Travel blogger Stephen Andrew Stepaniuk
Stephen Andrew Stepaniuk is a passionate travel blogger and professional photographer based in Boston, MA. He mostly blogs and documents stories about entertainment, food and culture. The majority of people who frequent his blog are students and travel industry professionals. Stepaniuk is a go getter who has set his sights on enhancing his profile as an influential travel blogger and budding professional photographer. His efforts have seen several corporate sponsors and media syndicates come aboard. Stephen Andrew Stepaniuk was raised up in Connecticut and attended Northeastern University in the neighboring state of Massachusetts. He majored in English and holds a Degree in the same. He is adept at communication and creative writing.
The interest in linguistics emboldened Stephen Stepaniuk to study French, Polish and German. He is currently learning Esperanto, an auxiliary language spoken by nearly 2 million people around the world. Stepaniuk has visited several countries in Europe, including Germany, France, the UK and Italy. He plans to explore more countries in the coming years. Top of his list are UAE, Japan, China and India. Through his travel adventures, Stephen Stepnaniuk has built a diverse network of friends. Stephen is also a self-professed foodie with a taste for fine food. He regularly shares recipes, hotel and restaurant reviews with his readers and restaurateurs. His interest in food and culture has endeared him closer to many chefs in the Northeast USA and Europe.
How did you get involved in the travel blogging industry?
Traveling is easily one of the most exciting and pleasurable things you can do in this world. It becomes even more exciting if the gig is rewarding. I started writing on a serious note, while in college and took things a notch higher by becoming a professional travel blogger. My love for linguistics also egged the curiosity to travel and learn different languages and cultures. For hindsight, I usually research the places I go through online searches and reading books and blogs.
What accomplishments cap your career achievements?
I regularly receive compliments from corporate sponsors and readers who follow my blog religiously. Perhaps my greatest accomplishment is representing industry peers in forums that bring together bloggers and publishers. My travel writing niche is quite popular with lifestyle, travel and entertainment magazine publishers, most of whom are willing to part with top dollars.
Is travel blogging your biggest passion?
Yes and for palpable reasons. Blog’s generally provide a perfect medium to interact and air thoughts and opinions. In my case, travel blogging gives me the opportunity to create lasting, embrace new cultures and explore new things.
What motivates you?
My motivation is to reach the skies. I have seen some of the blogs run by industry peers featured on popular travel platforms USA Today and BBC Travel. I hope to join those ranks, even as I work hard to be the best at what I do.
How do you stay ahead of the competition?
If you analyze the blogosphere, competition in the blogging arena can be both friendly and unrelenting. To stay ahead of the curve; I made it my duty to know everything about my audience and ensure the content is always right. To consolidate the market, I often use email marketing and social media campaigns.
Which business leaders inspire you the most?
I can quickly mention Richard Branson and Jon Steinberg. Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group. I am inspired by the English business magnate’s ability to juggle the various business interests branded “Virgin”. For Jon Steinberg, his daredevil entrepreneurial skills saw him steer BuzzFeed successfully as COO. I also admire his courage to venture into the new media industry at a very young.
List your favorite tools and resources for your work?
There are a couple of Apps that are quite resourceful in my line of work, where notes taking, writing and proofreading is essential. My favorites are Evernote and ProWritingAid. ProWritingAid is arguably one of the best proofreading and editing tool in the market today. Evernote, on the other hand, is a great tool for jotting notes, whether you are talking voice memos, plain text or pictures.
What piece of advice can you give others looking to enter your sector?
Although anyone can create a travel blog, it will only stand out if readers find your content useful. Once the blog goes live, you must do interesting things or create a compelling product to retain your audience. Money is always an important factor and a motivator. Streams of income can be derived from sponsored links and posts as well as banner advertisements. Money can also be made through products like eBooks, photography and consulting services.
