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00:00:01
Amanda Black
46 Plays30 days ago
Join Alasdair as he sits down with Amanda Black, founder of the Solo Female Travel Network as they discuss taking a chance on travel, growing a business and how empowering solo women to travel goes far beyond being safe.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Outdoorsy Educator Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Outdoorsy Educator Podcast, a place for conversation about travel, adventure, life lessons and making the most out of each and every day.
00:00:14
Speaker
I'm your host Alistair Green and each week I will have a conversation with someone who will not only inspire us all, but give us an insight into living life to its fullest.
00:00:25
Speaker
But before we get started, a quick warrant from our sponsor, Whole Earth Provision Company.
The Solo Female Traveler Network
00:00:35
Speaker
And on this week's episode of the Outdoorsy Educator podcast, we have Amanda Black. Amanda, how are you today? I'm great. Thanks for having me. And thank you for being here. Why don't you tell our audience a little bit about who you are what you do?
00:00:49
Speaker
Yeah, so my name is Amanda Black and I'm the owner of the Solo Female Traveler Network. We are at our heart and our soul. We are a community. We're a community for women all over the world who travel solo. And um we also offer incredible organized group tours specifically for women traveling solo.
00:01:11
Speaker
And what got you into this? Obviously, as a woman yourself, I'm assuming you're somebody who enjoys travel. But what made you take that step from, again, I'm assuming somebody who enjoyed to travel to creating this network?
00:01:25
Speaker
I was traveling solo for years and I have mostly incredible stories, met some of my closest friends. But once in a while something happens because you are a woman by yourself. I was a backpacker, so you know you are a little vulnerable. And I had some things happen that just weren't ideal. And I also was meeting some of the most incredible, inspiring, most fun people on the road, specifically women.
00:01:54
Speaker
And you meet them and you have this great time. Usually you spill your guts to each other. and But then you kind of like, you know, go on, move on, and you may not really stay in touch. Right. So because of those two things, I thought to myself, there really just needs to be a place where solo female travelers can gather and support each other. and give each other advice that we can't really find in guidebooks and and whatever. So I created a Facebook group.
Growth and Community Building
00:02:26
Speaker
And this was 10 years ago. And that Facebook group grew. and after about a year and a half, um at at the time, we had about 65,000 members, and they wanted to travel together. put...
00:02:40
Speaker
put I put together a group tour to Bali and it went fantastic. And now we're eight years later and we offer these tours around the world and our community is over half a million members strong.
00:02:56
Speaker
I love this. And this seems to be a little theme of my life over the last few days. When this podcast goes out, the one that will come out the week prior is a wonderful woman and friend who runs a she's a van lifer. She's through hiked all sorts of incredible things and runs a woman centered book club where they look at travel and adventure books together. And we talk quite a bit about the community that is built. And you know as a guy, I'm not always, I can be vulnerable and say, I'm not always aware of the importance of that.
00:03:30
Speaker
you know Yeah, sure, a women's only group or a men's only, this might seem like a good idea, but it certainly runs a lot deeper than that. um And so I'm fascinated to find out a little bit more about what this group has brought you. So where did you say the first trip was that you did as you know the the founding member of the female solo female travel network?
The Concept of 'Shared Firsts' in Travel
00:03:50
Speaker
It was to Bali. And it was um only because i was living in Australia at the time as a struggling expat. And Bali was close and it was a place people wanted to go. so i and I had at the time a negative bank account. So I needed to be pretty prudent on how I was going to do this. And that seemed to be don't it just made the most sense.
00:04:17
Speaker
Absolutely. And then I'm kind of looking through a little list of notes that I've made. And again, a recurring theme in my life recently, which I'm just diving into with both feet, is the the thought of deeper connections and shared firsts. I'd love for you, if you could, just to share a story either from your own life or somebody who's traveled with you about an impactful or profound first.
00:04:40
Speaker
Yeah. So, I mean, my whole, as we talked about, my whole TEDx talk was about shared firsts and um how they, in my opinion, from all of my travel experience and leading tour experience, it's these moments of...
