Today we’d like to introduce you to David Hoffmann.
Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My name is David Hoffmann. I am an entrepreneur and travel host from South Miami, Florida. I started David’s Been here right out of college in 2008 with the dream of turning my passion for traveling the world into a full-time job. Within six months, I was off to Europe with a cameraman and an assistant, and I haven’t looked back since.
My mission is to supply travel inspiration, reliable first-hand information, and entertainment. To date, I’ve hosted over 3,700 travel episodes that dive deep into the culture, history, and cuisine of thousands of unique destinations around the world. I’ve also written hundreds of travel guides on my website, where I share even more valuable information about these unique locations, their people, their history and culture, and of course, their food. And when I think they’re appropriate for my audience, I collaborate with travel and lifestyle brands to promote products, destinations, and accommodations I believe in.
Most recently I created my own David’s Been Here Hot Sauce in collaboration with a company in Tampa called Su Yum Foods. It is inspired by my travels around the world and contains guava and pineapple, which are staples across the Caribbean, as well as Kashmiri chilies from India, the country I’ve visited the most. These flavors combined make an incredibly delicious spicy yet sweet hot sauce that goes great on any dish.
In addition to that, my David’s Been Here official storefront will be opening in South Miami (right near the neighborhood I grew up in) in January of 2024. I’ll be selling my hot sauce there, along with travel gear and unique, hand-made crafts created by artisans in countries I’ve visited around the world, from Kenya to Belize to Albania. Opening a store in South Miami where people will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in different cultures and buy authentic crafts without having to leave the country has been a dream of mine since I started traveling.
This store will be a place where travelers, locals, tourists, and the rest of the community can come together to learn about cultural items from all around the world that can’t easily be found in the United States. I want this store to be a truly unique experience for people since not everyone may have the opportunity to travel out of the country. This store will provide information about the destinations the products will be from and access to purchase some of these interesting artifacts which make for incredibly unique gifts, souvenirs, and conversation pieces.
And for people who don’t live in Miami, our products will be also available for purchase on our online store. So, no matter where you live, you’ll be able to order the pieces we stock and own a little piece of these amazing countries.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being an entrepreneur, there will always be struggles along the way. People will doubt you and tell you that you’re crazy for having big dreams, and they will think something is wrong with you for taking risks and chances on things.
You have to learn that everyone isn’t going to “get it.” Everyone won’t understand your vision or see the point of you striving for the goals you want to reach. Some people might even try to deter you from going after your dreams. You have to grow a thick skin and tell yourself not to listen to the nay-sayers. Above all, you have to believe in yourself, even if other people don’t.
There’s also the financial aspect. I’ve been broke many times. I ran out of money in 2010 after exploring Europe for two years and had to come back to Miami. I had no money to fund my travels, so I had to sell products on Amazon to survive for another two years until I could travel full-time again. I’ve gone through periods where my videos on YouTube were on fire—one viral hit after another. Millions and millions of views. But I’ve also gone through times where nearly every video I put out flopped and got no traction whatsoever.
I’ve had to learn how to adapt and pivot, figure out what’s working and what isn’t, and implement changes where I need to. I’ve had to trust my team and listen to their advice when we realize isn’t working, even if it means going through some growing pains before we get to a place where things are working again.
There are a lot of ups and downs when you run a business but you have to keep your eyes on the prize no matter how many times you get knocked down.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
David’s Been Here’s mission is to provide inclusivity, information, inspiration, and entertainment to the world. Not everyone can afford to travel or has access to travel, so for me, the content I am producing must be authentic and trustworthy. When I come out with a video, I want people to feel as if they are there with me – whether that be spending 50 hours in the Amazonian Rainforest, exploring the culture and history of Ghana, or going on a street food tour in the markets of Mumbai.
Brand-wise, I think what sets me apart the most is my ability to connect with locals everywhere I go. Forming relationships and friendships with locals in the places I travel to allows me to highlight parts of their culture, traditions, and cuisines that may not get the recognition they deserve. Inclusivity is huge to me and I want to bring forward real authentic information to my viewers whether it be for their entertainment, for research purposes, for travel inspiration or even just to learn something new about a part of the world they were unfamiliar with.
David’s Been Here, more than anything, is built on love and respect. I think, if you’re going to showcase people, cultures, and places that are wildly different from one another, you have to understand that you may come across traditions, foods, ways of life, etc. that are very different from your own and what you’re used to.
I don’t ever want to be one of those creators who use their platform to trash or make fun of other places and people. I want everyone who watches my work to feel seen and included. When people from other countries watch me explore their cities, I want them to see the love, respect, and appreciation I have for them, even though I’m a white guy from America who lives a very different day-to-day life. David’s Been Here is all about bringing people together, not pushing people apart or judging others.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Over the next five to ten years, I see travel and travel blogging growing. During the height of COVID, the travel industry screeched to a halt, and a lot of creators I know ran out of content almost immediately.
I was one of the lucky ones, as I had a backlog of footage I hadn’t yet released, which gave me a few extra months while everything was shut down. Only recently have people started feeling comfortable getting on planes and traveling again, so I can see the industry taking off again soon.
For those who don’t feel comfortable traveling yet, I believe my storefront will provide a unique experience to “travel” without having to leave the country. Visitors can find hundreds of different artifacts and travel information.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://davidsbeenhere.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsbeenhere/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidsbeenhere
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidsbeenhere
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidsbeenhere
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidsbeenhere
