Notes from a former travel blogger.

In a past life, I used to be a travel blogger.

Long ago, before my career had really started. Before I had a family. Before the world irrevocably changed after the pandemic. I often look back, mostly with a mix of wistful nostalgia. And, sometimes, with the slight tinge of burning regret that I called it quits before I gave myself the chance to really make something of it.

I always knew though, deep down, that the blogger, or ‘influencer’ life wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved to create content. I loved to write about our experiences and how the places we travelled made me feel. I loved the endless adventures it took us on over the years.

What I didn’t love was the spotlight that came with it. Or at least, the spotlight you needed to shine on yourself to make it in the industry. It just didn’t come naturally to me.

I wasn’t Insta-famous, far from it. I had around ten thousand followers, which in today’s numbers would put me squarely in the ‘micro-influencer’, or even ‘nano-influencer’ basket (if we’re being specific). Back then though, it was a solid number that gave me some incredible opportunities that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to have.

Like spending two nights sleeping above the Great Barrier Reef on a pontoon. Receiving gifted products like expensive swimwear and underwater phone cases (which for the time, were considered trendy new tech). Like getting discounted, or even free, accommodation and experiences in exchange for sharing it all on my blog or social media account.

I am still, all these years later, very grateful for every single thing.

So, why did I stop?

Well, the global pandemic put the pin in travel for a while. And I’d also finally gotten a job that I was passionate about, which meant my time was limited. Running a travel blog is fairly time-consuming, and when you start doing the things you’re doing for a hobby in your full time job, the fun starts to grate away.

On a more personal note, I realised that I just wasn’t cut out for it. I know that when I started my blog and started posting content on my social media that were considered ‘ads’ or self-promotional, I also started to lose friendships. I knew people talked about me behind my back. People I knew in real life unfollowed me. I was embarrassed. It was hard not to take it personally.  I didn’t want to be known as an ‘influencer’. I didn’t identify with that word at all.

I wanted to create content. I wanted to write about my experiences. But how could I do that without being the face of it all? Without being an ‘influencer’?

Turns out, being a travel blogger helped guide me to exactly where I want to be in my career. 

I realised that by becoming a social media manager in the travel and tourism industry, you can have the creative freedom and work perks of being a blogger or influencer, without the title (and stigma) that comes with it.

Here, in the past decade working as a social media manager and strategist in the travel and tourism industry, I’ve really found my feet. I’ve discovered a way to combine my passion for content creation, my love of writing, and the joy of getting to experience some really cool things, and getting to do it for a job. I get to use skills I learned way back in my blogging days, and I get to be part of an industry that celebrates the joys of travel.

Obviously, working as a social media manager and strategist wasn’t something I dreamed about doing as a child. Initially, I wanted to be a butterfly catcher in New York City, and then I decided that I wanted to be a fashion designer. Once I realised that there aren’t that many butterflies in New York City, and that my textile and drawing skills were exceptionally sub-par, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

No-one dreams of being a marketer, either. No little kid is sitting there imagining themselves as a CMO. But when I was in Year 10, I did Business Studies as an elective and enjoyed the parts that had to do with marketing. So that’s what I went to university to study.

Social media, at least for business and brands, didn’t even exist when I went to university, let alone when I was growing up. By the time I did a Masters degree in Strategic Marketing in 2013, brands were starting to use social media for business.

I grew up alongside the work I now find myself in. I remember when MySpace was the biggest social media platform. I remember when you used to have an aquarium on your Facebook profile, and you could ‘poke’ your friends. I remember when Instagram was released, and I used it purely to put filters on my photos so I could then upload them to Facebook.

What a time to be alive.

Growing up alongside social media also means that I am completely self taught. A digital native, some would say. Nowadays you can study social media and digital marketing at a tertiary level, but for me? I had to figure it out as I went along for the ride. And I credit my past life as a travel blogger for helping me get to exactly where I am today.

By the time I started my blog, I had several years of experience working in marketing, with social media for business growing steadily with every passing one. While I had the basics down, there was still a lot that I had to learn.

So, I taught myself how to build a website from scratch. I taught myself how to edit my images using Adobe Lightroom. I taught myself how to use platforms like Pinterest to drive traffic to my blog. I taught myself how to create content for brands. I taught myself how to leverage the power of an audience to make money. I taught myself the skills that I still use in my career every single day.

So, where does soli creative fit into all this?

I adore my career in tourism, and my current role managing social media and content for a regional tourism organisation is by far one of my favourite roles to date. And yet, I still find myself wanting a little bit more. I want to rediscover my past self, that travel blogger, but this time, use my social media strategy and content creation expertise to help others in the industry grow their brand’s digital presence. 

Also, you know, the cost of living crisis and all that means that the more income streams we can have, the better the future we can secure for our little family.

And I really just want to spend more time outside. With my family, exploring the world, like I always dreamed about. It used to be just Scott and I on our adventures, but now we have a daughter. And we want her to grow up discovering the joys of travel. The joys of nature. The joys of the ocean. The joys of all those things that used to be part of our every day, before grown up life got in the way. 

So here we are. I used to be a travel blogger, and now I am a social media strategist and content creator starting a business with my best friend (who just happens to be a ridiculously talented photographer).

I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.