00:04:58
Speaker
awe that you share with other people that really can bond people together. And as travelers, we experience that all the time. We experience doing this incredible day tour or going diving or, I mean, ah the list is endless of these really cool things that put us in this state of awe. And we're doing it side by side with people. And in my life, that's how I've bonded the quickest and um the quickest and deepest with with other people. And i mean, I have countless examples of that. I don't even know where to start, to be honest. But
00:05:39
Speaker
But I think the idea is that in travel, we experience these naturally, but what about the rest of our lives? Like, what about the rest of the days? We need to experience it all the time. how How can we leave that magic only for, you know, that once a year trip or twice a year, whoever you are, however much you travel. So the idea is to,
00:06:07
Speaker
create those moments with people in your everyday life. Like instead of going for coffee with someone you wanna get to know, maybe you go salsa dancing for the first time or whatever, do you something different, take a pottery class, i don't know. I love that. What you're saying, there's two things that really resonate with me. One is like you know I'm not going to be traveling that much other than I'll be going home for a month this summer. So I'm really trying to find local things to sort of scratch that itch of travel. It doesn't have to be huge or across the world to have that that sense of wonder and experience new things. I can go to a town 30 miles away I've just never been to before.
00:06:51
Speaker
and go for a day and learn new things and meet new people. And on that note of meeting new people, um I was listening to another podcast.
The Significance of People in Travel Memories
00:07:00
Speaker
You may know this lady, I'm not sure of her last name, it's Jackie, traveling Jackie, she goes by. and there's a podcast called Jump and she runs a travel company called Jump Adventures.
00:07:11
Speaker
And she was talking about the fact that she talks to people who have been on her trips and she asked, you what was the favorite thing? And it's it I don't know if it surprised her, I don't to put words in her mouth, but it was always about the people that they traveled with. They went to see Machu Picchu and they've been all over this travel company, taking people all over the world, seeing incredible things. But the resonation of who you did these things with and the people you met is the long lasting story of these trips. And it sounds a similar experience to your own and one that you've helped curate through this travel network.
00:07:47
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. I mean, there's tons of companies that can take you to the pyramids in Egypt, for example. But it's not the fact that we took our travelers to the pyramids that make our travelers come back with us again and again. It's that they're traveling with such like-minded women and they can come solo and feel totally part of the group. There's no awkwardness because everybody's there solo. And everybody has this sense of wonder that people in our everyday lives may consider kind of strange or you know, a little little too much even sometimes. But we get it. And so, yeah, i that's it's true. you travel with these amazing people with a similar sense of adventure and
00:08:33
Speaker
um you're doing something new for the first time, it is inevitable that you make some really close connections. And once the people have been on the trip and they come back home, is there still a community? You mentioned the Facebook group. Do people kind of stay in touch? um Have you got something set up to where, yeah as you alluded to earlier, you know, sometimes you'll meet people I've backpacked around Europe myself.
Maintaining Connections Post-Travel
00:09:00
Speaker
you meet people and you have honestly quite intimate moments sometimes like deep conversations because they're your kinfolk they're your people but then you go different directions and you lose touch so is there anything in place for people to to stay in touch Yeah. So when you come on one of our tours and you go home, there's a there's a few ways to stay in touch. One is you there's a WhatsApp group dedicated only to your departure. So those WhatsApp groups can sometimes be active for years after the trip. I love that. Yeah, it may not be every single day, but it might be, you know, for holidays or um and sharing like little bits of their travel since since the trip. Those are really active. You can still use the Facebook group, of course. Now it's pretty big, so it's not as easy for those like more intimate relationships. But what a lot of our travelers do um is they plan to go on more of our tours together So they sort of have these like in real life reunions.
00:10:02
Speaker
I love that. And again, to me, that's what it's about. Yes, we want to see these magnificent things in the world. But finding your people, finding your tribe, to me, that's what travel's
Skills and Safety in Solo Female Travel
00:10:14
Speaker
about. And your stories really remind me, I was, before I moved to the States, I went to New York. And I was backpacking around mostly Canada, but a bit of the States.
00:10:24
Speaker
And this moment is stuck with me. I'm a moderately tall guy, a little over six feet, had my backpack, and I was in... i sure I think it was Grand Central Station, one of the big train stations in New York.
00:10:35
Speaker
And a nice guy came up to me and, oh where are you going? And we had a very small conversation. Suddenly he asked, oh, I'll show you where the platform is. And I could already see the smile on your face.
