How VOTY Winner Danica Janae is Expanding Her Travel Business
Welcome to Creative Corner! Here we highlight the incredible publishers, creators, and thought leaders in the SHE Media Collective.
Danica Janae is the founder of two premium brands By Nica Lina and She’s Out of Town. Through her publishing website By Nica Lina, she educates her audience on self-care and lifestyle topics and equips them with the right inspiration to live their best lives. She is also passionate about mentoring and established She’s Out of Town – a marketing agency focused on helping female content creators grow their brands.
Ahead, Janae who is also a member of the SHE Media Collective, shares her fascinating journey from feeling out of control and lonely to rediscovering herself through travel and starting a business. She also shares about her experience at BlogHer Health and being a VOTY winner.
Tell us a little bit about your blog
By Nica Lina is a lifestyle and travel brand dedicated to inspiring women to take action and live the life of their dreams. With curated destination guides, solo traveling tips and trips, and how-to‘s for navigating through life as a millennial, By Nica Lina is designed to empower women through raw, authentic, and genuine connections.
What inspired you to start your blog?
I was ghosted after a 4-year relationship when I was 20, and my mom just moved to San Diego and was starting a brand new life. I was completely alone for months and had to heal all on my own. I felt so lonely, and at the time, none of my friendships were genuine. I decided to book a one way to Europe and find myself. After a month and a half alone traveling through Europe, learning about life experiences, meeting new friends, etc., I soon realized I want to keep experiencing those things, and thought of how I can make an income from traveling. That‘s what sparked By Nica Lina, which then sparked my marketing agency She‘s Out of Town!
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Are you now a full-time creative?
Yes I am a full time creative + entrepreneur!
What’s one shocking insight you gained from owning a blog and running a business?
As someone who loves to be independent and doesn‘t like to seek help, I quickly realized running a business isn‘t meant for one person to run. While I pride myself in being able to do all tasks, keep the business running and moving forward, I realize I burn myself out too quickly by doing that and it‘s not healthy for me to be working 24/7.
That‘s when I realized that I needed a team and I needed to delegate certain tasks to people who can do it better than I can, so I can focus on other things.
How do you stay focused and motivated throughout the day?
I think of myself 10 years from now and acknowledge her needs, wants, desires, and more. I write love letters to her everyday. Just knowing that I‘m moving towards that direction keeps me focused and motivated!
What are your go-to productivity tools?
My girlfriends and I hold each other accountable to our goals. Notion keeps my entire life and businesses organized.
What do you do for fun when you’re not creating content?
I travel, haha. I like to visit boutique hotels, delete all social media apps, and just marinate in my own peace and my own solitude.
What’s your current favorite book, podcast, or website?
Blissfully Ambitious by Ashline Kaposta is my go to podcast right now. I‘m trying to harness my feminine energy and get into a mindset of manifesting my needs and desires, so that really helps me! I‘m currently reading the Motoring Journal and the Mastery of Love.
How was your experience at BlogHer Health?
I had such a happy experience at BlogHer Health. Being a part of the event was such an honor, and for that I will forever be grateful for the opportunity. From being an attendee a few years back, dreaming of one day being the woman that I used to see on stage, to now actually being it, it was truly an unforgettable experience!
What does the VOTY award mean to you?
The award means a lot to me. It’s motivating and it makes me feel seen for everything that I did to get me to where I’m at today. It pushes me to do more and achieve more! It makes me excited for what more is there to come. It’s a milestone!
What was your biggest takeaway from the BlogHer Health event?
There is so much about our health that I wasn’t even aware of. For example, menopause. I had no clue it lasted for a few years. That was honestly very shocking to me, and made me feel disappointed that we don’t have much education on menopause, and we’re barely scratching the surface on women’s health.
The SHE Media Collective helps publishers, content creators and entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses with dedicated support for managing ads, brand partnerships, and more. Apply now to join our mission-driven platform.