In the green room at Phocuswright with... Erik Blachford

Erik Blachford, venture partner

The former president and CEO of Expedia, and later of IAC Travel, is now a prominent figure in venture capital and angel investing. Blachford will be a “dragon” at The Phocuswright Conference 2018. 

In a series of interviews with executives participating at the event in Los Angeles in November, PhocusWire finds out what makes them tick...

What are you like outside of work?

Graduate student finishing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University.

What was your childhood aspiration?

Canoe trip guide in northern Canada.

What travel industry development or brand do you wish you'd thought of first?

Couchsurfing.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Building the Expedia brand into a household name.

What book do you recommend to others and why?

Business Book: Influence by Robert Cialdini, the best take out there on the psychology of marketing and advertising

Fiction: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, a unique distillation of humanity

In a team environment, what role do you usually take on?

Coach.

What do you do to alleviate stress?

Run, ride, swim, repeat.

What's your morning routine?

Coffee and the New York Times on actual paper.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

"Dude, you are not going to believe your luck!"

How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?

Success is developing worthwhile relationships in all aspects of life, and I'm doing my best.