S3 E30: Build Your Own Ship with travel creator Caoilfhionn Rose

Get the show’s transcript:

Caoilfhionn:   I've said this to a couple of people who have reached out to me about. You know, taking the sleep  and recognizing that you should be in your own spotlight now is the time, I mean, People think it's a global pandemic. You can't don't do anything.  it's, these kind of times are like the perfect time for you to just step out of your comfort zone.

[00:00:20] Everything else is in flames. So it doesn't matter. Why go and puddle someone else's canoe when you can be, building your own ship. And I think nine is the time to be honest, literally don't think about it.

[00:00:32] Just do it.  there is no time like the present, but this particular present is so good.

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[00:00:38]Yulia:  Welcome to the genius women podcast.  I'm your host, Yulia, Dennis yuck and award winning travel photographer and writer  with work in some incredible publications like  national geographic  farm magazine and more.  And this year  you see my name in places like   Conde Nast traveler.  I'm on a mission to help other women who wants to grow their trouble, storytelling, careers, go after their dreams  while feeling supported, worthy, and bold. If you're ready to ditch your fear and doubts to the side,  step into your brilliance and take action on your dreams. You're in the right place. Let's go.

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[00:01:19] Keelan rose and I met on clubhouse, which she reminded me of in this conversation.  Keelan is a talented storyteller photographer writer, content creator,  and she's working with publications like L and suitcase as well as various other travel brands.  Keelan is also the founder of cruiser collective, a value driven agency, working with lifestyle and travel brands around the world.

[00:01:44] In this conversation, we trace Keeling's path from working for an agency to starting her own business.  The concrete steps should suit to make the stream area for her and what she learned along the way.  And even though we just recently met, we really got into a lot of conversations, old friends with get into  like the process of aging for women, bro culture, the future of the publishing industry and why you should stop paddling someone else's canoe and start building your own ship.

[00:02:14] I love that metaphor, Keelan.  I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. Let's get started.

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[00:02:22] Yulia: Welcome Keelan. So good to have you on the podcast today. 

[00:02:26] Caoilfhionn: Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited. 

[00:02:28] Yulia: Me too. And I don't remember how we got connected. I mean, I know it was on Instagram, but all of a sudden like, oh, here's this awesome person who was doing all this beautiful work. And I love what you're talking about on her stories and everything. And we connected a little bit and now you're here, which is awesome.

[00:02:46] Caoilfhionn: It was actually on clubhouse that we first connected. Yes. Where you were in the same room. Is that what you call them? I can't remember. Cause I haven't used it in so long, but we were in the same room. and I was speaking on the panel  and then you put your hands up and you came up and you were talking and that's how we connected then through Instagram and just kept messaging each other, 

[00:03:06]which was nice. And then we had our coffee over zoom. 

[00:03:09] Yulia: We did with it. Yes. Which is for our listeners. I do these things.  I call them genius women, coffee charts. So sometimes I'm just having coffee with people all over the world,

[00:03:19] Caoilfhionn: I told everyone about that. Like, I've been doing some  workshops with people who just want to get into personal branding and really, you know, brand themselves online  in line with their career.  And I said, you know, I met this lady. She does this really cool thing where she just sends you a calendar link and you schedule 15 minutes with her to have coffee, which you would do anyway during your day.

[00:03:41] And you meet somebody and that's, she keeps it to that 15 minutes. I was perfect for networking. So I've literally told everybody. 

[00:03:49]Yulia: Awesome. I'm glad. I'm glad that it's spreading. That's really cool. well, I'm really excited to have you on the podcast today.  you're joining us from Edinburgh, right? 

[00:03:58]Caoilfhionn: Yes I am. And date. 

[00:04:00]Yulia: Wonderful. And  Keelan rose is beautiful photographer, storyteller, a writer creator. and we're going to get into all that good stuff on the podcast today.

[00:04:13] But before we do, I actually want to ask you this question. So, Before we started today, you sent me one of your favorite photos, which was from a  recent road trip. You did Scotland, which we're also going to talk about.  so tell me, what is it that you love about this image?

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[00:04:28]Caoilfhionn:  while I was traveling around in Scotland, I was shooting for different clients, but I was in these amazing places. And I do like to have photographs for myself, featuring myself for my Instagram as well.  So I started to really experiment with self shooting.  I'd always wanted to go to this castle Craig of our castle.

[00:04:46]Beautiful. It is actually pink. People have been messaging me. Like, did you Photoshop that pink?  No,  it's not even as pink in my image as it is in real life.  So I went there it was raining so heavily and it was. So cold. This was just last week as well.  And it was one of the very few places that I've been that looks better in real life than it does on Instagram.

[00:05:09]So I was just like completely overwhelmed by that. And I just, the sheer magnitude of the castle as well, I'd been to another one earlier that day, which was just ginormous.   I couldn't even comprehend how big it was. It was like a Disney castle  where this one was a little smaller. But it was just so beautifully designed.

[00:05:27] And so when I shot that photo,  I wanted the castle to be the main thing in focus. And so that's why I'm out of focus. but I just wanted to document my time there. Um, Yeah, I just love that photo  and it was really moody sky and classic Scottish weather. So.

[00:05:44] Yulia: Yeah, it's really beautiful. And for our listeners, we're going to link to it on our show in the show notes, so you can check it out, but color of the castle is just almost like being Solomon, Sipe,  coral, almost. It's so beautiful. And you, look very determined in that photo, but also very mystical and sort of like the whole vibe is very mystical and moody.

