Mastering Sponsored Travel
Imagine sitting on a stone patio just off your room at a luxury villa in Tuscany, the sun is warm on your face as you snack on, just out of the oven, bread dipped in fresh pressed olive oil.
The breeze caressing your face brings with it hints of grapes maturing on vines somewhere out of sight. In the distance, you see a 15th-century village perched high on a hill, its clock tower ringing in the hour.
A smile crosses your face because you know that just before dawn tomorrow you’ll be in a hot air balloon floating across the landscape watching the sunrise, anticipating the Prosecco breakfast waiting for you in a field when you land.
Are you wiggling yet?!
Now imagine that not only is this all paid for but it’s a mechanism that changes the face of your brand and helps you to get clients because people are inspired by the extraordinary things you’re doing and that YOU have the results they want.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to know that your vacation is setting you up to get more and better clients?
Now, you can go and pay for your vacations yourself, or get stock photos of Fiji and pretend you’re there, or you can ACTUALLY be there.
The old way of doing things does work…you can spend hours every day in the content creation cycle posting stock photos of places that you wish you could go, bashing people over the head with 3 tip PDFs, chasing, cold DMing, following/unfollowing on Instagram, – it all eventually works.
But isn’t it better to get clients by doing what you love? Isn’t having adventures, indulging in delicious food, immersing yourself in cultures, and meeting amazing people a better way to build your audience and get more and better clients?
Of course it is!
Because you’re an adventurer, right?
11 years ago I stepped off a small boat and onto a floating dock that led to a pier and onto a beach an hour from the main land of Indonesia.
I HAD DONE IT
After only 5 months as a digital entrepreneur, I had scored a 4 day, all-inclusive experience on a gorgeous private island where all the villas were over the water.
I stopped to take some photos of the emerald water, endless blue skies, and the three smiling faces at the end of the pier waiting for me with fresh drinks, flowers, and a cold towel to refresh myself.
I was freaking excited! I took a moment to reflect on my “get”.
I’d used what made sense to me to create a connection with my audience and sponsors in a real way. And that was the turning point. That was when I realized how easy it could be to get more and better clients and sponsors.
I continued to use my signature system, build my audience, attract clients and sponsors and it became easy!
54 countries, $540K in sponsorships, paid in full clients every single month!
It works for me and it works for my clients.
About 3 years ago, Bibi contacted me about one of my programs.
“I have a unique idea. It combines all my passions and I want to create a business around it so bad.” her blue eyes twinkled at me across the table and over a sandwich she had yet to touch.
That kind of excitement makes me wiggle with joy! I freaking love it when people want to bust down the walls on the mundane and live their life fulfilled by what makes them happy.
“Come on, tell me! I’m dying to know!” I said to her.
Her unique idea was to travel the world, take photos, create adult coloring books about both and then mix in the sponsored travel element.
OOOOO was I wigglin’ in my seat! What a novel idea!
I explained my program, how I would help her expand her brand, get sponsors AND clients and before I was even finished she said, “I’m in!”.
Culture to Color was born and Bibi ran with it to the moon and back!
She has several books published, some of her award winning and most popular have her on TV, in newspapers, winning awards, and on best seller lists all over the world!
She’s constantly being contacted about sponsored trips because, what business wouldn’t want to be in one of her books?! Talk about amazing marketing?!
I helped Bibi build her brand without being stuck in the content creation cycle and exchanged her social media following for luxury accommodations, delicious cuisine, world-class tours, and personalized experiences! And she’s been flying high ever since!