Life is hard, busy, confusing, and sometimes heartbreaking. But it has a beautiful way of always working out for the best. With a lot of faith and a bit of hard work, you’ll find yourself in a place you’ve always dreamed of. Of course, the road to get there is often full of unexpected bumps and turns. The journey of becoming the person and professional I am today feels like a whirlwind, and I’m incredibly grateful for how far I’ve come and excited for what comes next.
So, I thought I’d share a bit about my story with you. I’m sharing this to not only help you get to know me and my work a little better, but I hope to inspire and remind those who are working toward a big goal that it most certainly is possible.
It is impossible to sum up my story, or anyone else’s, in just a page, but I’ll do my best to give you the outline.
It all started when…
Do you ever look back and realize how perfectly the dots of your life are connected? You might not see it in the moment, but you can reflect and realize that the synchronicities were unfolding before you. Now, I can see how this happened in my career.
I’ve always been a writer. I grew up writing poetry for fun and was an avid reader of Seventeen Magazine in high school. I’ve kept journals documenting my thoughts and life since I was six years old. It makes sense, as I come from a family of writers.
I’ve also always been a performer, as documented by the many home videos of me demanding attention for the dance I choreographed to a Britney Spears song. In school, I loved doing oral presentations and even spoke at my 6th grade promotion. I most notably grew my confidence, drive, and passion through 15 years of competitive and collegiate cheerleading. This now translates into my love for creating social media content and on-camera hosting.
I went on to graduate with a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon — Go Ducks! I learned a lot throughout my college experience, from feature editing to video production.
I like to think that these younger versions of myself would be proud of where we are now.
An introduction to “adulting”
No one can quite prepare you for the quarter-life crisis that comes with navigating your early 20s. However, I also think this can be the most transformative time of growth and learning. At least, that’s what it was for me.
When I first graduated college, I dreamed of writing for a women’s lifestyle publication. I wanted to cover all things fashion, beauty, wellness, and all that good stuff. I started my career in customer service at a women’s lifestyle brand with the hope of eventually making my way onto the editorial team. And that I did! I spent almost two years working on the brand’s quarterly print magazine, as well as its daily online publication. It was my “dream job,” but the toxic work environment led me to quit without a plan. I was discouraged and unsure of what I wanted next.
I ended up taking a sales job, but then…Covid happened. We don’t need to rehash the events of 2020 that we’re all trying to forget, but this time, alone in quarantine, presented me with a transformative experience and opportunity. I realized that the only person who can stop me from pursuing what I want is me, and I decided to stop giving up on myself. So, I quit my job…again.
F*ck it, I’m gonna freelance
Without a plan for the second time now, I left my sales role to pursue freelance writing. I’m not really sure what gave me the courage to do this, but I’m glad I listened to that itch within myself. I’ll be honest, though, I had NO idea what I was doing. So I started by launching my own blog, By the C., where I shared personal thoughts and reflections on travel, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle topics. I also started posting regularly on social media and embraced the sometimes cringe-worthy attempt at becoming an influencer/content creator (still working on this one, TBH).
When it came to actually getting paid for my work, I took one-off writing projects and began pitching my ideas to a variety of publications. I could barely pay my rent for the first few months and struggled to find my way, but finally, things started to work out. (Watch the video above for a more in-depth explanation of how I got started).
By utilizing my social media and blog, reaching out to experienced writers for advice, and putting myself out there to editors and brands, I was able to get a few freelance travel articles published, as well as a few free travel experiences. Eventually, I was offered a part-time staff writing position at an outlet I loved and admired.
I began traveling regularly and had the privilege of visiting places I had only ever dreamed of—Turks & Caicos, Barbados, Paris, Canada, and across the U.S. It was a true dream come true, and everything I’d been manifesting was coming to fruition. But the realities of travel writing aren’t always as glamorous as they appear on Instagram. As a contractor, I wasn’t making a sufficient income, not to mention the constant jetlag and exhaustion.
And now we’re here
After a year of living out my travel writing dream, I was met with an unexpected opportunity and a difficult decision. I was recruited for a full-time writing position, but it was a shift away from travel and back into the beauty and fashion space. It offered a decent salary and a chance to write for the largest publisher in America, so I decided to take the role.
I’ve now been commerce writing full-time for a bridal magazine while maintaining my travel writing, content creation, and other freelance opportunities on the side. You could say I’m in my “hustle era.”
I’m not sure what’s next for me, and there is still a lot more I hope to achieve. I often have to remind myself that I just have to take one step at a time toward my dreams — and that there is still enough time to do it, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
So, I guess this was a very long-winded way to say that I’m still figuring it all out. Thank you for being here on this journey with me.
Xx,
Chloe
Are you interested in becoming a travel writer or content creator? Check out my new YouTube series, where I share my expert tips on how to travel the world for free.