00:10:48
Speaker
And so some alarm bell went off in my head. This guy was massive. I mean, he must have been six feet six or seven. and and and i've managed to get myself at that situation but even as a pretty confident like i said moderately tall guy in in the blink of an eye i found myself in a situation that could have gone another direction very quickly um and so one of the reasons i love talking to women like yourself who do what you do is i don't get a glimpse into that world very often And when I do, it's impactful. So I just I love hearing your stories and the stories of how you can help bring women from perhaps a place of fear to flourishing and becoming world travelers. I'm i'm taking a guess at that that's some of the some of your clientele over the years have perhaps fit that mold.
00:11:44
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's really easy for when you're talking about female travel to focus on safety. and it's fair.
00:11:55
Speaker
Also, i think that there's so much more to it. I think it's really nuanced. You know, I've definitely seen solo female travelers out in the world making some pretty risky decisions. And it's not that they, it's it's not a a thing, it's not about intelligence or about but anything. It's about experience and skill because being keeping yourself safe when you're in different cultures, different areas,
00:12:27
Speaker
countries with different languages and different systems is a skill. Solo female travel is a skill. And if someone, when people ask me and people ask me a lot, what are some of the, first you know, countries you would recommend to a so first time solo traveler?
00:12:44
Speaker
And of course there are countries that are considered and perceived as more safe in the world. And I, of course, would recommend those to first time travelers. But also, I think that whatever you do, you need to like always be challenging that skill, right? Until you really master that, okay, I know how to keep myself safe.
00:13:09
Speaker
So... I wouldn't recommend to a first timer to go to, i don't even want to name countries. it like let's just say Let's just say India because that's like notoriously overwhelming. Safe, unsafe, you know. it's a lot on the senses. Exactly. Yes.
00:13:27
Speaker
Yeah. so I probably wouldn't say, you know, first time leaving the country, go alone to India. But maybe like Portugal is one of my favorite examples. It's...
00:13:39
Speaker
safe, it you know, perceived as safe. Culturally, it's not so different. um And kind of easy and pretty, you know. Right. So I'm a little bit rambling on this, I guess. Oh, no, no, no. This is fascinating because I'm...
00:13:55
Speaker
I've got daughters and my lens, ah which is fine, is safety. But sometimes that's all I think about. And you're absolutely right. And part of the reason, the secret, I love doing this podcast is because I'm learning alongside anyone else who's listening.
00:14:10
Speaker
it's It's safety obviously is a top priority, but it's so much more than that. And that that's what I love hearing from you. It's you broadening your horizons and building that confidence.
00:14:21
Speaker
Yeah, I think... It often depends on somebody's life experience to like where they where they might feel so where they might have a little bit more skill in traveling. And so, you know, our tours, of course, a lot of our travelers come who don't have a lot of experience traveling solo traveling. or they're you know maybe not so comfortable going to these specific destinations solo. And we also have some very experienced, more experienced than me, solo travelers who come on our tours who could who could conquer any country. like They could have the best trip anywhere they go. um
00:15:02
Speaker
But they want to come because they, A, they don't wanna worry about it. They don't wanna plan everything. They don't wanna do the research, because sometimes that's ah that's a lot. And they want to go with women who get them. They wanna experience this place with other people like who wants to go to on like an African safari all by yourself. I don't. Right. I mean, I've done it. but Right. Right. It's a lot more fun when you're with other people. So those types of experiences as well. um That's another reason to travel with the group.
00:15:40
Speaker
And I do wonder, I'll share a quick story from my personal life here. I think I've shared on a podcast before. Oh, six or seven years ago, I went back to Scotland and I walked the West Highland Way, which is a hundred mile hiking trail. And my wife came and we started, we did about half of it. And then unfortunately she blew her knee out, just stepped on a rock funny and it was a little sore and the next morning, that thing. resembled a grapefruit that was said so she was done and you know we talked about just you know going home that was that but what ended up happening was I would walk 10 or 15 miles and she would taxi bus train do whatever to to get to where we were going to stay the next night that My wife had at this point hadn't traveled internationally a bunch um and I had traveled a bit more so she naturally tended to lead on me which is no problem at all.
Travel and Personal Growth
00:16:36
Speaker
We got to the end, I finished the hike and she made it every day and we we took a moment of reflection and well of course we wish she hadn't hurt her knee, she gained a confidence that she can do it.
