Our Journey to Full-Time Travel Content Creators
When we started traveling, we had just quit our jobs and sold everything we owned—including our four-bedroom home. We had enough savings to fund a six-month trip while still leaving plenty to buy a new house when we were done. But once we hit the road, six months flew by, and we didn’t want to stop.
William started his own business, which sustained us for two years, but when it eventually (and sadly) came to an end, we were faced with a choice: settle down or figure out a way to keep going. By that point, we had built up our social media presence enough to start making money from it, so we thought—why not go all in?
The Reality of Making Money on the Road
While our life might look like a full-time, 24/7 adventure, the truth is we’re often working. We rely on our Starlink satellite for internet, setting it up everywhere we go, which means we’re not always as disconnected as we’d like to be.
On top of that, we have a four-year-old daughter, so we take turns educating and playing with her, cooking, cleaning, and handling daily life—all in between work. Unlike a traditional job, content creation doesn’t come with a stable paycheck. We never know exactly how much we’ll make from month to month, so we have to be extra careful with our budget.
Most of our brand deals involve receiving products in exchange for promotion, which sounds great—until you realize that, as full-time travelers, coordinating shipments can be a logistical headache. We’ve had to get creative, often shipping to the nearest UPS store or leaning on friends and family in the area.
It still feels completely insane that we get to work remotely and 100% for ourselves, but it’s definitely not always easy.
1. Sponsored Content & Brand Partnerships
Our biggest and best deals come from brand partnerships. Honestly, our first deal didn’t happen until we hit 40K followers—when a brand reached out to us! That was the moment I realized it was time to start treating this like a business.
While many of our deals now land directly in our inbox, we still do a lot of pitching. We focus on brands that resonate with our audience, but we also think outside the box. For example, deodorant isn’t a travel item, but everyone needs it! We keep a running list of "dream partnerships" and actively engage with those brands on social media.
We aim to pitch at least 10 brands a week, crafting unique ideas that excite them. We hear a lot of "no’s," but when we get a "yes," it's always worth it! We reach out through:
Social media DMs
Direct emails
LinkedIn messages
Website contact forms
Every brand has a different preferred contact method, so we try them all.
We’re also on platforms that connect creators with brands, such as Cohley, Popfly (specific to outdoor creators), and Vidovo. These are great for landing gigs, but they take a 10-20% cut, which can add up. Sometimes, we start with these platforms and then transition to working directly with brands.
The key to long-term success? Getting repeat deals! It saves time and increases income. We've been fortunate to work with some of our dream brands, like Dometic, making anywhere from $500 when we started to $2,000+ per deal now—and most people say we’re still not charging enough!
2. Affiliate Marketing
I’ll be honest—affiliate marketing is not my strong suit. While there's serious income potential, I struggle with feeling too "salesy" when posting about products.
Right now, we have affiliate links in our bio and occasionally post about them, but this is more of a side income (a little extra gas money and some cool free products).
Best Affiliate Programs for Adventure Creators:
Rockporch – A great platform to manage all your affiliate links in one place.
Amazon Associates – Easy, but low commission rates.
REI Co-Op & Backcountry – Perfect for outdoor gear recommendations.
Booking.com & RV rental affiliates – For travel-related commissions.
Tips for Higher Conversions:
Be authentic – Only promote products you actually use and love.
Create tutorials or reviews – Show how you use the product in real life.
Use discount codes – People love saving money, and they’re more likely to buy.
Post in multiple formats – Stories, reels, and blog posts to reach different audiences.
3. UGC (User-Generated Content)
UGC is a game-changer. Unlike traditional influencing, your follower count doesn’t matter—it’s all about creating high-quality content that brands can use for their ads and social media.
I make upwards of $2,000+ per month just from UGC videos, plus I get tons of great products.
Best UGC Platforms:
Cohley
Vidovo
I also receive direct UGC requests in my inbox and list my UGC rates on my rate card. If you’re looking for a way to start making money in content creation without waiting for followers, UGC is the way to go!
4. Social Media Monetization
Monetizing Instagram or TikTok? Pretty useless. The payouts are tiny.
YouTube, on the other hand, has the best monetization program—but it takes time to build an audience. If you’re serious about long-term income, growing a YouTube channel is worth the effort.
Other monetization options:
Patreon – A way for followers to support you directly.
Thatch – A platform to sell travel itineraries.
5. Coaching & Other Side Income
We’ve had several coaching requests, which has turned into another small but growing income stream. It’s not super consistent yet, but as we grow, we might expand it.
The biggest lesson?
Treat this like a business, and it will grow like one.
✅ Be consistent
✅ Be honest
✅ Be professional
✅ Be YOU!
That’s how we make money while traveling full-time! If you’re looking to do the same, start small, stay persistent, and be open to opportunities. It’s not always easy, but it’s 100% possible.
Tell us your questions! We would love to dive deeper based on what you are curious about!
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