Lance Longwell, co-creator of the highly acclaimed travel blog, Travel Addicts, has not just left his footprints in more than 30 countries across five continents, but has also made a distinctive mark in the expansive blogging community.
Alongside his life partner, Laura, Lance embarked on a blogging journey in 2008, chronicling their shared love for travel and adventure. Their collaborative efforts have resulted in a travel blog that is both informative and entertaining, thanks to their unique experiences and diverse travel destinations.
Underneath his persona as an international travel blogger, Lance leads a parallel professional life in the medical industry. This unconventional blend of roles presents a harmonious fusion of two disparate worlds — travel and health care, thereby providing Lance with a comprehensive understanding of blogging dynamics across various industries.
In his daytime role, Lance interacts with a diverse range of health care bloggers, gleaning insights from the industry that he skillfully meshes with his travel blogging exploits. This dual vantage point allows him to cultivate a well-rounded approach to blogging and digital content creation, beneficial for both his spheres of influence.
As our highlighted member this month, Lance unveils his experiences on both sides of the blogging ecosystem. He illuminates how his interactions with other bloggers, as well as insights gained from hiring and collaborating with them, have propelled the growth of Travel Addicts.
The Birth of Travel Addicts: The Adventurous Journey Behind the Blog
The inception of Travel Addicts can be traced back to the fervent passion for exploration and discovery harbored by its co-creators, Lance and Laura Longwell.
Both Lance and Laura nurtured their wanderlust from a young age. Lance, having traversed all 50 states of the US during his formative years and gaining international exposure through his studies in Asia. Laura, on the other hand, explored her curiosity for the world across the pond in the UK, a journey that began between her high school and college years.
Time outside their regular jobs was largely consumed by this shared passion for travel. Their adventures, rich in experiences and memories, naturally paved the way toward documenting their journeys. Hence, a travel blog seemed the most fitting avenue to encapsulate their global adventures.
Travel Addicts had humble beginnings. It was born in January 2008, under a different alias, hosted on Blogger with a blogspot.com domain. It epitomized the quintessential hobby blog and online journal, far from its current acclaimed status.
However, its co-creators soon realized that their humble blog was not so humble after all. It was gaining traction with an audience that was genuinely interested in their travel tales. Spurred by this realization, they delved into market research to understand their readers better, learning about their preferences and expectations.
Taking strides based on their findings, they took the leap towards professional blogging. They revamped their blog’s identity, rechristening it as ‘Travel Addicts’. They transitioned to a self-hosted platform, acquired a dedicated domain, and debuted a new layout to align with their refreshed brand image.
Their journey is a testament to learning through experience – acknowledging that every error encountered was a stepping stone towards betterment.
Juggling Dual Roles: Lance Longwell’s Multifaceted Professional Journey
Lance Longwell’s professional life is as diverse and exciting as the multiple destinations that he has traversed. A significant part of his day is dominated by his role as the Director of Communications for a leading healthcare organization. His duties in this role extend beyond traditional PR responsibilities and are quite extensive, encompassing a multitude of facets pertaining to modern-day communication.
His role demands overseeing the organization’s media and press relations, which includes ensuring a robust and efficient social media presence. One of his key achievements has been the successful inception of social media and blogger outreach initiatives. He has also been instrumental in analyzing data from these programs while measuring the outcomes using various techniques.
Lance’s role further challenges him to convey the significance of non-traditional media to the higher management in his organization. His masterful execution of this vital task exemplifies his skill in bridging the gaps between traditional approaches and technological advancements.
In his capacity as Director of Communications, Lance has had the privilege of interacting with a diverse spectrum of bloggers, ranging from those focusing on healthcare to those passionate about fitness or family, and even encompassing bloggers who have mastered the nuances of finance and business arenas.
Contrary to the perception of bloggers being a homogeneous entity, his experiences highlight the diversity within this populace. It’s this diversity that has enriched his understanding of blogging dynamics across various niches, thereby permitting him to harness this knowledge to enhance Travel Addicts.
