OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN
Shop for spices in the alleyways of Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech
Spend a week exploring Basque cuisine at the Bayonne Festival
Watch mountain gorillas play at the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda
This isn’t your bucket list.
This is reimagining the career you could have.
Share your love of places and cultures by choosing to take the creative career path you’ve always wanted for yourself
And before you even think: “But I’m not qualified” or “I already missed my chance,” Let me tell you, you are and you haven’t.
The travel industry isn’t some exclusive good ol' boys club.
It’s an opportunity to share stories from other cultures.
It’s the space to explore your own voice and where it fits in the world of others’.
It’s the freedom to finally put yourself as a priority and say, “dang it, this is what I want to do, so I’m doing it.”
There’s room for all of us to explore, craft, and create.
And we have the space that provides the support for that.
Hone Your Gift
Telling stories.
You don’t need three degrees and several acronyms after your name to do it. You tell stories all the time. You tell stories to your coworkers about when you last took a vacation to Bali. You tell your friends the story about the time you backpacked a week in Africa after college. You tell your neighbors about eating all the cheese in France, and how you dream of going back.
Telling stories is part of your being.
It’s how you communicate with others and share your experiences. It’s what connects you to the people around you with interest and intrigue.
Why, then, are you keeping this gift from the world? From yourself?
My guess is…
…being on this page, you may have had a story or two published before. Or perhaps you have one typed out, just waiting to make its way to print.
Now’s the time to stop waiting. Now’s the time to scale it up. Now’s the time to get your stories published the way you’ve always wanted them to be.
It’s time to lean into your gift, hone it, and declare that this is what you were meant to do.
Not that you have to quit your job, jump off a cliff, and wave your current life goodbye. But deciding to carve out a career path based on the gift you already have is the most freeing feeling imaginable.
The Circle is the place where creators just like you go to get support, take action, and get their stories published.
The Anatomy of a Travel Story with Jessica Potevien
This October inside The Circle
Join us inside The Circle for a three-part travel writing workshop series this October with Jessica Poitevien, a travel writer with more than a decade of experience in writing for Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, Fodor's Travel, and many more.
Workshop Schedule
Workshop 1: Generating Ideas and Pitching
Mon, Oct 3, 10:30am EST
We’ll cover everything from coming up with a good idea, writing the pitch, and finding the right publication/editor to send it to.
Workshop 2: Pitch Critique + Finding Sources and Interviewing
Mon, Oct 17, 12pm EST
We’ll spend the first 15-20 min reviewing your pitch critiques. After, we’ll learn the importance of bringing in outside sources, how to lead interviews, email vs phone call interviews, and how to ask the right questions.
Workshop 3: Developing Story Structure
Mon, Oct 24, 12pm EST
You have your pitch, you’ve conducted interviews - now let’s bring it all together!
Imagine level members get audio access to the workshops
Rise & Soar level members get LIVE access to the workshops
Our Circle Members Are Waiting For You To Take Up Space
The pillars of The Circle were created to guide and support storytellers like you to actively carve out a career path for themselves inside travel media
🔸 Responsible Reporting
There is a right way and a wrong way to be a travel writer or photographer. And the wrong way has been in the media more times than you, I, or my old Kodak point-and-shoot can count.
Over the years, I’ve learned that sharing people’s stories is a responsibility I’m honored to have.
Not everyone gets to be a storyteller for the people who aren’t able (or don’t choose) to travel, which is why it’s important to honor and share culture without colonizing it.
🔸 Step by Actionable Step
Yes, there was a time when I looked at my Instagram and thought “It sure is beautiful! Someone is bound to discover me!”
It was easy for me to believe, especially with the stories floating around social media of someone just “being discovered” for being great.
That’s not how things work. There will not be a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand and poof getting published into your lap.
You have to be intentional about it. Together, we’ll work on your pitches, how they’re structured, who to pitch to, and how many times.