[00:06:06] And when I think of Scotland's like, I've never been to Scotland, but when I think of it, that's the vibe I get. So, so am I right?  

[00:06:13] Caoilfhionn: A hundred percent. It's very missed ago.  I feel like if it was a person that would be very aloof, you would think that they were moody all the time. And there's just a sort of a grand juror bites, everything there.  When I did the camper van trip, I've put so many videos cause I set my phone up in the.

[00:06:30]Cup holder and so many videos of just panning landscapes and in the box. Oh my God.

[00:06:35] And I've lived in Scotland for 10 years, but there was roads that I drove on where I was like, this is not, cannot be real. so there's a lot of that in Scotland, which I love.

[00:06:45]Yulia:   that sounds amazing. And you guys, you have to go check out Keeling's Instagram, we're going to link to it as well.  She posts just absolutely beautiful reels all kinds of different posts, but particularly from the  recent posts that she mentioned. In Scotland and the camper van is super cute.

[00:07:01] So  definitely 

[00:07:02] go check it out.  so your stories have been published in some amazing magazines, like L like suitcase and some others.  And you've also founded Crusoe collective, which is a digital media agency for travel and lifestyle brands. And we're going to get into that a little bit later in the podcast.

[00:07:22]But I'm just curious. How did you enter this world of travel and storytelling? Like, did you always know that that's what you wanted to do? Or was there something else that you were dreaming about as a kid? So  tell us that story.

[00:07:34] Caoilfhionn: I always loved writing. So I would always write random notes to my mom and make her write back to me, even though we lived in the same house. So that was all the time. And she pacified me. and you know, and I studied like English and stuff  at school. And while I was at school, I thought I wanted to be a journalist.

[00:07:53] So I started writing for the local newspaper. I had no prior knowledge of what a journalist. You know, the, sort of the nitty gritty of the skillsets. I just thought I'll just give us a go. and then I was advised not to study journalism at university that it wasn't a lucrative career. make a lot of money. 

[00:08:08] Yulia: Interesting. hear that you're not the first person that tells me sort of that, scenario who 

[00:08:14] told you about  my careers advisor. 

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[00:08:17]Caoilfhionn: And so I applied to do law. And I applied to the English lit law was in Belfast. English lit was in Edinburgh, my moment. And I had a very turbulent summer. So I moved to Edinburgh when I went to university  to study English lit.  And while I was there, I, during the summers, I would travel a lot in that was the first time that I  traveled in a way that Wilson going on holiday with my family. so I really got, you know, into exploring and just immersing myself in different cultures. I backpacked around Europe and I did the inter real thing as everyone does, but I camped everywhere. So I just brought a tent which was really fun. And then the following year, I went to New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

[00:08:59] And that was the one, that really. Straightaway set me. I light a new ride,  have to get a job. That means that I can travel. I looked up many jobs that would mean that I could travel around the world, including being an ambassador for GMs and whiskey. That's how desperate I was  I knew I don't like whiskey.

[00:09:17] and yeah, I just started writing for different publications, not so much in travel as such Like feed, et cetera. And then I started writing for this other magazine where that really sort of propelled my just my skill sets in travel writing.  but also my passion for storytelling. I then left, it was called high Sococo magazine. So I was there for awhile. and then. I realize that I'm necessary. You probably find this with us publications as well. A lot of the,  publications, they don't really go in. To a deep sort of knowledge and interest in storytelling, abide cultures and a by different destinations.

[00:09:56] It's sometimes very surface level, which for me as a traveler, that's not what I want.   The work that I'm producing, I don't want that to be surface level. I really want to tell the story of the people, the local business owners the independent restaurants. Whatever it might be.

[00:10:11] Then I started  teaching myself photography because I think you can tell a different story and sometimes a more emotive story through one photograph than you can through like an a thousand word article. So. Once I started doing that, I realized this was a place where there was a whole different type of creative tribal work that could be done as you see with like huge, travel content creators, like Sam colder or,  Elliot Simpson.

[00:10:38]So. started going that way. I have been working on agency and social media on the side and thought, okay, well, I can bring these two things together to make Crucell collective, which is photography, video, social, digital campaigns, and brand strategy. And I'm very lucky to have friends who work in this space as well, who are very creative.

[00:11:00] they actually own another agency. Called the wedding collective, who I also work for.  and yeah, they just inspire me daily. and we really, you know, push each other to be better and  not just to be better creators, but to be better travelers. And that's sort of my M nigh, especially after COVID to just actually respect places that I visit and tell their stories and the way they would want them to be told and not in a sort of a whitewashed Western way. 

[00:11:24]Yulia: Yes. Oh my God. So she's done so many important and beautiful topics there.  First of all, completely agree with you. And I felt this way for a long time that a lot of the work that you get with magazines,  you're absolutely right. Or you're spot on it's so surface level,  I sort of told myself that particularly as I grow in my career, that  I will try my hardest to only do the type of work that allows me to get deeper.

[00:11:51]But  it's hard. It's like an evolution, right? At first you have to ride a lot of different things and you have to get your skills and you have to build your connections. But then at least what I found is that now I'm able to say, you know what, this is the kind of story that I want to produce.

[00:12:04] I'm no longer going to pitch those. Like listicle, you know, top 10 beaches in Thailand or something stories. I'm going to work with magazines that hopefully give me that creative freedom to go deeper.  But I absolutely recognize that tension that you're talking about how amazing that you actually took that into your own hands.

