Written by: Marie Hernandez, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
They say your life has started the moment you were born.
For me, my life started at 50. I screwed up the first 50 years of my life. Struggling with depression, so many negative thoughts, and the constant darkness at the end of the tunnel consumed me. For the longest time, I didn’t know what I was doing with my life.
The details of how everything happened were a blur. All I remember is, I have always loved traveling. Seeing different parts of the world seems to take away the bitterness in life and instills me with new energy.
When I first started sharing my travels, I didn’t know what to expect. My passion for traveling prompted me to reach out to sponsors. Then, I received my very first sponsored travel when I had less than 1,000 followers on all my social media platforms combined.
A lot has happened since then. I have found my voice through countless nights of working up a marketing plan, trials, and errors.
To date, I have traveled to 54 countries with more than $500,000 worth of sponsorships. From skydiving, spending an hour with Rwandan Gorillas to private dinners on yachts, and hot air balloon trips over vineyards in Tuscany, I have experienced it all.
It has been a very long time since I have reached out to sponsors. They come to me. My achievements in the sponsored travel world validate my effort and dedication.
Now, I absolutely love my life. My life started with my sponsored travel journey. Using my online presence to exchange for travel experiences is the greatest joy in life. It is not only the travel experience itself. There is so much more to it. I have helped my sponsors successfully market their brands with my strategies, met brilliant entrepreneurs, and collaborated with some of the most exciting businesses around the world.
To help others experiencing the struggles I had, I started teaching everything I know about sponsored travel. Since it is a highly specialized and unique niche that no coach has really touched on before, I was convinced I could make a great influence and help digital entrepreneurs.
And I was right. Students in my Mastermind are making their investment back in a short time and landing their dream sponsorships after joining my Mastering Sponsored Travel Mastermind. I’m proud to say that most members of my group have developed such a deep bond that we are long-term friends.
To encourage aspiring digital entrepreneurs, I have a lively and engaging Facebook community, Seriously Travel Tribe, for everyone to join. Members can discuss their business plans and seek advice on it. I also hop in often for a live session to share some invaluable tips in pitching to your sponsors or marketing yourself.
Every day, I wake up to seeing new sign-ups to my Mastermind, reading new offers my students got, and their collaboration to scale up their online businesses.
Sponsored travel has changed my life and the lives of those who believe in me and support me. I have so much knowledge to share so those walking down my old path could fly away from mistakes and reach for the moon. I’m grateful to be in this amazing niche.
Marie Hernandez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Marie Hernandez is a women's empowerment and digital entrepreneur business coach. After a devastating divorce at 50 that left her jobless, 10 thousand miles away from family, with 16 cents in the bank, she knew she needed to rewire her thinking. She has dedicated her life to the service of women who want to become empowered to alter the course of their lives.
The owner and CEO of Marie Hernandez Coaching, LLC., she travels, lives, and works globally and offers women’s empowerment coaching programs that help women 45+ bridge the gap from where they are to a place of love and strength and live any life they choose.
Download her free workbook "Rewrite Your Life Story," which will help guide you to understanding the lies we believe and shift your mindset from limited to "anything is possible."
