Moving Beyond Social Media Buzz: How Authentic Content & Long-Term Influencer Partnerships Can Drive Hotel ROI

Hello, and welcome to the socially awkward podcast, the hospitality marketing podcast hosted by myself, Calvin Talocchi. And today I am honored to bring on the great influencer, Portia Smith. Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here. Absolutely. As I just told you backstage, you know, when I wanted to have this conversation about influencer marketing and bringing in the other side of the story, you were the first person that that came to mind. You know, quick note for for the audience, who doesn't know who who we are. You know, you might not even know me at this point, but that's fine. I run a a marketing agency where we work with hotels on the social media, standpoint, and we part of that is vetting and use utilizing influencers. And, Portia and I have worked together at a couple of my hotels already. So, yeah, like I said, you were the first person I thought of. This would be so great to have this conversation from the influencer standpoint. But give us a little bit about your background, your brand, who you are, and how you got started doing this. Yeah, so I started a lifestyle blog as many did in twenty fifteen. I was navigating motherhood, raising two young girls. They were two and four at the time. And I just was looking for an opportunity, a space to rediscover my sense of self, reconnect with others, and just find joy in new experiences. I was looking for a creative outlet, a hobby. We made the decision as a family for me to stay home with my girls after the birth of my second child. I was kind of feeling like I was lost in motherhood. And I was feeling like I was surrounding around a lot of women that were feeling the same way. So I followed a lot of blogs. I was actually really into the couponing craze. I was thinking my philosophy was, if I can't contribute to our income, I can at least save. I can save us money. Yeah. With that, it actually was really brilliant because it allowed me to follow all of these incredible bloggers, many of them local here in the Seattle area. I'm like, wait, I think I could do something like this. Initially, I started a lifestyle blog that was so general. It was focused on family, fitness, health, literally anything that I was excited about. It was actually called Obsessed by Portia, and I just talked about what I was obsessed about. Wow. Which of course is the opposite advice of what you would give somebody now starting a content creation business. But at the time, I I kinda saw it as like a personal diary, but now looking back, it truly was my own personal manifesto. And it was something that was, I was building to be greater than me. And I knew it at the time, but I didn't know what it would be. And I actually started my I've always been a sense I've had a sense of adventure. And even though I was kinda I felt limited at that season, like, I grew up traveling. I mean, had been to over twenty countries by the age of twenty two. But once I got married and settled down, it just didn't feel, especially when I stayed home with our girls, it didn't really feel that sustainable. So in my mind, I was like, Okay, how can I create these mini adventures? I would take the girls and do things like that, but I was like, I need something for myself. So I started this challenge where I would go, because I was very into health and fitness and trying to find myself again after having children, and I would go, and that was my first series on my blog, where I would try a new workout studio. I was doing aerial yoga, kickboxing, trampoline workouts. Anything I could do, I would do one class a week, and then I would share that experience on my blog, and would encourage other people to do the same. And all of a sudden, was meeting people from so many different spaces beyond the wellness space, and I realized there's actually a community of bloggers in the Seattle area. I joined Facebook groups. Anyways, it kind of snowballed into me meeting kind of the right people because I just kept putting myself out there. And the moment, the opportunity that really changed my brand to kind of shorten the story a bit, I had connected Along the way, I realized, you know, you could join all these blogging platforms and do brand collaborations. And I was meeting different PR agents at an I was meeting them and having all these connections. Then all of a sudden, a local representative for a PR agency for Lexis reached out to me and she said, Hey, do you have any plans for spring break? And I'm like, no. But at first, I'm like, okay. Why is she asking? She said, we'd be willing to loan you a car, which is very common now. But at the time, she's like, we'd be willing to loan you Alexis for a week if you wanna share a spring break story. And I'm like- That's awesome. Yes. And then it just blew my mind. Then I'm like, I need to plan a spring break story. Also, they weren't going to cover my hotel. I needed to figure it out. Is where it all changed. This is where the things that I did then, I still do to this day. It's actually how we connected, you and I. I'm like, Okay, well, what's close by? What is really cool and unique? And Whistler is within driving distance, Whistler Canada. It was spring, and it's such a great time to visit, but it's shoulder season, which is something later on I was like, Okay, this is actually very lucrative, a shoulder I was like, Okay, well, I'm already working with Lexus, so I'm gonna brand stack. So if I already have the credibility that I'm working with a high end brand, who's to say another hotel brand wouldn't wanna work with me? I literally pitched by Facebook message, DM, email, literally anything. I emailed almost every single hotel in Whistler. And I'm like, I just need one. And I got one. That's it. Yeah. And then I was like, wait. Okay. So I'm working with a Hilton and I'm working with Lexus. I can pitch restaurants and experiences. And we had a full week, full paid vacation. Of course, I took photos with my phone at the time and I was sharing on a blog that didn't have high page views or anything of that sort. Social media was really just starting. Then I just realized, I was like, wait. So this whole time I kept thinking, I'm going to these events and I'm taking away from my family and I'm not able to provide, but I'm like, wait, I can actually provide experiences for my family and come to find out, like, are the most valuable experiences, at least in my eye. Like, I have had things that that have the partnerships I've been able to to develop and just the collaborations are what money could never buy. It's just so priceless and the experience. I mean, then I realized, okay, I have something here. And fast forward, I was, you know, just, like, on this momentum of, like, kinda chasing that idea of, like, how can I keep creating these experiences in exchange for content? Over the time, I ended up working with photographers, learning my own. I got my own camera, editing, all of the sort. And then a big piece, again, the next big pivotal part of my brand was I put it out there. Was like, I really wanna go to Italy. I just said that, and all of a sudden, a local tour agency reached out to me and said, Hey, we're a tour agency that specializes in trips to Italy. Would you be willing to host a group of gals to Italy? And I'm like, I guess. I was like, I don't know if anyone would go. I did a Facebook Live. It sold out overnight. I'm like Wow. Wait, hold on. There's something here. And then I'm like, I'm gonna do another. And I did that. It just And since then, I have taken women to Tuscany, Bali, Costa Rica Mhmm. Mexico. I have another trip in a couple weeks. And I've just created this community of women that are craving something like what I was craving, and I've been able to develop So along the way, I have narrowed in on girls trips and girlfriend getaways. I'm trying to kind of go back, because I have teen girls now, and I want to incorporate them more into my travels. And Mhmm. I think at the time it was a good it was I wanna do it. I wanna do family trips, girls trips, couples getaways, and solo trips because I actually think they're all very, very, very important for my demographic. So I'm trying to figure out how to loop that in. So I have come a long way from obsessed by Portia. I've got a getaway guide, which I love, and I know that you that's how I started working with you. But now I'm just like, travel with Portia because I'm like, yeah. It's short, simple. People can find me, and I want my name in it because I get so many messages. Hi, girlfriend. I'm like, that's not my name. So long story short, short story I don't know. But that's kind of how I am where I'm at today. So and I'm a content creator, so I focus on specifically on Instagram, but I dabble on TikTok and working on adventures and potentially podcasting myself. So we'll see. That that's awesome. That is that. That's the best introduction we've had on this show. I can tell you that. No, you said so much. I mean, I think there's there's so much in your story. It's it's exciting to see how you've rebranded yourself so many times, you know, I can tell you from personal experience takes a lot of guts. You know, because when you you've kind of built up a brand and you're known as one thing and you're doing it to to change it is is not easy. It takes a lot of guts to just admit, okay, this one's running its course, and it's time to do something else, you know, so I commend you for that. So cool. Thank you. So cool to see you do it. So you've mentioned, you know, how you went from lifestyle content and how, you know, hotels became part of that. Hotels is part of lifestyle and travel and the whole experience. What are some of the most memorable hotel collaborations that you've had? Well, I mean, the opportunity I worked with you on West House Hotel in New York, that was one of bucket list experiences, completely unforgettable. Nice. It was a beautiful experience. And honestly, besides, obviously, the property's beautiful in a dream city, and I was able to bring my sisters with me, and it just was a really amazing story. But having an opportunity to work with somebody, and I think that is something that I Boutique hotels and hotels where you're working directly with a hotel or with an independent marketer through the hotel is literally the key to the most successful collaborations because it feels so organic and genuine. Because I have worked with hotels. I haven't had a I'm fortunate to say I've not had a bad hotel partnership thus far. However, sometimes when you're working with a large agency where the person I'm speaking with has never even set foot on the property, or just like They're literally just looking at numbers and they're not even taking account the actual individuals that are involved, or I'll show up to a property and they have no idea who I am. Like, they're like you know? It's and I think that having experiences like the one that you provided for us at West House, it it was opportunity for me to, like it just from the minute it makes me want to create better content and more content and more meaningful content because of the relationship that I either have with the property or with the person coordinating it. So that was a really special, special experience. Another experience that I think has been it was pretty cool that I didn't even fathom is I worked with an eco lodge resort in Costa Rica last year. They reached out asking if I wanted to potentially host a group trip. I was like, Sure. I need to see it first. They hosted my family, our accommodations, all of our meals, and our transportation for ten days. That's a big partnership. Is. That really is. And but it gave me, like, a real feel for the place. And then I brought a group trip, I was like, this is beautiful partnership. I provided them assets as well, photos, video. And then I have just been sharing more content from that trip that I didn't share at the time, just kind of trickling down, and they reached out again and they said, Hey, would you like to come back? Like, Sure. And so I'm actually returning with my family later this year. And I think that is gonna be the trend moving forward, are these long term partnerships or ambassadors. Because I think if someone sees you going to one place, you're like, Oh yeah, yeah, it's a sponsored thing. But if she comes back, she liked it so much, she chose to go back. Again, even if it's a partnership, there's a lot of places that we all could go. And time is of the essence and it's so fragile and priceless. If I'm going back, obviously I liked it. And obviously if I liked it enough to bring my family, my daughters, you know, I I think that's something. So I think that's a those are cool experiences that were wildly different, but also, like, it just shows you kind of, like, I think nurturing the relationships between partners was, like, the most impactful experiences I've had. And I think that's gonna be the trend moving forward in the industry. Right. Right. Yeah. And you you really ended on a great point there, which I think has become such a has made influencer marketing such a taboo thing in the industry, you know, that that authentic experience. So when people see that paid sponsorship or collaboration on on Instagram, I think they immediately feel like, well, okay, she got paid for this. Right? Did she really enjoy it and whatever? And me being someone who sat in those hotel, you know, offices and, you know, I remember the last hotel I worked at as soon as I started, my director of marketing said, Oh, we're not doing influencers anymore. We don't get anything from it, you know, so