Transcript
Nate: Steve, thank you for joining us on the A to Z jobs podcast.
Steve : Thanks for having me mate, really pleasure to be here.
Nate: Let's dive straight in. and Tell me a bit about yourself. what's What's your career and what got you inspired?
Steve : So I see myself as a personal shopper for travel. Okay, so I run Outland Adventures. It's LGBTQ plus curated travel.
Steve : um Think about it in the terms of you want to go somewhere, you're not sure. So you want someone who can just give you some really cool ideas based on your vibe.
Steve : So that's what I create. And it's specifically around um kind of adventure travel. So hiking, walking, outdoorsy type stuff um predominantly.
Steve : In terms of what inspired me to pursue it. So I was a flight attendant for 10 years. So think chicken and beef.
Steve : exits, all of that stuff every day, day in, day out. So yeah, I got to travel. And while I haven't been to every destination, I think for me it was watching how people travel, why they travel, what experiences that they they want to do And when you look at the different types of people, you've single travelers or solo travelers, you've got group travel, couples.
Steve : And then I was always interested in sort of when I saw a queer family or a queer couple, then I'll be nosy and and just think, okay, where are you guys going and what are you doing and and what are your experiences like? So this was way before I thought about Outbound Adventures, but always kind of being nosy.
Steve : So I think that's what inspired me. um sort of after flying, moved into project management. So that's kind of now what I call my background.
Steve : So building those systems, those plans those structures um and and logistics and being quite an organized person. I think that's the two really marry. And obviously I've got a ah big interest interesting in travel.
Steve : um So, yeah.
Nate: So project, how did the the project manager time in? So you were flight attendant, then project manager, then travel. ah travel
Steve : Exactly, that's it. So when i I hung up my sky shoes, don't what you call it, sky boots, wings, um and sort of was looking at something a bit more,
Steve : um I suppose, aligned with my personality and my skill set, and that's how I landed in project management, but also always with that kind of love for travel and wanting to get back into it.
Steve : um So that's why it was an easy kind of career move to launch my own thing called Outbound Adventure.
Nate: Yeah, it's really that um those transferable skills like have your flight attendant, you've got policies, procedures, processes that comes naturally due to project management and then comes back to to travel arrangements as well.
Steve : Absolutely, absolutely. And in fact, I launched the before Outbound Adventure, so I launched Gay Couple Getaway. That was so a couple of years ago, ah really good, solid grounding because it allowed me to ah see what works and what didn't work. It was quite, I would say, probably too niche and we can go into this place. but Probably a bit too niche in some areas that are kind of a bit broad in and others.
Steve : um But it gave me kind of that the inspiration and that part of my backstory into what eventually turned into what I'm doing now.
Nate: Yeah. It's like the old saying, you just got to start.
Steve : bit squiggly.
Nate: Like if you don't start, you wouldn't land have landed where you are now.
Nate: tell me about your training then. So any specific training for the for the travel outbound,
Nate: journey that you're on.
Steve : um ah Yeah, I wouldn't say there was any specific training you know, when you're launching your own career, as to speak, I won't say that many specific schools I went to, but I went to the school of being nosy and the love of travel.
Steve : um and And yeah, it was that sort of people watching and getting that insight into what works. Launching my old blog, which is now closed down,
Steve : Gave me the training into SEO, into building an audience, into testing, into iterating, all that stuff.
Nate: Thank you.
Steve : And and just life and talking to people. That would be um but what I would call my main training ground. So it's that sort of getting stuck in, getting started, doing, learning, failing, quite publicly.
Steve : yeah um has been my training and do you know what Nate it's the mindset that I find is probably the the hardest bit doing the do you can google that you can ask ai or whatever but it's the belief and getting stuff right in your head so that you can execute day in day out no matter what the outcome is I think that was the hardest thing so a part of my training is probably not the answer to the question you want is doing that self-reflection.
Steve : A lot of kind of inner work, reading,
Steve : doing, you know, talking to people, mentoring as well. That was a huge thing for me. It helped me out when I was moving from sort of flying into project management and then into building this career, having mentors in the background that I could go to and say,
Steve : I don't know what I'm doing. What worked for you? how did How did that go? What should I not do? where where could i just What mistakes should not do again? And that was that was massive. So I think those elements come in.
Nate: Yeah, fantastic. And I think like mentoring is very important and it comes in all different shapes and sizes. like lot of A lot of time people think, oh, mentoring, I've just signed up to a structured program. It's going to be a whole awful. I have to do homework.
Nate: Whereas mentoring can be quite casual. I was the same. Like I was talking with my business ideas and and someone who was, he was an accountant. He had experience setting up companies. go, well, it sounds like a great idea. I can help you with the back end if you want to help.
