If your content creator business feels like a hot mess express, hiring a virtual assistant might be exactly what you need. But how do you know when you're ready, what should you outsource first, and how do you make sure you're not just creating more work for yourself?

In this episode, I'm joined by my very own virtual assistant, Glen from Serenique VA , to talk about hiring your first virtual assistant and building the support system your business actually needs. We're getting into the signs it's time to outsource, how to figure out what to hand over, and how to work with a VA without needing to have every single system perfectly organized first.

We also talk about how to use virtual assistant support strategically in your travel creator business, from managing leads and creating content to tracking opportunities that can actually grow your business. Because the goal isn't just to get things off your plate. It's to free up your time and energy to focus on the work that moves the needle.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to know when it's time to hire your first virtual assistant
• The signs you're ready to outsource, even if you don't feel ready
• What to delegate first, from admin and client communication to content creation and lead follow-ups
• Why you don't need perfect systems before hiring a VA
• How to create simple SOPs using Loom and AI
• How to figure out which tasks belong in your zone of genius and which ones you should hand over
• How to use a time audit to see where your hours are actually going
• How to communicate with your VA, set expectations, and create better boundaries
• How a VA can support lead tracking, nurture relationships, and manage business growth opportunities
• How to hire strategically so your new support helps you grow your business and create more freedom

Plus, Glen shares how consistent lead tracking and follow-ups helped one client secure 10 discovery calls and generate $40K in proposals and discovery-call opportunities in just one month.

Connect with Glen:

Instagram: @serenique.va

Check out Glen's Before You Hire guide for practical exercises to help you identify what to outsource, create your handover list, and understand the value of bringing support into your business.

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
You’ll get:
✔ monthly business systems
✔ coworking + Q&A calls
✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

🎧 Love this episode? Hit follow, leave a review, and send it to the creator friend who's been staring at a blank email draft for three days. You know who they are.

pitching brands doesn't have to feel awkward, desperate, or like a full-time job.

I'm walking you through the cold pitch email I send to creators, and the exact same structure works for pitching brands and tourism boards. You'll learn why most pitches get ignored, how to write a first line that proves you did your homework, and how to ask for a conversation without begging for a credit card. Whether you want to grow your travel content monetization or land more brand partnerships, this is the pen-and-paper episode you need.

Today you'll learn:

• Why most cold pitches get ignored (hint: nobody cares about your follower count)
• How to write a first line that's a compliment, not a résumé
• Why one simple yes/no question gets more replies than a wall of text
• How to use email marketing stats to make a brand feel the problem you solve
• How to adapt this template for tourism boards and brand partnerships
• How long to wait before following up, and what to say instead of "just bumping this up"
• How many follow-ups to send (spoiler: I've landed deals after the sixth email)
• Why you should only pitch 3 to 5 people a day so you don't burn out

The Pitch Formula, Broken Down

1. A personalized, specific compliment. Not "loved your trip to France." Think "that tiny village in France." Specificity proves you did your homework.
2. One easy question. We're humans, and we're hardwired to answer questions.
3. Why it matters. Two quick bullets or stats that make them feel the gap.
4. Proof. Share one result or one past partnership. Not all of them. One, maybe two.
5. Audience match. If you're pitching a tourism board, tell them where your audience lives.
6. A yes/no ask. "Would you be open to a conversation?" or "Would it be helpful if I sent over a couple of ideas?"
7. Space it out. Every line gets its own paragraph. Nobody wants to read a block of text.

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
You’ll get:
✔ monthly business systems
✔ coworking + Q&A calls
✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE

What happens when you throw a completely unhinged idea onto TikTok… and then 40 strangers actually show up?

Maddy Garrett knows a thing or two about turning travel content into an actual travel community.

After moving to Lake Tahoe and realizing she knew approximately… nobody, Maddy posted a TikTok asking, “What if we got a bunch of single people together and went camping?”

The internet said YES.

Within a week, her Facebook group had 4,000+ people. Two weeks later, 40 strangers from across the U.S. showed up for a camping trip in the Nevada desert. And just like that, Outsiders Together was born.

In this episode, we’re talking about what it REALLY takes to turn a following into a community — and how travel influencers and travel content creators can use group travel and retreat travel to create experiences people actually want to pay for.

We’re getting into:

✈️ How Maddy turned one TikTok into a 4,000+ person travel community
⛺ Why starting with FREE meetups can be the smartest way to build community
🌎 How to sell group travel when you don't have a huge audience
💰 How travel content monetization can work through group trips
🔥 Why FOMO was one of Maddy’s biggest marketing strategies
📱 The simple content strategy she used to make people feel like they were missing out
🗓️ How she would launch a group trip TODAY in just two weeks
👯‍♀️ Why people often aren't buying the trip — they're buying the chance to hang out with YOU
💻 How travel influencers can turn their audience into an actual travel community
🥂 And why you need to stop overthinking it and JUST DO THE THING

Maddy also shares what she learned from hosting international trips through Trova, including trips to Peru, Iceland, Alaska and Costa Rica, and what the financial side of group travel can actually look like.
If you’ve been thinking about creating a travel community, hosting group trips, or adding retreat travel to your business… this is your sign to stop waiting for everything to be perfect.

CONNECT WITH MADDY:
Find Maddy at @maddyoutdoors.coach

Listen to her podcast: Paid to Travel

• Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass, the weekly newsletter for travel creators who are already landing brand deals and are ready to build the business behind their content.
• Get five shifts that will take you from travel creator to business owner with actionable next steps included. AND two private podcast episodes. Get the Creator to CEO Playbook for $5
• Say hi on Instagram

Join Us 👉 The Travel Creator Business Plan Community!

The only business-building community designed specifically for travel creators.
You’ll get:
✔ monthly business systems
✔ coworking + Q&A calls
✔ a private community of creators building real businesses
✔ guidance to help you move from “content machine” to “CEO energy”

Sign Up HERE