We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Mahoney recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
If I had to start all over, I would have pursued a writing career much earlier in life. However, I am a firm believer that my experiences in other industries have contributed significantly to my current position.
Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As a teenager, I thought I would pursue a career in environmentalism after working for several years at an environmental non-profit. After college, I felt like a lost soul, and so I moved to Los Angeles a couple of years after I graduated with my sights on the entertainment industry. After working a few short gigs, I landed a regular gig with a company that produces Hallmark movies. I worked my way up from the bottom until I was hired in the accounting department. After three years, I began my next long-term gig on an Emmy Award-winning international travel show. That’s when the travel bug really took hold, and I started documenting my travels. I worked in the entertainment industry as an accountant for several more years, but after having my second child, 7 years after my first, the long, grueling hours no longer worked. I started my own travel website, WorldlyRoamer.com, which helped me secure writing and editing positions at a well-known U.S.-based travel website. Not only do I get to work remotely, but the people I work with, the flexibility, and the creative freedom are a dream come true!
In addition to my regular writing/editing gig, I occasionally provide blog posts to other, smaller outlets when the opportunity arises. I also have a relatively good following on Instagram, and brands often reach out to work with me in some capacity. While that can be fun, travel writing is my number one passion.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being in a creative industry means having the opportunity to inspire others, whether with your words, photos, or art. Creativity can help create community and spark creativity in someone else. I aim to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone, try something new, and travel somewhere they’ve never been.
Have you ever had to pivot?
When the pandemic shut everything down for over a year, I wasn’t able to work on any TV shows or films as the entertainment industry, like so many others, came to a standstill. Not only that, but my daughter was so young and I didn’t want to have my career take so much time away from raising her. So, I spent time working on my personal website and saw an ad for a website looking for writers, applied, gave a writing sample, and was hired! Five years later, I am still working for that website and haven’t looked back. I love what I do and I love that I can spend more time with my kids, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.worldlyroamer.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/worldlyroamer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldlyroamer
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-mahoney-066535253/
Image Credits
Melissa Mahoney