Nate: And was that sort of just a nuge like little nudge in the right direction that that a lot of time you just need to go, all right, let's give this a try.
Steve : Absolutely.
Nate: self-care and and that sort of you talked about the reflection and working on yourself any any uh podcasts or meditation apps or anything that's really kept you grounded that you would recommend
Steve : um
Steve : Yeah. There's a book that I read recently. was ah right it's called Let Them. I don't know if you've heard of Let Them by Mel Robbins. Really good book. But it's one of those books that help you relate to yourself and relate to other people.
Steve : um Fantastic book. I feel it's a bit different than and then what's out there. Strengths Finder. That was very good. I can't remember the name of the guy now. um And another one of my favourites is called Super Mentors.
Steve : And just go picking back up on your point because that gives you the mindset of how to find a mentor and all that, but also how to mentor others and some of that self-talk around mentoring yourself.
Steve : So I found kind of those, that sort of concept really, really key. Yeah.
Nate: Nice. um So what's your favourite part of the job? I have a feeling it's going to, something to do with helping people. you see
Steve : Yeah, yeah. How do I see it, Nate, I'm just going In the LGBTQ travel world, you've got... Now, this is my own take, right? You've got three buckets.
Steve : So you've got the speedo circuit. I call it the speedo circuit. Think gay parties, gay cruises, lots of men in speedos, as they suggest. um Kind of that fun party vibe.
Steve : Nothing wrong with that, you know, it's it's absolutely cool. And then you've got another bucket which is the luxury, the bougie, private villas. um i mean, the pink pound is a real thing. It's super strong.
Steve : um Not accessible to everybody. um from a price point of view, but it's there and there's a market for it. Absolutely. And then you've got the adventure side, which is again, so of hiking outdoory stuff. What I do, which again, brilliant.
Steve : I find them quite rigid. I find them sort of very kind of heavily tour guide based. You've got to wake up at three, then you've got to walk here and then you've got to see this and then do this mountain and I just thought there's got to be another way.
Steve : So there's got to be a way I can help people that's a little bit more flexible. You don't need to remortgage your house to be a forge to go away. It could be you and some friends. It could be you with your other half.
Steve : And it's inclusive. So it's There are tours that, sorry, there are trips and itineraries that a lot of people can do and make it their own way. So that's what I love about my job.
Steve : it It's curating that for people.
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Steve : You know, have you ever watched Queer Eye? Or any sort of makeover show, what that person does will generally take the contestant and show them a suit, show them some jeans.
Steve : They don't go into the detail, but they sort of say this would suit your body shape, your style, your budget. How does that feel? How does that how does that fit on?
Steve : And it's that that I love to do people who travel. um Whether it's a family and they've got a little kid and we've got a try and please everybody. If it's a blended family and you're thinking about, well I want to bring my in-laws um um but you know and there's some age differences, or it's a couple who's got a nice big budget to spend and they're doing some other honeymoon or or a special trip.
Steve : So yeah, that they're the favourite thing that I'd like curating, but also the storytelling behind it. You've read some of the posts on either one LinkedIn or on the newsletter.
Steve : I'd like bringing other people and telling, not just what I call my story, but introducing others who love travel and you'll see that element in the newsletter as well. So those are the two bits I really like.
Nate: Fantastic. And what about the negative? What's the hardest thing you're, some of the challenges you've had to face?
Steve : ah Right, I knew you were going to ask me that. I would say
Steve : travel for us, for us queer folk, it's still not um it's still not mainstream, right? It's still not seen as kind of taken seriously in the wider travel industry. So it's kind of hard to get visibility, sometimes hard to get traction in terms of, you know, building that audience and getting people to see and get to know your stuff.
Steve : So I think those are the challenges. But also I would say, you know, when I'm creating a trip,
Steve : It's not just about, oh, are you going to have a nice time? I've got people's safety in mind. Literally, their safety and sense of well-being. So that feels, it's not horrible. It's a challenge because you can't just say, oh, go here, go there.
Steve : You know, it's a real responsibility in my career to make sure that I can do what I can so that people can feel safe. when when they're out traveling or whatever I've recommended because your reputation is is' kind of on the line.
Steve : So I would say that's couple of the challenges so far.
Nate: Yeah, because like really, like, when you think about it, like I travel a lot, but i obviously you saw have those moments where you don't have that confidence to check into a hotel even thinking um it's not legal in this country, but I've read it's safe, so I'm just going to try.
