Meet Katie Mcintosh | Solo Female Travel Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Mcintosh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To be honest, I don’t know if I really knew what I was doing when I first started my blog but I knew that I wanted to help people. At first I wanted to help make local adventures easy for people where I lived and spotlight local businesses. So I created a blog and I went on the adventures myself, took a bunch of photos, made a list of tips and turned all of that into detailed guides so that it would be easy for others. They wouldn’t have the anxiety of not knowing what to expect, they wouldn’t have to research – they could simply read my blog and go on the adventures with their families or loved ones. Over time the content changed from local outings to larger scale adventures but the core mission has always been to help make adventuring easy for others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My brand, The Katie Show Blog, has had a few facelifts over the years (thankfully!) but it has been set apart by what remains as the tagline on my website to this day “extraordinary travel experiences for ordinary people – like me!” I started blogging long before it was common or popular, but even then I never wanted the blog to be a dreamy, perfect editorial of what a dream life could be like. I wanted it to authentically share experiences and I wanted to give information freely. So I share my travels and all that encompasses – from the magic of seeing the Northern Lights in Norway to the struggles of food poisoning on a travel day and vomiting in front of the Eiffel Tower! I also share openly about the disease I have called Endometriosis and what it is like to live and travel with it – again that’s what I mean about extraordinary travel for ordinary people, I’m about as ordinary as they come! It’s always been real and I think that has what made it relatable for others.

In the world of social media facades, I’m most proud of being able to connect with others in this genuine way. For me, perhaps it has been healing in some way to know that I didn’t have to be ‘perfect’ to be valuable.

There have been many challenges along the way and it has been a constant learning process. On day one it started with ‘how do I create a website?’ and then ‘what should I write?’ and ‘how do I start a YouTube channel’ and so on. Every little piece has been a humbling learning curve, but each roadblock gives me an opportunity to learn something new and expand my skills. In a technical sense, the biggest challenge I have faced is the constant algorithm changes and constantly revising content to keep up with it all. The other biggest challenge I have faced is myself, and having to put myself out there which is still scary at times. Even this interview feels intimidating. But I am reminded that any time I have faced the discomfort of putting myself out there, I am able to make new connections with other like minded people.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was coming to visit me in Destin, Florida where I live I would have a jam packed itinerary for us! We would have to visit Maas Coffee Roasters for amazing coffee and the softest, flakiest croissants you can imagine, Destin Ice Seafood Market for the absolutest freshest seafood feast (local insider tip that one!), and Dewey’s Destin (bayside) for a sunset dinner on the water. We would spend each day adventuring outdoors visiting some of the beautiful beaches in the Destin area as well as 30A, and I would also take her to paddle board at some of the local springs, e.g. Cypress and Morrison Springs, to take a break from the saltwater.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate this shoutout to any person who has read my blog and been able to use it for their own adventures. Many times I was writing my blog posts and putting them out into the world with a blind hope that they would be of use to someone. Each time I read a comment or message from someone who was able to use these tips to create quality experiences with their families or even just appreciated what I was creating was incredibly fulfilling to me. Working for yourself and traveling solo can be a lonely road but these virtual connections I made over the years are truly the best part of blogging.

Website: https://thekatieshowblog.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieshowblog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katieshowblog/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3lW_FNtxHPvaXdAN08SOaA

Image Credits
All photos are travel selfies taken by me!