Travel

How I Left My 9 to 5 to Travel Full Time, and How You Can Too

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Let me start this off by saying that I truly cannot believe I’m writing a blog post titled “How I Left My 9 to 5 to Travel Full Time.”

Wow.

A year ago, I legitimately remember googling “how to be a full time travel blogger” and reading endless (and I do mean endless – I was obsessed) posts about how other women did it. One thing I learned from my time surfing the depths of Google is that there didn’t seem to be a clear answer, which seems like a good place to start this post.

The first thing you should know about entrepreneurship and blogging is that there is no magic formula for success. What worked for other bloggers did not work for me, and what worked for me might not work for you. It takes some bloggers two months to go full-time and it takes others two years. Someone with 100k followers on Instagram might barely make enough money to pay rent, while another blogger with 20k might net $200,000 a year because she’s developed a solid business plan.

Everyone carves their own path in life and the journey to becoming a full-time blogger or entrepreneur is no different. And while that might seem frustrating at first, it’s actually freeing in a way because there are literally endless roads you can take to find success, not just one.

While no blogger can tell you exactly how to get where you want to go, I believe that there are certain things that separate successful entrepreneurs from the not so successful. Later in this post, I explain what I believe those things are.

But first, let me explain my complete journey.

February 2016: Started my blog

The first URL I bought was called New York PRity… Apparently I thought it was a clever play on words since I live in New York City and worked in PR. I didn’t have that website for long before coming up with The Bold Brunette.

(I also just embarrassingly realized that my domain is still open, so if you’d like to see that blog, here it is)…

The Bold Brunette in its infancy was a strange combination of NYC restaurant reviews and vegan food recipes. I would write on it only occasionally and I didn’t have a plan of any kind.

May 2016: Started my Instagram account

Around May of last year, I began to hone in on what it is that I am actually passionate about, on what I had always been passionate about – travel. I then started an account on Instagram called My Bold Travel Moment. Three times a day, I would feature the photos of awesome female travel bloggers around the world (examples below) and comment on others’ photos encouraging them to tag #myboldtravelmoment for a feature. The account grew fairly quickly.

At this point, I knew I wanted to be in the travel industry somehow. I thought about starting my own tour company specifically for females, about starting an influencer/brand platform specifically for travel and even about working at a travel PR firm. In other words, I had no idea what I was doing with this Instagram account, but I knew I was headed in the right direction.

And I was!

September 2016: Committed to the pursuit of location-independence

It wasn’t until five months later, in September of 2016, that I realized I wanted to pursue travel blogging full time. It was also around this time when I came to realize that the 9 to 5 wasn’t right for me (more to come on this later) and I needed to be my own boss.

I began posting photos from my travels (past and present) instead of just featuring others’. It was an awkward re-branding, but I am known now as a travel blogger, not a feature account.

I also decided that I would stop at nothing to live my dream life. I went full-throttle into learning the ins and outs of WordPress, affiliate marketing, advertisements, Pinterest, etc. I spent more sleepless nights tied to my computer than I can count. I said “no” to hanging out with my best friends (sorry guys) because I had to teach myself how to make pins for Pinterest. I broke down crying out of frustration a lot and I doubted myself more times than I should have.

And then finally, my hard work began to pay off. Sponsorship and press trip opportunities landed in my inbox and high paying jobs began to surface. I couldn’t believe it. I was doing it.

February 2017: Quit my 9 to 5 job

I wanted to keep my full-time job (a.k.a. steady, reliable income) for as long as possible. I would answer emails, plan social posts and write from 7 am to 9:30 am, then go to work from 9:30 am to 6 pm. I stayed up until 2 am working. It was like this for 8 months and then, with the social media consulting and paid sponsorship opportunities beginning to surface in early February, I was at the point where I could no longer balance it all without going insane.

I feel/felt mostly comfortable leaving my full-time job. Quitting it was one of, if not the most, exhilarating and terrifying experiences of my life. I will share more about that in another post.

SO. What am I doing now?

Technically speaking, I am not a “full-time travel blogger,” meaning that all of my income does not come from blogging alone. I would go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of bloggers do not make all of their money from blogging. Oftentimes, they offer some kind of online product or marketable skill (graphic design, social media marketing, etc.) to clients.