there's a huge, uphill battle, I think right now with with influencer marketing in hotels, because people don't see the ROI. And, you know, I think you you started to touch on it there, but, you know, tell us a bit more about how you make sure that the hotel gets their their return on investment, giving you that complimentary room or bringing you out. Yeah. I think that setting expectations of both ends is really, really important. And also realizing that, like, we all have something to offer, but, like, making sure that those needs are are like, what the hotel needs may be less or more than what I'm able to provide. So, like, setting those expectations and realizing that, like, that, okay, maybe a re a couple reels, you're like, okay. Can do that. But then they're also looking for photos, or maybe they weren't looking for photos, but that's something that I could provide. I can over deliver. You know, if they're asking for ten photos, I can provide thirty photos, something of that sort and just Which you did at Wes House, so I'll give you a shout out. Thank you. But I think, yeah, nurturing those relationships and realizing that it isn't a one and done, that's not how I wanna treat anything. I wanna have long going partnerships and relationships. You and I have had the opportunity to work together. And even on spaces where we haven't worked together, you referred me and vice versa. I think that is something that is so incredibly valuable. But, I think just, yeah, having that clear communication and making sure that, it's also fair market value. Like, we wanna make sure that, like, the that I know that sometimes people, there's a trend right now. They're like, oh, you just have to share, like, couple photos or videos. Oh, that's not that hard. Well, right, but also to get to where we are and the experience, the equipment, the time, the energy editing, that does take time. So just making sure that you're working with people that respect your time and energy, and that is so clear right off the bat. And the hard part is when there's hotels or properties that are against influencer marketing, you can feel that. Can feel that if it's forced, and you don't want that. So I think that And I think the ROI is like they're looking at, Okay, how many clicks does this And it's wild because now, especially with travel, you're planting a seed and you gotta keep watering that seed. Right. People don't tension span is so short nowadays. They say before what it was like, you'd have seven touch points now. And now it's like, I mean, probably know, it's astronomical how many times somebody has to see something for them to actually act. It's ridiculous. I mean, even even little things that, like, if you pay attention to movies now or you go back and watch an old movie like, one of my favorite movies is that the usual suspects, which is made in like ninety eight or something, right? The intro is like seven minutes long. You know, it's music. It's all the credits and everything. And I'm like, I rewatch it a couple of months ago and I'm cracking up because it's like you could go to the bathroom, grab your popcorn, make you can make your popcorn as the movie starts. It's like how things have changed because, you know, however, like thirty years ago, however many years ago that is, the attention span was just, you know, people were into it. Let's sit, let's watch the credits. We want to see who produced it and who's acting. Okay, now let's bring out the movie. And now you've turned on Netflix like, Skip intro. I haven't seen the intro of any show probably ever since Netflix came out with that feature. It's like, Oh, then let's get to the show, you know? Yeah, it's it's it's crazy. But you know, ROI in marketing in general is such it's a challenge to always, quantify for people, right? Especially if the mindset is, hey, we gave this person this free room, so we should be seeing X amount of, you know, bookings or clicks or whatever it is, but it's sometimes it's about exposure. Yeah. Right? And, you know, the analogy I always use with people is the Super Bowl. Right? We all know it's famous for how many billions people spend for a thirty second ad. They don't know if you're if you're buying something because you saw that particular ad. What they do know was that billions of people were watching it, and you put your brand in front of them. Yeah. And the next time they're thinking of your hotel, you know, they're thirsty. Oh, maybe they think of Pepsi. The next time they're thinking of traveling, hey. I saw that hotel on on Porsche's page. You know? Yeah. I've heard about Costa Rica. Maybe we should go back and check out that post. You know? What I love, you know, getting a little bit more in the nitty gritty of the actual content is, you know, when you bookmark this post for your next trip to Yeah. Costa Rica or Italy or whatever it is, such a smart thing to do because, I've I've run into that as well where, like, oh, we're making a trip. You know, last year, I remember seeing this post from someone, but I can't find it. You know? And then you go on that page and you've made a billion posts since then. It's impossible to find. Yep. But one thing I I did wanna ask because, you know, as a fellow content creator, I dabble more in the in the meme space, but being somebody that's worked in hotels, I I have started documenting my travels over the years and doing hotel reviews. And sometimes I find that it's challenging to truly relax while you're at the destination as opposed to constantly thinking about content. You know, how do you balance that for yourself? Yeah. So I batch content. I when I film, I don't like to have anybody in the frame that is, like, patrons of the property more So I always make sure I'm either I try to like a day I check-in, I will get as much content as I can of the room. I want it fresh, clean, exactly as the hotel left it. Right. Prepared it for me. Because I just I know that there's a trend of people want relatable content, non aesthetic content. But with travel, people want aspirational content. They want a dream. They want it to be a mood board. They don't wanna see a messy room, and that's not gonna make them want to stay there. They wanna, I do the dream, this is what the room looks like beautifully, and then same with the property. And I usually do a lot of that in the morning or the evening, good lighting, daytime. If we check-in at night, I make sure the next morning that they clean it, then I will immediately go in and do the video. And I just do as much photo photo and video as possible so that I can also enjoy the trip because especially if there it's a trade experience, like, I'm still need to enjoy the experience and share an authentic story. Like, I still want to experience the place. So Mhmm. And then I always communicate that with the staff, letting them