[00:12:23] And you said, well,  if I can do this at the magazines, I'm going to create my own agency where I'm able to. now that creative freedom go deeper, which is so cool, like that's absolutely amazing to see.

[00:12:34] Caoilfhionn: It's funny as well. Cause it's kind of done a 360 in that it's got me noticed by different magazines and who then have approached me for work, but it's little things for me now I'm the same as you only want to do things that well, things that I feel pride of unfulfilled by, but also. Things that allow me to go deeper.

[00:12:52] I don't want anyone to ever be able to turn round and say to me, oh, that pace that you wrote by such an, a place doesn't even represent that. And I feel that's the way the world is going.  So I just want to future proof myself and that way as well.  but. Yeah.

[00:13:07] it's interesting because there's a magazine in the UK.

[00:13:11] That's having a big shift now where of course they have to be very commercially minded in terms of, you know, getting advertorials and stuff, but they're doing a big shift towards digital storytelling and beyond the written word,  which I think will be a really interesting move. But  you know, people have been doing this for years.

[00:13:28]Yulia: 

[00:13:28] Caoilfhionn: it's strange that. Such a huge industry it's taken so long to adapt. 

[00:13:33] Yulia: Yeah. Well, and  it's because you know, who are the gatekeepers? The gatekeepers needs to evolve

[00:13:39] the industry to evolve.  Somebody asked me this question recently. I think it might've been on call Paul it's   the thing the magazines are dying?  people always ask that question because we hear a lot about,  publishing industries in flux.

[00:13:50] It's always sort of in the state, but my answer was, and I really believe that is that  media might change. The magazine might not invest as much into its print publication, but like you said, they're going online. Or of course they are, they have been online for so many years,   they're going into video audio, even  some, you know,  I was in the room once with on clubhouse with lonely planet.

[00:14:13] Lonely planet was doing stuff on clubhouse, you know? So it's like,  Storytelling is always going to be there. That's like our very innate human need. And so I'm not worried that the magazines are all of a sudden gonna just die out.  To me, it's more about who's going to innovate and   be on top of it, of the game when it comes to the medium, how you put the stories out, right.

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[00:14:35] Caoilfhionn: I think as I like magazines, like suitcase, for example, independent magazines, they're thriving because they are so niche on. It's not about gatekeeping. It's not a bite. Who's spending the most money  on advertorials, it's just about a subject matter that people care about it. And I really love that and they invest so much more time in design and photography and they just look so beautiful.

[00:15:00] And it's more like a smaller investment piece rather than you pick up. Grotzia. Every week or however often it is now or a fashion mag  on the shelf. So I would love to publish my own ND mag. That's like my biggest rig 

[00:15:14] And then watch the next week and all the print and places. 

[00:15:19] Yulia: I have some insights.  , we have one of the episodes for the podcast this season is with Nikki Vargas, who is a founding editor of unearth women magazine.  which is an amazing publication here in the U S and in the genius women community, there's also Ashley Halligan, who is a founder of Pilgrim magazine.

[00:15:39] So both of these women,  they're both doing just amazing things. but of course, it's also very challenging  to run a magazine. We're actually going to do a workshop  For community on that on creating your own magazine.  I feel like there's a lot of people who have aspirations to work in that space.

[00:15:55] Caoilfhionn: So I actually studied a master's in magazine publishing because that's what I. Was so hell bent on in, but as you said, the industry is in flux. It evolves a lot,  sometimes slower than others. So I thought  I'd get all of these other bits up to speed first, and then we can do the money. 

[00:16:13]Yulia: Yes.  I think there's so many different ways to do that. You know, even with what you're doing with the Crusoe collective, you're building that brand who said, I mean, I'm not saying that's what you're going to do, but like,  Perhaps there is like a magazine arm or with in the future or something like that, which actually brings me to this question.

[00:16:28] So, you mentioned, you know, that you were working for different agencies, et cetera. And  then you decided that you can do it on your own. You can launch cruiser collective. You had some examples  with your friends with the wind collective, et cetera.

[00:16:40] So I'm curious, sort of what gave you that, that determination and that strength to say, you know what, I'm just gonna open my own thing. I'm just gonna go and do it in my head.

[00:16:49]Caoilfhionn: I think like I at the time was going on a lot of press trips. I would use my annual leave from the agency to do that. While at the agency I worked at, at the time, they were really great in that they  allowed us to freelance and have other creative outlets because they just said, if you are creatively fulfilled there, you're going to perform better and work, which I really agreed with.

[00:17:12] And it was brilliant. But at the end of the day, for me, What I was doing on the day to day and the nine to five, just wasn't what I wanted, but I knew that the framework of what they did could just be lifted and put onto a different brand or different client. Like I knew how to run it. I knew about a kind of direction and client management.

[00:17:33] So I just thought, well, I have all of these contexts in the travel industry. I know how to do this, so let's just do it on. I took me a long time to actually have the balls to do it,  but I had said to myself, okay, I'm going to see if  I'd moved from London to Edinburgh. So immediately my life costs was half price, basically.

[00:17:55] So I said to myself, okay, I'm going to see a 10 grand and the day that I have that tan guys and Pines in my bank account, then I'm handed in my notice. And that's what it did.  And then, yeah, I'm nearly two years in and 

[00:18:09] there was the best decision ever.

[00:18:10] Yulia: I love that. I love that so much. And first of all, what you said about like, recognizing that it took you a long time to get to that decision point, because it is hard, right? Let's recognize that that's the reason why. so many people are hesitating because it isn't difficult decision. And, you know, I want to get into some of that toobut.

