Great Escape Radio: Travel Writing | Photography | Publishing | Writing

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”― Mark Twain   Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen discuss what’s on Lori’s mind right now. Always having her finger on the pulse of what’s happening at Great Escape Publishing, Lori’s constantly looking for new things to teach members. And, she’s eager to discover what they’re interested in. Lori shares what that’s like… “I’m constantly trying to figure out what challenges we need to face. How can we best help people? People are out there doing great things and we want to continue to help them.” Lori followed a recent Facebook conversation in one of Great Escape’s closed groups. People were wishing they could do one of our expeditions but couldn’t afford it. Lori came up with the idea of creating a Great Escape Meetup in an i

“Take off on a quest or a personal search until you find yourself. You either find yourself or decide to go home.”--Bel Woodhouse Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen introduce us to Bel Woodhouse. “Bel is quite the spitfire,” says Lori. “She’s an ex-Navy kick butt woman!” Bel makes an indelible impression on everyone she meets. With her combination of British and Australian slang, she inspired the attendees at last September’s Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in Austin, Texas where she was on the success panel. Formerly in the Royal Australian Navy, she now lives in Mexico. “I left the Navy, sold everything, went on a walkabout, and ended up in Guatemala teaching English for a couple of years.” Bel attended her first Travel Workshop in Washington DC and decided she was going to write full time. Today she’s living in Cozumel and loving the life she’s created. She’s added photography and creating travel videos to her skills too.  Listen in as she shares her en

“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.”—Diane Arbus Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry brings Elizabeth Coughlin back to the show. Elizabeth refers to herself as a geriatric nomad. For 14 years, she and her husband taught in international schools around the world—with their daughters in tow. When her husband retired, she needed something to do. She discovered Great Escape Publishing and decided to attend a photography workshop. As a result, she has become a successful stock photographer. Elizabeth shares a story about visiting her daughter in Abu Dhabi  at the time the Louvre was inaugurated in November 2017 by French President Emmanuel Macron. “I took photos of the outside of the Louvre the day after the big gala for the opening.” At the urging of her son-in-law, Elizabeth uploaded the photos to the stock agencies right away and to her amazement, the photos began selling immediately. It was all about being first. Listen in as Elizabeth offers advice on

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”—Saint Augustine  Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry brings travel writer, Terri Marshall back to the show. Jody catches up with Terri while she is in Delray Beach, Florida attending the AWAI Copywriting Bootcamp where she’s learning new writing skills and more about running her business as a writer. Terri’s background is in law and accounting. She spent decades working as an accountant specializing in trusts and estates for law firms. In short, she’s educated. But the education she has learned from her travels is never-ending. As she explains… “When I travel—whether it’s internationally or just to a different region of the country—I’m continually learning.” From watching science unfold before her eyes in Antarctica…to the fascinating reality of what life was like behind the “Iron Curtain” in Eastern Europe, Terri’s travels have exposed her to the world on a much deeper level. Listen in as she shares some of her experiences and what trav

“Once you start writing about travel, you will never travel the same way again and your travels will  become much richer.”—Jen Stevens Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry brings Jen Stevens back to the show. Jen is the Executive Editor for International Living magazine as well as the architect of the Ultimate Travel Writing Program for Great Escape Publishing. Jen shares her thoughts on travel writing… “Travel writing is arguably the best job on the planet. You’re getting paid to travel!” That aspect of the travel writer’s life attracts people from really diverse backgrounds which is evident at the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop. “The workshop attracts people who have an interest in writing but don’t necessarily know how to pursue that as a career. Almost no one that comes to the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop with a solid background in journalism.” At the workshop, Jen pulls back the curtain on travel writing by teaching attendees actionable steps to becoming a travel writer. Listen in as Jen shares

“Every time I wander a few miles from where I live, I find something new.”–Theresa St. John Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry brings travel writer and photographer, Theresa St. John back to the show. Theresa has been on the show previously to talk about her travel writing career which she built by starting local. She has written for 16 local publications. She shares with us her thoughts on writing about her hometown for local publications… “People often ask me if I get bored writing about my hometown, but I love writing about local places. I’ve learned so much about my community. Every time I wander even a few miles from where I live, I find something new.” Listen in as Theresa describes the benefits of focusing your writing on local attractions for local publications. Join us at our next Ultimate Travel Writer’s weekend to get started.

