S3 Bonus 01: Many Ways To be on the Path

Get the show’s transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Genius Womxn Podcast. I'm your host, Yulia, Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer and writer with work in some incredible publications like National Geographic, AFAR 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 want 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.

[00:00:39] Hey everyone. Throughout the month of September, we are taking time to rest here at the genius women podcast. And we will be returning with fresh season four episodes for you in October. Until then I'd like to share with you a few conversations that we regularly have in the circle. Our membership for women on the creative path, who are looking for ongoing support, encouragement opportunities and the community, as they establish themselves in the travel media space, we will be sharing these bonus conversations with you every Monday and Wednesday, twice a week.

[00:01:16] Then we will be back to our weekly schedule with our new season for inequity. 

[00:01:22] In this bonus episode, I'm sharing with you the discussion from vision mindset. Every week in the circle, we hold a 30 minute check-in with our members that I call a vision mindset. Check-in in this conversation where discussing how there are many ways to be on this path.

[00:01:40] Every conversation from the circle that you're here as part of this bonus series is shared with their mission from our members. Enrollments of the circle is currently closed as we're getting ready for a one-year anniversary this October. If you want to know, when we open the doors back up, visit geniuswomxn.com/circlewaitlist to get on the list.

[00:02:02] That's geniuswomxn.com/circlewaitlist one word to get on the list. Okay. Let's dive in. 

[00:02:14] Financial considerations, it's a really important conversation, right? No one can tell you what to do in that case, because only, you know, what makes the most sense for you in this situation.

[00:02:23] But actually I have a podcast on this next week, which I'm actually recording today, which talks about different ways to pursue this path and to stay true to this path. Even when it's really difficult. And what I want to say by that is that we know this right. This career is not the most lucrative career.

[00:02:42] This is not an investment banking career. It's really difficult to make a decent amount of living in this career. However, Nothing says that if you have something small on the side, that's supporting you while you're pursuing this career, that you are not somehow a legitimate or valid or credible writer, successful writer, just because you have something else that's supporting you.

[00:03:08] I feel like there is this sort of. I dunno if it's like minds is the right word, but there is this sort of feeling like, well, are you really a writer? If you're also having some, let's say a copywriting gig on the side or a marketing thing on the side. But the thing is that the only people who are able to support themselves this way are people with independent means.

[00:03:26] And people who went into this already with some sort of a pot of money that they can draw from. And a lot of us are not like that actually that's the reality. Most of us are not like that. Right. We're just sort of trying to figure it all out. So in my book anyway, it's absolutely fine. If you have something small on the side that supporting you.

[00:03:49] While you continue building this career. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. And nothing shameful or nothing that says, well, this invalidates me as a travel writer, let's say, and the biggest thing for me was that I could absolutely a hundred percent not be able to do this career when I was in corporate, because that job took all my juices.

[00:04:10] I had 10 days of vacation a year, you know, like your husband and then less. And I could never like travel for stories. I could never do any of this stuff. Now, if I found a different job on the side, that's had less hours, maybe less pay too, but gave me more freedom and more flexibility.

[00:04:28] And, you know, working from my computer, not in the office, for example, then I can do that. So I'm still having some income here on the side, but I can also do this and focus on this almost, you know, a hundred percent. So what I'm trying to say is that for you, as well as you're sort of going through this thing right now, whether or not going back to theaters in isn't your path, just sort of see if you can open your mind to all of the different possibilities that are out there for you to be able to make this career happen.

[00:04:58] It doesn't have to be a binary decision where it's like, I have to go back to theater, which means I'm stopping this or I'm going full-time here and I'm broke. Basically. I'm making no money. You know, it doesn't have to be that binary decision. There's many different paths, many different options.

[00:05:14] Many different ways you can support yourself while you're, you know, it could be even like a project based. For example, maybe you do something for two months as a project for somebody to Wu stop your savings, let's say, and then you go travel. Like just, there's just so many different ways to do this, you know?

[00:05:29] And that's, that's what I want to share. 

[00:05:32] I don't know if I shared this story, but, by the end of 2019, I broke down. Basically was in Paris.

[00:05:38] And I was so burned out. So miserable, sick, physically sick. I did 19 trips that year. And, yeah. So in 2020, I also re-evaluated a lot of stuff. Yes. Travel is still my passion. Yes. I still want to do the storytelling part, but like, Can I travel 19 trips a year? I don't think so.

[00:05:59] And I dunno, I don't know if I want to, you know, so then that's where this discussion then. Well, what does that mean? Like what else can you do to continue supporting this passion? Because like, can you write stories about home, for example, again, can you do some marketing projects for somebody like I, I no longer do that, but I did a project for a friend of mine where we helped people who are stuck in corporates to figure out how to transition from corporates to do something that they love.

[00:06:25] And I was leading marketing for them. And I absolutely loved that project because I believe in that so much, you know, So in my book, is that a failure of me as a travel photographer and writer that I'm doing this other project? Absolutely not. You know, it's all part of my being, so it's like that episode with, Lindsay, Where she talked about being multi-passionate and having, you know, like, I believe in all of these projects that I believe in doing genius women, I believe in supporting my friends, from corporate to, to doing what you love project.

[00:06:56] I believe in my work as a travel journalist, that's all part of what I'm trying to build in this world. There definitely is this, This view, well, you're only successful in this. If that's the only thing you're doing, that's the only thing that you can support yourself with. And I think that's bullshit actually, because it precludes it eliminates so many people to be able to participate in this space.

[00:07:18] We need to start redefining what successes, you know, If you're happy with your day with what you're doing every day. That is success.

[00:07:26] If you're feeling like you're living out exactly what you want to be living, you know, who cares if it's weddings or not, yeah, and I saw people be very successful, but I also saw the sacrifice they made to get that right. How, time with their family and their kids, you know, and I was there for my son growing up, like he's 13, he's not totally grown up, but, you know, I was there waiting for him at the bus stop.

[00:07:49] And I, I'm grateful that I had the flexibility. And I think that to me was what I wanted when I became an entrepreneur. I didn't have the nine to five job where I'm trying to rush and daycare and all that stuff. so it was like, I feel like. Blessed that I had the flexibility.

[00:08:03] So I had, I was making enough to, yeah. And I think that's where I got to the point where it's like, I just need enough and then I don't need excess. And so for me, just to have enough time, enough money, Perfectly good. Yeah. And that's success right there, you know, and being able to be in control of your life of your time.

[00:08:21] That is priceless. 

[00:08:23] Thanks again for listening. So our bonus episodes today, I hope you found ideas with this discussed here, helpful for your own creativity. If you're looking for support opportunities and community in the travel media space, consider joining us in the circle and Romans and the circle is currently closed.

[00:08:41] As we're getting ready for our one year anniversary this October. If you wants to know, when we opened the doors back up, visit geniuswomxn.com/circlewaitlist one word to get on the list. That's geniuswomxn.com/circlewaitlist. Thanks again for listening and stay tuned for another bonus episode coming your way this Wednesday, in which we'll talk about putting yourself out there.