I would instead categorize myself as a traveling entrepreneur – a “travelpreneur,” as the amazing Elise Darma calls it. A portion of my income does come from blogging (sponsored posts, press trips, affiliate marketing, etc.), but the vast majority comes from social media consulting services that I offer travel and lifestyle clients. And because the social media consulting I do is entirely remote, I can work from anywhere I want and live my desired lifestyle of location independence and therefore, travel blogging.

FYI – Elisa Darma was incredibly helpful in getting me started with my consulting business, so if you’re an aspiring travelpreneur, check her out!

Looking back at this past year, I have come to know a lot about blogging and the travel industry to be sure. But I’ve actually learned even more about entrepreneurship – specifically, what separates a successful entrepreneur from a failed one and what skill sets all influential bloggers share. The things that have without a doubt brought me to where I am today and will continue to push me forward tomorrow.

If you’re someone chasing a dream, someone who wants to escape the 9 to 5 or just someone who needs a little push, these are my top tips for finding success:

Make sure it’s something you’re passionate about

Ask yourself one question: “Do I love this so much that I am willing to work all day every day for ONE year without seeing a dime?”

If the answer is “no,” move on. Whatever it is, it isn’t for you and you will find yourself unhappy down the line.

But if the answer is “yes,” then you’ve found your life’s passion and you should pursue it ASAP. Because if this is something you would work at for free for a year and be perfectly happy, imagine how it will be when you start getting paid.

It will feel like you’ll never work a day in your life.

Just start

The number one question I receive from my followers and readers is “How I do I start my own blog?” The best answer to this is laughably simple, but insanely difficult at the same time – Just start.

When I launched my lil old My Bold Travel Moment Instagram account, I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t tell a single person close to me about it. I started it just simply knowing it was a step in the direction I wanted to go in, and I knew that one tiny step was better than no step at all.

The reality is that there will never be a perfect time to start anything. You will never feel 100% comfortable taking a chance on a new venture. You don’t need all of the answers or even a concrete plan to start. Just take that first tiny step, whatever that may be for you, and see where it leads.

Be a fearless networker

I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough and I would even go so far to say that good networking skills are what separates successful entrepreneurs from the not so successful.

Get used to making a cold call and sending a cold email. Get confident asking a random person to meet you for coffee. Get comfortable with asking someone random for advice. Get good at giving advice.

Networking will get you far. It will teach you a lot about the industry you’re in – how it works and how to succeed. It will afford you amazing opportunities. It will create quality relationships … and even amazing friendships. For me personally, networking alone manifested a paying client, press trip opportunities and amazing mentors in the travel industry.

Who should you reach out to?

Fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs.

That’s right! They are not your enemies, not your competition. Other bloggers in your industry should be your friends. Not only do bloggers help each other out in myriad of ways, but bloggers simply speak a language that others don’t. Trust me when I say that, while your friend in finance cares deeply about your success, he or she (very understandably) doesn’t want to hear about WordPress issues or sponsorship opportunities.

Reaching out to bloggers is easy. Find their email on their Instagram page or website and introduce yourself. If they live in your city, ask to meet up for a coffee and chat about x, y or z. If they don’t live in your city, see if they’re available to jump on the phone with you! And don’t be afraid to reach out to people with larger followings than you – more often than not, those people are more than happy to talk to you and offer advice.

PR professionals. 

PR professionals are the gateway between you and any brand. If you’re a fashion blogger, they’re the gatekeepers for collaborations with clothing brands. If you’re a travel blogger, they’re the gatekeepers for collaborations with hotel brands and tourism boards. For obvious reasons, you want to be on their list of go-to influencers.

To reach out to the correct PR person, simply call the number listed on the agency’s website and ask for the contact information of the person in charge of social media or influencer outreach. Send them an email introducing yourself and your blog, and ask if they’d be open to getting coffee sometime.

Professionals in your industry.

The industry professionals you should want to target are those in-house PR people. For example, if you’re a travel blogger and you may want to work with Four Seasons down the line, search on LinkedIn and find someone with a title involving “digital strategy,” “social media” or “marketing.”

Both in-house and agency PR professionals are incredibly helpful because you get the opportunity to learn a bit more about what they look for in an influencer. You’re then also on their radar for a future campaign when otherwise, you might not have been.

Build a following

And not just any following – an engaged one. A following that cares about your next move, about your opinions and seeks out your expertise.

* sneaky self-promotional plug *

If you want help with growing an Instagram following and building a lucrative business on Instagram, check out my Instagram Boot Camp.