(Yes, that’s multiple).
Discovery doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because you take the steps to be discovered.
🔸 Incredible Support
What happens when you get together with other storytellers passionate about travel who are learning how strong their confidence really is?
You get unwavering support that feeds and fuels the people around you. Because as much as we all want to succeed individually, it’s even more powerful when we succeed together.
The Circle was built for people with a passion for travel who want to get their stories published by getting support, doing the work, and growing together in community with like-minded travelers.
If that’s you—amazing! You’re in the right place.
You’re going to LOVE The Circle and we’d love to have you join us.
“I joined The Circle to become part of a group of like-minded women who want the same things from life that I want—travel and adventure plus a fulfilling career. To have a community whose members support your efforts can be invaluable, especially for those of us who travel a lot and/or may not have anyone who "gets it." I don't have anyone in my life who understands my goals or vision for my life, so I am glad this community is here for me.”
– Monica
Watch our Circle info session
Recorded in a true Circle globetrotting fashion – at a bustling coffee shop in Amman, Jordan – this info session is only 20 minutes long and it will give you a preview of what it’s like to be in community with us.
“Alright, Yulia. Everything sounds pretty good, but what am I actually getting myself into with The Circle?”
I’m so glad you asked! The short-term list is below.
The long-term list includes confidence that spills over from seeing your stories accepted by other people.
You get direct access to Yulia Denisyuk (Travel Media Lab founder, award-winning, published travel photographer and writer, entrepreneur, community builder) for a fraction of what it usually costs to have 1:1 coaching calls with her.
You get focus with a monthly theme that explores one specific area each month, like getting to know your strengths or finding your worthy.
You get feedback with our pitch review where you share your pitch and we help you make it stronger. (And with Yulia’s pitch acceptance rate of ~35% versus the industry average of ~10%, you’ll want this feedback!)
You get accountability towards your goals that sets the tone for your entire month and ensures you make progress.
You get clarity with a bi-weekly travel media opportunities list curated by Yulia from an overwhelming ocean of things you could be pursuing.
You get access to brainstorming & coaching with a monthly group call where we cover your specific pitch and idea challenges (we call it being in a Love Seat) and a variety of exclusive workshops on themes like responsible storytelling or launching your own magazine.
You get to rise up together in a community of other brilliant creators with similar aspirations so all that energy and determination can rub off on you.
You learn how to make worthy decisions instead of guilt-fear-and-doubt-ridden decisions, shift your behavior, and make progress toward your dream.
Another big benefit: The Circle is a relaxed, flexible situation. No long-term commitment. Though we recommend at minimum a three-month membership, you can cancel your monthly membership anytime. Just give us 14 days notice.
Very little risk. You pretty much can’t lose. Try it out at one of several tiers available and see if this is your thing (we’re pretty sure that you’ll love it).
Take a peek inside The Circle.
What exactly happens inside The Circle?
Here’s a peek:
You hang out inside a dedicated website and a discussion forum (NOT Facebook). Pop in once a day, once a week, however often you want. Get to know other members in The Circle and ask questions. Each month is dedicated to a specific theme and all the content is recorded so you’ll never miss a thing.
Monthly Focus Workshop, first Monday of every month at 2 pm EST. We’ll reveal a theme we’ll be focusing on throughout the month, like getting to know your strengths or finding your worthy.
Monthly Ideas Brainstorm Call third Thursday of every month at 2 pm EST with an opportunity to get input on your ideas and brainstorm pitches, topics, angles, and publications to pitch.
Weekly check-in calls every Monday at 1 pm EST where we dig into and get support on your specific challenges of the moment.
On-demand Pitch Review, where you get to share your pitches with our community and get feedback that makes your pitch stronger
An accountability process. Bring your dreams, get clarity, set goals, get input, and keep moving forward with a WhatsApp group dedicated to making progress.