[00:18:31]The other thing that I think I want to pull out here where you sat is that you had a very concrete goal of saving, you know, that 10,000 pounds.  And for all of us, it's going to be a difference goal. But the key is that.  And I always say this, I feel like I'm sometimes like a broken record, but then the more tangible you can make.

[00:18:50] Whatever your vision is, whatever you're trying to do the better, because until you make it tangible until it's just a fuzzy idea in your head, first of all, nothing's going to happen. But also you're not going to take any steps toward it because it's like sort of this fuzzy all one day I would love to, but you actually made a tangible, you're like, no, I need 10,000 pounds.

[00:19:09] That's my plan, you know? And once I get it, I'm out of here. I love that. That's 

[00:19:15]amazing. I just like,  what was putting me off worse was the, obviously the lack of a monthly paycheck. I thought, oh my God, how would I do this? You know, I luckily had built up a, quite a nice little freelance roster because our agency let us do that. And I. Just knew that if I had 10,000 Pines, I could use that.

[00:19:36]Caoilfhionn:  I can make that work for six months. And if I don't have work in six months, then I have probably made a very monumental mistake. But. it was worth it for me, for the creative freedom on to be able to work on things that I wanted to. Although granted, initially  I worked on anything and everything because I was nervous.

[00:19:55] I was fresh to the game, a new business owner, but now I'm at the stage where I'll just say, no, I'm sorry that doesn't align with me. It doesn't align with the brand. However, I can put you in touch with a person who would be best placed for this  on that's like a kind of. Pilar unconfidence that I had never imagined hobbing a workaholic to actually turn around and say, no, thanks. 

[00:20:17] Yulia: Yes. It's amazing to be able to say that you feel like you're aligned so much with your brand, with your own vision and  that's amazing. I'm glad that  you're at that stage that's really cool.  I think a couple of things that you said there, first of all, the importance of having that roster  of clients to reach out to, and, for people who are listening and who might say, well, I don't have that roster of clients.

[00:20:40] Like, what do I do? What would you recommend to them?

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[00:20:42] Caoilfhionn: I think the best thing for me was that I just had a little side hustle that slowly, let me build up on that. So if you fail it, you're not ready to take the leap.  That's totally fine. You have to do it when you feel ready, but you can prepare for that in advance. Like I was preparing for this for maybe three, four years before I did it. 

[00:21:01]Yulia: 

[00:21:01] 

[00:21:01]Caoilfhionn:   what annoys me now not to go well, I'm going off based on tech talk. A lot of people are like, I just decided to start a digital marketing business and now I make $20,000 a month. I'm like, no,  no, you don't. That doesn't happen. Stop talking bullshit, because they also really romanticized the grind, which  it was very big a couple of years ago as well to be like, oh, the side hustler.

[00:21:25] That's really cool. Like you're so edgy that there's nothing cooler by burnout. I can tell you firsthand. It's not fun.  And now with the last year,  And everybody's slowing down and no, the piece picking back up again. I can recognize when my body is actually saying stop, take a break. And I think  if you are getting into this sort of side hustle to build up your freelance roster, don't burn yourself eyes because you're going to lose.

[00:21:52]That passion that you have  for your end goal of being self-employed or owning your own business, and then you fall into the first hurdle. Basically  also really great platforms are obviously genius women all bright andgirl boss just for networking. That's really nice too.

[00:22:08] And I think people are very much more open to digital network night cause of COVID. So anywhere that you can do that or clubhouse where we met, then there's always going to be someone out there who needs  your skillset. 

[00:22:18] Yulia: Absolutely. I love that you brought this up because to me, it's also a very bro. Approach. Through this like yeah. Hustle hard.

[00:22:27] Caoilfhionn: Yeah. It's very well from balls straight. 

[00:22:30]Yulia: Yes. Right. And for very long time, all of us were caught up in it, honestly, but I'm glad that now more and more people are talking about it because gosh, first of all, it's not sustainable.  and  I found that I do better work when I'm rested, when I have a normal hours to work on and not crazy hours.

[00:22:48]and I think the other thing to touch up on here, which is sort of  were kind of going into a bit of a.  Interesting side discussion, but Liz Gilbert, who is  one of my favorite authors, she says this thing it's too much to ask of your creativity to pay the bills. And she's referring to like writing a book perhaps, or something in those terms, like a big creative project, she's like, You cannot put so much pressure on your creativity to ask it, to pay the bills because you're going to suffocate it, which is true.

[00:23:17] Like it's a lot of pressure, right. And, you know, creativity, it's this sort of delicate, beautiful flower, resilient, but delicate flower. and so I've been sort of talking about this  in various formats for the past year or so that perhaps we don't need to ask our creativity to pay the bills. You know, there's so many different ways to support yourself while you're also pursuing your creativity.

[00:23:42] And  I'm not saying that this is the only approach.  There's just so many different ways to do it all. 

[00:23:46] Caoilfhionn: You can definitely work smarter. That's what I'm trying to do now. Work smarter and  things like.  So I'm learning how to invest in stocks and crypto trying to have passive income things like courses or Lightroom presets, so that those things can take along in the background. I'm not super worried about, finances.and that gives me the space and the freedom to do the creative projects that might not pay big money or might not even pay initially, but  they'll pay for themselves and that others will see them. They'll bring in work, I'll feel fulfilled. And it's just a nice though complete circle. 

