Danielle Hu is a travel influencer, online business mentor, social media expert, and Founder of The Wanderlover. Her mission is to enable travel and freedom through entrepreneurship, providing resources and tactical strategies for others to build creative and profitable online businesses. Since quitting her corporate finance job, she has been traveling living abroad in the tropics full-time for the past 4 years, from Bali to Hawai’i, balancing work with post-surf coconuts, and amplifying voices of entrepreneurs around the world on her podcast.
What is your company here all about?
The Wanderlover provides resources, inspiration, and coaching for people who want to build creative and profitable online businesses using social media. Our mission is to enable travel and freedom through online entrepreneurship because starting my brand is what has manifested into a life working from wherever there is wi-fi and surf!
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I used to work in corporate finance and quickly learned that cubicle life was not for me. Instead, I would scroll on Instagram seeing digital nomads working from coworking spaces in Bali, and realized that’s where I wanted to be. The Wanderlover started as a creative outlet but transitioned into a full-time career in content creation and business coaching. We now help creatives around the world build location freedom, time freedom, and financial freedom.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
Resilience – Things are going to go wrong no matter what, and it’s our choice as entrepreneurs whether to indulge in the hardships or to be grateful to even be in this race! The faster you can bounce back, the more success you will receive.
Creativity – Creativity, and collaboration over competition, always. There’s no point in trying to fight for what is already in place. There is an endless amount of creative potential within you, so journal about and work on what you would like to see brought into life!
Efficiency – As CEO, you must make decisions swiftly with your best judgment. There’s no point in trying to “wait for the perfect moment” or “think of the perfect idea” !
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
No one is you and that is your power. I have been a full-time traveler for the past 4 years and really emphasize the “business” side of being creative. My audience and clients resonate with my story of leaving corporate to pursue a freedom-based lifestyle, and we all love traveling!
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
Trying to do too much by myself – In the beginning, I was determined to do everything myself, but it’s impossible. There always comes a time where you can’t do it all and you must let go of some parts of your work. I learned to outsource what was outside my zone of genius and it allowed me to focus on things I am more experienced in and I brought in experts who could help me take things to the next level.
Not getting help sooner – Nobody knows it all (even if they think they do) and I was no exception. I learned to invest in courses, books, and mentors to get me to where I want to be faster. When I upgraded my own knowledge and expertise, my business was soon to follow.
Doubting my abilities too often – Self-doubt will lead you to question your own decisions and can muddy the waters between decision making. I learned to make quicker decisions and to trust my own instincts. It was a huge step in taking complete control of my actions and guiding things where I wanted them to go.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Social Media Marketing has been my biggest channel, by far. I built a brand for myself on social media (specifically Instagram) and it helped me connect with new people every single day, all hours of the day. This is where I was able to find my first clients, build relationships with like-minded people, and find collaboration opportunities that introduced me to more people.
I have built a large Instagram following by being reachable and interacting with people on an everyday basis. It is constantly bringing me into new circles where I’m able to teach, learn, and grow, both as for my business and as an individual.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
- ActiveCampaign. Email Marketing is crucial in the online space. I specifically use ActiveCampaign as my client relationship manager for all my emails, automations, and newsletters.
- Pinterest Marketing. Pinterest is an underrated platform that drives readers to my blog on autopilot.
- Fiverr. I am now passing off certain tasks to more experienced people so I am free to do what I do best. Fiverr is a great way to find people who specialize in a specific task so I can lean on them to get me where I need to get a specific part of a project. It’s taken so much time off my hands!
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
Committing myself to seeing client results and transformations. I’m so dedicated to helping my clients reach their goals and I live with the ups-and-downs of each person I work with.
As someone who made the journey from corporate life to a digital nomad living in Hawaii, I know how amazing it can feel, as well as how challenging it is on a daily basis (especially in the beginning).
I continue to be motivated every time I work with a client and I begin to understand their personal goals. Those personal goals are now MY goals and I am driven to help us both reach them.
What is your favorite quote?
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”
– Paulo Coelho
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Write down your life goals, and break them down into 3-year, 1-year, and 3-month goals. Then map out what you are going to do every day to get you one step closer to your goals. Clearly defining what you want to achieve and breaking them down into actionable steps makes your dreams a reality!
How can readers get in touch with you?
Check out my free resources on The Wanderlover, Instagram for Business, and my DMs on Instagram are always open! Feel free to message me anytime if you want to level up your Instagram and online business.
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