00:16:50
Speaker
that she has carried forth to we've now traveled to various other places and she's she's off, she's got it. So in a funny way we both got the journey we needed out of that. If she hadn't had that experience, you know, if she may not have the confidence that she now does to get that train to to ask somebody and you know who does English may may not be their first language for guidance. And so I don't know, I'm just relating to this a lot because I've seen firsthand when somebody who isn't necessarily terrified by any stretch, but just hasn't done it, does it and then get the bug and yeah they can flourish. I love that example because that's not purely about safety. That's about confidence. Yeah.
00:17:35
Speaker
yeah And a lot of times it's really about that confidence and not, and like the safety fears are just the easiest outlet to put your fears, you know, like it's not always really about that. Like you can go to another country and call an Uber. It's pretty similar no matter what country you're in, you know, like it just feels scarier because it's not at home, but Yeah, I like that example because I do think that traveling solo teaches you just how capable you are. And it almost always surprises people how capable they are because you're put in situations where you have to figure it out. You have to rely on yourself and you have to also rely on these skills that you maybe have never tested before. so Yeah, you may people may not realize they have them. but but they do that
00:18:31
Speaker
As ah as a business owner, that must be really satisfying to see. you know I know you're running a business and there'll be a bottom line in expenses and all that, stuff but that's got to be super rewarding.
00:18:43
Speaker
It is. And I think that's something really special about our tours is that, you know, there's there's loads of group tours out there, right? But ah most of them focus on holding your hand and keeping your and keeping you entertained the entire time you're with them. But on our tours...
00:19:03
Speaker
of course you have 24 seven support, of course. right But we build in solo time in all of our itineraries so that you can decide if you want to go out into the city and explore by yourself, people watch, navigate the public transit, whatever you wanna you can do that.
00:19:22
Speaker
But you can also choose to go hang out with these awesome new people that you met and spend the time with them. You can also go do your own totally separate thing. So, you know, everyone is in different stages of their lives. Some people are trying to build those new skills. Some people want to feel that independence And some people want to feel the connection. So that's something that I'm really proud of on the tours, that women have the choice to do whatever they want, knowing at the end of the day that they're safe, they're taken care of, and someone knows where, like, someone is waiting for them back at the hotel at the end of the day.
00:20:01
Speaker
I love that. And and knowing that they, um I hate the word safety net, that's not what I mean, but knowing they have people there for them, I assume allows them to flourish, take you know take a step they may not have otherwise taken because they know they've got the power of your company right there behind them. But I could talk about...
00:20:20
Speaker
the people who go on your trips all day, because you know these stories fascinate me. I absolutely love it. But i'd love to pivot slightly and ask you about running this company and you know what is it like? How did you really get started into turning it from one trip to Bali to what it is now?
Successes and Challenges in Organizing Tours
00:20:39
Speaker
If you could talk us through that, I would love to hear.
00:20:42
Speaker
Yeah. um I mean, you know that first trip, was the most difficult thing I've ever done in my career. I think to this day, even, and I've been running trips now for eight years, but that,
00:21:00
Speaker
That trip was exciting, of course, but I had to do everything. i did everything on my own, which is what founders do. um And I had to do it quickly. And so I and i had everything was the first time. So I decided Bali, like I said, because it was sort of the the closest exotic place to where I was, where I was living. And the good thing about this kind of experience is that it doesn't require long. If you, if you play your cards right, it doesn't have to require an upfront investment of very much. And so I have the community, i had the passion, i had the time and my,
00:21:48
Speaker
um under the counter under minimum wage jobs in australia were in good motivation to try something different so i put this trip together and I put together a really ugly Wix website. It was like baby blue background, white cursive writing. It was very ugly. um but it did the job. And so i ended up selling 17 spots on this trip, which was, I oversold. I made a mistake. I i sold more spots than I had beds. So i had to fix that. I got a second, I got a bigger villa and
00:22:33
Speaker
I made so many mistakes. I i can't even. So many mistakes. And it was literally by luck and will that I got through this trip.
00:22:50
Speaker
with 17 very happy travelers. And amazing it is amazing. Looking back, I'm like, damn, I don't but um And it, you know, it came with help along the way. People, you know, I unexpectedly met who wanted to see me do well and helped me in whatever way that they could.