[00:24:20]Yulia: yes. Oh my God.  I love that. Killing   we're very aligned in this. Like that's how I approach my life too, in terms of what I'm trying to accomplish,  I want to have the freedom to pursue the projects that move me. And,  if you're trying to go after every single thing to pay the bill is, then you just don't have that.

[00:24:38]I guess flexibility. So how can you expand your capacity? Right. What other skills do you have even like your example, you know, you realize you have these skills of, , Creative account direction project management, when it comes to like these specific projects, you build out those skills in those agencies, and now you're offering those skills to people in their, you know, they're in demand.

[00:25:00]So we all have skills that perhaps are on recognizedtruly believe that every single one of us has very unique skills that other people are looking for. that we,  may just need some help recognizing what those skills are. 

[00:25:14] Caoilfhionn: Imposter syndrome is the worst.  So write down things you're good at on. You'll see so many skills in there that people are looking for. That's what I had today. 

[00:25:24]Yulia: Yes. Oh my God. I love that you brought this up because imposter syndrome it's yeah, it keeps coming back again and again, in a lot of different conversations. so tell me how,  what are some of the ways in which you found way to deal with that?

[00:25:38]Caoilfhionn: well, even the other day I was shooting a hotel here to ask me to come to take photos for their websites and for their press packs. And I. Was war just, I started shooting at like 11:00 AM and I was still shooting at 8:00 PM because I just in my head was like, oh my God,  I don't have enough. I need to get more, have to be more creative.

[00:25:57] I don't know if I was the best person for this job. I'm paid to do this. Like, I've been paid to do this by multiple people. I don't know why in that moment. I was like, why? So then I just have to kind of sit back and realize, okay.  I built this business around content production digital content, photography, videography.

[00:26:16]I wouldn't have done that unless I was good at this. And then you hope it worked unless I was a mom. and I had you know, that sort of energy bro energy, as you say.  yeah, I just have to always dial it back. It takes me a little minute, but. And then I'll just sit on a look at my work or I'll go back to the people that are inspiring me, speak to them, or just, look at their images and what is ultimately inspired me to be in this place and then say, okay, actually, no, I have a right to be here.

[00:26:43]This is my place I was asked to be here. I'm stood here with a tripod and a camera. 

[00:26:47]Yulia: 

[00:26:47]Caoilfhionn: It's not like I've been,  I dunno, put onto a building site with a hard hat and asked to make cement, like, I know how to do this. So, it is imposter syndrome was weird because it just comes out of nowhere.

[00:27:00]And it's like this little devil on your shoulder. That's like, you're not good enough. Like almost tasing me.   

[00:27:06] and it's funny because obviously, you know, cause you follow me in Instagram. I post things as I'm shooting and people are masters me. Oh my God. I love that picture. You've got such an eye for detail.

[00:27:16] And even then I'm like, no, they're just trying to be 

[00:27:19]to me. 

[00:27:20] Yulia: you're almost like this Connie there. Nice feedback to you, right? 

[00:27:24]Caoilfhionn: Yeah.

[00:27:25]So I have to, again, I think that might be like an, a British and Irish thing as well to be sort of, 

[00:27:31]Yulia: Oh, it's,  a Russian thing too.

[00:27:32]Caoilfhionn: to dine play and be humble. 

[00:27:34]

[00:27:34]Yulia: Yes, absolutely. Oh my gosh. something in there that you said that,  when you find yourself in those moments that you also reach out to people who inspire you. So talk to me more about that, because I think that well, at least it's been my experience and that's actually the whole reason why genius women today exists is that  for most of my career in the space, it's been very lonely for me and very isolating.

[00:27:58] It can be right. It can be a very lonely career. So talk to me more about, like you mentioned before, you mentioned the friends that you have with their own agency, and now you mentioned reaching out to people like who are sound, those people that have inspired you, or maybe boosted you along the way.

[00:28:15] And were there any women that you saw doing something amazing? And you're like, oh, want to meet her. I want to get there 

[00:28:21] Caoilfhionn: Yeah, for sure. I think to start you know, I would say sometimes to my friends, I've met this person on Instagram and if they're not an evidence, scrum user they'll find that really bizarre. But  I think in this online world, particularly in content production, storytelling, collaboration is key. everyone has a different creative eye, a different background, different interests.

[00:28:40] Different ways to tell stories,  but also different knowledge by places I'm speaking specifically of the travel industry.  So when  I want to start a crew, some collective, it was very lonely. The first couple of months, then I started working with my friends at the wind collective. And I really boosted my confidence in helping me to recognize, instead of me thinking, oh, I need to be like, Gypsy lost or another big Instagrammer. They were like, Keelan. Best not you. You're good at this, this, this, and this live that breathe that. And. You know, it's not about following it's about the fact that you actually create beautiful content.  And they helped me to realize that actually that number, the top of your Instagram profile is so irrelevant  to the quality of your work.

[00:29:25]And it's people like that. Like clay on Barney, who I would reach out to plan, I speak daily.  he's alive, like the wind on

[00:29:33] Instagram. 

[00:29:34] Yulia: He's work is so beautiful. 

[00:29:35] Caoilfhionn: And even, you know, he was saying to me a couple of months ago, should I start posting more of my portraits of different people  on Instagram? I was like, absolutely.

[00:29:45] Because your way of telling people's stories is So beautiful.

[00:29:48] and it doesn't resonate as much. A story about someone else, but it's this photo of you. So you'll have seen from his Ethiopia trip, he's posting really stunning portraits.  it was great in my first year to have them. And then  in the last year, so it was the first half of my second year of Crusoe collective.

