We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Linda King a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Linda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

I came up with the idea of The Smart Travelista while I was on a trip to Europe and the Middle East in 2019.

I’ve had many conversations with travellers in my travels. During my 2019 trip, I talked about money-saving techniques with fellow travellers and realised that my methods weren’t common knowledge.

I’d used these money saving techniques since I worked in the travel industry to save money on travel.

One traveller said to me “Do you have a blog or website? Because I would follow you. This information is fantastic!”

I had the market research through feedback received. The next step was to get my travel knowledge written down and shared. This is how The Smart Travelista business, website, books and blog were born.

Travellers are always looking for money-saving tips so they can travel more, so I know this is a topic that resonates with others.

I spent the long flight from London to Australia writing a business plan and my first Smart Travelista guide. As they say, the rest is history!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hello! I’m Linda King – an author, writer and travel blogger. As a former travel agent and banker, I have a wealth of experience in travel and money management.

The Smart Travelista brand is about travelling and saving money. My mission is to share travel tips so you can explore the world and save money. Join me on my global adventures. Through my books, blog, and travel videos, I share the best travel tips and hacks.

What sets me apart from others is I’m a travel and money expert. I’m a seasoned traveller and have extensive experience in travel and banking. My tips are tested and work. They work for me and they’ll work for you.

I’ve written ten books – 7 in the Smart Travelista series and 3 in the Antics from Abroad series. These books are available to buy on Amazon.com.

In my “Smart Travelista” book series – I share tips on various travel topics such as – saving money, building airline miles, staying healthy and safe travelling, travelling with food allergies, mastering solo travel and using AI (ChatGPT) for travel planning and research.

In the “Antics from Abroad” book series – I share entertaining stories where things have not gone to plan for me and other travellers. It’s a look at the other side of travel. Because we all like a bit of drama, right?

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being a creative is you don’t know where your next inspiration is going to come from.

One of the best parts of what I do with The Smart Travelista is engaging with others. Through chats and meeting people, you sometimes get your best ideas.

A question you get asked starts a chain reaction in your mind, which can then become a new project or product. This is why being a creative is one of the best jobs in the world.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When you start to write, you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s only through experience going through the writing and publishing process that you learn.

After you have written and released one book out into the world you understand what resources can help. The great thing is, after releasing that first book, you’ll find the next ones easier and quicker to write because of your gained knowledge and experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thesmarttravelista.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmartravelista/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thesmartravelista
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-king-81541523a/
• Twitter: https://x.com/the_travelista
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesmartravelista
• Other: Threads – https://www.threads.net/@thesmartravelista
  Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/thesmartravelista.bsky.social
  Pinterest – https://au.pinterest.com/thesmartravelista/

Image Credits

Photos are my own and book covers designed by Buzbooks.