Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Hansen.
Hi Valerie, 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.
I’ve been an educator for most of my career. In 2014 I decided I wanted to learn new skills and try something new. I decided to start a fashion blog. (August 2014) to inspire women 40+ to dress well and discover their own personal style. In the process, I was able to work with several fashion and lifestyle brands, fashion weeks, and events located in the Seattle area and beyond.
In 2016 I realized my passion was more about travel writing than fashion. I still love fashion and do include destination style guides in some of my articles.
I took some courses about travel writing and how to pitch to hospitality brands and tourism boards. To date, I’ve had the opportunity to partner with 100+ travel/lifestyle brands, tourism boards, and hospitality companies such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Travel Tacoma, Seattle Southside Tourism Authority, Travel Costa Mesa, and many more. Most recently, in June of 2023, I did my first press trip overseas and partnered with The Center of Portugal tourism board.
My goal is to encourage mid-life women to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world and cultures they are unfamiliar with. I visited a foreign country solo for the first time in 2019. If I can do it, anyone can! I get anxiety sometimes when I travel solo, but it’s good to venture into the unknown- it makes you a stronger person in the end!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not…
The techy struggles are real! When you aren’t a tech guru it gets very frustrating to run and maintain a website. I usually have to pay someone for updates etc.
Monetization is also a huge struggle. I still have not been able to successfully monetize my brand; as blogging requires skills to tap into multiple streams of income. It is all-consuming and really requires more than one person to successfully manage a brand. Many of my influencer friends have hired personal assistants to handle tasks for them. Since I have not monetized much, it is impossible to hire out help. It’s a vicious circle… so it seems.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in travel guides & itinaries for the USA, Canada, and Europe.
I am proud of the fact that I have taught myself most of what I know about travel writing and influencer marketing. As I mentioned before, I’ve taken a few courses- but mostly, I have crafted my brand from scratch with zero knowledge about this industry. I also am proud that I have been on several press tours because of the brand I’ve created and the skills I’ve learned.
I think I am authentic, honest and don’t sugarcoat anything. A lot of influencers on social media paint a rosy picture and don’t really tell the total truth about products they review or places they travel to.
I do trip planning/itineraries and can put together the trip of your dreams for less. Contact info is on my website.
What does success mean to you?
This is a hard one to answer, so it will be short
I would say, at the end of the day… did you impact someone’s life and make it better; did you make the world a better place, and did you feel rewarded by what you accomplished.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mapleleopard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapleleopard
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mapleleopard
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mapleleopard
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mapleleopard