00:23:14
Speaker
I made mistakes like I mean, I had no idea at the time that, like, a Javanese Muslim person and a Balinese Hindu person don't get along. I didn't know that.
00:23:29
Speaker
I didn't know that. Why would you? Exactly. So i had Balinese Hindu assistant who was my fixer, right? And then I had a driver –
00:23:46
Speaker
Javanese Muslim and my driver wouldn't listen to my assistant. And so that was one of many similar problems. um I mean, I could actually probably write a book about that one trip and all the things that secretly went wrong behind the scenes. But at the end of the day, it was so good that nine of those 17 women got our logo tattooed.
00:24:14
Speaker
They asked for tattoo artist. We had a tattoo party. And, um you know, our our logo is really our community symbol and it has a lot of meaning. And they felt so connected to each other and to us that they wanted to commemorate that feeling. And um so that was the first trip. I mean, at the with that kind of ending to a trip, how could I not do more?
00:24:39
Speaker
Absolutely. And i love that we've kind of gone full circle there. They got these tattoos, not because I'm sure it was gorgeous, not but it wasn't because of a connection to Bali, but to each other and to that community. And I think that that's a really beautiful thing. I think it's just just wonderful.
00:24:56
Speaker
what's What's going to be next for the company when you look 2026 and beyond sort of more of the same but growing or have you got new places you want to go what what's next for the solo female travel net travel network we are always trying to create amazing tours to the places that our travelers want to go. And more importantly, experiences that they want to
Cultural Connections and Unique Experiences
00:25:25
Speaker
have. Because sometimes it's not always about the destination. It's about the type of experience, the thing that you want to feel or like the thing that's going to like make you feel alive. So um that's always on my mind. What really cool thing can we do?
00:25:41
Speaker
offer next So this year we have had some really amazing tours as requested by some of our repeat travelers. um This year we released a few new ones. We released Uganda.
00:25:55
Speaker
And to be honest, that one is sick. I mean, i have to say like for the price, lot. And the price and inclusions, the value of this trip is very high. And, you know, it's got the gorillas and the chimp and the gorilla trekking, the chimpanzee trekking. You walk with rhinos, you do the lion trekking, you do the safaris. I mean, it's there's a lot of cultural experiences with women. So, you know, it's not always about the destination for us. It's really about like, can we find, do we have the partnerships in the destination that can enable us to offer experiences and connections that people, that women wouldn't be able to find totally on their own? And if the answer is yes, then we typically put together a tour and see how it goes.
00:26:45
Speaker
I love that that's your focus and I'm not belittling anyone who does this because there's a time and a place and I get it. But, you know talk to people who have quote unquote been to Mexico and never left the hotel.
00:26:58
Speaker
And that's fine. Like I'm not belittling it because that's a time to recharge and reset. you it's in my in the back of my mind and maybe I'm being a little judgmental I'm like well did you really see Mexico you know and I love the fact that you're ensuring that people do what they want to do of course but have the opportunity to be immersed in the culture of where it is you're going and experience things that they couldn't do here that seems to be one of the the real focuses of what you do
00:27:29
Speaker
For sure. I mean, there's a lot of aspects to running a business, of course, but one of my biggest priorities is that our our trips always include and support That support piece is important, supporting the local community and the women that we meet, because when you support them, that's when they include you. That's when they invite you into their homes. That's when they view you as a partner instead of just another tourist. And so the way that we interact with and treat the local people is important just from an ethical standpoint, but then it also enables, you know, it it invites us. they We get invited into homes and into back cool back alley places we maybe never would have found. So if we don't have that kind of connection in ah in a destination, then we don't offer it.
Global Connections and Friendship
00:28:25
Speaker
So sometimes, you know, people can sometimes look at our offerings online and say, wow, this is kind of a random mix of countries. I mean, yes, we go to Uganda and Egypt and um we also go to Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan and we do Ecuador. I mean, it's kind of all over the map and it doesn't always look like it makes sense, but it makes sense to me because these are the destinations where we have friends, essentially.
00:28:56
Speaker
I love that. And you've you've kind of backed into my next question, which is beautifully done. It's like you knew. I was thinking, you know, you're empowering and providing this place for women to go around the world. But when you land somewhere and you take this group somewhere where Perhaps traditionally women have been repressed or not had the same opportunities and perhaps now do. There's something going on there that is allowing women you know the equal opportunities, whether that's businesses or through education or even something like selling crafts on the side of a road. I don't know.