[00:30:05]I girl reached out to me called Kira. She wanted to be my business partner.  we. Work really well together because we have different skillsets on different knowledge. She's comes from a U S market. She was a travel  journalist and photo editor, travel and leisure. So we've got this.  They both biggest markets in the travel industry sort of tops.

[00:30:26] 

[00:30:26] so from a business perspective, that's been amazing. And just to have somebody to work with that has different contacts and somebody to speak to on a daily basis.  cause I really struggled with the idea, well, many ideas that I would say, and then imposter syndrome would be like, no, that's rubbish, but I had no one to.

[00:30:43]Sort of bought it off or  develop it with, or, you know, have that blue sky thinking ideas and then dial it back down. So, that's why I created Caruso collective. It took me a while to get the collective. And, but I just wanted to work with people  who like mainly wanted the freedom to work on things that inspired them and filled them with passion.

[00:31:03] And luckily I find that that will click and hopefully it gets bigger and bigger and, but. Yeah,

[00:31:09]will never understand an industry. That's sort of dog-eat-dog because people make things better with each other. 

[00:31:17] Yulia: Ah, that's so beautiful.   It's a beautiful stone really killing, because I think even in this industry too, there is sort of as the sentiment that, you know, oh, we're all must fight for the same opportunity is, and there isn't enough for everyone. And I was there too, actually at the beginning, you know,  that's really, I think that comes a lot of it comes from insecurity, actually that sentiment that, you know,  Because you're,  you're almost like you don't know your own worth, you don't know your own uniqueness, I guess, or you're not stepping into that, but for me, as I grew in the industry, and as I stepped into that, I'm like, I'm not competing with anybody because even like you mentioned earlier, we all have such unique perspectives on things and backgrounds and experiences.

[00:32:02] And the way we tell stories is so different than  really there is no competition, you know? so 

[00:32:07] I just, 

[00:32:08] I know them

[00:32:09] Caoilfhionn: Like on our shoot and Guatemala, there was seven of us working on that. All of us were doing different things, photography video, there's two photographers, both shooting different types of photography from the cm shoots. but it all works together to compliment all the elements, compliment each other  because there's this like understanding and respect for each creators.

[00:32:31]vision and what they produce and their space for that. And I think that's, what's so different about the publishing industry is that it's, it's quite stale. It's very much a gatekeeping community.  and you have to know someone to get in and it would definitely benefit from being more collaborative on less about, I know it's hard to be less commercially focused, but. Those things can work in tandem as well. I mean, as some of the biggest photographer and videographer content creators have shown 

[00:33:01] it's something that  they can live harmoniously together. And so it would be nice if the publishing industry sort of moved in that direction as well. 

[00:33:09]Yulia: If any of the editors and chiefs are listening to us. Here's your hint. Oh yes. I couldn't agree more. And you know, it's funny  your Crusoe collective that whole basically idea. This is something that I've been thinking about for a while, too, like that there is a word in Russian. and then French

[00:33:27]You know, until the end,, like a creative actually creative commune, creative, collaborative, like that whole idea appeals to me so much just for all the reasons that we just described, that it's just such a beautiful way to work together. So what kinds of stories are you most excited about to do or doing with the cruiser collective?

[00:33:46] I know you mentioned You know that you work with different travel and lifestyle brands, but its core, what does cruise a collective about?

[00:33:53]Caoilfhionn: I think we are very much abides independent. Bronze. And at the helm of an independent brand, there's always a person who had that vision and who is living their creative vision through a product, whether that's like a fashion label or a hotel brand. And so that kind of marries nicely with. The work that I do with the wind collective that's very person focused and it's really focused on people and culture.

[00:34:20] I think for me, bottom lane and travel is, and proposal collective is that there are people whose stories have to be told. And whether that's told about?

[00:34:29]a specific person like we do with Claire and Barney or through that person's brand, like for example,  There's this hotel and I'm going to Italy.  That's 70, it's celebrating its 70th anniversary.

[00:34:43] It used to be  The family's summer Villa and they've just transformed it into a hotel. And it's all the family that work there. They even, you know, the granddad retails the roof every year. It's things like that. That just really make me tick. I'm being able to sit and speak to people and sit within a community and absorb everything that they have to offer and feel welcome and not just come in, be.

[00:35:07]Present, take everything on walk away, but to actually respect and give back. And that's the core for us. And our ultimate goal is to really only have sustainable brands on our roster. it's quite hard to do that at the minute because  all these brands are working towards being fully sustainable. so that's great, but we are 300 and.

[00:35:29]In sort of sustainability, sustainable development so that we can then train the hotel brands and the travel brands and help them get along that journey quicker, because I think of COVID has taught us anything. That's the people are the most important thing. In life.  whether that's a family member, a nurse, a tree and driver,  everyone's got a story to tell.

[00:35:52] And if you could just take the time to listen, it could change your life or your way of thinking. So that was a really long long-winded. 

[00:36:00]Yulia: No, it was beautiful. And  I really resonate with the mission of the cruiser collective me. 

[00:36:08] Caoilfhionn: Well, we are hiring, we're always hiring because it's a collective. And then even for Crusoe, and for me.

[00:36:14] it was about finding something and as Robinson Crusoe was trying to do, and that's that word just to me, was always about being in search of something. and for all sets in search of stories that matter and stories that should be told. 

[00:36:30] Yulia: yeah. how can people get in touch with you 

[00:36:34]

[00:36:34] With the cruiser collective, if they want to know more about it?