Nate: but you don't have that confidence.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: So I suppose your type of service really, you've done you've done the the deep dive, you've done the research, you know where if it's safe or not. So really you're giving that confidence to those people to travel, which which can be hard for.
Steve : Yeah, 100%. Yeah. but But nothing's guaranteed, right? Nothing is absolutely guaranteed.
Nate: Of course, course.
Steve : But yeah, it's it's the part is a part that i I do enjoy, but there's challenges in there as well.
Nate: I don't know if you've had any clients or if you've done it yourself, but Cambodia is such a beautiful country. We did a, I'm not an adventurous person at all.
Steve : No, go for it. Go for it.
Nate: I'm not a bougie person.
Steve : love this.
Nate: back go to the nice hotel, but we did this mountain bike trek, mountain biking through the the temples at Angkor Wat. So I'll send you to the link for that one.
Nate: That was one of the highlights, one of the best trips I've ever done.
Steve : Amazing. That's it exactly me. I love that.
Nate: um Good. So what um
Nate: if someone, okay, so this could go either way. So you can either talk about any aspect of your journey, but I suppose travel agent or into that curating of travel events. If someone decided I want to be a travel agent, a successful one, I don't i don't want to work for the the flight center.
Nate: i don't know if you have the flight center in the U.S.,
Steve : yeah everything yeah Yeah, I would say niche down um and and do that early.
Nate: The flight centre in Australia, is like it's it's like a default, it's a bit cookie cutter. So i want to be a flight i want to be I want to be a travel agent, I want to be boutique. Do you have any advice for them on how to start that start that journey?
Steve : One of the lessons that I learned from launching a couple getaway was that It was too broad. I was sort saying, okay, you're a gay couple and you like travel.
Steve : So that was super broad. But then it was kind of too niche because some people felt, well, but vi because if im if I don't have a partner, I can't use the service.
Steve : So it I would say yes, niche down, but... um not too narrow and not too broad. Always use kind of the data if you can.
Nate: Thank you.
Steve : Analytics, most platforms have some sort of dashboard
Steve : that you can use it and definitely use that. I'm not a numbers person at all. all But I know that it's important. And even if I can just get some insights from the numbers that I'm seeing, I can make effective decisions on where to go. So I would say um there's loads of tools out there, but niche down early and just go for it.
Steve : ah If you need to pay for help, if you need to pay for expertise, do it as well. If you've got that in your budget so that it saves you the headache and you can keep being creative, 100% of that.
Nate: Yeah, so it's interesting. So you sort of had the you had the direction to work in. You knew what area you wanted to work in, but then the niching down is the part where it takes a bit of extra bit of extra time.
Steve : and
Steve : Yeah, and I would say be honest, you know. Don't be big, Billy Big Balls, you know, when you're just starting out, it's it's it's never authentic. And I've been very public about kind of the journey, either with Gay Couple Ganaway or with Outbound Adventures, um but showing is exactly kind of where I am and what I'm building.
Steve : um And it served me really well. like Yeah, it's been really good. So I would give that advice as well.
Nate: Yeah. ah One of my very first podcasts, I think it may may have been, me I think the second podcast ever did, she said something that always stuck with me was she said, my niche found me.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: So it was part of the journey was like just experiencing the job and following the career you want, but then just being open-minded, looking at,
Nate: every angle and just be open to your niche finding you rather than the other way around.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: Don't necessarily have to force it quick. I need to find my niche. It's more, let's just get things gently moving and then we'll take a bit of ah a broader look at what's happening.
Steve : Absolutely. And you probably know this. A year down the line will look very different to day one, right? And then two, three, four years down the line will look different to year one.
Steve : So I like that. Keep going because it'll click into place and it just takes time.
Nate: Just got to start, it's just got to get it started. All right, so we mentioned a few resources already. Is there any other resources that you would recommend to people?
Steve : Yeah, so I use Beehive, B-E-E-H-I-I-V for my newsletter. I love Beehive. Really intuitive kind of platform to send newsletters.
Steve : They've got a bit of a website builder in there. And I just find it really good. um I use LinkedIn a lot. I've, you know, connected me on LinkedIn. I'm a little bit obsessed with LinkedIn at the moment. I think it's such a brilliant platform.
Steve : And I use that for engagement. You know, that's how we met. um to start conversations and allow people to get to know me other than just around you know outbound adventures there's some personal stuff in there as well.
Steve : um Canva that's probably a standard one but it's really good I love their new features think it's about 13 pounds I'm not sure how that relates into dollars but um for the monthly package quite affordable And then, you know, I would use AI ChatGPT for headlines to emails. I would use it for, like, just my virtual assistant.
