We recently connected with Jennifer Henderson and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I’ve been blogging since 2009, but I was never really serious about it. I think Red Lips & Passports is actually my 4th or 5th blog, but it is the only one I’ve been consistent with.
During Quarantine I started following another travel content creator and her content was FIRE! I mean, she was super creative and I found myself stalking her stories as if it were a mini vlog. I reached out to her and asked her if she could help me, and she asked me how much I was willing to invest in myself to learn. One Saturday via FaceTime she gave me a rundown on how to be creative with my content and BAM Red Lips & Passports was re-invented. It seriously changed the game for me!
The main obstacle that stood in the way of me learning more was myself. I was stuck in the comparison trap, and I kept myself from sharing content because I was scared that people would see me and have something negative to say. Since getting out of my own way, I’ve been able to progress significantly with learning the tricks of the trade and creating engaging content. Once I did that, my following grew quite a bit.
Jennifer, 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 run a blog called Red Lips & Passports. RLP is a travel and lifestyle blog where I share how I travel the world on a budget. I also share details about what I’m doing, where I’m going, what I’m eating, products I’m loving and various events going on in the DMV area.
Initially, the blog started off as a beauty blog called My Product Addiction. I started it as an outlet after heartbreak because I needed something else to focus on. After I took my first international trip to Sydney, Australia in 2016, I pivoted and RLP was born! Once I discovered I could travel overseas using plane ticket layaway (I never thought I could afford it before) I knew I had to share with the world!
I frequently share funny and relatable content related to travel, and really life in general. My mission is to teach my community how to travel the world on a budget, step outside of their comfort zones, encourage them to implement self care and of course, make them laugh in between!
Many of the travel bloggers I follow frequently post about traveling using credit cards. While that is definitely one of the methods I use to travel, I like to share how to see the world without using credit cards because there are many that do not have that as an option. So, I share resources like plane ticket layaway, flight apps, and other unique ways to save money on travel.
Whenever I ask my followers what keeps them from traveling the number one reason is money! People are often surprised when I tell them that I don’t always spend a ton of money on travel and that I’ve been able to visit countries for as low as $70. One time my brother and I booked a trip to Amsterdam for just $98 round trip!
As far as discipline, this was a really hard one for me because I didn’t realize how much work goes into content creation. I’ve learned to be really good with my time management so that I can maximize my productivity. I have a strict morning routine: I get up at 5 am every day to pray and have devotion time, I do my other morning tasks (gym, eat, etc.) and after that, I set a timer for 90 minutes and get as much work done as I can whether it is batch filming reels, researching information, or responding to comments/dms and emails. Before I go to bed, I make a list of things I need to get done for RLP the next day.
I want my followers to know that I will always show up authentically for them. I will never share a tool or tip with them that I would not actually use myself. I will always try my very best to respond to every DM and comment because I want them to know I am interested in hearing what they have to say and answering their questions.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part of being creative is seeing how I am impacting my community. I get a lot of messages from my followers about how I have encouraged them to travel the world, get a passport, or explore an area of their neighborhood that they didn’t know existed. Knowing that sharing my experiences encourages other people has been the greatest reward ever. Some of the messages have even brought me to tears.
Recently one of my followers sent me a message saying she wasn’t much of a traveler but she got a passport because of me. She said she was still dragging her feet on booking a trip.
I was so proud of her because getting a passport is a huge step! I really can’t wait to see where she ends up.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
This is a really good question!
I think the best way to support creatives and artists is to… LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE! It literally costs you nothing to share about a brand you’ve run across, repost a link, join a Livestream, listen to a podcast, etc.
But seriously, I think society doesn’t see what we do as being work and it really is a lot of work to build a community, keep up with content, keep up with the ever-changing trends of social media (trends/analytics), manage brand deals and so much more. It truly is a full-time job, so one way to support the members of this community is to acknowledge and respect us. This is especially directed towards the people that disrespect our time, and ask us to provide services for them without being compensated. While this life is “unconventional” according to some… we are proving them wrong daily. Please put some respect on our craft!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.redlipsandpassports.com
- Instagram: redlipsandpassports