Ciara Johnson: Empowering Women to Travel Solo

Solo travel content creator Ciara Johnson (@hey_ciara) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss her journey from corporate America to full-time travel influencer. In this episode, Ciara shares how she quit her HR job in 2017 to take an "adult gap year" that transformed into a successful career, revealing how she bridged her initial savings with a remote travel writing job before landing her first paid brand deals in 2019. Host Ross Borden explores Ciara's evolution from unpaid brand collaborations to earning up to $50,000 in a single month, and dives into her pitching strategies. Ciara offers behind-the-scenes insights about working with major brands like Marriott, Toyota, and American Express, plus practical advice on maintaining authenticity in content creation. She explains how her niche in empowering women for solo travel emerged naturally from her own experiences: "I knew that if I wanted to travel, I was just gonna have to simply do it alone." Whether you're an aspiring content creator or simply interested in travel entrepreneurship, this conversation delivers a valuable perspective on building a sustainable career from your passions. To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit creatorthepodcast.com 00:00 - Introduction to Ciara Johnson 01:01 - Ciara's background and journey as a creator 02:30 - Quitting her job to pursue content creation 05:18 - Living first, then creating content philosophy 07:46 - Early brand deals and pitching to companies 08:51 - Major brand partnerships (Marriott, Toyota, Chevrolet) 12:26 - Finding her niche in solo female travel 15:39 - How brand opportunities developed over time 18:55 - Getting management and the benefits of representation 23:56 - Revenue as a full-time creator 24:37 - Future plans and creating balance 26:25 - Speaking engagements and networking opportunities 29:42 - Content production process and editing 31:18 - Ciara's top three countries to live in 32:15 - Where to find Ciara online

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