Brilliance workshops with The Circle Founder Yulia Denisyuk and guests. Impromptu workshops where Yulia teaches new content or brings onboard an amazing guest you’ll want to hear from on topics ranging from becoming an entrepreneur to building your creative path.
A community of creators and storytellers that are working on the same thing as you. This is where the magic of The Circle really happens!
Circle Members Get Results
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Circle Members Get Results •
Here are just a few of the publications our members have been published in!
Take a peek at the whole list here.
❝ Being a Circle member taught me to be braver and bolder than I ever thought possible. I was missing those reminders in my life-so here I am in The Circle! I'm so happy to be back in such a joyful, supportive, energetic space, and I really hope we all continue to light one another up."
– Hannah
The Circle is NOT a Facebook Group
There are tons of communities out there being hosted on Facebook Groups. We get it… Facebook is so 2018. We want to do this a little bit differently. The Circle is an exclusive space that’s NOT hosted on Facebook. We’re looking for focus, not constant feed distractions.
True community
We’re looking for people who want to engage. Our people want to rise up and thrive together and they are committed to doing the work it takes to get there. This means that you’re not just passing by The Circle when you’re on your feed. You go there with intention: to make your dreams happen, step by tiny step.
Focus
Facebook feeds are so 2018. It’s time to reimagine what an online community could look like. The Circle has it all: structured resources and a space for you to discuss and get feedback on projects. It fosters focus and intent to make things happen: two things you’ll need on this journey!
Connection
It’s a fact: we’re starved for connection. Yes, Zoom can link us to others around the world, but it’s not about the how — it’s about the who. Who do you want to surround yourself with? The Circle is not a random compilation of people. It’s a curated community of like-minded hearts. You belong here.
Meaning
We do not need more information. We need someone to help us make meaning out of all the information we’re bombarded with every day. In The Circle, you will not get bombarded with anything (besides unabashed support). It’s your place to go to recharge, connect, and reinvigorate your dreams.
Sample monthly programming
Each month, we’ll focus on a specific theme to unpack and process
Nailing The Story
Asking For More Money
Expanding Your Writing Practice
Coming Up With Story Angles
Your brilliant co-conspirator is already in The Circle.
Finding a friend who gets what you’re trying to do with your dream creative life is incredible.
She’ll keep you honest when your fears get the best of you and keep you on track when you’ll want to give up. The comraderie that our members experience alone is worth joining The Circle.
There are so many memberships and clubs for creators out there. We know you’ve got other options.
Our Circle is the most nurturing. And the most fun.
Our members are not afraid to get vulnerable with each other and cheer on each other even when it's hard. We are smart, well-traveled, passionate, humble, and kind.
If these are the kind of people you want in your circle, you belong here. Join us!
The Luckiest Person In The World
That’s exactly how I feel every time I go on an all-expense-paid assignment. I get to travel the world. I get to meet communities and experience new cultures. I get to listen and learn from their stories.
And I have the honor (and responsibility) of communicating those stories to others. Which is kind of a big deal.
(And if you’ve made it this far down the page, I’m pretty sure this is a big deal to you, too.)
I’ve had the freedom to reimagine success and prioritize what I love. And what I love is telling stories. When I decided to share my path with others, I never dreamed of what would come of it. I honestly figured it was just me sharing my story:
I did all the “right” things in my 9-5 life. I climbed the corporate ladder. I paid my bills on time. I did my weekly workouts and attended all my team meetings. And I quickly realized I was living someone else’s life when what I really wanted was to create something that would light up my fire. In the vision I had for MY life, I felt like a fully-realized creative human.
So six years ago, I quit that job. I didn’t have much money. I didn’t have any direction. I had no support or connections in the field I was after, travel journalism. All the odds were stacked against me “making it” here.
If I could do it then, you can absolutely do it now.
And when I shared my path with others, they looked at me and said, “Yulia, that’s me, too. I’m having butterflies.”
