We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Scott McConkey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Scott , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
I worked at the same corporate job for nearly three decades. My wife, Julie, had a career at the same company that bookended an even more important job of raising our children. While we appreciated our company’s opportunities, we became burnt out.
Acadia National Park was a place we had always wanted to see. So, we took a few days off to explore the national park and Bar Harbor. Julie commented how it was the happiest she had ever seen me. After that trip, we put a plan in place to take a year off and travel. We did not want to risk waiting until a traditional retirement age. Half a year later, we made the leap of faith. It was both terrifying and liberating.
Immediately, friends encouraged us to document our adventures. So, Julie made YouTube videos, and I wrote blog posts. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed writing. It had been years since I had written anything.
Instantly, I found joy in sharing our experiences and providing tips for others. Julie is creative, so making videos is a natural fit for her.
In many cases, we show people what not to do. In essence, they learn from our mistakes. But there is joy in that. We are real people that others can relate to and learn from.
Did we know if we could sustain this lifestyle as a career financially? Absolutely not. We had no idea. But we knew we had the courage to try.
Thankfully, we received encouragement and support from fellow writers and videographers we met on our travels and through social media. With their input, we realized that we could make this work.
Scott , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I stumbled into freelance writing. After nearly 30 years in the insurance world, Julie and I left our jobs for what started as a gap year of travel and adventure. I created a blog to document our travels and to provide tips for others. Through making various contacts with other bloggers and journalists, I tried some freelance travel writing as well. Regardless of the outlet, I love exploring new places and writing about the experience.
I write travel guides, tips, reviews, and information. Sometimes, these get published on our website, Miles with McConkey. Other articles may get published on various travel and news sites. I want to inspire people to explore and live their best lives. We strive to provide ideas on where to go and things to try when you visit that destination. I do this through the written word while Julie creates visual content.
We are proud that we have helped others find the courage to try new things and provided guidance on how to experience destinations. It is so rewarding to receive grateful comments from people who read an article or watched a video.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I never considered myself as creative. Julie has always loved art and enjoys drawing and painting. Each video project is like a work of art. Since she can take a different approach with each one, the work does not become redundant.
One of the biggest perks of our job is flexibility. We can choose the hours we work each day. Julie will quickly tell you she is happiest not waking up to an alarm. She is more productive in the afternoon and evening. I am a morning person and still get up early daily. We each build our days around our productive times.
To a large degree, we have the flexibility to work on projects of our choosing. We are excited to do the work since we chose the destination or topic.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
We want to inspire people to travel more and live their best lives now. We know many people who passed away just before or after retirement. They had all these places they wanted to see but never got the chance. It is a primary reason we made this giant leap of faith. We want people to include travel in their short-term goals rather than only in their long-term plans.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mileswithmcconkey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mileswithmcconkey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MileswithMcConkey
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-mcconkey-50b70678/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MilesW_McConkey
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MileswithMcConkey
- Other: Flipboard: https://flipboard.com/@MilesWMcConkey
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mileswithmcconkey/ Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/scott-mcconkey
Image Credits
Miles with McConkey