The girl who started as a four-year-old rewriting her “Mystery of the Golden Heart” story is now an editor for multiple publications, a public relations specialist and consultant. Olivia Liveng began by taking an unusual approach to her journalism career. She majored in journalism, economics and world studies in college. Liveng studied abroad in London, Cameroon and Guatemala helping the economy of smaller, low-income communities. Through these trips she connected both her economic studies and her love for traveling. By doing so, she was able to obtain skills in building business, saving and selling.
Post-graduation, she worked for the travel firm of the Met, which presented the opportunity to attend networking events. She met people from all over the world who worked in places Liveng envisioned herself working. She continued to build up experience by networking, freelancing and building a portfolio.
Liveng’s career then took off as a sustainable travel writer, while she backpacked and took adventurous trips. She started by traveling in the middle of the Amazon. Visiting about 103 different countries on press trips, seeing the northern lights, exploring jungles and flying through George Washington’s nose in North Dakota. This was only the beginning of her lifelong traveling career.
Photo: Olivia Liveng @livialiveng
As a travel writer, public relations specialist and consultant, Liveng has narrowed down what it takes to be successful at creating a career in your passion.
Olivia Liveng’s 10 Tips to Become a Successful Travel Writer
1. Get unique experiences to build your resume.
Some experiences might not have a big name and that’s OK. Make your experiences unique to your situation.
2. Get out of your comfort zone.
Explore and allow yourself to grow in various areas.
3. Separate yourself and find your authentic niche.
Passion, drive and authenticity are what will set you apart from the rest of the crowd.
4. Network with an open mind.
Meeting people and connecting with them gives you a higher chance of opening more doors of opportunities. Learn about others, their mistakes and their experiences and use that to grow.
5. Know so much about what you love that it bleeds out of you.
It should come from your heart. This is how people will know that this is what you truly love to do without having to explain it.
6. Your reputation will always follow you, take good care of it.
Acknowledge what you say, post and publicize to the world.
7. There is no straight line to your purpose and path.
Just live in your passion, every single day.
8. Lift your peers. There is no competition, only support. You are the only one with your voice.
Connect with others, share experiences, exchange conversations and lift others, no one has your voice. You are unique in your way.
9. Take time to document where you are emotionally and spiritually.
Set time aside to breathe and clear your mind. Set boundaries so you can continue to pour your passions into the world without wrecking yourself or burning out.
10. Be kind. Be kind for the sake of kindness – all the time, not just when people are looking.
Kindness will take you places you wouldn’t think you’d get to.
Photo: oxana v on Unsplash
“It’s important to have a job that you show up to every day that you just absolutely love … you just take that and thrive and give it your all.”
Olivia Liveng
With hundreds of travel writing experiences taking her career around the world, Liveng has become a force to be reckoned with.
