If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of Ted Lasso. On the surface, it’s a show about an American football coach running an English soccer team, but underneath? It’s a masterclass in human connection, leadership and culture.

As we head into our busy fall shoulder season, and on the heels of the season four release, I’ve been thinking a lot about how Coach Lasso’s philosophy applies directly to what we do every day at G Adventures.

And, because it’s sound advice for the industry as a whole, here are five lessons from Ted that reflect our mission in the travel world:

1. “Be curious, not judgmental”

One of Ted’s most famous quotes comes from a high-stakes game of darts, but it’s actually the foundation of great travel experiences.

When people step out of their comfort zones and journey to places like Peru, Jordan, or Cambodia, true transformation happens only when they leave judgment at home and bring curiosity instead. As a travel community, our job isn’t just to sell itineraries, it’s to foster genuine curiosity. When travellers choose to understand local cultures rather than evaluate them against their own, travel becomes a force for empathy and real global connection.

2. Invert the “Pyramid of Success”

In the show, Ted famously flips John Wooden’s ‘Pyramid of Success’ upside-down. Traditional corporate structures place the Chief Executive Officer at the top and the frontline workers at the bottom. Ted inverted it, putting the players at the top and the coaches at the bottom, existing entirely to support, empower and serve those on the field.

At G Adventures, we’ve always believed in the upside-down organizational chart. The most important people in our business aren’t the executives in the head office, but our Chief Experience Officers (CEOs) leading groups on the ground, our travel advisor partners, and the local community hosts who open their doors to our travellers. When leadership serves the frontline, everyone wins.

3. “It’s about making these fellas the best versions of themselves”

Ted famously doesn’t care about wins and losses as much as he cares about helping his players grow as human beings.

In our world, we know that success isn’t measured solely by booking numbers or departure counts. Instead, it’s measured by impact. Are we helping our travellers become better global citizens? Are we empowering local communities, homestay hosts, and indigenous guides to thrive on their own terms? When we focus on lifting people up, both our travellers and our local partners, successes (and business growth) naturally follow.

4. “Ted’s biscuits with The Boss!”

Every morning, Ted arrives at work with a small pink box of homemade biscuits for his boss, Rebecca. What starts as a simple gesture soon becomes something she looks forward to, the taste stirring memories and curiosity as she tries to discover where Ted buys them, completely unaware that Ted has been making them himself all along.

It’s a reminder that small gestures can create powerful connections.

Travel works in the same way. We might travel halfway around the world to see an iconic landmark, but years later, it’s often the smaller, unexpected moments we remember most, like a meal shared with someone, a conversation we weren’t expecting, a warm welcome into a community, or someone simply going out of their way to make us feel special.

At G Adventures, our CEOs create these moments every day. They’re rarely written into an itinerary. They probably won’t appear in the brochure. But they’re often the stories our travellers bring home.

I like to think of them as our ‘biscuit moments’: small moments that leave a lasting impact.

5. “Darts, dogs, and the power of the team” (‘Better Together’)

Ted’s team, AFC Richmond, didn’t succeed because of one superstar player. They succeeded when everyone worked together, supported one another, and bought into the bigger picture. I can’t stress enough how important this is.

In our business, group travel is the ultimate team sport. No single traveller, guide, or tour operator changes the world alone. But, when you bring together 12 strangers from different corners of the globe and get them to build their own community; when you connect them with local entrepreneurs, and community leaders, the collective impact is incredible. We’re always stronger, more resilient, and far more impactful together than we are apart.

Connecting Passion with Purpose 

That spirit of shared passion and community is also why we’ve introduced Away Games, our new collection of football (or European soccer) trips in iconic cities like Manchester, London and Madrid.

It’s an opportunity for sports-loving clients to experience local fan culture firsthand, rooted in the same purpose-led, community-driven values that guide all our trips.

At the end of the day, community tourism is built on collaboration. Whether we’re launching new trip styles, supporting our travel advisor partners or welcoming travellers on the ground, we’re all playing for the same goal: bringing the world closer together and proving that travel can be a powerful force for good.

When we lead with heart, curiosity, and a genuine commitment to one another, the positive ripple effect extends to everyone involved.

I ‘Believe’ in this community, I believe in this team and I appreciate everything you do to help change people’s lives. Let’s make this season one for the books!

I appreciate ya,

David

G Adventures’ VP Customer & Sales Operations and Managing Director, Canada, David Green, shares his industry insights, anecdotes and wisdom every month in his monthly column, ‘G in 3’. It’s a 3-minute read running exclusively in Travelweek Daily in 2026.

Lead image caption: G Adventures’ David Green (front centre) enjoys a pint with friends – including Ted Lasso co-creator, writer, executive producer and star, Jason Sudeikis