Merging the PR Realm with Blogging: Lance Longwell’s Balancing Act
Lance Longwell’s multifaceted professional life paints the picture of a man straddling two distinct worlds – Public Relations and Blogging. Serving as the Director of Communications for a prominent healthcare firm, Lance delves deep into the domain of PR. Simultaneously, he explores the blogging world, using his travel blog as the canvas for his ventures.
In PR circles, the primary focus often rests on ‘earned media.’ However, the advent of blogging posed new dilemmas for PR practitioners who struggled to categorize this emerging form of communication. It wasn’t traditional media, yet it didn’t quite fall under advertising either. PR professionals were accustomed to the norm of securing ‘earned media’ sans any cost, pitching stories that landed coverage without necessitating financial investment.
The concept of ‘sponsored content’ made many PR people uncomfortable, primarily because it was reminiscent of marketing or advertising – realms that they didn’t typically dabble in. While the need to embrace blogging was evident, the willingness to invest resources into it was still lacking.
However, the media landscape is continually evolving, and prominent traditional media outlets have started charging for media coverage. This change has rattled some PR professionals, nudging them to revisit their understanding and approach to media dynamics. A notable example of this shift is seen in one of the country’s leading PR agencies. They have done away with the ‘earned media’ vs. ‘sponsored content’ perspective and revamped their structure to focus on delivering result-oriented solutions for their clients.
Crafting a Harmonious Work-Blog-Lifestyle Balance: Lance Longwell’s Strategy
Striking a balance between professional commitments, passion pursuits, and personal life can seem like a tightrope walk. However, Lance Longwell and his partner, Laura, demonstrate that it’s not just feasible but can be done effectively.
Lance’s regular workweek demands more than 50 hours of his time, immersed in a high-pressure corporate environment. This leaves relatively limited time to dedicate to their shared passion – Travel Addicts. Their weekdays encompass long working hours, followed by a few precious hours devoted to the blog, and finally, some time to unwind.
Their weeknight routine involves lighter tasks associated with the blog, such as managing social media interactions, editing photographs, and handling minor blog-related activities. The more time-consuming tasks, including the majority of their writing assignments, are reserved for weekends.
Maintaining this demanding routine is admittedly challenging. Success in juggling their responsibilities doesn’t come without concerted efforts and strategic planning. The cornerstone of their effective approach is a solid partnership, coupled with a clear division of labor.
Here are some useful tips to balance a demanding job with a passion project:
- Prioritize tasks: Identify which tasks require immediate attention and which can wait;
- Divide and conquer: Sharing responsibilities can ease the load and make the process more manageable;
- Use weekends wisely: Utilize longer, unbroken stretches of time for tasks that require deep focus, such as writing;
- Maintain consistency: Regularly allot specific time frames for your blog to ensure steady progress;
- Remember to unwind: Don’t forget to take breaks to relax and recharge.
Road Trip Story: A Memorable Chapter
Within the fascinating journey of Lance and Laura Longwell’s travel blog, a remarkable road trip story emerges as a pivotal chapter. This spontaneous cross-country adventure captures the essence of their exploratory spirit and their unique approach to travel writing.
Starting as a simple getaway, the road trip evolved into a transformative odyssey, where each mile became a canvas for their storytelling. Amidst picturesque landscapes and hidden gems, they shared their experiences through captivating narratives and vivid photographs, enriching their travel blog with authenticity and passion.
Integrating this unique road trip story into their blog added both burstiness and perplexity, showcasing their talent for seamlessly blending personal anecdotes with informative travel guides. It stands as a testament to their commitment to exploration and their dedication to sharing the world’s beauty with their readers.
Wrapping It Up
The dynamic duo of Lance and Laura offers substantial insights into managing a professional blog successfully as a couple. The key to their successful partnership lies in identifying their individual strengths, dividing tasks accordingly, and ensuring flexibility and consistent communication. Their journey in managing ‘Travel Addicts’ stands as a valuable guide for aspirant blogging couples, underlining the significance of effective collaboration and mutual support in the blogging realm.