Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa R Ramos.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hello! I’m actually not based anywhere — I was born in Miami, I grew up in Palm Beach, moved to LA, and have been nomadic for the last 2.5 years with plans to have a home base in LA soon.
Anywho! I’ll give a brief overview of how I ended up here, as a full-time travel blogger/Influencer, getting paid to travel the world!
I moved from Florida to Los Angeles about eight years ago, where I learned about the world of freelance writing and working. I earned a small living from random freelance work and lived a semi-glamorous life in Hollywood. Eventually, I realized I could start my own blog and make money the way my clients were, and thus my website “My Life’s a Movie’ was born.
Initially, it was about Hollywood; red carpet events, hotspots, celebrity sightings and so on. But at 26 years old, I suddenly wanted more; I wanted to see the World. I set off by myself to three countries and quickly fell in love with solo travel. At the time, it wasn’t popular, especially not on social media, so that was my foot in the door!
After that first trip, I started working relentlessly on my blog posts, which I’d promote on social media and through guest writing on platforms like Huffington Post. During a solo trip to Iceland, I was faced with harassment from both male and female tourists who judged me for being alone, and was motivated to write a controversial article called “Yes, I’m Pretty and I’m Traveling Alone” on Huffington Post regarding the negative stereotypes and stigmas we get as solo female travelers.
The article went viral and overnight I had about 30k followers on Instagram and my blog had crashed because it had so much traffic. From then on, I hit the ground running. I kept writing click-worthy posts, taking as many photos as possible, pumping out as much informative content as I could, and traveling every chance I got. I’d spend endless hours pitching hotels, tours, and products to collaborate on posts, and little by little, I was able to start making money from it… two years later.
Fast forward to over five years later and I’ve not only traveled to over 90 countries, all 7 continents, 7 Wonders of Nature, 7 World Wonders, climbed Kilimanjaro, dove the Great Barrier Reef, etc. etc., but I’m making a full-time six-figure income from my brand (which includes my blog, Instagram, other social media, plus being a public figure).
It’s a dream come true, and one I never for a millisecond ever gave up on or lessened up on my workload. I work all day, every day, and am constantly expanding and thinking of new ideas to incorporate. This year, I plan to start a web series with all of the video content I have from 90 countries, write two books, and create a helpful travel app! Not to mention, make it to my new bucket list which includes some of the most remote, exotic islands in the World!
I also plan on using my brand more to raise awareness and solutions for bullied, underprivileged, low self-confidence, and people with anxiety. I’ll also continue to promote sustainable travel, and moral travel practices, including the proper way to volunteer abroad, and how to give back when you travel without making the locals look and feel like zoo animals.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been the bumpiest road I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve been on a lot of dirt roads! Starting with the tiny fact that I had hardly any money, and had to work full-time freelance jobs to pay rent and afford to travel, to even one time having to go camping so I could rent my apartment out to pay rent! I even got to a point where I had to choose between having an apartment and being able to travel for a month to gain content for my blog and Instagram! I chose to travel and didn’t come back for 2.5 years.
Speaking of which, living out of a suitcase for 2.5 years was a huge struggle and exhausting, but I never complained, and always kept going. My dating life also suffered drastically, but I was determined to make my career success and see the world first.
Attaining an audience and successful blog and Instagram is, of course, the hardest and most frustrating part, and a lot of people are easy to give up on it when it doesn’t happen right away. So, my biggest advice is to be patient and as hardworking as possible. It took me almost five years to get to where I’m at, and I still work just as hard every day as I did when I started!
Never forget that “Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do.”
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a professional full-time travel blogger and social media influencer, best known for my intense, non-stop solo travels around the World! I’m also well-known for creating a strong, successful brand, taking my own photos, and being one of the most authentic, real, travel influencers.
I’m most proud of the fact that my audience sends me messages daily saying I’ve inspired them to go travel, and seeing them go to the exact destinations I went to using my travel tips and posts! I’m of course personally proud of how much I’ve traveled, and how I stopped at nothing to turn my career into a brand.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m very business-minded, and I see my job as much much more than just getting to travel and take nice photos. I try my hardest to deliver all of the information people need to travel, and for brands I work with, I create the highest quality content, promote it as much as possible, and deliver insight reports to the campaign.
I’ve also been told by my audience that I’m one of the few travel blogger/influencers that actually take the time to experience the areas I’m in rather than just post pretty photos at a hotel. I’m also one of the few who opts for extreme adventures… while still wearing a dress!
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Find someone you’re naturally inspired by and reach out to them! Mine was Patricia Schultz of 1000 Places to See Before You Die, and she gave me so many great tips and motivation. For networking, I’d definitely recommend joining related Facebook groups and forums, and attending industry-related events!
Pricing:
- Pricing for my Instagram and Blog posts can be attained by requesting a Media Kit to Alyssa@mylifesamovie.com
- I also do Group Trips! Currently, I have a Philippines trip available for $2200, an India trip for $2200, and a Bali Blogger Bootcamp for $4000!
Contact Info:
- Website: MyLifesAMovie.com
- Phone: 5614274890
- Email: alyssa@mylifesamovie.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mylifesatravelmovie
- Facebook: facebook.com/mylifesamovie
- Twitter: twitter.com/alyssaramos
Image Credit:
Alyssa Ramos
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