Do not fear rejection

As cliche as it sounds, welcome rejection as an opportunity to learn and improve. For example, say you pitch a brand to collaborate with them and they say “no.” Take a step back and look at what you offered them from their perspective.

Maybe you don’t have enough followers? Build your audience a bit and circle back to them in the future.

Maybe you didn’t offer them much in the way of content? Offer 3 posts instead of 2 next time, along with some images for them to use on their social media.

Whoever rejected you or whatever the reasoning behind it, don’t take it personally and don’t get frustrated. Just step back from the situation, learn from it and improve.

Hustle

Above all, be driven. Hustle. Wake up every morning and remind yourself of what you want your life to look like. Make a list of the 5 things you’ll do that day to work toward that life, and then do them.

Work the long, sleepless nights, cry the frustrated tears when you’re down. But learn, grow and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Keep knocking on the door of your dreams and refuse to stop.

And then, one day, live your dream life – whatever that looks like for you. 🙂

So now, tell me… Was this post inspiring or helpful for you? Do you have any questions about my journey or want advice on yours?

Comment below or email me at christina@theboldbrunette.com. I love to hear from you all and am more than happy to give advice! 🙂

xo,


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  1. Debbie says:

    Thanks for the motivation to keep going on a new idea. Love the list of tips. Inspirational!

  2. Barbara Speck says:

    Thank you so much for this post. Your journey & tips learned along the way are inspiring & motivating!

  3. Ilhan says:

    Congrats for reaching your goal. Hope it will go on like this 4 ever. I really agree with what you say and do. The most most important step is the first one, so just do it. Respect!!

    • Christina says:

      Exactly – the first step is the hardest but the most important 🙂 Thank you so much, Ilhan!

  4. Elise Darma says:

    A huuuuge congrats Christina! It was awesome working with you and I can’t wait to see you on the road as a fellow travelpreneur 🙂

  5. Andrea says:

    You are such an inspiration!

  6. Christine says:

    I loved this post!!! I couldn’t agree more on all points and your hard work is paying off!!! So proud of you and can’t wait to see more of your journey!

  7. Erin Dodds says:

    Hi Christina!

    Thanks for sharing your journey with us! How did you go about achieving your first sponsored post and press trip? Would love to know how you started down that path. Thank you!

  8. This is so incredibly exciting – what an adventure you have ahead of you!

  9. Sheena says:

    Really good post, thank you!

  10. Melissa says:

    Thank you so much for this! I’ve been slacking on growing my blog and this gave me a big kick in the pants!

  11. Amazing work. Good job. I’m on this journey as we speek trying to see the exact same results, and I will keep going till I get it.

  12. Mike Clegg says:

    Very inspirational. I am kind of on the same route but still in the beginner stages. Thanks for your positive post.

  13. Natalie says:

    Thank you so much Christina for this inspiring post, that keeps me motivated! 🙂 All the best for your upcoming adventures!

  14. Auste says:

    This is a really inspiring read! Made me realise I need to focus on my own blog more.

  15. Ytzi says:

    Congrats!!! so incredible!!! I’m also new at this world!! and it is amazing to read success post like this one, so proud of you. I already have my travel blog, so nervous about it. But reading this has been so motivated!!! THANK YOU!

  16. Aanchal Iyer says:

    Hats off!!!
    Heartiest congratulations on reaching your desired goal and you have truly inspired me as well as the fellow members.
    Keep up the good work 🙂
    And you look so pretty 😉

  17. Lisa says:

    I LOVED reading this post, and will honestly say I am left VERY inspired! Thank you for sharing this 🙂

  18. Cheyenne Malloy says:

    So glad I came across this post and your website! This post is so relatable and it gives me the relief that it is okay to not know how to start…..but just to start anyway. 🙂

    • Christina says:

      Exactly! Ideas ALWAYS evolve over time, so don’t be too nervous about getting it right the first time. Just start 🙂

  19. Jennifer says:

    Excellent advice, thank you!

  20. Logan Koepke says:

    Honestly, this is the most valuable post I’ve read in months. Incredibly grateful you pour personality and soul into helping and inspiring others. This was legitly motivating.

    • Christina says:

      And this is one of the best comments I’ve received in months!! This means the world to me, and I’m so happy that you loved the post 🙂

  21. Very inspiring post! Thank you for sharing. Hopefully one day I’ll be a full time travel and food blogger like you 🙂
    I hope you can check my website out if you ever have time.

  22. Edgar says:

    Loved this post. I just came back home from backpacking for 6 months and started blogging about our experience. I would love to keep this up and this is just what I needed to read. Thanks!

  23. Frances says:

    Christina,

    Thank you for posting this.
    I find this not only inspirational, above all, truly sincere and candid.

    I don’t find this detail true about blogging and how to start and the serious struggle we go through when we were just starting. I feel as though most bloggers don’t want to share the behind the scene facts and truth. But you openly shared this with us. I presumed it’s because you wished someone had shared this when you just started as well!

    I’m not a travel blogger but a jewelry blogger started 2.5 months ago! It’s been an amazing journey for me learning and although it’s growing slowly I’m so happy doing what I love. And now reading this motivates me to go on!

    Xoxo
    Frances

    • Christina says:

      I’m so happy to hear that you loved my post, Frances!! And also happy to hear that you are doing what you love 🙂 It truly is the best! xo

  24. Carmelisse says:

    Christina! You are seriously such an inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing your story, it’s so real and it motivates me to work harder. I know you will go very far, keep pursuing your passion love! <3

    • Christina says:

      This is so amazing to read, Carmelisse!! You are so sweet and I am really, really happy this post motivated you 🙂

  25. Serena says:

    I absolutely love this post!! So inspiring.

  26. Karina says:

    Christina,

    This was extremely inspiring and it’s just what I needed to read. I’ve had such a tough time trying to discover what my real passion in life is and it’s been staring at me in the face this whole time. Can’t wait to get started!
    Thank you for sharing your experience!

  27. Abbey says:

    Hey! Thanks for the info! I too am a tad nervous about sharing my blog with friends and family, strangers are faaarrr less intimidating! How long did you wait before letting thos close to you know about your new venture?

    • Christina says:

      I know exactly what you mean – I remember the feeling so well! I waited about six months, but it’s less about the amount of time and more about how confident in your blog you are. If you think it’s in a great place with lots of good information, share it! But if you feel like you need to spend more time on it to truly be able to say “I’m proud of this!”, then wait a little bit longer 🙂

    • Courtney says:

      I’ve shared my Instagram account with a few close friends, but a good majority of them have no idea that I’m living this double life. I don’t know why it’s so scary to share with them what we are passionate about, but it is terrifying! After running a secret blog (that I’ve recently abandoned) for four years, I JUST told my boyfriend of five years that I have been blogging, LOL. If this helps, he’s been incredibly supportive!

      The nice thing about blogging is the community; there are a lot of people here who will support your wildest dreams!

  28. Courtney says:

    Girl, yes. HELL TO THE YES. This was so inspiring and the push I needed. It’s easy to get frustrated and feel defeated when you’re starting out as a blogger. Honestly, this might have been the most beneficial post I’ve read about blogging to date, so thank you for putting your heart and soul into this post (and the rest of your blog).

    Happy travels! <3

  29. Lola says:

    Christina, THANK YOU!! This post is so helpful, genuine, and inspirational. You have worked so hard to achieve this goal and deserve every bit of it! So motivational and thank you so much for sharing!
    Lola x

  30. Nikki says:

    Wow Christina! 10 minutes before I head out to work and I open Pinterest to find a little bit of inspiration for my day and came across this post. SO INSPIRING! I love your incredibly authentic and helpful tips! Thank you!

  31. Alyssa says:

    Hey Christina! Just joined Bootcamp, and module one pointed me to here! love the story =)

  32. Meelad says:

    Hi Christina, enjoyed reading this. Coming up on the one year anniversary since starting our blog and hope to one day be able to work full time on it as well, so it’s inspiring to read this. Thank you for sharing & safe travels ~

    • Christina says:

      I’m glad you liked reading the post and that it was inspirational to you! Congrats on your one year anniversary xx

  33. Brandi says:

    I started my first blog back in April, and I had no idea what I wanted to blog about. But I think I’m going to work on a new direction and start a travel blog instead! Thank you for this post, it has really given me the courage to go for something I’m passionate about (and hopefully succeed with, haha!)

