In this mini series of Everyday Badassery podcast, we uncover the mindset, confidence, journey and badassery behind the finalists and winners of Wanderful’s Bessie Awards.
The episodes in this series are:
- Be MORE Badass By Giving Yourself MORE CREDIT (ep. 75)
- She is redefining travel for women worldwide w/Beth Santos (ep.76)
- The MOST badass solo female traveler: Meet Alexa West (ep.77)
- MINDSET during the TOUGHEST TRANSITIONS in life w/Youmie of Flex N Fly (ep.78)
- SHE DOES NOT LET ANYTHING STOP HER | Travel stories & mindset of Vanessa Fondeur (ep.79)
Read on for a recap of each episode as well as the audio or video versions of each podcast.
Be MORE Badass By Giving Yourself MORE CREDIT (ep. 75)
This episode kicks off the series and after attending The Bessie Awards dinner, I was inspired to talk about the power of OWNING it – owning your accomplishments, owning your badassery and NOT dimming your shine.
The world doesn’t benefit from you hiding your badassery.
Watch the episode below or by clicking here.
Key takeaways from the kickoff episode
Embrace Challenges: Face new opportunities with confidence, knowing that your badassery will help you navigate any obstacles.
Stop Dimming Your Shine: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem.
Overcome Impostor Syndrome: Recognize that you have valuable insights and skills to share, even if others seem more experienced.
Step Into the Spotlight: Embrace your unique voice and perspective, and don’t be afraid to speak up and stand out.
Support and Uplift Each Other: Surround yourself with people who encourage and inspire you to be your best self.
Reflect on Your Accomplishments: Regularly remind yourself of the things you’re proud of and let that confidence propel you forward.
Beth Santos: She is redefining travel for women worldwide w/Beth Santos (ep.76)
In this episode, we feature the badass Beth Santos, founder and CEO of Wanderful, an international women’s travel community, and author of “Wander Woman.”
Beth’s mission is to redefine travel for women by creating a supportive community where they feel seen, heard, and empowered.
Wanderful, which started as a blog, now includes an online community, virtual events, meetups, trips, the WITS Travel Creator Summit, Wanderfest, content creator campaigns, and the “85%” podcast.
Celebrating 11 years of intentional growth, Beth emphasizes the value of long-term success and building trust. Her book “Wander Woman” explores solo female travel, societal expectations, personal challenges, and the transformative nature of traveling alone.
Beth encourages starting small with solo travel, carving out solo moments, and embracing the freedom to follow your own whims.
She believes in doing what you want without worrying about others’ opinions, recognizing personal achievements, and living fully by taking risks and letting societal expectations roll off your back.
The MOST badass solo female traveler: Meet Alexa West (ep.77)
Meet badass Alexa West, the founder of the Solo Girl’s Travel Guide, who shared her incredible journey of solo travel and her passion for empowering women to travel alone.
Alexa’s travel story began after a college breakup, which led her to join the Peace Corps in Bulgaria and later teach English in South Korea and Taiwan while backpacking through Southeast Asia.
With over a dozen guidebooks focusing on destinations like Asia and Mexico, Alexa offers valuable advice for solo travelers, emphasizing the importance of starting with local solo experiences before venturing abroad.
We discuss the unique freedom and self-discovery that solo travel offers, including practical tips like joining volunteer programs to ease financial and social aspects. Alexa shared a memorable experience from Bangkok, where she helped a fellow traveler, demonstrating the camaraderie among travelers and her own resourcefulness.
We talk about embracing fear, pushing through it to uncover true capabilities, and the profound personal growth that comes with solo travel.
MINDSET during the TOUGHEST TRANSITIONS in life w/Youmie of Flex N Fly (ep.78)
She’s a bright light of positive energy with a smile and a laugh that makes her presence KNOWN and FELT when she’s in the room. Meet Youmie Jean Francois of Flex N Fly.
I wanted to uncover her story because it wasn’t an easy one.
It’s NOT one that you would expect such a positive person to have had – and I wanted to understand what mindset she kept that got her through some of the toughest transitions in life.
Watch the episode below or by clicking here.
Key Takeaways from Youmie’s Episode
Overcoming Hardships
Youmie’s journey to establish Flex and Fly wasn’t without difficulties, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the company’s launch.
She shared her experiences of dealing with heartbreak, professional challenges, and maintaining faith and perseverance through it all.
Lessons Learned and Wisdom Shared
What got her through the tough times? It was Youmie’s intentionality, self-discipline, and believing in one’s purpose.
She highlights three key lessons: success is inevitable, every hard time has an expiration date, and faith, not frustration, is what drives change.
SHE DOES NOT LET ANYTHING STOP HER | Travel stories & mindset of Vanessa Fondeur (ep.79)
Many know her MANY accomplishments, but few know that Vanessa Fondeur is introverted. That she put her finger on a globe and spun it and THIS is how she ended up on a solo trip to Australia in which the MISADVENTURE led to her meeting her husband.
Vanessa is willing to admit she cries about the things that scare her, but despite the fear, she DOES IT SCARED anyway.
In this episode we have an open conversation about mindset, the things we tell ourselves to push through the fear, and the failures we’ve had.
Key Takeaways from Vanessa’s Episode
- Embrace discomfort and small changes: Vanessa’s success comes from consistently stepping out of her comfort zone and making incremental changes in her life.
- Overcome fear with determination: Despite not knowing English when she arrived in the US, Vanessa immersed herself in activities to seize every opportunity, embodying the mindset of ‘grab life by the horns.
- ‘Adventure and openness lead to growth: Vanessa’s solo trip to Australia, decided by spinning a globe, highlights the importance of being open to new experiences and opportunities, even when faced with fear.
- Failure is a step towards success: Vanessa shared her financial struggles and the lessons learned from hosting the Latino Travel Fest, emphasizing that failure is an opportunity for growth and improvement.
- Community and support are vital: Vanessa’s journey illustrates the importance of surrounding oneself with a supportive community, which fuels personal and professional growth.
About the podcast
Inspirational stories to help you be just 1% more badass than you were yesterday. Our BIG badass moments in life are made possible by the the culmination of our SMALL badass moments. I keep it REAL.