00:29:32
Speaker
Are you able to connect what you do and bringing this group there with, let's just say, like a like-minded group of women in your destination? Yeah, I mean, I think that oftentimes just being a group of women is enough to make women and and just women in general feel more comfortable. right um one One of my favorite examples is in Jordan. we um have the this beautiful Jordan trip. And when we go, we're their favorite group. I mean, they do a lot of this, this NGO in particular, they do welcome a lot of tourists, but we're their favorite because when we show up, we, our, our guide is female. We're all women. We make the driver sit in the car. And when we walk in, they shut all the blinds. They close all the doors. They take off their hijabs. They turn their music up and they teach us how to dance. And, you know, we go for pottery, but we don't usually get around to the pottery because we're just like having too much fun.
00:30:34
Speaker
And after that, we sit around. um They they cook us this like delicious meal. We sit around a fire and It is one of the most genuine cultural exchanges, like conversations that that I've ever had. I mean, there's no question off limits. And it's not only us asking them about about how they live, but it's they ask us questions as well. And so...
00:31:04
Speaker
That's just one example. And every single trip has at least one, at least one, usually multiple um experiences like this. And so it is really special to be traveling as a group of women and to to and go greet women in other countries. I love it. Again, I spoke, my friend Christine that I spoke to yesterday runs this the Women's Book Club good group.
00:31:29
Speaker
And it's it's almost and a parallel story where the book they're reading sounds like the pottery. That's the hook. But she said, honestly, they talk about the book for 10 minutes and the rest of the hour or two hours or whatever it is, is fellowship. It's connection. The book may have brought them together. And yes, they'll touch on it, but it's it's it's so much deeper than that from what she was explaining to me. And it just sounds like a very, Yes, you could learn to do pottery in Jordan and that would be incredible, but connecting with women on the other side of the world and I assume finding so many similarities. I mean, I'm just, I don't want to sort of gender anything, but raising children and things like that across the world and being able to converse with somebody about common issues and things. that I can only imagine how wonderful that must be.
00:32:19
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, I love that. Well, we're kind of rounding the corner here as we kind of get ready to finish off the interview. And if you don't mind, I've not prepped you for these, but I've got three questions for you. Okay. um One, my first one, you can take this as a business owner, as a traveler or just a human being, but how has success changed for you and the definition of success?
Redefining Success and Mentorship
00:32:45
Speaker
Yeah, I'm going to put you on the spot. I'm sorry. No, that's okay. Let me just think for a sec. Of course, you just take your time. it's You can take at various different angles, but I do find that people's view of what success means tends to change.
00:33:00
Speaker
Yeah. You know, when I started offering tours,
00:33:08
Speaker
all I wanted was to feel secure in my life. I wanted a reasonable income, i Nothing crazy. Still don't need anything crazy. But, you know, I just wanted to be able to buy groceries without looking at the cost of every single thing. I mean, at the time when you are long I was traveling long term. was traveling for years doing the nomad thing.
00:33:34
Speaker
I sort of semi settled in Australia for for a time and had such a hard time getting a job. And I had a good time i was having so much fun but i had very little security so when i started that's really you know for myself that's all i that's all i really wanted and you know now that i do have that security i find that my satisfaction and when i feel the most successful is when we have completed
00:34:08
Speaker
a beautiful tour, like the tour of my dreams and I had we do only groups up to 14, but you know, no matter how many people are on that tour, when they come away feeling that traveler excitement that shared first, made their new travel besties, had the experience of a lifetime, I know that feeling. We know that feeling as travelers. And when I can help other women experience that,
00:34:41
Speaker
that is when I feel the most fulfilled and the most successful. i love that. My second question for you is, has there been a book or a piece of music or perhaps both that has been particularly impactful in your life?
00:35:01
Speaker
you You're free to choose one, the other, or both. Totally up to you. I mean, wow. It just like kind of depends If it's like for work, for travel, for personal, i don't know. um it could You could just go with your gut. It could be anything you want, anything, even one that's just got you through some hard times or motivates you or inspires you or plant you know planted a seed in your head.