“You don’t have to know all the steps to getting where you want to be, you just have to know the next step.” ―Valerie Young Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen introduce us to Valerie Young. Lori introduces us to Valerie… “Valerie describes herself as the “dreamer in residence” at changingcourse.com. I go to her when I have questions for people interested in transitioning to new careers.” Valerie shares her insights into what it means to follow your passion and the role passion plays in the work that we do. “I’m of the mind that it is important generally speaking that we find something we enjoy doing. But sometimes people get really hung up on finding their true passion.” Valerie encourages people to think about what they want their lives to look like first and then figure out how to make that happen. Listen in as Valerie shares her insights and advice on how to focus on life first and work second as a means to creating the life you want. If you’re interested

“I went all the way across the world and realized people there are just like me.”—Jody Maberry Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen reflect on Jody’s first international trip. Jody had never left the country before his recent trip to Kuwait. It was a “go big or go home” jump into international travel starting with 14 hours of flight. His first impression—he didn’t like it. He didn’t like flying with 300 people. He was bored and he couldn’t sleep. As a result, he suffered severe jet lag after arriving. Lori shares a similar experience she had when she first visited Shanghai. Although she found a restaurant with a menu in English, the choices were something she would never eat. Hippo and bird nest soup were both offered—and that wasn’t going to happen! Between the unacceptable food choices, trouble with taxis, jet lag and the overwhelming pace of the city, she cried the first night. Ultimately, Jody and Lori both adjusted to their destinations and enjoyed their

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”—Chinese Proverb Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry welcomes Tracey Minkin, Senior Travel Editor for Coastal Living magazine back to the show. Jody and Tracey met at the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in Austin, Texas last September where they both experienced the excitement and energy of the workshop through the attendees. Tracey will be returning to the workshop again this year in Little Rock, Arkansas in September. She will be leading workshop sessions to help new writers get started. One topic Tracey always focuses on when she’s talking to new writers is starting small. Listen in as she shares what it means to start small as a travel writer and its benefits. For more information about Great Escape Publishing, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com.

“Social media is just a buzzword until you come up with a plan.”—Unknown Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry welcomes Bonnie Caton back to the podcast. At the recent Ultimate Photographer’s Workshop in St. Louis, Bonnie spoke to attendees about Instagram. Jody confesses he resisted Instagram for years even though people told him he should be there. He’s on Facebook and wasn’t sure he wanted to add another social media channel to his life. Jody’s not alone. Many people resist bringing more social media platforms into their lives. Bonnie shares some of the benefits of Instagram… “You can share your photos and see all the beautiful photos posted to the site, it’s stress free and it’s Facebook without the drama!” Listen in as Bonnie shares more advantages of being on Instagram along with tips for getting started and for using the platform to build your business or brand.   Click here to follow Great Escape Publishing on Instagram. For more information about Great Escape Publishing, visit www.greatescapepublishi

“Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets planning.”—Thomas Edison Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen talk about the recent Ultimate Photographer’s Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri. Lori shares her thoughts on the event… “This was our 174th live event and I think it may be my favorite one yet!” From the outstanding staff at the Chase Park Plaza where the workshop was held to the enthusiastic attendees, the event was a huge success. YouTube sensation and photographer Nigel Danson and National Geographic photographer Jad Davenport joined the already spectacular line up of presenters. Both were very popular with the attendees. They even had Lori taking notes during their presentations. Listen in as Lori shares more about the workshop and other live events presented by Great Escape Publishing. Next year’s event will be in Alexandria, Virginia in the Spring so it’s possible the attendees could catch the annual cherry blossoms.   The next event coming up

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”—Helen Keller Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen talk about Jody’s first international trip. Believe it or not, Jody’s starting his experience with international travel with a trip to Kuwait. As he says, “the most exotic place I’ve ever been is Duluth, Minnesota!” Lori asks Jody what he has done to prepare for this trip. His response: “I bought a plane ticket and got a passport!” Jody definitely needs some tips to prepare for his big trip. Lori starts with the basics… …passport and visa requirements …vaccinations …contacts for the US Embassy …tips for using credit cards overseas …packing and clothing tips Lori has extensive international travel experience. The tips she shares with Jody will benefit anyone planning for international travel. For more information about Great Escape Publishing, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com.

“You will never change your life until you change something that you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”—John C. Maxwell Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry talks with Noreen Kompanik who is celebrating her 400th published article. Noreen spent 34 years in nursing before transitioning into travel writing. In just over four years, she’s written and published 400 articles. She’s often asked how she does it. “You will never change your life until you change something that you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”—John C. Maxwell Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry talks with Noreen Kompanik who is celebrating her 400th published article. Noreen spent 34 years in nursing before transitioning into travel writing. In just over four years, she’s written and published 400 articles. She’s often asked how she does it. Noreen’s philosophy is “a little progress every day might not seem like a lot, but it leads to big results.” Her secret to success lie

