When we talk about the future of aviation, the conversation usually centers on what is changing.
New technology. New platforms. AI. New ways of reaching customers.
But after my conversation with Lisa DeFrees, who has spent more than three decades across aviation media, marketing, and sales, I found myself thinking about a different question:
As aviation changes, what shouldn’t?
Lisa has had a front-row seat to enormous change in how our industry communicates and does business. And through it all, she has continued to evolve right alongside it.
The big picture
AI is changing how we create content, find information, communicate with customers, and do our jobs.
There is enormous opportunity in that.
But Lisa's career reminded me that staying relevant does not mean chasing every new thing. It means knowing what to embrace and what is still worth holding onto.
After more than three decades of change, Lisa still comes back to something simple:
Relationships matter.
Between the lines
Lisa joined FLYING in 1995 and spent nearly 30 years there, eventually becoming Publisher and Chief Commercial Officer.
Think about how much changed during that time.
The internet. Digital publishing. Search. Social media. Video. And now AI.
Lisa did not build her career in one version of aviation media.
She built it through several versions of it.
To me, that is what staying relevant actually looks like.
It is not predicting every change before it happens. It is being willing to keep learning when it does.
Today, Lisa is Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at High Flying Hangars, bringing that experience into another part of aviation and helping address the growing need for aircraft hangar infrastructure.
By the numbers
An interesting tension is emerging as AI becomes more embedded in how we do business.
A recent Gartner study found that 45% of B2B buyers used generative AI during a recent purchase, yet 69% still preferred to validate AI-generated information with a sales representative.
Looking ahead, Gartner predicts that by 2030, 75% of B2B buyers will prefer sales experiences that prioritize human interaction over AI.
That feels especially relevant in aviation, where so much business is built on reputation, relationships, and trust.
The human advantage
Technology can help us work faster. AI can help us research, communicate, and reach more people.
But reaching someone and connecting with them are not the same thing.
As technology becomes more capable, the things that are hardest to automate may become even more valuable:
Judgment. Trust. Credibility. Relationships.
Maybe that is the human advantage.
Not resisting technology, but understanding what technology cannot do for us.
The bottom line
We should embrace technology that makes aviation better. We should learn new tools, question old ways of doing things, and be willing to evolve.
But progress is not just knowing what to change.
It is also knowing what is worth keeping.
The tools will change. The way we communicate will change. The way customers find us will change.
But trust still has to be earned.
And in an increasingly automated world, that may matter more than ever.
This conversation is now available on all podcast platforms.
Listen now.
About AVIATE
AVIATE is hosted by me, Shaesta Waiz, the 8th woman in history to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. Along that journey, I met people everywhere who wanted to talk about the same themes that inspired this show.
AVIATE stands for Acknowledging those in our industry, Vocalizing our experiences, Inclusion, Acting on our passions, Travel, and Evolving.
Now in its ninth season and exclusively sponsored by Atlantic Aviation, AVIATE is heard in over 100 countries.
Until next time,
Shaesta