know if I'm gonna be shooting content in the general spaces that I will not get anybody in any any faces in it because Mhmm. I mean, I just I wouldn't want someone taking photos and videos of me without my permission. So and yeah. So I think just being really efficient in that way of just making sure that and also I experiences, I'm not there just to say that I was there. Like, I'm truly there to experience it, and I want to if someone reaches out and they're like, hey. I'm going to New York soon. What do you recommend? I wanna be able to, like, actually tell them, not that I just sat in the room or just sat on my phone all day. And that's also a thing is I actually am I'm very good about I always post after my trips. One, because, for safety reasons, especially if I'm traveling with my girls or without my girls. I don't want people to know that I'm not home. And also, I just it just I don't necessarily need to have the entire Internet know where I am at all times. Okay. So I delay that. And also, I'm just somebody that is I do not I I use social media. I for work. I am a creator, not a consumer, and that Mhmm. I try to put really strong boundaries I get around that so that when I'm out, I will create the content and I put my phone away. Because I actually want to see it, not just behind the lens. Right. Right. Alright. That's great. Issue, Marty. May you remember when people used to check-in on Facebook? Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. I'm the movies. Mhmm. And, I actually do think that that was, the reason people went away from that was because people would oh, you're not home? Okay. Let's go break in now. Yeah. Especially if you're traveling, you're like, oh, I'm traveling here. It's like, that means no one's at your house, and you're sharing that. Exactly. Oh, just checking for my four night stay. Robbers are like, Okay, cool. Four nights. Perfect. Yeah. You just never Honestly, you never know who's following you or who's watching your Just being Having really strict, clear boundaries around your content and recognizing that, yeah, your friends see it, but there's people that you don't know that are watching and being cognizant of that. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Mean, the internet is a wild place. Yeah. You know, at the best of times and literally everyone has it. So you never know who's out there. So that's that's a great point, a great tip for, you know, aspiring creators, and I think just Anybody. Female female travelers. Yeah. Especially, you know. So sticking on the, you know, the audience and engaging your audience, what types of questions do you get from your followers when you're you're staying at a hotel? Either obviously, you're not posting while you're there, but do you get, you know, consistent questions from them that things that they wanna know when they're looking to book their trips? Yeah. So often it's I they like itineraries. I'd like to know what I did and was the hotel wise, was it was it clean? Was it safe? Did it have air conditioning, like amenities? Spa. Like girls, especially if they're traveling, that's a huge priority. And same with shopping. Is there shopping nearby? But I think safety is definitely number one. Is it a safe area? And does it have a spa? I think that for me, I am actually really, really easygoing and I will be a budget traveler any day. So sometimes I forget that sometimes when people are traveling, this is their, their this is the trip they're taking that year, and they're like, they wanna go all out. So I think highlighting those experiences, so if it is that special trip that that that property does offer it or has access to it or, you know, can provide them. Because my my community is definitely more vacation focused versus like, I'm not I don't have necessarily the solo female budget or adventure traveler. They're like, they're coming for a girls trip or a family trip, and they're willing to invest for a really beautiful experience. So I mean, can try to highlight that? Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. That's awesome. And actually, just my wild curiosity, this just popped into my head. What is as far as your insights, how much of your your audience is is female to male? What's your demographic look like? Yeah. It's I would say, obviously, it fluctuates, but, like, eighty five percent women. Wow. Which is And the range is so exactly how I want it, where it's twenty five to sixty five, because those are the ages of the gals that come on my trips. I have girls in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s coming on my upcoming trip. So it is a wide demographic as in regards to age, but that's what I want. I'm not just geared towards moms, I'm also geared to women in the different stages there, and empty nesters, and girls that There's a lot of girls that are choosing not to have children, but they're not on that solo travel girl journey. I'm a great person for them to help introduce them to travel. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. We're gonna come back to that, at at the end, a little bit something you just touched on, but time to put you in the hot seat a little bit. You know? You've you've had it nice and cushy so far. So, you know, I don't wanna I don't want you to think this is gonna be one of those puffy podcasts. Let's do it. So what are what are some common mistakes that you've seen from hotels when working with content creators like yourself? The number one mistake is not knowing that we are coming. Like, we just show up and That's a bad one. Yeah. Don't have a reservation or it is not there you know, it's not showing that it's a hosted or it's not showing a partnership whatsoever. Right. So that's unfortunate. And I think that is probably the largest thing that has been a concern. And that also happens the same with, like, experiences or reservation or dinner. Like, I'll be going we're working with a PR agent to talk about a new restaurant opens. I show up to the restaurant, and they have no information. And I think that makes it's embarrassing for me, but also, like, that's not a great representation. I always give people the benefit of the doubt. You never know. Maybe someone else is working. They passed along something of the sort. Someone called in sick or something. But I was given an opportunity to make it right. I have never if I've had an experience that has not been pleasant, it's always been corrected, and I've never Mhmm. Blasted them on social media because I don't think that's appropriate because it also looks bad on me. Yeah. It just isn't something that I would do. So I think that is the number one thing. And And just the beautiful things people have done is the personalization. I have had wild custom I've had people make custom cookies with my logo, or I had a cake with my logo on it. I had