00:35:31
Speaker
I'm going to actually, i'm going to not answer this question. i'm going to answer a little differently. i love that. Yes. i can think of I can think of countless books and music and, you know, things that have inspired me. But I honestly can't think of one that has changed the trajectory of anything that I've done. Right. And honestly, like, if I tell you what I listen to or watch or read in my in milo in my low moments, like, that's just kind of boring. So what I'm going to say is the
00:36:05
Speaker
The times that the things that have made the biggest impact on my life and my business is when I've had another woman who's a little bit further ahead of me or a lot further ahead of me in terms of whatever I'm working through, especially business. When she sits down with me, holds that space with me and says, you can do it You're going to do it. i like love it. It's that it's that it's it's when a woman.
00:36:33
Speaker
a fellow woman gives me that confidence and a for affirmation. Sometimes we just need to hear it. That's how, that's what made me, that's a big reason why I ultimately did my very first trip to Bali because this one woman in particular who was already an entrepreneur sat me down and said, you fucking got this. Sorry to curse, but you got it.
00:36:55
Speaker
I love that. I love that you took the question a different direction and what a powerful story that is. um And who knows, maybe you've already done that for somebody else or will in the future, which is is kind of what it's all about, right?
00:37:10
Speaker
Passing that on and and and helping create self-belief in others. My final question for you on this, in you know, of my three, is if you were planning your dream trip, wherever that may be, taking people, who is one person, if you could choose somebody from...
00:37:27
Speaker
history, the the present day, somebody you know, somebody you don't know, celebrity, anything. If you could take one person on a trip with you, who would that be?
00:37:40
Speaker
Man, you have some you have some deep questions. I do. Well, I'll tell you now, some people have gone very deep with this. Some people are just like, you know what? I've never been on a trip with my mother before.
00:37:51
Speaker
you know And they've gone that direction too. So it can be as surface level or as deep as you want. it's Just somebody who you think that would be incredible to go on on one of your adventures with.
00:38:03
Speaker
I have two answers. i have two answers um
00:38:10
Speaker
I have been very inspired by Sarah Blakely and loved her masterclass. I watched it early on, earlier on when I was running this business and I, I just really like her. I find her really relatable. She's obviously very successful. She's very good at giving practical advice. clear and direct advice. And I think she's just a girl's girl. So would love her to travel with us. think that would be so fun. that would that would be one.
00:38:44
Speaker
that would be one and then also,
00:38:49
Speaker
i would have to I would have to probably say my grandparents on my mom's side because they were big travelers, especially later in life. And they went to a lot of countries and they kept these travel journals that, um you know, they're both long gone now. But my aunt recently found them and we've been reading them. And so i would love, I didn't realize, I didn't know that they were so adventurous and so... um
00:39:20
Speaker
open and so awed by the world. So I would love to experience the world with them. I love that. And it makes me smile that you're sort of backed into that an impactful book. It sounds like these journals they wrote have had a wonderful influence on your life. That just makes me grin from ear to ear. Now, if people want to follow your adventures, if people want to get in touch with you, what's the best way of doing that?
00:39:48
Speaker
You can find us on Instagram. Solo female travel is our handle. You can also find us online. We actually have a pretty cool for totally free quiz that, you know, if you don't know where you should travel next, or if you just want to take like a cute Cosmo like quiz, um you can take it. It's on our homepage. It's free. No email required. Our web website is sophietravel.com, S-O-F-E travel.com. Or you can get there by the solofemaletravelernetwork.com.
00:40:20
Speaker
You can also find us on Facebook. Our free big Facebook group is always a great resource as well. I love it. Well, Amanda, i've I've interviewed lots of people now. I've heard fascinating stories, but this sitting here talking to you for the last 30 minutes or so, I've just been grinning to ear to ear from ear to ear. As like I said, I've got daughters myself and they're now of the age where they're exploring the world and it makes This this dad's heart happy that there's such a great network and a place for them to feel comfortable and be the very best versions of themselves. So Amanda Black, thank you so very much for being here with me today.
00:41:00
Speaker
Thank you so much for having me. This was great fun.
00:41:05
Speaker
Thank you again to this week's guest and I hope today's episode was as enjoyable for you as it was for me and perhaps even inspired your next adventure. If you did enjoy the show, please be sure to subscribe, leave a review or follow us wherever you get your podcasts. You can find more information at theoutdoorsyeducator.com or follow us on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. Until next time, thank you so much for listening to The Outdoorsy Educator Podcast.