Kyle Thomas

The Website of Kyle Thomas (KyleWith)

Yellowknife Tourism – My First Steps

I’ve had this long time discussion with myself about whether or not I should be an actual tour operator in Yellowknife.

Truth be told, I don’t especially want to be one, or want to do it long term.

My goals and ambitions for Yellowknife Tourism go beyond those of just operating one-off tours on a daily or nightly basis for a few visitors at a time.

My goals and ambitions are to contribute to the growth and development of tourism and placemaking in Yellowknife.

There are many thoughts that I have about those two things above, and I love talking to other people about it because everyone has a different perspective. It is my view that if we can continue to have those conversations a better roadmap will emerge with key indicators of what we as a community need to do to do to help foster Yellowknife as a high-quality destination.

If anyone is interested in talking about tourism or placemaking in Yellowknife, I’m all ears. I’ll even buy the coffee.

Why then have I become a licensed tour operator offering small group Community Tours during the day and Aurora Tours during the night?

Because it is a quick way to leverage my knowledge and passion of this place, learn first hand about what visitors are expecting, and support me financially while figuring out how to move forward.

Hammering away at developing Yellowknife as a tourism destination is a long-term goal of mine. A shorter term goal might be to shift from being a tour operator to being a promoter of current and new tour operators. Utilize my platforms as a digital marketing tool for many of the local tour operators who don’t have the time to focus on their own marketing.

It is also my hope that I continue to publish more of these thoughts and ideas with the goal of connecting with more like-minded community members.

This is where Yellowknife Online is at

Something that has been on my mind lately. It is talking about what we do. For some reason, we keep what we do within our own little circle. We refrain from telling the world for fear they might take it away from us.

This is wrong.

I have reasons about why this is wrong, but this post isn’t about that.

This post is about what is happening with one of my labours of love: Yellowknife Online (ykonline.ca).

I have invested thousands of hours since 2009. Writing, developing, building and creating Yellowknife Online into what it is today.

Does Yellowknife Online make me money?

Nope.

It is a labour of love.

It is like volunteering for a non-profit organization. The mission is to make information about a community more accessible.

Except the non-profit is an online brand run by one person. In his spare time or when he should actually me working.

Yellowknife Online has never made any profit and very little money.

It currently makes no money.

It has never received government funding.

It actually cost money to keep Yellowknife Online online.

Approximately $5000 is the past 7 years.

It is not seen relevant within the community it supports. It is not taken seriously.

Yellowknife Online is an online resource for information about Yellowknife.

It is for visitors. It is for residents. And it is for newcomers.

Does it have every bit of information each of these groups needs to know about Yellowknife?

No. Not yet.

Not yet.

There is a post idea list a mile long. All information and resources that should be online on Yellowknife Online.

Some of that information already exists in many places. Some of that information is not written and online yet.

The point of Yellowknife Online is to bring information together into one easy to find place. Resources might jump off to another site. Or it might be right on Yellowknife Online.

What is not understood about Yellowknife Online is that is not a “news site. Even though new posts aren’t published every day, doesn’t mean there is no traffic to the website.

Where Yellowknife Online excels is in publishing timeless content. Content that remains relevant with minor updates.

This has built a strong reputation with Google and the like.

Yellowknife Online receives approximately 20,000 visitors a month.

20,000 visitor a month.

Oh, and I have spent $0 on advertising it.

How?

For exactly the reasons mentioned above.

Trusted and relevant content.

Site longevity. Been around since 2009.

Link sharing. Linking to those other resources in posts and pages. This built incredible search engine credibility.

Trend following. Yellowknife Online is where the people often are. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.

Few residents might know about Yellowknife Online, but visitors and newcomers do.

On a daily basis, Yellowknife Online receives emails from visitors researching Yellowknife. Other emails from people researching moving to Yellowknife.

Just yesterday I helped a young professional understand utility costs. And where to find an apartment. All before even moving to Yellowknife.

The simple act of helping that one person made Yellowknife seem all that more welcoming. And even less isolated.

That person may not have felt as comfortable finding a place with the help of Yellowknife Online. All because it appeared as a trusted resource.

Without any consistent publishing, Yellowknife Online will continue to be an online resource. All because people will continue to search for the information it hosts.

Posts will stay relevant.

Podcast episodes will remain relevant.

And I’ll always answer emails and comments.

What is next for Yellowknife Online?

There lies the grand question. Here are some general ideas.

New content follows a regular publishing schedule. That post idea list is long.

Become a Yellowknife tour listing directory and booking engine.

The How To Be a Yellowknifer podcast follows a regular publishing schedule. Always featuring different Yellowknifers

The How To Be a Yellowknifer podcast picks up a sponsor.

Yellowknife Online partners with other local non-profit organizations to help distribute their resources.

Other contributors come on board to help fill information gaps that I don’t know enough about. Sports. Parenting. Houseboat Living. Music Scene. And so on.

Yellowknife Online becomes a non-profit organization. With the mission of helping visitors, residents, and newcomers thrive.

What is the financial model for Yellowknife Online?

There currently isn’t one.

There has never been one.

I can not sell advertising. I try and fail time and time again.

It will always be free to access the information without question.

To grow it needs some sort of financial model.

It doesn’t have to be a business.

It could be a business if advertising or sponsored content was a viable option.

It could be a non-profit organization. It could tap into different funding programs. Programs through different governments and other non-profit organizations.

It sounds like I’m bragging about Yellowknife Online’s success because I am. I’m proud of the brand that it is. I get excited each time I get to help someone learn more about Yellowknife. Or when I hear that someone has used the site.