Steve : So where I have an idea, I'll dump it into ChatGPT and it'll help me generate other ideas. So it's just a really good place to put stuff.
Steve : And that's helpful because you can kind of come back to it in that way. um Yeah, they're probably the main ones I use at the moment. Google Suite in terms of, you know, booking and all that stuff. I mean, but you did that goes on said.
Steve : But yeah, those are the main tools that I use.
Nate: Yeah, i have I have a lot of overlap there with you. Google Suite though, I'm on a journey. It's been a painful one for me, but I've always left and running. i Now I've got to fix my time zones, but look I love the Google Suite.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: And obviously the um AI as well. It's so handy, like just, I don't know about you, but like my my mind is always racing and you'll be shopping and you're like, oh,
Steve : Yes.
Nate: there's an idea or there's something i have to remember to do later and quick get the voice memo out for AI and it just organizes it for you. It just makes life so much easier.
Steve : Exactly. Yeah.
Nate: But Beehive is a new one. I'll need to check out Beehive.
Steve : Yeah, see what you think. And they do have a, it's on the premium plan, but they do have a podcast sort of option or something about podcasting. So I'll leave you to check that out, but it is on the the premium plan.
Steve : um I read about it, so i just think it's useful.
Nate: I'll take a look.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: I'm going to put you on the spot for this one. ah
Steve : Okay.
Nate: Favorite holiday destination?
Steve : Oh.
Nate: Where would you... Where's your go-to? Do you have a spot that's just as special to you?
Steve : Oh. Yeah. So I, ah funny enough, I've just come back. And it's not even adventurous. This is the funny thing, right? The Algarve. Portugal.
Steve : So if you think of the south coast of Portugal, what I love about it is one, Portugal's quite, it's not, um how can I put this, it's not sort of, there's not lots of chains and and kind of massive hotels. Obviously it's got a hotel industry in the main um capital and everything. But when you go down to the Algarve, it's lots of small little beaches, little towns, villages,
Steve : marinas and then as you stake around to the kind of west coast you've got that outdoorsy rugged type environment really good for hiking it it's just one of my favorite places to go and the weather is is great i would say from april may right up until october for that summer season and it's never rammed rammed it's the locals go there, you know, people from other parts of Lisbon go down to that corner of the Algarve, so it feels very natural.
Steve : oh So that's one of my favourite places to go You know, when I was flying, and probably not now, but one of my favourite destinations was Beirut in Lebanon.
Steve : Right? I know, your face says it all over.
Nate: yeah
Steve : Everyone's like, no, aren't there? So, okay, right now, as we record this, there's some um ah political struggles so I'm not recommending right now as we are recording and in June 2025 but it's if you think about Nice it's known as the Nice of the Middle East so lots of nice places and really nice vibe the beautiful shops and buildings and the people are just so friendly and amazing it was one of my favourite
Steve : destinations when I was flying. So I thought I'd throw that in there as well.
Nate: Fantastic. I haven't been to either of those places. I'll need to add those to my list.
Steve : Yeah, do do absolutely.
Nate: As we get ready to wrap up, is there any quotes or any mantras, so something that keeps you grounded or something you refer to quite often?
Steve : Yeah, I would say
Steve : Something around freedom. So if I'm thinking about something, does this take me a step closer to feeling free? Does this trip make me feel more freedom, more expanse?
Steve : Does what I'm doing, my career, make me feel more free to do what I want to do? um So but that's my mantra that I always come back to.
Steve : Is this a step closer to feeling more freedom? um If yes, I'm all in. hundred percent 100%. Absolutely. If not, yeah, I'll put that on the back burner.
Nate: like Okay. So yeah, towards freedom. So that could be, that could mean like location, freedom, financial freedom.
Steve : Yeah.
Steve : Yeah. Yeah.
Nate: Yeah.
Steve : Exactly.
Nate: we Okay.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: I like that.
Steve : Yeah. 100%.
Nate: I like that. The ability to feel free.
Steve : Yeah.
Nate: Fantastic.
Steve : And it's the spirit of outbound adventures at the end of the day. i curate so that people feel more free in whatever that means to them.
Nate: Yeah. Fantastic. It's been great hearing your story and I'll make sure that we link to your LinkedIn so everyone can connect with you.
Steve : Yes, connect, connect. And yeah, if you like the stuff, I'll always say you know like and subscribe. But the the content comes out on a weekly basis. We've got some so nice cool interviews of people giving their own um travel stories as well and what they enjoy about travel and lots of tips and advice for readers. So yeah, check it out.
Nate: Fantastic. It's been great having a chat. Thank you.
Steve : Mate, yeah, look after yourself and speak to you soon.