[00:36:37]Caoilfhionn: So because my name is really difficult to spell. I won't give you my email address. So it?

[00:36:42] probably just easiest if they message on Instagram  we've got a lovely girl who looks after our Instagram, so she sends it all through to me.  But honestly, anyone, if you're a photographer, a videographer, a social media manager, a strategist, if you're a hotel that's looking for any of those services or travel brands,  or even if you just want to have a chat, get in touch and we'll talk. 

[00:37:04]Yulia: Amazing amazing.  We'll link to Keeling's profile and Instagram You can see that in the show notes.  So, you've had a pretty amazing journey in the past several years,  leaving your agency behind your agency's work, behind creating your own thing.

[00:37:21] You had so many exciting projects in addition to being published  in. The magazines, which we actually didn't talk that much about that today, but that's okay. you know, you had the Corona project in Guatemala and even your latest adventure where you went in the camper van.  And explore its cost lens.

[00:37:38] that looks incredible too, on your stories.  

[00:37:40]If you sort of look back and look at this journey that you had so far, and you're like, you know, transport me back in time and the beginning when I'm just starting, are there any things that you would have done differently?

[00:37:51] Caoilfhionn: I think I would have had  the confidence to say no. And the confidence to know When something doesn't align with me and not to take on work that doesn't align with my core values and ethos, because  there are times when I've worked on things or with people that night I'm like, wow, that affiliation could have been very damaging to me.

[00:38:16] I shouldn't have done that for. Whatever it was a quick book or kill trip or whatever it might be. I think it's really important to, and I actually teach this in my personal brand and courses to actually start everything with what are your core? Brand values and everything comes from that.  And if you come upon a client or a piece of work that doesn't, when you dial it back, then tick one of those boxes.

[00:38:41] Then it's a no, I wish I'd known that before, but I, do know that now, and I can bring that forward. 

[00:38:47] Yulia: yes. Oh, love that. And I love that you bring this up because coincidentally at the time of the recording of this workshop in our membership, the circle personal branding and creating your personal brand is a theme of the month. So we we're talking about that a lot this month too.

[00:39:02] And actually Keeling is going to come and share 

[00:39:05] her amazing knowledge with us. 

[00:39:07]  the people in our membership they've been telling me how excited they are to hear from you as well, but  that's so key, right.  And I actually teach  a version of that too, with our staff that.

[00:39:17] We need to understand, first of all, what is it that we want to stand for? Right. And what is our vision and our mission, our legacy, like all of those things that I feel like we don't give enough attention to those things in our day-to-day lives.   In the long scheme of things, those are the things that matter, 

[00:39:35]Caoilfhionn: Exactly. And I think Not traveling for the past year with, well, obviously I traveled a bit, but not as much as usual and just having a slower pace of life gave me the time to actually think about what I want in my life and turn 30 this year.  a big milestone two years in business.  and the past year just really helps make people say no to shit. I don't want to do  if I don't want to hang out with somebody anymore because. I just don't like them. I don't really have to, if I don't want to take on a client because I just don't like them, then I'm not going through. I think it has really helped me cement, what I stand for and what that means. And now I'm kind of in the process of figuring out how do I live that, how do I live that I kind of know,

[00:40:20] how I live and work, but how do I live that for me to make sure personally I'm happy.

[00:40:24] And my life just does not revolve around setting up this MacBook. 

[00:40:27]Yulia: Yes. Yeah. Oh my God. I love that. I love that so much. And I think honestly, it's a journey, right? It's a journey of maturing too. And the journey of like, I'm now I'm older than you. I'm 37 and I've never been more comfortable in my skin. To talk about what I want, talk about my boundaries I don't think that definitely wasn't there at 30 yet, you know?  With experience and with maturing, I always joke that that's like one benefits to growing older in our culture, which doesn't celebrate all the age in women. Right? Our culture is very much a young culture,  young, beautiful, old is horrible.

[00:41:08]So in that culture, the one benefits of growing older as a woman is like, you become more confident. You become. You know, you're in your skin, you know what you want. And that's amazing, 

[00:41:18]Caoilfhionn: I'm so excited. And I literally, like, I sat in the bar with my friend Ronisha, she's the editor of another magazine I write for called Arcadia. And we were sat on this bar in London, in September. And I said to her mom, I feel like.  My blood is fuzzy. There's just this energy that's flowing through me.

[00:41:37] I don't know,

[00:41:38] what it is. I don't know what to do with it. I feel like something's going to happen. And she was like, you're a year from 29 to 30. It's going to be your most transformative year stuff will happen. You'll shed things. You'll gain things, but. That's true. She said to me, that's what that energy is.

[00:41:53] And since then, a lot of things have happened good and bad  that have altered my life hugely. but it's all a journey as you say, and a learning curve and helps with that maturity and to feel comfortable and confident in yourself. And ultimately that's the goal. Really? 

[00:42:09]Yulia: yes. And when you said earlier about. 

[00:42:13]

[00:42:13]Saying no to the people that don't uplift you than boost you and surrounding self with people that do. And it's almost like this conscious curation of

[00:42:23]your community and your environment, 

[00:42:25] you know?

[00:42:26]Caoilfhionn: And I, as a, people-pleaser probably my worst trait to learn, to let go of things that don't serve me anymore has been really like. Transformational to feel confident to say, okay, this doesn't serve me. I let go of that night. And it could be things that it's painful to let go of or things that it's easy.