But Yellowknife Online, as much as my ego wants to believe, is not about me. It is about making this community a great place to live, work, play and visit.

One of my own downfalls has been bringing like-minded people together to build this brand. Yellowknifers have so much to offer each other.

I recognize I can’t do it on my own.

But other than a byline I’ve never been sure what I can offer anyone. See above where I mention it makes no money.

Am I open to working with others on Yellowknife Online?

You bet!

I’d love if there were others who shared this vision and were willing to take a chance with me on it.

Maybe you are reading this? Contact me.

That, my friends. Is where Yellowknife Online is today.

Let your passion drive you

Education and training are important attributes to have. Especially when it comes to achieving goals but passion should not be disregarded.

Passion is infectious. When I talk with passion and conviction about what I do, people listen. <insert tooting of own horn>

It works in reverse as well though. When I hear someone talking about what they love doing with a deep passion I’m instantly drawn in. I want to immediately know more about their work, buy their product or invest in them.

Passion builds community. When I talk about baking bread you can hear the passion gushing out of me. Not because I want you to buy my product but because before it is a business it is something I love.

I’m so passionate about baking bread that I will admit I’m not the best at it.

I’m not a trained baker.

I’m passionate about it and I’ll show you that good or not.

I will talk about trying new products. I will talk about the failures. I will talk about how I do it all. And when I do this I end up with an engaged community of people who support me.

Talking with passion doesn’t mean you have to be the loudest one in a room. It means when you talk about what you love or believe in people actually listen. They listen and hang off of every word. Most of the time that loud person is overcompensating for something anyway.

Letting your passion drive you is a profound notion and one I like to live by. Passion doesn’t always pay the bills though. Which is why I often let reality be the navigator.

If you look at the dynamics of a driver/navigator relationship you’ll see a symbiotic partnership. If the driver were to just drive with no direction they might end up going in the wrong direction or going too far. But if they have a trusted navigator to help direct their passion, they’re going to be able to change and adjust as you go.

The point being, letting passion drive us is key to having a successful practice and building a community of supporters. But without the direction of reality, it can sometimes misguide us.

So be the optimist who lets passion take them to new and exciting places. But remember to stop and consult with reality regularly about the truths of what you’re doing.

As a take away to this post, I encourage you to think about what you are passionate about. Then think about how much that plays into what you do. Can you take that passion and talk about it more? Can you show your community why you are passionate about what you do?

This is all part of letting the universe know what you want. Be bold.

This post is post is part of a bigger series called Let The Universe Know What You Want. See the other posts below:

• Seek Out Subject Matter Experts
• Let Your Passion Drive You

Seek out subject matter experts

This is a very simple step that many of us overlook for various reasons. We might fear that it is inappropriate. Or think that person is competition. Or feel it is a sign of weakness. Yet I have found this action of seeking out people who are experts or knowledgeable in the subjects I want to know more about to be a huge asset for many reasons.

It is not inappropriate. People love talking about themselves. I know I do. If someone wants to meet with me I definitely take the opportunity. If the person you are asking is smart enough, they will also recognize it as an opportunity to learn something themselves. It is human nature to want to help. Even in the smallest of ways.

So go and ask that person for a coffee and see where it takes you.

Since the day I started my own business I’ve thrown the notion of competition out the window. I don’t have time for that pettiness and neither should you. Those other people or businesses that have similar goals should be allies. You should be able to lean on each other with the end goal in mind. Period.

And never think you are showing weakness. Wanting to further your knowledge is not shameful. By wanting to meet others in your industry you are displaying a higher level of investment in it. No one will ever know everything and we can all learn something from one another. Even if the other person has a giant ego. You can still learn from them.

Overall you should strive to meet as many people as possible in whatever field or industry you want to be in. Most people are happy to talk but the worst they’ll say is no. Connecting with your competition can lead to bigger things. And seeking out established industry people will show your willingness to continue to learn. It will show you are willing to grow.

These simple actions will benefit you by way of straight knowledge. They will also put you in front of thought leaders and subject matter experts. It will plant a seed in their minds for future opportunity. It might not happen right away but you’ll be there in their subconscious. When the moment is right your name will come up in conversation. In the planning of a new product, as a person to collaborate with or in a recommendation to someone else.

Thus, the universe will present you with an opportunity.

Now, go. Get out there. Meet someone new.

This post is post is part of a bigger series called Let The Universe Know What You Want. See the other posts below:

• Seek Out Subject Matter Experts
• Let Your Passion Drive You

Let the universe know what you want

Throughout my entire career, I have been very blessed with many opportunities. I’ve gotten to do the things I’ve wanted to do, to build up my of skill set, and push myself to the next thing.

At one point I use to consider it luck that an opportunity would show up and carry me to a new place or a new experience. I have learned that it is not luck as it is the willingness to be open to these new opportunities. To put myself out there for them to find me.

I put my goals and ambitions out into the universe and I let the universe work out how they might come to fruition.

That is my very high-level concept.

In reality, there are some very easy steps a person can take to move them in the direction of their goals. This then opens themselves up to those potential opportunities.

It has taken me a while to understand that I take these specific steps towards my goals somewhat unknowingly. Now recognizing them I thought it time to put them on paper… or on the blog.

So what will follow is a short series. I will identify the steps I take on a daily basis that allows me to put my goals out into the universe.

This post is post is part of a bigger series called Let The Universe Know What You Want. See the other posts below:

• Seek Out Subject Matter Experts
• Let Your Passion Drive You