Why I Failed As A Travel YouTuber
The harsh reality of turning a passion into a job.
Over the past four years, I set up and ran two YouTube channels — one failed miserably (travel), while the other is thriving (music). Why?
The harsh reality is that just because you love doing something, it doesn’t mean that ‘something’ should be your job.
I share my story to provide another perspective for those considering monetizing their passion before taking the leap.
Rationale: Why Become A Travel YouTuber?
One dreamy vacation to Fiji in January 2020 planted the seeds of becoming a full-time travel YouTuber. I researched how travel YouTubers made money, including YouTube ad revenue, affiliate marketing, membership platforms (e.g., Patreon), digital products, and future sponsorships and brand deals. Seemed straightforward and pretty easy. Sigh.
The thought was, if my favorite travel YouTubers, Kara & Nate, were producing nearly a million dollars a year while living their absolute best lives traveling the globe, there was no reason my husband and I couldn’t do the same.
After all, my husband is a professional Photographer / Videographer, we love and are extremely passionate about travel and volunteer work, I have a…