    • Christina says:

      That’s so awesome to hear that! I love being a travel blogger. 🙂 If you have any interest in growing an Instagram account to go along with your travel blog, feel free to check out my e-course at theinstagrambootcamp . com. Would love to have you as a student xx

  34. Tracy says:

    I woke up this morning knowing I wanted to find an inspirational article to get me through my first day of funemployment and this was the first post I saw on Pinterest!

    I have been a recreational blogger but I am ready to take the next step. Just needed that push and this post is what I needed without really knowing it.

    Thank you for being an inspiration and honest!

  35. jayaram says:

    This is a very informative and inspiring post.

  36. Rylie says:

    I really loved this article!

    I just recently made the decision to start a travel blog myself. I’ve toyed with the idea of starting a blog for years, and could just never bring myself to begin. A few failed blog attempts later and I finally feel like I’m headed in the right direction!

    Loved how open and honest you were here. Success definitely does not happen over night!

    Thank you for the additional motivation 🙂

  37. athina says:

    thanks for sharing this interesting article with us! it is really helpful and inspiring 🙂

  38. Timothy says:

    Hi Christina, you inspired me, you inspired people. Thanks for sharing your journey.
    I love to travel too but needs to learn how to compensate from it so I can travel more even without a job. Keep posting, they are of great help.

  39. Ruth says:

    wow! Just what I needed! Thanks for Sharing….

  40. Ellen Blazer says:

    I have recently started a travel blog with some high hopes…and this is the right kind of inspiration. Thanks 🙂

  41. Beks says:

    Hi, Christina. Thanks for this post. I stumbled across is yesterday after feeling massive despair on my day job, and following a thought bunny brought on by a friend who I’m helping with her first Cruise. She told me I should start a travel blog. I’m already known as a writer, but never considered travel blogging seriously. After taking about an hour this morning, I listed off about 45 potential ideas I could write posts on across different travel topics (cruising, flying, local, camping, road trips, etc). I’m thinking I could make this a serious reality. Thanks for writing this. It was definitely motivating. Time to revamp or completely change my blog.

  42. Leigh says:

    This post is SO extremely helpful! I’m just starting to zone into my blog and working seriously hard to work with more brands, and sponsorships! Sometimes you forget all the background work like networking and hustling to get your name out there and be noted by brands and PR companies. Going to start implementing these this month!!

  43. Ivan says:

    Hi Cristina,

    Very nice post! I’m actually looking into quiting my job as well, but it seems difficult to target the right people to get the minimum income for me to survive elsewhere.

    Could you give me some advice about this?

    thanks for your amazing post!
    Best,
    Ivan

    @acecoolture
    http://www.acecoolture.blog

  44. Faiza says:

    Its almost 2 am at my side of the world. Usually I am tired, sleepy and demotivated but this post has really charged me up!
    Thank your for such an honest post!

  45. I just started a blog and WOW is it overwhelming! All the things to learn will simply take time. This blog helped tons, thank you, thank you, thank you! <3

    myperfectitinerary.com

  46. Thanks so much! This was really helpful, especially about networking 🙂 You’re my #goals!

  47. Lexi says:

    Loved this post Cristina! It was very inspirational and I know how to give up and to just start. I have an Instagram with a good amount of followers but it’s just a personal, I created another one specifically for travel purposes, should I just use and convert my personal or start new? And thank you again for the tips!

  48. Hanna says:

    Hi Christina!

    I’m really glad I ran into your blog. Thanks for the helpful tips as it would definitely help out people like me who are still figuring out how to utilize the blog productively and proactively. I look up to you!

    Cheers!

    Hanna

  49. This is very inspiring, Christina. I feel like travel blogging in special is a harder niche to tackle. Pinterest does not work the same as for people in fashion or food, it is not as easy to create e-products on travel (or even valuable freebies, as opposed to the amaizing freebies you see people giving on starting a blog or growing your social media). I think in travel what is fundamental is to know how to diversify and to get out of the box and be creative, right? Thanks for this amazing article!

  50. Thanks for the inspiration! I’m just starting out and learning the ins and out of WordPress and Pinterest. I can’t wait to for the day I can write my success story!
    Keep up the great work 🙂

  51. Prowess says:

    Hi Christina! Thank you so much for the tips! I am excited to begin my own journey. However I tried the link to your Instagram Bootcamp. It doesn’t seem to be working. Could you reshare an updated one that would point me to the right article? Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing from you.

  52. Ruchi Shrivastava says:

    Am new to this I will my blogging by next year and trust me ur post have helped me alot.

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