Today we’d like to introduce you to Whytney Rawls.
Hi Whytney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a huge passion for travel. As the daughter of a Marine, I was born in Hawaii while my Dad was stationed there, but both my parent’s families lived between Florida and the Cayman Islands. My mom from Cayman and my dad originally from Florida. So as far back as I can remember, I was always traveling somewhere.
As I matured, I realized how much I truly enjoyed not only the travel itself but also writing about it and sharing my experiences through my writing.
Even while in college, I managed to work organizing and promoting student travel trips for college kids. Post college, I found myself backpacking all over Europe with a few friends. After a few corporate jobs which taught me quickly they were not for me, I landed a flight attendant position. Finally, I had found a home where I was able to obtain literally unmatched travel benefits and travel the world for both work and leisure. When I worked traveling, I was also being paid, when I was traveling for my own leisure, it was costing almost nothing. Yes, for me a dream come true.
Wherever and whenever I was flying, I took note of every place I traveled. Where were the best restaurants, coolest bars, gyms, shops, salons and spas, etc. I noted each place as well as my favorite things about whichever place I was documenting. I was particularly focused on small, locally-owned businesses. Now more than ever, small businesses need our help. I also firmly believe, however, that when you travel it’s always the hidden gems, the smaller, local favorite places that make your travel experience truly memorable and authentic.
As I shared my journeys through social media, I started getting asked where to go, what to do and what to see…which then transitioned to planning trips for people and writing travel tips. Eventually and naturally, this evolved to me creating a travel brand that today is a platform that not only helps travelers of all kinds but also helps small businesses.
I hope that my platform helps make these unique, appealing places known in the cities and towns where people are traveling. Being able to help build collaborations and bring awareness to these local companies helps both travelers have richer experiences while also helping the local businesses and communities thrive.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I am a firm believer in the adage “nothing worth having comes easy.”
And for me, nothing really has.
All through college, I had ups and downs, good and bad jobs, and worked for good and bad bosses. While taking a full course load, I also ran a business organizing and selling student vacation trips, which had me putting out fires every single day while trying to maintain my grades at the same time. It wasn’t easy, but somehow I always performed better the more I had to do.
I am not sure I ever will be content doing just one thing at a time. I am always evolving, changing and growing. I knew, however, that I wanted to find a way to combine travel and work. I had glimpses of it with other jobs, and I knew there had to be a way I could achieve my dreams. I tried a bunch of different jobs, but after really soul searching I realized none could give me the freedom and flexibility that becoming a Flight Attendant could.
At the time, I was making very good money in a sales job, but my heart wasn’t in it at all. When I researched what becoming a flight attendant entailed, I realized I would be taking a big pay cut. I knew starting out as a first-year flight attendant, it would be very difficult to make ends meet, but I could also lessen my expenses and have a side hustle(s)… and eventually, after putting some time in I could drop down to part-time and do something else completely while still keeping both my health and flight benefits. Eventually, I could keep my benefits while only working two weekends a month or 3-7 days a month.
Nothing worth having comes easy, and so I took a deep breath, quit my job, gave up my condo, moved everything to my Mom’s, and moved myself to the training facility to train to become a flight attendant.
When done training, I moved back to my Mom’s, then to Boston where I was initially based and where I didn’t know a single person. Thankfully, because of my networking and friends I was able to establish some great relationships that I still have to this day. A career switch itself is an incredibly stressful time, and combing it with moving to an entirely new place with no family or friends…well that is even more stressful for someone social like me. I moved about six times that first year counting the initial move…and it was nuts.
There have been many more struggles along my journey, like trying to figure out how to make my passion for traveling into a profitable business. I love what I do, which is more than I can say for many people, and I am figuring out the financial part. Being a Flight Attendant is truly a catalyst for other things I have wanted to do. Today I can plan trips, create itineraries, advise, blog, vlog and more… It hasn’t always been smooth sailing but then again, every challenge I’ve faced has made me better and stronger. And with more people looking to know what to do and where to go on my platform, all my dreams are possible.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I’m Whytney! A blogger, travel curator, and flight attendant who founded @whyts_picks to highlight unique places and experiences worldwide while also helping lift small, local businesses wherever and whenever possible.
I strive to educate travelers on where to go and what to do and inspire community and compassion through a pay-it-forward philosophy.
As someone who has thrived personally and professionally in hospitality, sales, travel, and aviation – and who understands and gets what a traveler wants to know… I created and curated this platform to be a fun and exciting space to connect and share journeys with other like-minded travel enthusiasts – young and old, near and far, female and male. This is what ‘Whyts Picks’ is all about.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Honestly, my favorite childhood memory is sounds so silly now, but at the time, it meant everything to me: Winning ‘Camper of the Year’ at the summer camp I went to throughout childhood. As I look back, I think the reason it mean so much to me was simply because at a young age, I didn’t have the confidence I have now. When I won the award I was like, “who me?” Yet after it helped me feel better about myself and look in the mirror and say ‘hey, you’re pretty awesome’!
Here again, I always performed better the more I had to do, a trait I embody to this very day.
My schedule at camp would look something like this:
9-10 Swim
10-11 Tennis
11-12 Drama
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Sailing
3-4 Cheerleading
4-5 Volleyball
Every category had its own awards and I managed to win a few of the individual awards as well, however nothing was as emotional for me as winning the big one, Caper of the Year. At camp, I was always helpful with both campers and counselors, I was athletic and driven and always had a positive attitude.
As I look back now however, I realize it’s not about the awards themselves in life, it’s about why you win them. If you excel and stay positive, the awards, in many forms, will surprise you just as Camper of the Year surprised me.
Contact Info:
- Email: whytspicks@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyts_picks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhytsPicks/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/whyts_picks