personal things for my girls. Oh, often they'll have stuff for the girls, or they'll have Anytime there's a little teeny tiny touch that There was When we went in Marco Island, our hangers had our names on it. I'm like Oh, that's cute. What? It's wild. So it's just little details like that knowing that it makes me want to create better content even just because you feel indebted. You're like, Oh my gosh, they actually are excited I'm here. Sometimes you are just like one of however many influencers come through that month or whatever. And so it feeling special. And then, you know, I think it's just the mutual respect, but yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's awesome. I love that. Those are great little touches. And of course, me being the silly person I am, my mind went to Remember in the movie Mommy Dearest? Yeah. She was like screaming at the wire hangers? Yes. But clearly your experience was was much better than that, which which we are appreciative of. Yeah. So you you obviously have a very strong brand. You know, those of you who are watching on video, you see all the pink, we've got the pink shirt, we've got pink nails, pink eyeshadow. And once you go on her feed, you will see that that that theme continues. Yeah. So you clearly have a very strong brand, which is, you know, what attracts you to some of, you know, these hotels and the partnerships. How important is it when you're working with a hotel to allow you to be yourself, give you that creative freedom versus the deliverables that they're looking for? How do you strike that balance? Yeah. So I think when I first started creating content, it was I felt like I said yes to everything, I was able to I wanted to just bend over backwards to make sure that I delivered exactly how they wanted. But I think the industry has evolved so much that there is so much more creative freedom and I really have not had much pushback and I have been able to express myself. And I also am somebody that I am pretty conservative with what I share and that I stick to my industry and that's what I share. So I've not had an experience where I feel like I veered off course and don't curse on my platform or anything of that nature. It's nothing that is gonna conflict with a brand. Right. So I know that those are some, you know, the things that sometimes it's part of people's brands, which is great, but for me, it's not. And so I usually stick within the lines, but also I'm very clear that, like, it's very obvious that, like, I'm gonna wear pink in all of my photos. So, like, if you don't want pink on your feet, I may not be your best fit. Right. Right. Right. But I think it's fun because it's a pop of color. And especially in the northwest where everybody wears black or Patagonia or something that nerd I I stand out in a good way. Like an introvert would think that they'd be like, no. I I this is not but for me, it's it's great because I feel like I'm memorable. That is something that with my brand, I realized that when I was going to all these events and meeting people that I was doing the brand recognition. I was the brand recognition. Then once I started wearing more pink and realizing like, oh, people are noticing, and I wear a lot of hats too. And now, people send me things all the time that are like, oh, I thought of you because they saw something pink or a hotel that you know, it's it's just been a great way to brand myself, but do it organically. Hotels have been it's actually been feel like it sets me apart because my content is just it's lighthearted, it's fun, it's girly, feminine, but also I mean, it's like I wear pink and I'm wearing dresses, but I can also get myself all the way across the world with one suitcase all by myself. Like, it's it's like it's a a play on power. You know? Mhmm. Mhmm. So No. That's so awesome. Yeah. No. I mean, your your your feed is awesome. You know? Honestly, I think at this point, whenever I see pink, you're probably the first person that comes to mind. Perfect. So it's definitely working. It's definitely working. You know, we touched a little bit on ROI earlier in the conversation. And that's the biggest thing with this. You know, as I mentioned before, I've given talks, you know, about influencer marketing and ROI and you know, what we can do as hotels to better better set expectations, number one. And I think you touched on it, making sure that deliverables were clear. But how would you personally define your value to partners when you're doing a collaboration? So as the internet has evolved with video, and video is so important, I still am a strong believer in high resolution photography. Think really beautiful, high quality assets are still relevant, and as is aesthetic content. Yes, there is a place for both. You can be raw and real and relatable. But again, travel is very I I just feel like if I'm posting on social media, I tell people, you should be educating, inspiring, or entertaining. And for me, I wanna inspire people. I want know them I want them to romanticize a bit. And so for me, I of course do video because it's the nature of the game and I enjoy it. But I feel like that is something that I think sets me apart is that I'm still doing photos, and I still deliver photo deliverables because that's I noticed that when I'm working with partners, photos aren't always on their deliverable request. It's wild to me because I just think that it's it's a it's a missed opportunity. So I still always provide it because I'm gonna do And for me, like, I use cover photos and it's just I want to I consider my when someone comes to my Instagram page, like, that's my portfolio. Like, I need them to know who I am, like, right away and get my my my energy. I think it just is conveyed immediately and that that helps through photos. So that's something I think that I still provide that's a bit unique. And, yeah, I think also the fact that I'm forty three and I'm married. I have two daughters that are twelve and fourteen. And I have I'm able to still travel with them and without And I think that some people think that they get this guilt and they feel that they're taken away from their family, but in all reality, they come back so they come back rejuvenated. They come back a better mom, a better wife. And I think that there is a story to be told there that I don't think a lot of people are talking about. There are you have these, like, you know, like family travelers, like bucket list family. And then you have the solo female travelers. But what about like the woman that's kind of like in between that still wants to create, that still craves these experiences, but she's not sure where to start? And I want to, I wanna be an opportunity to release that guilt and be a permission slip for women that are in the same season as me that you can take this trip for yourself. Your family's