{"id":18927,"date":"2016-04-25T16:00:34","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=18927"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:51:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:51:32","slug":"7-things-learned-womens-travel-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/7-things-learned-womens-travel-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"7 things I learned at Women’s Travel Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year for the past three years I have celebrated International Women\u2019s Day by speaking at an internationally attended conference called Women\u2019s Travel Fest<\/a>. The two-day event, which was found by fellow travel blogger Kelly Lewis<\/a>,\u00a0includes talks and\u00a0workshops that inspire and empower women to take on the world of travel. Even as a seasoned traveler, I always learn so much from the intrepid group of women who attend the conference. If you are looking for a bit of female travel inspiration, read on for seven of the most important things I\u00a0learned at Women\u2019s Travel Fest.<\/p>\n

Learn three essential words in a new language<\/strong>
\nAccording to keynote speaker and travel icon\u00a0Samantha Brown<\/a>, you\u2019d be surprised how far you can get with three simple words in any language: hello, please, and thanks. These words break barriers and give you an immediate connection with anyone you meet!<\/p>\n

Solve a problem<\/strong>
\nMany female travelers are also entrepreneurs, whether they are starting their own blog, media company, or, in the case of 2016\u2019s keynote speaker\u00a0Miki Agrawal<\/a>,\u00a0period-proof underwear. Miki started the company THINX because there was a problem in the world and it needed solving. Her advice to anyone thinking about starting a new company is to first ask yourself these two questions: “What sucks in my world?” and “Does it suck for a lot of other people?”<\/p>\n

Companies that solve problems have a better chance of succeeding.<\/p>\n

Invest in your website<\/strong>
\nIn Nikki Vargas\u2019<\/a> \u201cHow to Ditch Your 9 to 5 Job\u201d workshop she said, \u201cYour homepage is like your face. It\u2019s your first impression.\u201d She stressed the importance of a polished and professional looking homepage when trying to break through the clutter of bloggers, and especially when you are looking to attract brands for paid partnerships. According to Nikki, hiring a designer is an extremely worthwhile investment.<\/p>\n

Embrace your feelings, whether good or bad<\/strong>
\nIn Megan McDonough’s<\/a>\u00a0panel, \u201cOvercoming Emotional Obstacles Abroad,” she gave great advice about dealing with the emotional aspect of travel. She said, \u201cIf you are feeling anxious or depressed on the road, try to remember that it’s completely normal and that everyone goes through times of hardship at one point or another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do things regardless of fear<\/strong>
\nMatador Network\u2019s<\/a> Kae Lani Kennedy had some amazing advice about conquering fears. She said that people always think she\u2019s brave and fearless because of the job she does. And to that she always responds, \u201cI am afraid every single day of my life.\u201d Fear is something that everyone experiences, says Kae Lani. Being brave is not about living without fear, it\u2019s about living the life you want regardless of fear.<\/p>\n

Viewfinder Tip: Annie Griffiths emphasized the importance of the “Rule of Thirds” when taking photos. For a professional look, avoid centering your subject in the frame.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Get the shot by getting low<\/strong>
\nGetting the perfect photograph of a stranger is often challenging, especially when you are in a foreign country. Many people feel threatened by having a camera in their face and it takes a certain demeanor to build enough trust to get the photos you see in travel magazines. Annie Griffiths<\/a>, one of the first female photographers to work for National Geographic, said that if she senses a person is apprehensive of her taking their photo, she immediately gets lower than them\u2014physically lower. She kneels or sits on the ground. It\u2019s a simple gesture, but Annie says it always makes people feel more humble and have less threatening presence.<\/p>\n

Try the envelope trick<\/strong>
\nIn Deidre Mathis\u2019 panel, \u201cWanderlust: For the Young, Broke Professional,\u201d<\/a> she recommended to try stashing away $75 in an envelope every time you get paid. Stash it in your dresser drawer and forget about it. Do this for a year, she says, and you\u2019ll have an $1,800 travel fund. It\u2019s an effortless and easy way to save!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best travel advice you\u2019ve ever received?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sharing some female travel inspiration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1786,1780,1787,1781],"tags":[117],"authors":[2226],"class_list":["post-18927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","category-inspiration","category-news","category-travel-tips","tag-all-the-girls","authors-courtney-scott","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 things I learned at Women's Travel Fest | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/7-things-learned-womens-travel-fest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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