
And boy, did those phones ring!
I remember Dad telling me to round up some friends from high school to help in the office. Apparently, I was also the HR department before I had a real job.
We would answer calls all day, handwrite insurance applications, and then spend hours in the evening manually entering everything into the computer.
Why didn't we just enter them as we went? Because the internet was so slow that we couldn't practically do both!
And here's my favorite part.
To motivate us, Dad offered an extra $1 for every application we completed.
You would have thought he was handing out hundred-dollar bills.
My friends and I practically raced each other to answer the phones. Sometimes we didn't even want to take lunch because we might miss out on another application.
Back then, twenty extra dollars could fill your gas tank!
Looking back, I laugh at those days. But I also realize just how much I was learning without even knowing it.
Customer service. Hard work. Taking initiative. Finding better ways to do things.
And perhaps a little healthy competition.
The heart of our company goes back to a mission trip my dad took to the Amazon in 2000.
Before that, Dad had worked as a stockbroker. I remember the long commute from our home in Spring, Texas, into Houston. I remember the stress that came with that career.
And I specifically remember the change in him when he stepped away from that world.
I was away at Baylor when Dad went on that mission trip, but I could see the transformation in his faith and in how he approached his business.
On that trip, he saw people on the banks of the Amazon worshipping the same Savior he worshipped back home. It was a powerful reminder that faith transcends countries, cultures, and circumstances.
He came home with a different perspective.
Instead of believing he had to go out and find every client and create every opportunity himself, he began praying a simple prayer:
Lord, send us who You want us to serve.
The prayer that became the foundation of our business
As we grew, my mom added another part:
"And send us who You want us to hire."
To this day, that's what we pray every morning.
I know not everyone shares our faith, and that's okay. We serve travelers from all backgrounds and walks of life. But I also believe it's important to be authentic about who we are.
Our faith has shaped how we run this company, how we treat our employees, and how we care for our clients.
I've watched Dad spend just as much time helping someone with a $30 policy as someone with a $30,000 policy.
To him, that person isn't a policy number or a commission.
They're someone who trusted us to help them.
And that is something I never want our company to lose.
If you've spent any time around my dad, you probably know this phrase.
"So, let me ask you a question..."
I know exactly what that means.
Dad's got an idea.
And we're about to brainstorm.
How could we do this? What if we tried that? Is there a better way? What does Mom think?
Some of my favorite memories are those conversations.
My dad once taught himself how to build our very first website using Dreamweaver for Dummies. Yes, the actual yellow-and-black "For Dummies" book!
Meanwhile, I was handwriting mission trip applications, dealing with fax machines, deciphering handwriting, and manually processing group rosters.
When Matt and I moved to Colorado in February 2006, where my parents were living at the time, Dad needed help with the mission trip side of the business.
What started as an opportunity to help turned into a career I never could have imagined.
And the funny thing is, I never really abandoned my desire to do something creative.
I just found a different way to use it.
Everything I learned about storytelling, visual communication, production, and thinking creatively has followed me into this business. Whether I'm building websites, developing marketing materials, creating new systems, or brainstorming our next big idea, there's hardly a day that goes by when I'm not using those skills.
I didn't end up with the career I originally pictured, but I ended up with one where I get to use my creativity every single day.
And I absolutely love it.
Today, we're managing technology, automations, multiple divisions, and a growing team serving travelers all over the world.
Sometimes I wish I could show our younger selves what this business looks like today.
I think we'd be amazed.
And probably a little relieved that we no longer have to fax everything!
A few memories from the earlier days of ICI. Different offices, different technology, and even different branding, but the same heart for serving people.
But even after 20 years, I still get excited when Dad says, "Let me ask you a question."
One of my favorite things about reaching this milestone is realizing how incredibly fortunate I am.
I don't know many people who work with their parents all day and still genuinely look forward to having dinner with them.
But I do.
My mom and dad are two of my very best friends.
And while this company has been such a huge part of our lives, the greatest lessons they've taught me have very little to do with insurance.
Dad, thank you for teaching me to think big without believing that success has to come at someone else's expense.
You've always said there's enough pie for everyone. There are plenty of travelers out there, and we don't have to have every client or every opportunity. We're simply called to serve the people God puts in front of us.
You've taught me to be generous with my time, to treat people with kindness, to listen, and to keep learning.
Even today, I love getting on a call and listening to you talk with a client. After all these years, I'm still soaking up your knowledge, watching how you handle situations, and learning from your experience.
You've also taught me how to appreciate our team, how to work through disagreements, and how to make difficult decisions while keeping relationships at the center.
But more than anything, thank you for the example you've set as a husband, father, grandfather, and man of faith.
For years, I've joked that I look just like you but have Mom's personality.
The older I get, the more I realize how much I'm becoming like you in other ways, too.
And there's no one I'd rather learn from.
Mom, thank you for being the steady hand behind so much of what we've built.
You've managed the accounting and the financial side of the company, helped make important decisions, listened to countless ideas, and been part of shaping everything from our culture to our new name and identity.