gonna be okay. And in all reality, all it's gonna do is trickle down to them and then you're likely gonna book another trip with them. And that's what I always tell when I tell our partners when I work with them hotels, I'm like, I'm gonna do a girls trip with you or I'll do a family trip with you, but I'm able to speak to both of those audiences, both of those trips. And that's why that lodge that in Costa Rica works so well is that I was able to tell of the exact same accommodation, a girls trip and a family trip, wildly different experiences, but I was able to tell both of those stories. Mhmm. So Yeah. Fantastic. Do you have any examples where your content or a campaign or anything like that led directly to bookings or higher engagement for a hotel? Yeah. I mean, I feel like I actually just had recently I did a a reel for we went and swam night snorkeling with manta rays in Kona, and that reel went wild. And it's funny because I did the reel detailing the whole experience. That did okay. I did a reel literally just saying, like, you're a traveler married to vacationer. So instead of, you know, laying by the pool, you're swimming, you're jumping in the water at night, specific man or whatever. That is like going wild. And so many people are booking that experience and sharing it. And I think that is the that's the the beauty is the shares nowadays. It's so cool because you're stimulating Not only are they sharing it maybe to their partner, but they're sharing it in group chats with their friends, like, We're planning this. It's such a massive wave that happens with the shares. And I think that's that's the ROI that I've seen the most is, like, how impactful it is, like, passing along or if someone shares it to their short story, shares to their entire audience. And but, yeah, I think that's been pretty cool. And then years ago, Norwegian Airlines, it was a thing, it they were doing two hundred dollar direct flights, Seattle to London. And I had an opportunity to part with it partner with them. I literally was at the right place at the right time. And I just I feel like if I can meet somebody in person or over a screen, like, I I can get the job because I feel that, like, if they meet me and know how excited I am about it, well, that's what happened with Norwegian. So anyways, we I shared that experience, and so many people booked that route. So that was really cool. I didn't have a unique link when I a link, but I knew that I had so many messages from people chat sharing that. So that was really, really, really cool. So yeah. You know, it's yeah. That's funny. I I remember that Manta Ray video. I think I actually reached out to you about it. Yeah. Because I, I've been to Kona the last couple of years, typically go for my birthday in October. And I didn't even know about it. Yeah. You know, I'd two years in a row I've been on that island and didn't hear a word. Then I saw your story. I was like, wait a second. Yep, I might do that. You know? Yes, you will do Yeah. Yeah. That was pretty cool. But yeah, that's, you know, I think that's that's a great example of, you know, that impactful content that I remember when you posted this. Don't know how long ago it was, but I remember the post. I can still see it. Yeah. You know, and now that's something that I'll be looking to do the next time I go there. Yeah. That'll be on my mind. So For sure. That's kind of, you know, to you hotel marketers listening, that's how the ROI works. It may not be right away. You know, I didn't go book a trip immediately, but the next time I'm there, that's something I'm thinking about. Right. When you partner with the right person who makes the right content, that's that's the lasting impact that it'll it will have. Yeah. So as things go forward now, you know, we've talked a lot about what what the industry has done in the past. How do you see this evolving? And what advice would you give to a smaller boutique hotel that wants to get involved with influencer marketing but doesn't really know where to start? Yeah. I think I think working with a creator who obviously working with a marketer like yourself will save them so much time and energy because you already understand both sides and the relationship that you need to have on each end to make it very successful. But I think nurturing relationships with creators and realizing that just because somebody has a million followers doesn't mean they have an impactful audience, that I think obviously micro creators are very, very, very valuable and people are way more willing to take advice from micro creator often than like a mega creator because it feels, like, much more authentic. And also trusting that if a creator reaches out to you and wants to work together, I think having an honest conversation, having a face to face and understanding, like, you know, letting them know what what are what are you what gaps are you missing in in your brand? Like, you needing assets? Are you needing, you know, user generated content? Are you needing photos, videos? Like, is there something that you wanna highlight? Is this something they could provide for you? And I think just finding out, like, what if there's no harm in asking, I think you don't get what you don't ask for, and no harm in having that communication line open and being, like, super frank, like, we don't have the budget or we do. And then talking about what you can do within that, like a negotiation, a conversation versus being black and white, I think is just so valuable. But also, again, working with somebody with you that understands the value in the partnership and also the long term ROI and knowing that these creators And I think for creators also to know that the properties, it's more than just They're actual people on each end and understanding that there is it's not just a it's just not it's not just a numbers game anymore. Of course, we all have budgets and we all have but I think understanding that it goes beyond that and that content, especially depending on what platform they're posting on or if it's Pinterest, like, it it lives for years, forever. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. There's there's nothing worse than you know, I think you've hit on it. It's a partnership. Yeah. You know, and I think if if hotels influencers look at it that way, as we're here to help each other out, you know, I mean, you know, we're in the middle constantly. And, you know, I could tell so many stories about influencers that, you know, we've we had somebody check out after the first night because they assumed that it was complimentary. They asked for a a peak time. We offered them, you know, a discounted rate. It was pretty significant. Yeah. But they just assumed that, oh, this was free. So when they checked in and they were asked for a credit card, they flipped out and checked out a day early. They never gave the deliverables or anything like that. And it's like, do you really think Yeah. We work with you again? No. And you also it's like such an industry where like, it's a small world. Yeah. Be nice, be respectful, and then you will receive that. Yeah. And also just that communication piece is Honestly, it's very And I think that's also what I realized and I'm very grateful for being in my forties is that I noticed that sometimes, that's something that sometimes you learn with age and experience is like, this is a business. Not doing this for funsies. This is a business. If I need to be sustainable, it has to be a business. I need to treat it like I like Yeah. I need to be professional. That's something that I think that also sets me apart. And I feel like that's what set me apart in the beginning is that, like, I will always and always have been very, very professional because that's a nonnegotiable for me. Like, I have built really beautiful relationships with the PR companies that I've worked with and the people, but I understand that, like, it I I would never take anyone for granted or just this this opportunity, this career for granted. Yeah. No. That's that's so awesome and and so refreshing to hear, and that's why you have the success you have. You know? I mean, we've yeah. I can't even I could even count the amount of influencers I've heard from and they're like, Oh, well, I get paid, you know, X amount of dollars and people pay me to do this. And it's like, okay, yeah, great. Like, well, we can't afford to do it right now. Yeah. Do you want the room or not? Yeah. You know what I mean? Or people like currently dealing with one, we we requested a certain amount of photos. They're like, oh, well, no, we're not gonna do that many photos. We're only gonna do this amount because my client normally has an airport, a pickup from the airport and the best room in the hotel and this and that. It's like, okay, cool. Call us when you're serious. Yeah. And I think that's what people forget is that every partner, and people say that every partner I work with, handle independent. That's a unique experience and a unique partnership. And you can't always expect from a large conglomerate of resorts or hotels that they're gonna offer the exact same experience at a boutique hotel. However, I would say the boutique hotel, you're probably gonna have overall the best experience, but you may be like, oh, well, they're not paying them right now. But also, you may not have to do the multiple rounds of drafts and reviews and edits, you might have more freedom. I think that's the thing that people forget. Sometimes with paid content, you lose a lot of freedom. Right. And so I think just understanding that, like, there's a there's a plus and minus, but, I mean, just being kind and honest goes a long way in this industry. Absolutely. And that and you've you've raised a very good point. You know, when you're dealing with brands versus independent boutique hotels, it's very different worlds. If even on our side, you know, in my former life as a revenue manager, they're very different. You can be so much more creative and fluid with your marketing at at a at independent hotel when you deal with a larger brand, you know, like the Hilton's, Marriott's of the world. There's a lot of hoops to jump through to get things done. And just from marketing standpoint, they all have the same pre built packages. So stay for breakfast, romance package. Yeah. You know, it's it's literally all the same, and you can't change the names, or you can't really you're limited as to what you can include. The music, you can't use trending music. Can't use that. Right? Because brands have to be Yep. You know, a certain way. So, yeah, it could it absolutely for a creator. Those are things you wanna look into. And, you know, the whole point about being paid for collaborations, you know, if I've we've had influencers require, oh, five thousand dollars for us to stay with you. And if I'm paying you five grand, you're posting exactly what I want you to post. Mhmm. You know what mean? You're probably not getting much freedom at all. None. You know? No. Yeah. Yeah. And, I mean, that's great if that works for them and in other scenarios, but I think you just have to set the expectations. They need to have their own expectations and not realize that it's not one size fits all. Exactly. Exactly. It's it's a great point. Okay. So we're gonna wrap up here pretty soon. So I got some I got some quick fire K. Questions for you. You ready? Yeah. I know. Know you're ready. You're you're you're sharp. You're sharp. You got a quick wit. I know I know you're ready. The dream hotel or resort that you have not yet stayed at? So I actually don't have a dream property specifically. The dream experience is I wanna go on safari. Oh, Like stat. Okay. I very much wanna go on safari. So I know that there's some beautiful, like JW Marriott has some beautiful experiences, but yeah, I'm open to And I think that's where I like to be open because there's so many properties that I've never even heard of. I think the independent ones where you often don't hear about are some of my favorite experiences. I don't wanna jinx stuff there, but we'll just say safari. Safari, love it. I love it. Your best travel tip for your girlfriends planning a weekend getaway. Yeah. So I love the app Wanderlog. It's an amazing app where you can add all of your itinerary, your flights, your accommodations, your experiences, you can explore, you can share it. It's how I keep track of all of my individual trips that I have either I'm doing or my family or with my friends. It's an amazing, amazing app and it'll give you flight alerts. It's just, yeah, that's super helpful. And then also just having somebody in charge. Having somebody, they talk about the type A, type B travelers, having a type A traveler is really helpful to keep everybody organized. Right. I could imagine. Could And what's always in your carry on? Always an air tag. Always. I also am a carry on only gal. I pack very, very precisely. I pack a lot of outfits, but every single thing I pack I wear. And I only use a carry on suitcase and a backpack. And I will always have an AirTag in them regardless. That's something that I learned the hard way early on. But I pack something that people would be surprised about is that I actually feel like I'm not a packing cube gal. I think those Mhmm. It's an unpopular opinion, but I'm not a I'm not a packing cube gal. I am a carry on gal with air tags. Air tags are nongocial. I don't care what else you have. Have an air tag in it because the likelihood that your luggage is going to get, especially if you check, lost is so incredibly high. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That was my question because my follow-up question was gonna be even in a carry on because, I mean, a carry on's with you. Okay. So here, let me just tell you a story for real quick. One, never know you could get to the gate, and they could they could be like, we're checking it. Like, just have it. That is true. Also, what happened to me a few years ago, we went to Mexico. At the time, my daughter shared a a carry on. That's how tight we pack. They shared a carry on. Yeah. And we just had a black suitcase. I would never again get just a black suitcase. And did not have an air tag in it. And we got on the plane, and the flight attendants are like, oh, our sleeves are in the way back. They're like, put your suitcase up front here. We don't have enough room in the back. Okay. So as we're getting off, our luggage is gone. Oh, boy. Someone grabbed it, probably by accident. Yeah. Of grabbed it and never found it again. So the girls, we ended up in Mexico, had to go to a grocery store to find them a swimsuit and dress it. Like, they'd literally had nothing. Like, they're we did carry on. So that was not a fun experience, and I learned the hard way. So I love to have my suitcases are all pink. Like, bright colored things are very, very helpful for travel. Yeah. Like, you don't wanna blend in at all. Right. Alright. And then last one, what's your most awkward travel moment? I mean, I don't think get embarrassed easy and which is think was good because I I'm, like, have no problem doing photos and videos in the middle of a crowd. So I don't have a lot of embarrassing or awkward things. I will say this part is kind of embarrassing. Our first trip after COVID, we were going to Mexico. I was going doing a group trip, and then my family was coming down ten days later. We hadn't pulled out our passports during COVID. I pulled out the passports and realized that my daughter's passport expired the next day. I was leaving. Oh. Because, I mean, kids' passports are only valid for five years. Right. And we didn't think about it for two or three. So that was a nightmare trying to get that. It ended up and so I had to go and then hoping that my husband and everybody could get her sorted, and they did. But it was very embarrassing as a travel expert to have an expired passport. That's something that I check every single trip. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, that happened to me once as well. We were getting ready to go to Grand Cayman. And a few days before the trip, I checked and it wasn't expiring before the trip, but it would have been expired before we came back. Yeah. So I had to rush down to New York City and go to the office and get it updated like within a day. Was fortunately was able to this is clearly pre COVID because there's no way you could do that now. Yeah. But yeah, it was You also learn from them, right? Like we gotta learn from this stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And now with the with the real ID, now I'm gonna be traveling with my passport until I could get the real ID. For those of you listening as of May seventh, can just show up to the airport with your license if it's not a real ID. Yep, passport. You're not going anywhere. Yep. Except maybe jail. Just kidding. So yeah, we are wrapping up. I could talk to you all day. But you know, we need to need to wrap it up here and you know, give give the audience back back their time. But I do want to I know you have a very your brand and what you do is very close to you. A deeper meaning behind what you do. So I wanna give you a moment to kind of talk about that and what putting these trips together means for you. Yeah, so My brand Travel With Portia now, which is on Instagram, it has been It has evolved into something super special and given me an opportunity to inspire women. I I like to think of it. It's the the the person that I needed ten years ago. Like, am her now, and I want to offer that permission and then inspire women to, like, just jump out of your comfort zone. It doesn't you don't have to fly across the country. You don't need to go to Bali, though I do think you should. You can just, you know, doing an overnight in the city or, you know, doing a weekend getaway, a quick forty eight hour trip in another state, something of that sort, like little adventures and realizing that what you're capable of, I think that is the most wild thing to me is, I always tell girls this, if you can travel without a man, you can literally do anything because you're taking care of your own personal belongings, your safety, your organizing. Those are all key life lessons, and so many women sell themselves short. I hear a lot of women tell me, I could never, or I would never do that without my husband. And I'm like, I love that you have that relationship, but I need you to do this because you're the person that needs to understand what you are capable of. And so my goal is just to inspire women to try these experiences and then also bring it back and share it with their husbands and their daughters and their friends and their family and just spread the word that there's so much world out there to experience. Coming from somebody that lives in a small town, I get it. It's hard. Like, the people in my circle, this isn't a super common or it wasn't. And now everyone around me travels because it's it's it is. It's it's contagious. It really is. Yeah. It's like that magnetic energy that comes from bringing in their stories and those experiences. And it's just, it's so powerful. So just it's priceless. So that is is my goal to share through my content is to inspire women and just show them that I'm doing this and so can you. If I can do it as a forty three year old mom, you can too. Right. So I love it. Fantastic. Fantastic. Well, again, I I you know, we regrettably have to end this podcast at some point. But, yeah, love talking to you. Love working with you, of course. We definitely have some more partnerships to do in the future. But, yeah, just let the audience know where where they can find you and what's next for Travel with Portia. Yeah. So you can just find me on Instagram at Travel with Portia, p o r t I a. And I have a group trip coming up to Sardinia, Italy. I usually host one to two group trips per year. So if it's something that interests you, maybe we'll go on safari next year. Who knows? And and I'm I'm have a podcast myself in the works because, obviously, I have a lot to say. Fantastic. Well, you're a natural, And I know you're gonna crush that as well as you do everything else with your content. Clearly, I'm a big fan. Loved this conversation. I think it's very, very important, very impactful to hear from the other side, the other side of the table when it comes to influencer partnerships and collaboration. So thank you again for joining. Thank you to the audience for listening, and we'll catch you on the next one. All right. Thank you.