[00:42:47] but I think you have to do that as you say, it's a curation of your community and your community, Fiji. And if something's not feeding you it's sucking from you, then  why do you have that? There? 

[00:42:56]Yulia: yeah. Definitely. we're wise, we're very wise women.

[00:43:00] Caoilfhionn: You should catch me when I'm 40 and see how I'm doing. 

[00:43:03]Yulia: Yes, exactly.  You know what, it's so funny. You said that I just had this thought literally the other day. I'm like, I'm curious, how will I be when I'm 50? Like I'm genuinely curious. Who will I grow into? And that's again, like going back to like, that actually gives me excitement to reach that age, 

[00:43:20]

[00:43:20] so tell me  what are you working on now? That's getting you most excited.

[00:43:25]Caoilfhionn: well, actually, no. Uh, so I had to start planning and. Time in my diary  to up-skill. So I'm training and videos myself. Usually I have someone else that does it, and I'm excited to be able to tell stories in that format because that's the way the world is going.  And I always put it off thinking I can never do that because everyone I work with who does it is so fantastic and Amazing.

[00:43:48] them.

[00:43:48]I just thought, you know, that'd be doing it for years, but you have to start somewhere. So that's what I'm working on personally at the minute, but obviously. That ties in nicely  with the business  in terms of work things.  Yeah, there's a pretty exciting tomorrow on the cards. a lot of projects with  bronze that I personally aligned with for years, that then obviously aligned with Crusoe collective, and I'm just really.

[00:44:13]Honestly excited. That's the travel industries, you know, peeking its head above water. Again,  we're hopefully even if it's slow we're getting back on our feet and it's just my mission at the minute to help in any way that I can. So for example, in April, I just did reduce photography rates for any hotel in Scotland that wanted it so that they could refresh all of their content because it would have been from early, 20, 19 in most cases I just want to help and do that in any way that I can.

[00:44:41] So yeah, the summer is going to be cool. I'm just excited to move around freely and for people to be safe and Yeah, collaborate with people that I've met online in the past year, like yourself to finally meet in person and collaborates will just be a dream.

[00:44:56]Yulia: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Well, we'll be excited to watch  Y Joel, your upcoming tripsfrom Instagram and one day we can meet in person too. Cause  I'm planning on doing some trips to the UK in the near future. So 

[00:45:10]Caoilfhionn: Oh Yeah. I'm pleased. Let's 

[00:45:11] link up for sure. I'll show you Scotland. 

[00:45:14]Yulia: Ah,  that would be amazing. No, you're in Nicole.

[00:45:16]Well, killing that. It's, it's been so wonderful to chat with you and uh, there's a lot more that I wanted to ask you, but you know, it's almost nighttime in Edinburgh, so we're not going, and I do that, but I want to close our conversations today with this question and it's sort of a big one, but  how would you start thinking about.

[00:45:36]What does it mean to be a woman that stepping into her brilliance today?

[00:45:43] Caoilfhionn: I mean, I think that, and I've said this to a couple of people who have reached out to me about. You know, taking the sleep  and recognizing that you should be in your own spotlight  now is the time, I mean, People think it's a global pandemic. You can't don't do anything. The financial markets, unstable, whatever  it's, these kind of times are like the perfect time for you to just step out of your comfort zone.

[00:46:09] Everything else is in flames. So it doesn't matter. and a lot of people have been made redundant or furloughed or lost their jobs. and.  Why go and puddle someone else's canoe when you can be, building your own ship. And I think nine is the time to be honest, literally don't think about it.

[00:46:27] Just do it.  You are like, there is no time like the present, but this particular present is so good. 

[00:46:34] Yulia: oh my God. This is like the perfect way to end our conversation. And I sign on the dotted line. I hundred percent agree with that. That's always been my sentiment that. anything, the pandemic has shown us how unpredictable life is, and you 

[00:46:50] never know, 

[00:46:51] Caoilfhionn: And also I think it put everybody back on the same starting line everyone's working from home everyone's businesses. Sitting there, like in the anthro, like what's going to happen next. So put yours in there. Put your toe on the starting line. You're literally being you're at the same level as everybody else.

[00:47:08] Now  I feel to me it was a reset some elements of life. so What's a good time to start building 

[00:47:15]Yulia:  

[00:47:15] Caoilfhionn: the world is never going to be so slow. So take advantage. 

[00:47:19]Yulia: Definitely.  And go follow, Keeling for more inspiration and for beautiful storytelling as 

[00:47:25] well. 

[00:47:25] Caoilfhionn: Thank you 

[00:47:26]Yulia: Thank you so much, Katelyn. 

[00:47:28]Caoilfhionn: No, it's nine Q for having me. It was a pleasure. 

[00:47:30]Yulia: Absolutely. We'll have some do it again. And I'm really excited for you to come and teach your personal branding workshop for 

[00:47:36] us as well. 

[00:47:37] Caoilfhionn: so excited on it's evolved even since the first time I did it. So I'm really, really excited to deliver it. 

[00:47:43] thank you so much for listening to our episode today. I hope you found some inspiration in this conversation with Keelan.  And if so, please consider leaving us a review so that more listeners could find our show.  I really can't stress how important it is for us to get reviews of our podcasts. It really helps to get in front  of more people who might enjoy our show.

[00:48:07] So if. Fired by something you heard today or in any other episodes of our show,  please consider leaving us a review. That is one of the best ways you can support our podcast.  Thanks again. And I'll see you next week for a conversation with Berlin based travel photographer, Alena Rodea.