Nicole Rosania Talks Travel Blogging and Helping Creators Get Proper Compensation
Welcome to Creative Corner! Here we highlight the incredible publishers, creators, and thought leaders in the SHE Media Collective.
Nicole Rosania is a dedicated travel blogger who has been to 30+ countries around the world. In addition to being an avid travel blogger, she’s also an MBA candidate and a freelancer with a mission to help creators get compensated properly for their work.
Ahead, Rosania who is a member of the SHE Media Collective, shares why she is passionate about travel blogging and being a creator.
Tell us a little bit about your blog and business
Hi, I’m Nicole! MBA Candidate, freelance digital marketer, blogger, and world traveler. My blog, The Abroad Blog, is a travel & lifestyle blog that covers 30+ countries around the world, along with most of the states in the US. I’m currently on a mission to visit all 50 US states and have seen 41 so far. I’ve covered these states in detail on both my Instagram and blog, so if you’re looking for information spanning from snorkeling in Key West to climbing a glacier in Alaska – I’m your gal! In May 2020 I launched The Abroad Pod, a spin-off podcast from my blog that covers various travel tips, plus a destination segment each week. The destination segment focuses on a different country in each episode and covers basic facts such as the language spoken, the currency used, and the weather. I also share tips surrounding what to do, see, and eat there. My podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you listen to your favorite weekly podcasts.
What inspired you to start it?
I went on a school trip to Italy when I was 15 years old and after that trip, I told myself that one day, I’d get paid to see the world. Less than 4 years later, I was sent to the Dominican Republic as a summer intern to assist a professional video team with a content shoot… and got paid to do it! Since then, I’ve created and published my own travel podcast and blog, scaling my website from 0 readers to over 12,000 unique monthly visitors, and have collaborated with countless brands, hotels, and tourism boards around the world. The once-in-a-lifetime experiences I’ve had, along with my pursuit of a successful career in the travel industry inspired me to start my blog. I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to live, work, and study abroad at an age much younger than most. My hope is that my personal experiences will benefit and inspire others.
Are you a full-time Travel blogger?
After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Fairfield University with a BA in Communication and International Studies in 2020, I began my MBA at the College of Charleston where I’m currently concentrating in Marketing. I work on my blog on a part-time basis whenever my schoolwork and freelance creative work is done. I’ve been freelancing for about two years now and work primarily in influencer marketing, helping creators negotiate their deliverables and rates with various lifestyle brands, such as HelloFresh, Squarespace, and Surfshark. Most recently, I’ve begun tracking quarterly influencer analytics to calculate CPMs or Cost Per Miles and create Media Kits for the creators so they can set their rates properly. As a creative myself, I think it’s very important that creators are compensated fairly for their work.
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What are your go-to productivity tools?
Call me old school, but my favorite productivity tool is still my planner! I find so much joy in planning out my weeks with colorful gel pens and getting creative with stickers and stamps. My planner has always kept me organized and inspired. Maybe once I’m done with school officially this summer I’ll switch to Google Calendar, but for now – my planner is my everything.
How do you stay focused and motivated as you juggle School and many other projects?
To stay focused throughout the day, I always try to think of the big picture. It’s so easy to get bogged down in mundane to-do lists, but what inspires me the most are my goals and big-picture ambitions. When I’m in the process of a tedious project, it’s my goals – such as scaling my travel blog into a six-figure website, that keep me motivated.
What’s one shocking insight you gained from owning a blog?
One shocking insight I’ve gained from working for myself these past few years is how truly difficult it is to balance everything. As a full-time student with multiple part-time positions, it’s very difficult for me to prioritize my tasks in order of importance when I have several deadlines and multiple high-importance projects to complete. I’ve learned to rate my tasks from most important to least and to always start with the most important, and often the most challenging, task first. Although this usually takes up a lot of my energy, it helps keep me on track.
What do you do for fun when you’re not creating content or Studying?
When I’m not creating content, you can find me exploring Charleston! I just moved here for grad school last summer and have been loving exploring the various beaches, shops, cafes, and restaurants in the area. I’ve slowed down my trips quite a bit because of my grad school commitments, but exploring new parts of Charleston has definitely satisfied my travel bug this year.
What’s your current favorite book, podcast, or website?
My current favorite podcast is definitely “Trading Secrets” by Jason Tartick! This is a business podcast focused on breaking the stigma of finance. Jason brings on new guests each week from various industries to talk about their salaries, investments, etc. He’s had sharks from SharkTank, professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars, members of the Bachelor franchise, and more. As someone who often has to set my own rates for my work, this podcast has made the conversation of money much more transparent and has taught me so much about personal finance. I think I can credit my MBA for my interest in this one!
What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
I’m SO excited about 2022! First, I’ll graduate this summer with my MBA and officially hang up my “student” cap after 24 years of school. I’m so excited to dive headfirst into my career later this year and to begin seriously investing and saving for my future. Also, this fall will mark 5 years since I studied abroad for the first time and created my blog! I plan on celebrating big with a sponsored international trip to a new country. I’m not sure where yet, but I’m already looking forward to planning this adventure. Lastly, I hope to wrap up my 50 states challenge this year and become officially inducted into the Best For Last Club. This organization is based in Fargo, ND, and has about 3,000 members who’ve visited all 50 states. The whole idea is to save North Dakota for last and when you visit Fargo, the tourism board will give you a t-shirt, certification, and clap for you as you celebrate your accomplishment. I only have 9 states left until I finish all 50, so I definitely think I can manage this by the end of the year!
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