As far as I know, there is only one place in my town which makes change with two dollar bills. The bills are always crisp and new and the vendor obviously makes a special effort to keep these rare bills in stock, since most other merchants have shunned them (there is no compartment for them in standard cash registers).I have noted this sub-consciously every time I cash in my soda cans at the re-cycling center, but it didn’t really register until last week-end. If there is only one source of two dollar bills in town – and you find one in your wallet – you are going to remember exactly where you got it! What a brilliant marketing strategy! And it’s absolutely free.

To stand out in a world where we are bombarded with advertising messages from every direction, you have to do something, be something, or provide something memorable in order to have any impact at all. But the good news is that it can be done with something as simple as making change with a two dollar bill!

My immediate reaction was how can I use this revelation to make Shebby Lee Tours stand out from the crowd? Is there a travel equivalent to a two dollar bill? I used to subscribe to an old business axiom, “Being different is good enough”. It seemed brilliant to me when I was just getting started in business. But now that I’m a post-graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, I realize that it’s too facile. Different is good; but it’s not enough.

Offering unique tours of the Great American West is good. But those excursions had also better provide a truly great vacation experience which enhances your life. It must be restorative as well as instructive, provide new and lasting friendships, perhaps even a new outlook on life.

Is that too much to ask of just one trip? Not if you want to be the best.

We’re not perfect, but we always strive to provide the best travel experience possible. And our passenger evaluations  reflect the truly memorable journeys that we provide year after year.

If you’ve traveled with us before, let us know how we’re doing. If it’s been awhile since your last journey, let us know why. What can we do to make your travel experience even better? We’re always glad to hear from you.

Shebby Lee is a historian, writer and tour operator specializing in the historic and cultural heritage of the Great American West. Her early training was in the theatre and she served a tour of duty as an entertainer with the USO. She is also an Admiral in the Nebraska Navy.