They saw themselves within my story. They saw what they wanted. And most importantly, they saw that what they wanted was both important AND possible.
People everywhere are waking up to the call to finally do the thing they’ve always wanted. We’re just providing the space to explore and support it with my experience and knowledge leading the way.
I really am the luckiest person in the world to create the career path I’ve made for myself.
I want you to be the luckiest person in the world for the exact same reason.
This is where we get to show you our gushing reviews 🙈
✨
❝ I've learnt so much already from other people's ideas, pitches, and challenges and received great advice. The main thing though is my confidence has grown. I can pitch and be commissioned to write, or be rejected and that's ok. I feel like the world is full of possibilities. And finally, a genuine thank you for running the Circle. I've run peer networks before and it's not easy to get the energy right and make it meaningful but you really do!”
— Charlotte
✨
❝ I said to myself: I don’t need this. But then I was like, No you do. You need the accountability. You need someone who can be in your corner and who can cheer on you and help you get stuff done. You’ve been alone for all this time and it’s really easy to just be in the shadow. Now it’s time to step out and be in the light.”
— Monica
✨
❝ I joined The Circle so I don’t lose that momentum or get discouraged if things take a little longer than I hope. Looking forward to getting to know some like-minded women."
— Vanessa
✨
❝ I am only three months in, but I already feel part of a community. I think that was part of my decision too. I was missing a creative community during the time of Covid. Thank you for creating the course and group, and being so generous with your time and knowledge and making each of us feel seen.”
— Kimberly
✨
❝ Being a Genie taught me to be braver and bolder than I ever thought possible. I was missing those reminders in my life-so here I am in The Circle! I'm so happy to be back in such a joyful, supportive, energetic space and really hope we all continue to light one another up."
— Hannah
✨
❝ By aligning with all of you also being brave enough to give a creative endeavor a go, I'm hoping this space will be a way for me to get over my fear of sharing my work and get some things published."
— Ashley
About Travel Media Lab
Travel Media Lab is a platform that helps you break into – and thrive in – the travel media space ✨
WE’RE ON A MISSION:
Helping women creators worldwide build their confidence so that they can fulfill their potential and pursue their big creative dreams while feeling supported, worthy, and bold. We believe that when more women get confident and use their voices, our world benefits as a result.
Travel Media Lab was founded by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer and writer with work in National Geographic, BBC Travel, and more.
Yulia was a US Navy Sailor and a corporate brand manager for over a decade at the world’s biggest consumer goods companies. She quit her job to boldly pursue her dreams four years ago and since then, she’s worked with the world’s dreamiest magazines and went on assignments to incredible places like Mongolia and Rwanda. More recently, Yulia alongside other expert travel photographers and writers was invited to lead a masterclass on travel photography for National Geographic Traveller (UK). She’s also a resident travel journalism expert at She’s Wanderful, a premier women’s travel community.
Today, Yulia is kickstarting a movement with the Travel Media Lab community to help women everywhere publish their travel stories—not alone, but together with other incredible women.
Choose your membership level
IMAGINE TIER
$27 a month
> Access to all our recorded workshops & calls in your own private podcast feed
> Great for audio lovers who want to try out The Circle to see what it's all about
> Cancel anytime with 14 days notice
Read our terms and policies here
JOIN NOW!
RISE TIER
$97 a month
> Everything in Imagine AND
> One monthly LIVE brainstorming call
> LIVE access to special workshops
> Our online community
> Recorded workshops & content in video
> Pitch Review
> Top 5 Pitch Opportunities
> Our online discussion space and support
> Cancel anytime with 14 days notice
Read our terms and policies here
JOIN NOW!
SOAR TIER
$247 a month
> Everything in Rise AND
> LIVE access to weekly calls
> LIVE access to all our workshops and events
> Opportunity to ask questions and get coaching from Yulia LIVE
> Our private WhatsApp group
> Cancel anytime with 14 days notice
Read our terms and policies here
JOIN NOW!
