We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Rae recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Initially, I dabbled in freelance projects while working a day job. I focused on my college courses in psychology and my full time job as a child development specialist. When I found free time focused on honing my skills in content creation and understanding digital marketing. It wasn’t easy balancing both, but it allowed me to build a portfolio and start networking without the pressure of making an immediate income from my creative work. I genuinely enjoyed creating content and wanted to make sure I kept that joy without applying too much pressure on myself to supplement my income right away. The travel content is what really took off and made me realize that I was stuck between my job security and where I wanted to be. At that point I had to calculate the risk of pursuing my “hobby” and transitioning it into a full time income, but I couldn’t do that tied down with such a demanding job. So I hesitantly went part time and focused on immersing myself in the creative skills that eventually led me to where I am now. I do not think I would have wanted to speed through that process because I needed the time to be realistic, learn, adjust my goals, lifestyle and overall comprehend the reduction of pay and stability when I finally chose to leave my job of ten years.

Nicole, 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 think I have now fully established myself as a social media manager here in Houston, in contrast to the beginning of my career, where I held the reputation of a creator and traveler. I have managed accounts for a local bar called Nettbar for over a year now (follow them on Instagram!). But I think the most amazing experience I am proud of is turning that creative hobby into a full time job where I am now currently employed by the City of Houston for my media management and creative skillset. I still get the opportunity to collaborate with hotels and brands in the travel industry ever so often, but I focus my efforts here at home and plan to continue to build my portfolio and excel within the city.
I think I’ve carried a reputation of this fun loving, outgoing, spirited young woman who never took life too seriously and often faced ridicule for that or “not having a real job”, or hearing negative comments about leaving a stable career.. Imagine if I would have listened to those comments and believed them, I would be no where near the goals I have accomplished today. Never let anyone shame you for going after what you believe in. Passions can become real jobs, it takes work, effort a whole lot of thinking and planning and it is not always easy, but it is truly possible.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I might be showing my age a bit here, but I think I grew up with a traditional societal expectation and upbringing, specifically coming from a hispanic background. As a woman, we are coaxed into certain beliefs, values and our generation is molded by the idea that you have to go to school, get educated, find a partner, buy a house, have kids and thats life. I guess my particular mission was to prove to myself what I have always known, that this particular lifestyle never appealed to me. Nothing is wrong with that if thats what you want, but I did not want that, I did not go to college right away, I moved across the country, was not interested in dating, I did things a little backwards and went against everything that was predetermined for me. Content creation and social media allowed me to break away from that pressure of “what I should be or who I should be” into what I actually wanted for myself. I wanted to explore and experience not “settle down” into life. Without getting too deep or causing any existential crises here, I would love for others to see that taking a chance on yourself and getting to know yourself could really change the trajectory of your life. I would love to grow my platforms into a larger audience space that focuses on topics like this, mental advocacy, self esteem, quality of life and overall motivating other young woman to redefine themself as they are not as who they believe they should be.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Oof, I had to unlearn my comfort of hyper-independence. Not just career wise but overall as a general part of my personality. Specifically with deciding to go into business for myself I had to let go of that mentality that I do not need any help and I can do it all. Learning that asking for help is actually a flex and not a weakness was a game changer. After accepting that I needed help and guidance to get my business off the ground, it drastically improved. I saw results, I was signing contracts, getting deals and connecting with other likeminded people in the industry. Ask for help! You can be strong and smart and still need a helping hand every now and then.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @travel_withrae
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-rae-create/
• Other: Tik Tok: @travelwithrae