What is your favourite part of a typical day and why?
Reading the paper over breakfast in the morning.
What’s the least glamorous thing you’ve had to do in your line of work?
Queuing at check-in counters and adding up the bills for expense claims.
What skill would you most like to improve?
I’m not a natural people person—I’d like to be.
If you could go back in time and do one thing differently with your business, what would it be?
Make the transition from fun (with a bit of business on the side) to business (with some fun on the side) more smoothly.
Something you’d most like to accomplish in life (that you haven’t already)?
Persuade our government to get David Hicks out of the US gulag at Guant·namo Bay.
The best thing about running your own business?
Doing whatever you want whenever you want.
Who is the most inspiring person you know and why?
Some of our writers who combine ‘get it done no matter how many obstacles are in the way’ manic energy with a real love of weird travel and weird places.
What can keep you up at night?
Worry
Which is your favourite Lonely Planet book/guide and why?
India, because when we did it we really bet the shop on one title, and hit the jackpot.
Most memorable travel moment?
I love some of the weird encounters, bumping into people you’ve met before in completely unexpected places. For example, an Australian friend walked into a restaurant I was eating at in Rabat, Morocco one night.