You may not always be the loudest voice in the brainstorming conversations, but your perspective has helped shape this company in ways people may never fully realize.
And you've always been my sounding board.
You've listened to me vent, encouraged me when I've doubted myself, helped me work through challenges, and reminded me that I don't have to have everything figured out.
Thank you for your constant support, your wisdom, your prayers, and the way you've always made me feel appreciated.
Both of you have always been generous with your encouragement. You've told me how much you value what I contribute, and I hope you know how much that has meant to me.
You've been my biggest supporters, my teachers, my sounding boards, and my friends.
One of my favorite memories from our trip to Mexico wasn't a fancy dinner or an excursion.
It was playing mahjong.
My mom recently learned how to play, and she's now taught my dad and me. We've even started teaching our kids.
So there we were, sitting together on a beautiful island, playing mahjong, laughing, talking, and just enjoying being together.
No schedules. No rushing off to the next thing. No phones demanding our attention.
And for the first time in I don't know how long, I didn't even have to open my computer!
For someone who genuinely loves working, that's saying something.
But it was such a gift to slow down and enjoy those moments with my parents and my husband.
And I also have to acknowledge something that made that possible: our incredible team back home.
Knowing that the day-to-day business was in good hands gave us the freedom to truly unplug and enjoy this milestone together.
That's another beautiful reminder of how far we've come.
What started as a little family business, where we were doing everything ourselves, has grown into something supported by an amazing group of people who care about our company and our clients.
I'm so grateful for each of them.
Sometimes growth isn't just about how much business you're doing.
Sometimes it's being able to put your phone away, sit down with people you love, and play a game of mahjong without worrying about what's happening back at the office.
And that is a pretty wonderful blessing.
As I look toward the next chapter of ICI Traveler, I think about a passage of Scripture that has become increasingly meaningful to my dad, both personally and in how he approaches our business.
A Guiding Philosophy
Proverbs 30:8-9 is a prayer asking God to give us neither poverty nor riches, but simply what we need, so that we never become so comfortable in our success that we forget where our blessings come from.
Over the years, I've watched that philosophy become more than something Dad believes. It's something he strives to live out, both in his personal life and in the way we operate our company.
Not building the biggest company. Not having every client. Not chasing every dollar.
But building something meaningful, providing for our families, caring for the people God sends our way, and remaining grateful for the opportunity to do it.
We've been blessed beyond anything I could have imagined when I first started working here 20 years ago.
During our time in Mexico, we had some wonderful conversations about where the business started, how far we've come, and where we're going.
My parents have told me more than once that I've helped take this company to a level they never imagined it could reach.
Hearing that from them means more to me than I can put into words.
But I also know I haven't done any of this alone.
We've built it together.
And as I think about carrying this company into its next chapter, I feel both incredibly grateful and deeply responsible for preserving what they've started.
We're not the little business we once were. We have an incredible team, people who depend on us, and travelers who trust us.
Technology will continue to change the way we operate. I'm excited about that. I love finding ways to make things easier and more efficient.
But I never want technology to replace the heart of what we do.
There will always be real people behind our company. People who answer the phone, listen, explain, advocate, and genuinely care.
I want our employees to feel valued, our clients to feel heard, and our company to continue being a place where relationships matter.
And I want us to remember, every single day, that everything we have is a blessing, not an entitlement.
Maybe someday one of my parents' seven grandchildren will find themselves helping carry this business into another generation.
I would love that.
But more than passing along a company, I hope we're passing along a way of living.
One that puts faith first, values family, treats people with kindness, and understands that success isn't simply measured by how much we have, but by what we do with what we've been given.
So, Mom and Dad, thank you.
There will never be enough words to thank you for everything you've done for me, for Matt and the boys, and for our entire family.
Our family has always been one that shows up for each other. Through the celebrations, the challenges, the big moments, and the ordinary days, we've been there for one another.
And I know what an incredible gift that is.
Thank you for believing in me, trusting me, challenging me, encouraging me, and giving me the opportunity to spend the last 20 years doing something I genuinely love.
Thank you for building a company that has given us so much more than a career.
Thank you for the incredible trip to Mexico, the conversations, the laughter, the mahjong games, and the opportunity to slow down and appreciate just how far we've come.
I give God the glory for the blessings we've experienced, for the people He's brought into our lives, and for the opportunity to keep serving together.
I don't know exactly what the next 20 years will hold.
But I know whose example I want to follow, whose values I want to preserve, and Who I want to continue trusting to guide us.
I've always said that I absolutely love what I do because I absolutely love who I get to do it with.
And after 20 years, I can say that more confidently than ever.
Mom and Dad, thank you for the incredible trip to Mexico. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.
But as I look back on these last 20 years, I realize the greatest gift wasn't the trip.
It was the opportunity to build something meaningful alongside two of my favorite people in the world.
And that's a gift I'll never be able to thank you enough for.
Although I will say, Mexico was definitely better than a gold watch!
With love and gratitude,
Kristen