“I meet people and they become chapters in my stories.”—Avijeet Das Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry brings travel writer, Noreen Kompanik back to the show. Noreen has transitioned from a 34-year career in nursing to life as a travel writer. She attended the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in 2014 when it was in San Diego where she lives. While she loves writing articles and traveling to so many wonderful destinations, she loves even more the people she meets along the way. “What has been the biggest blessing of all to me is the people I’ve met along the way,” says Noreen. Noreen’s always been a people person, but she didn’t realize how much she would enjoy interacting with people as a travel writer. She shares some of the inspiring stories she’s gleaned through conversations with people she’s met along the way. Noreen shares her tips for finding these inspiring stories along the way and how to use those in your writing. She also shares an amazing story she uncovered about Dr. Seuss. Noreen pioneered G

“Listicles are like the ‘crack’ of travel writing, we just have to read them.” –Kyle Wagner Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen bring Kyle Wagner to the show. To listen in to a previous episode with Kyle, go here. Lori introduces us to Kyle… “Kyle has a lot of spunk and I would imagine that’s why she’s such a great travel writer. She’s enthusiastic, funny and always entertaining. And she wants people to live a full life and love what they do.” Kyle has 30 years of journalism under her belt. She spent 12 of those years as an editor at the Denver Post.  Now she’s freelancing and loving the flexibility and freedom the freelance life brings. She joins Jody to talk about “listicles” and the place they hold in today’s journalism… especially online. “Listicles are a list of the ‘top 10 (or some other number) this or that’ held together by an introduction,” explains Kyle. “They’re just like the popsicles they’re named for—easily digestible.” For a writer who’s in lov

“Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.”— Virginia Woolf Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen bring Connie Pearson to the show. Lori introduces us to Connie… “Connie is this sweet Alabama Christian grandmother that has not only had several travel articles published in a variety of outlets, she also has her own blog.” Jody talks with Connie about her blog and how it started. “I started blogging in earnest in May 2015 a few months before I attended the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in Denver. I had used the Great Escape Publishing blogging program by Paula Pant to get started.” It’s a program that Connie highly recommends as it helped her set up her blog and taught her how to manage it. After Connie began pitching travel articles to various outlets, she began to realize how important her blog is in the process. Listen in as Connie shares the ways her blog has enhanced her trave

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all: Read a lot and write a lot.”—Stephen King Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen bring food blogger Nathan Aguilera to the show. Lori introduces us to Nathan… “Nathan is a blogger that I found when we were looking for someone who was blogging about food. I found him on Instagram and reached out to see if he would help some of Great Escape Publishing’s members that were interested in blogging and building a social media following.” Nathan has been solo traveling for the past five years. About 18 months into his travels, he decided to start his blog to document his travels. Today Nathan works with tourism boards and companies around the world to promote destinations and brands. Listen in as Nathan explains the benefits of having a blog and the type of writing you should publish on your blog. Nathan also offers advice to those considering starting a blog. If you’re interested in starting your own blog v

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”—David Bowie Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen bring back Janette Tepas to the show. You can listen to our last episode with Janette here. In the past, people came to Great Escape Publishing to either study travel writing or photography. Generally, the two didn’t overlap. But things have changed, and Janette is a great example of that change. Janette is living the “gig life” which means she’s doing multiple things at a time. She doesn’t have a corporate job that pays her a salary every two weeks. Instead, she’s doing all types of things which is fairly common with creative types. Janette leads tours, takes photographs, dabbles in digital painting and she’s a seasonal stylist. Baby boomers like Janette have been taught to value longevity but many boomers are changing direction and learning to value creativity over longevity. Listen in as Janette shares more about her life and why the

“Less perfection. More authenticity.”—Anonymous Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry is joined by Breakfast Stock Club Creator, Bonnie Caton again this week. (You can listen in to the last episode with Bonnie here.) Jody talks with Bonnie about a term she uses in her photography: purposeful authentic. Bonnie shares what that means… “Thanks to social media, brands are looking to showcase real people in their advertising campaigns. They’re looking to get a peek inside the lives of real people.” In the past, marketing campaigns would hire models and set up photo shoots to sell their products…it was fake. “Now people want authentic looking photos. What that means is that you have many more opportunities to shoot photos to sell to stock agencies. Whenever you go out with your friends, take pictures of the things you’re doing whether its hiking, happy hour or whatever you’re doing.” Purposeful means finding the iconic things either in your travels or in your daily life and photographing them in the best possible l

“Follow your own passion—not your parents’, not your teachers’—yours.”—Robert Ballard Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry is joined by Bonnie Caton to discuss making art for a living. Bonnie has always loved art and was one of those kids in school who couldn’t wait for art day. But it took her a while to realize she could use her passion for art to make a living. She was told she should follow a “safe route” and study something “normal.” When she discovered Great Escape Publishing and attended a photography workshop, she began to realize she could make a living as an artist—despite what others may say. Listen in as Bonnie shares her story and offers advice and encouragement to anyone currently in a “safe” career that really wants to change direction and make a living from art or another creative endeavor. If this inspires you to take steps toward a creative career visit www.breakfaststock.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter. If anyone out there has benefitted from this podcast or any of the Great Esca