Your Goals Are A Priority
For as long as you can remember, you’ve done all the things for all the people. You check to make sure everyone around you is taken care of. Unloading the dishwasher is the first thing on your to-do list when you get up in the morning so your loved ones don’t have to deal with it. Your boss sends you a message asking you to work overtime on Friday and you agree without thinking twice.
You’ll do whatever it takes to make sure things run smoothly for all the people around you.
But what about you?
Have you realized it yet? You’re putting your own aspirations on perpetual hold while focusing on everyone else’s. No. More.
It’s time to raise your voice. Make YOU a priority. Regardless of “only” publishing a few pieces (or none at all). Regardless of where you are in your 9-5. Regardless of how long ago you thought it was possible.
It’s possible now.
You can do it now. You can get published now. You just have to decide that from now on, you’re a priority.
You’re worth it.
STILL NOT SURE? TAKE A TEST DRIVE!
Curious about joining The Circle…but not feeling ready to commit just yet?
Listen to the Travel Media Lab Podcast (it’s free!) or download the guide to publishing your stories (also free).
We’re pretty sure you’ll be enamored, and you’ll want to come join us in The Circle.
We’ll be waiting for you with open arms and a glass of Spanish red.
FAQs
Is The Circle for women only?
The Circle was created for women and their supporters.
We believe it’s important for all women to have a space where we can support each other and discuss the challenges we face while going after our dreams.
You are more than welcome to join us if you are non-binary, male or of another gender identification other than ‘women,’ love our mission and want to be in community with us.
I’m just getting started and don’t know what my creative dream could look like. Is The Circle too “advanced” for me?
No! We welcome creators at all stages of their creative journeys. If you have a creative dream—whether it’s photography, writing, storytelling, or building your own blogging empire—The Circle will get you just the boost of confidence you need to get started.
We also want you in The Circle because it’s so, so important to know you’re not alone when you’re just getting started. Trust us, we’ve been there!
I’m an established creative “entity” already. Is The Circle going to be too “basic” for me?
Let us ask you: are you feeling supported in your journey? Are your doubts and worries under control? Do you have a community of women you can turn to when you’re facing challenges? If not, then The Circle is not too basic for you. It’s exactly what you need to fully step into your brilliance, and we’d love to have you!
As a seasoned creative, you’ll get inspired by your peers and learn a ton from our monthly themes and coaching practices. You might learn a thing or two from the women in The Circle who are just starting out, too!
You’ve been doing this whole creative thing for a while, which means you’ve been around long enough to know that it is hard.
Simply put: having a community that gets your struggles and provides incredible support is a must for success no matter where you are in this journey.
I’m an introvert. I don’t really like group settings.
So is Yulia! That’s why our Circle is low-pressure, embrace-all, come-as-you-are situation. We’re not going to force you to chat with us on video or show up for every session (although we’d love to see you for sure!). We know that each person’s energy ebbs and flows and we respect that.
We also know that even introverts need human connection with likeminded people, especially in the age of COVID. You belong here, and you’ll be inspired by what the other women creators in The Circle are doing.
Lastly, there’s a reason why creative communes gather people who want to unleash their creativity under the same roof. When you surround yourself with people on a similar path, it inspires you to become even more determined to stay on it, too.
I’m not based in the US. Can I join?
Absolutely! Our Circle members come from all corners of the world. The more global, the merrier. And if you can’t always join our scheduled sessions, don’t worry: all sessions are recorded so you’ll never miss a thing, no matter what time zone you’re in.
Can I get a refund if I’m not enjoying The Circle?
We don’t offer refunds, however, you can cancel anytime—just give us a 14 days notice.
What happens after I join?
Almost immediately after joining us, you’ll receive a welcome email with an invitation to join our private community and access the member site. So, once you commit, you’re in The Circle immediately!
I have another question that’s not addressed here.
Email us at hello@travelmedialab.co